Abstract: An image reading device includes: a reading unit; a first detecting unit that detects a position of the reading unit in the sub-scanning direction; a second detecting unit that detects a position of the reading unit in the sub-scanning direction; and a calculating unit that calculates a skew quantity and a skew direction of the reading unit, based on a difference, introduced by the skew, between a travel distance by which the reading unit has travelled from a measurement reference position located on an upstream side of the first detecting unit and the second detecting unit in a moving direction to a point where the reading unit is detected by the first detecting unit, and a travel distance by which the reading unit has travelled from the measurement reference position to a point where the reading unit is detected by the second detecting unit.

Abstract: A document feeder, which may be incorporated in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet conveying guide, at least one recess, a frame, and at least one protrusion. The sheet conveying guide is disposed facing an exposure glass on an apparatus body and guides an original document passing over the exposure glass when the document feeder is closed to the apparatus body. The recess is disposed on the apparatus body at both ends of the exposure glass in a lateral direction orthogonal to a document conveying direction. The frame is openably closable about one end side of the apparatus body in the lateral direction and vertically movably holds the sheet conveying guide. The protrusion is disposed on the frame facing the recess. The sheet conveying guide and the frame are secured to each other while the recess and the protrusion are engaged with each other in the closed state.

Abstract: An image reading device, which may be incorporated in an image forming apparatus, includes an image reader, a color reference body, a biasing body, a reading gap forming device, and a driving device. The image reader reads an image of an original document. The color reference body has a white reference face to position facing the image reader within a predetermined range in a document width direction. The biasing body biases the color reference body to the image reader. The reading gap forming device forms a reading gap while receiving a biasing force from the biasing body on the outside of the predetermined range. The driving device has a force drive transmission body engaged with a center of the color reference body in the document width direction and drives the color reference body in the document width direction at the center via the force drive transmission body.

Abstract: An image-reading unit includes an original document conveyor that includes a first original document tray to hold an original document to be read, a first original document feeding port to feed the original document placed on the first original document tray, and an original document conveying path to convey the original document from the first original document feeding port to an original document discharging port. The original document conveyor further includes an openable second original document tray attached near an intermediate portion of the original document conveying path to hold an original document when opened, and a second original document feeding port to feed the original document on the second original document tray. The image-reading unit further includes an image reader to read an image of the original document being conveyed along the original document conveying path.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder that is included in an image reader of an image forming apparatus includes a sheet conveying roller, a document feeder cover, a projection piece, a motor, a driving side gear, and a driving force transmission device including an idler gear, a driving force release gear, a slide body, a first elastic body to bias the idler gear and the driving force release gear to be separated, a second elastic body to bias the driving force release gear and the slide body to be separated, and a drive shaft. The driving force transmission device meshes the driving and driven side meshing portions together with a biasing force applied by the second elastic body when the document feeder cover is closed, and releases the driving and driven side meshing portions with a biasing force applied by the first elastic body when the document feeder cover is opened.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, an image forming device, an image reading device coupled with the housing via a first hinge and switchable between an overlapping state and a standing state, the image reading device configured to read an image on an original document, an automatic document feeder coupled with the image reading device via a second hinge and switchable between an overlapping state overlapping the image reading device and a standing state standing at the image reading device, the automatic document feeder configured to turn the original document and convey the original document to an image position, and an automatic coupling device to couple the automatic document feeder and the image reading device when the image reading device is opened while the automatic document feeder is overlapped on the image reading device.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance device includes a sheet mount on which a standard-sized sheet is mountable; a first conveyor to bring in the sheet from the mount, convey the sheet through a reverse conveyance path such that the sheet passes through a specific operation position, and eject the sheet into a sheet ejection area outside the mount; and a second conveyor to bring in a hard sheet with a higher bending rigidity than the sheet from one end of a straight conveyance path along a plane passing through the specific position of the reverse path, and eject the hard sheet conveyed along the straight path from another end of the straight path at a sheet ejection area side. The mount includes a hard sheet ejection port to let through at least a leading edge portion of the hard sheet to be ejected from the second conveyor in a sheet ejection direction.

Abstract: An image scanner, which is incorporated in an image forming apparatus, includes a stationary-document reading section, a moving-document reading section disposed at an angle to the stationary-document reading section, a reader movable between the stationary-document reading section and the moving-document reading section, and a reading element movable to different angles while contacting the stationary-document reading section and the moving-document reading section to selectively read a document placed on the stationary-document reading section and a document moving over the moving-document reading section. The image scanner further includes any one of position detector, a combination of a moving device and at least one position sensor, and a combination of at least one pressing member, a framework, and an angle changer.

Abstract: An automatic document feeding device includes a document tray, an ejection tray, and a document takeout port. The document tray is rotatably attached to a rotation fulcrum provided in a body of the automatic document feeder, to load a document. The document tray includes a first positioner and a second positioner. The first positioner is disposed at a front side of the body in a direction perpendicular to a document feed direction. The second positioner is disposed at a depth side of the body in the direction perpendicular to the document feed direction. The first positioner is disposed upstream from the rotation fulcrum in the document feed direction and above the document takeout port in the body. An upper portion and side surfaces of the first positioner in the direction perpendicular to the document feed direction are surrounded by the document tray in a closed state of the document tray.

Abstract: An automatic document feeding device includes a conveyance unit, an image reading unit, a color reference member, a moving assembly, and a drive source. The conveyance unit conveys a document to an image reading position. The image reading unit reads an image of the document. The color reference member faces the image reading unit and includes a white reference face to correct shading. The moving assembly relatively moves the image reading unit and the color reference member. The movement regulator regulates a relative movement of the image reading unit and the color reference member by the moving assembly. The drive source includes a common rotation output shaft to drive the conveyance unit and the moving assembly. The drive source changes the rotation output shaft from a forward rotation direction to a reverse rotation direction to reversely rotate the rotation output shaft to a set reverse rotation angle set in advance, according to a condition of conveyance of the document by the conveyance unit.

Abstract: An image scanner, which is incorporated in an image forming apparatus, includes a stationary-document reading section, a moving-document reading section disposed at an angle to the stationary-document reading section, a reader movable between the stationary-document reading section and the moving-document reading section, and a reading element movable to different angles while contacting the stationary-document reading section and the moving-document reading section to selectively read a document placed on the stationary-document reading section and a document moving over the moving-document reading section. The image scanner further includes any one of position detector, a combination of a moving device and at least one position sensor, and a combination of at least one pressing member, a framework, and an angle changer.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance device includes a sheet mount on which a standard-sized sheet is mountable; a first conveyor to bring in the sheet from the mount, convey the sheet through a reverse conveyance path such that the sheet passes through a specific operation position, and eject the sheet into a sheet ejection area outside the mount; and a second conveyor to bring in a hard sheet with a higher bending rigidity than the sheet from one end of a straight conveyance path along a plane passing through the specific position of the reverse path, and eject the hard sheet conveyed along the straight path from another end of the straight path at a sheet ejection area side. The mount includes a hard sheet ejection port to let through at least a leading edge portion of the hard sheet to be ejected from the second conveyor in a sheet ejection direction.

Abstract: An image scanner includes a primary conveyance roller to convey an original bearing an image in an original conveyance direction and an image reader disposed downstream from the primary conveyance roller in the original conveyance direction to read the image on the original. A moving original reading portion is disposed opposite the image reader. The image reader reads the image on the original through the moving original reading portion while the original moves over the moving original reading portion. A slope is disposed downstream from the moving original reading portion in the original conveyance direction. A spacer is interposed between the moving original reading portion and the slope in the original conveyance direction. A secondary conveyance roller has an original contact point to come into contact with the original. The original contact point is disposed opposite the spacer with an interval therebetween.

Abstract: An image reading device, which can be included in an image forming apparatus, includes an image pickup device, a transparent member, a traveling body, and a housing. The traveling body includes a light source to emit light and guides the light reflected from a surface of the document to the image pickup device while moving in a sub scanning direction along the document surface on the transparent member. The housing accommodates the image pickup device and the traveling body, and includes a base member including a rectangular bottom surface and a side surface, and a rail member including a rail surface and a first vertical surface. The rail member further includes a fixing part that is a surface to be fixed to the bottom surface of the base member and to extend from one end of the rail member in the sub scanning direction to the other end.

Abstract: An image reading device, which can be included in an image forming apparatus, includes an image pickup device, a transparent member, a traveling body, and a housing. The traveling body includes a light source to emit light and guides the light reflected from a surface of the document to the image pickup device while moving in a sub scanning direction along the document surface on the transparent member. The housing accommodates the image pickup device and the traveling body, and includes a base member including a rectangular bottom surface and a side surface, and a rail member including a rail surface and a first vertical surface. The rail member further includes a fixing part that is a surface to be fixed to the bottom surface of the base member and to extend from one end of the rail member in the sub scanning direction to the other end.

Abstract: A tilt adjustment mechanism that is installed in an optical device that captures an image by using an image capturing unit part in which an image capturing sensor to capture an image and an imaging lens to image an image on the image capturing sensor are mounted on a holding member to constitute a unit part, the tilt adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust tilt of the image capturing unit part by rotating the image capturing unit part about the center of the imaging lens.

Abstract: A document scanning module includes an image sensor; and imaging lenses that focus light reflected from a document onto the image sensor to form an image. The imaging lenses include a front-group lens arranged on a document side, and a rear-group lens arranged on an image sensor side and having a width in a main-scanning direction. The rear-group lens includes an attachment portion extending toward the image sensor. The attachment portion is joined to a longitudinal side surface of the image sensor.

Abstract: An image read device is provided, which conveys an original while performing reading of an image of the original at a read position on a transparent member by a read unit fixed, the image read device including: a moving unit that moves the transparent member back and forth in an original conveying direction; a control unit that conveys the original and moves the transparent member by using the moving unit while causing the reading of the image to be performed at the read position; and a determining unit that, when an event causing interruption of original conveyance occurs, stops the transparent member and determines whether a control of returning the transparent member to a home position is to be performed or not in accordance with a stopped position of the original in an original conveying path.

Abstract: An image capturing device includes a frame; a light source provided in the frame to irradiate a target with light; an image sensor that receives light reflected by the target to capture an image of the target; an imaging lens unit formed of a plurality of lenses configured to focus the light reflected by the target on the image sensor; and reflecting mirrors to direct the light reflected by the target to the imaging lens unit. In the image capturing device, an image capturing position is corrected by changing a posture of the reflecting mirror relative to the frame of the image capturing device and a skewed image is corrected by changing the posture of the reflecting mirror relative to the frame of the image capturing device.

Abstract: An image reading system reads an image of an original document by conveying the original document through a fixed reading position along a platen glass. The image reading system includes a conveyance device that conveys the original document keeping a prescribed distance from the platen glass at the reading position. The contact glass is arranged outside a depth of focus at the reading position.