SHEET FEEDER, IMAGE READER AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet feeder, an image reader and an image forming device capable of performing the consistent separate feed of sheets. SOLUTION: Sheets are separated one by one by a separation unit 101a having a separation roller 111 and a separation pad 102 to be pressed against the separation roller 111, and fed. By setting the hardness of at least a surface of the separation pad 102 to be larger than the hardness of the separation roller 111, a pressed part to be formed by pressing the separation roller 111 and the separation pad 102 against each other is allowed to copy the surface of the separation pad 102. In addition, when the sheet enters the pressed part, an upstream side end in the sheet conveying direction of the separation pad 102 is pressed by the sheet and inclined in the thickness direction of the sheet. After the sheet enters the pressed part, the upstream side end is pressed in the separating direction from the separation roller 111 by the thickness of the sheet. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT