SHEET FEEDING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet feeding device in which a floating restricting member does not interfere with an operation to place sheets or an operation to remove them, does not cause any damage to the device or sheets, or does not limit the load capacity of sheets.SOLUTION: The sheet feeding device includes: a floating restricting member 340 restricting the floating position of a bundle of sheets 1; and a holding mechanism 350 holding the floating restricting member 340 relative to a side fence 137. The floating restricting member 340 includes: a sheet contact section 341 being brought into contact with the bundle of sheets 1 from above; and a sheet-floating restricting section 342 restricting the floating position of the floating sheet that is floated while air is blown thereto. The holding mechanism 350 sets the floating restricting member 340 to an initial state where the sheet-floating restricting section 342 restricts the floating position of the sheets, to a sheet-placing time retracted state where the bundle of sheets 1 are pushed against the sheet contact section 341 for replenishment so that the floating restricting member 340 is retracted, and to a sheet-ejecting time retracted state where, when the bundle of sheets 1 are to be removed, the sheet is pushed against the sheet contact section 341 from below so that the floating restricting member 340 is retracted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6 【課題】浮上規制部材がシートの設置操作、取出操作の邪魔や、装置やシートの損傷の原因とならず、シートの積載量に制限を与えないようにする。【解決手段】シート束１の浮上位置を規制する浮上規制部材３４０と、浮上規制部材３４０をサイドフェンス１３７に対して保持する保持機構３５０とを備える。浮上規制部材３４０は、シート束１が上側から接触するシート接触面部３４１、エアを吹き付けられて浮上したシートの浮上位置を規制するシート浮上規制面部３４２を備える。保持機構３５０は、浮上規制部材３４０を、シート浮上規制面部３４２がシートの浮上位置を制限する初期状態、シート束１を補充のためシート接触面部３４１に押し付けとき浮上規制部材３４０を退避させるシート配置時退避状態、およびシート束１を取り出すときシート接触面部３４１に下側から押し付けらたとき浮上規制部材３４０を退避させるシート排出時退避状態にする。【選択図】図６