Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus having such sheet feeding apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a sheet feeding apparatus for feeding a sheet;
• and
• a recording apparatus for recording an image on the sheet fed by said sheet feeding apparatus;
• said sheet feeding apparatus and said recording apparatus being separatable from each other;
• and wherein
• one of said sheet feeding apparatus and said recording apparatus has a plurality of lock members movably supported, and an operation member engaged by at least one of said lock members and movably supported, so that said plurality of lock members are moved integrally by manipulating said operation member;
• and wherein
• said sheet feeding apparatus or said recording apparatus not having said lock members has a plurality of engagement portions with which said plurality of lock members are engaged, so that said sheet feeding apparatus and said recording apparatus are interconnected by engaging said lock members with said engagement portions, and engagement between said lock members and said engagement portions is released by moving said lock members via said operation member.

A mount/dismount connecting mechanism comprising:

• connection means for detachably interconnecting apparatuses;
• connection positioning means in which a circular hole and an elongated hole formed in one of said apparatuses are engaged with a pair of protruded shafts provided on the other apparatus to determine a relative connection position between said apparatuses;
• connection releasing means for releasing a connecting condition of said connection means interconnecting said apparatuses;
• and
• spacing means for biasing the interconnected apparatuses toward a separating direction;
• and wherein
• said connection means has a pair of lock members for interconnecting said apparatuses in the vicinity of said elongated hole and said circular hole, and said lock member disposed in the vicinity of said circular hole releases the connection before said lock member disposed in the vicinity of said elongated hole releases the connection.

A sheet feeding apparatus to which a recording apparatus is detachably mountable and which feeds a sheet to the mounted recording apparatus, comprising:

• a supporting portion on which the recording apparatus is to be rested;
• and
• a regulating member for regulating an upward movement of the recording apparatus rested on said supporting portion,
• wherein the recording apparatus has a case provided with an inlet for the sheet, the case including therein conveying means for conveying the sheet inserted from the inlet and recording means for recoding an image on the sheet conveyed by the conveying means, whereby the recording apparatus can record the image on the sheet by itself.