Abstract: A document reading apparatus has a first scanning unit that can scan in a document conveyance direction and determines a document reading position, and a guide plate provided in a position that sandwiches the document being conveyed with the first scanning unit. On a facing surface of the guide plate relative to the first scanning unit, a first color section to which a white sheet is attached and a second color section having a sheet metal color (e.g. gray) of the guide plate are formed in the document conveyance direction. The document reading position corresponds to a position facing the second color section when a document is read in a crop mode.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a pickup roller, a lifting/lowering mechanism, and a driver device. The lifting/lowering mechanism includes a restricting member that releasably restricts the pickup roller from being lowered from a lifted position of the pickup roller at the lifted position. In the sheet feeding device, the driver device drives the lifting/lowering mechanism so that the pickup roller is lowered from the lifted position of the pickup roller, and a drive suspend operation is performed in which the driving of the lifting/lowering mechanism by driver device is suspended after a predetermined time during which the pickup roller does not contact a sheet loading tray or a sheet on the sheet loading tray elapses from a time point when the pickup roller is released from being restricted by the restricting member at the lifted position.

Abstract: A document feeder includes a mode selector, at least two document sensors, and a feeding determiner. The mode selector receives selection of either a normal mode for feeding documents having the same size or a mixed loading mode for feeding documents having different sizes. The document sensors are arranged at an interval in a width direction of the documents, and detect the documents. The feeding determiner performs, based on results of the detection by the document sensors, a size determination to determine a size of a document being fed and a skew determination to determine whether or not the document being fed is skewed. The feeding determiner performs the skew determination when the normal mode has been selected and performs the size determination when the mixed loading mode has been selected.

Abstract: A document reading apparatus has a first scanning unit that can scan in a document conveyance direction and determines a document reading position, and a guide plate provided in a position that sandwiches the document being conveyed with the first scanning unit. On a facing surface of the guide plate relative to the first scanning unit, a first color section to which a white sheet is attached and a second color section having a sheet metal color (e.g. gray) of the guide plate are formed in the document conveyance direction. The document reading position corresponds to a position facing the second color section when a document is read in a crop mode.

Abstract: A document feeder includes an apparatus body to which a document feed unit is attached, a sheet feed tray that moves up and down toward the document feed unit, an open/close cover attached openably and closably to the apparatus body and opens the document transport path and the document feed unit when opened, and a unit pressing arm attached to the open/close cover. When the open/close cover is closed, the unit pressing arm presses the document feed unit toward the sheet feed tray.

Abstract: In a document feed device, in at least either one of a pair of first upstream conveyance rollers and a pair of first downstream conveyance rollers, at least a driven roller includes a plurality of driven rollers provided in a rotation axis direction, a first pressure load of a central driven roller against a drive roller is larger than a second pressure load of both-side driven rollers against drive rollers, and the second pressure load of the both-side driven rollers against the drive rollers is smaller than a third pressure load of a driven roller against a drive roller in a pair of second conveyance rollers other than the pair of first upstream conveyance rollers and the pair of first downstream conveyance rollers among a plurality of pairs of conveyance rollers.

Abstract: In a document feed device, in at least either one of a pair of first upstream conveyance rollers and a pair of first downstream conveyance rollers, at least a driven roller includes a plurality of driven rollers provided in a rotation axis direction, a first pressure load of a central driven roller against a drive roller is larger than a second pressure load of both-side driven rollers against drive rollers, and the second pressure load of the both-side driven rollers against the drive rollers is smaller than a third pressure load of a driven roller against a drive roller in a pair of second conveyance rollers other than the pair of first upstream conveyance rollers and the pair of first downstream conveyance rollers among a plurality of pairs of conveyance rollers.

Abstract: A document feeder includes a mode selector, at least two document sensors, and a feeding determiner. The mode selector receives selection of either a normal mode for feeding documents having the same size or a mixed loading mode for feeding documents having different sizes. The document sensors are arranged at an interval in a width direction of the documents, and detect the documents. The feeding determiner performs, based on results of the detection by the document sensors, a size determination to determine a size of a document being fed and a skew determination to determine whether or not the document being fed is skewed. The feeding determiner performs the skew determination when the normal mode has been selected and performs the size determination when the mixed loading mode has been selected.

Abstract: A document feeder includes an apparatus body to which a document feed unit is attached, a sheet feed tray that moves up and down toward the document feed unit, an open/close cover attached openably and closably to the apparatus body and opens the document transport path and the document feed unit when opened, and a unit pressing arm attached to the open/close cover. When the open/close cover is closed, the unit pressing arm presses the document feed unit toward the sheet feed tray.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a pickup roller, a lifting/lowering mechanism, and a driver device. The lifting/lowering mechanism includes a restricting member that releasably restricts the pickup roller from being lowered from a lifted position of the pickup roller at the lifted position. In the sheet feeding device, the driver device drives the lifting/lowering mechanism so that the pickup roller is lowered from the lifted position of the pickup roller, and a drive suspend operation is performed in which the driving of the lifting/lowering mechanism by driver device is suspended after a predetermined time during which the pickup roller does not contact a sheet loading tray or a sheet on the sheet loading tray elapses from a time point when the pickup roller is released from being restricted by the restricting member at the lifted position.

Abstract: A sheet feed apparatus includes a sheet separation unit, and the sheet separation unit includes a separation roller that is provided so as to be brought into contact to an outer peripheral surface of a sheet feed roller, and separates a sheet fed by the sheet feed roller into one. The sheet separation unit comprises a hook for rotatably supporting the sheet separation unit in a main body casing of the sheet feed apparatus and an engaging claw that makes the sheet separation unit engage with the main body casing. Therefore, the sheet separation unit is held in the main body casing detachably.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a first apparatus and a second apparatus. A cable-side connector of an electrical cable extending from the second apparatus is connected to a first-apparatus-side connector provided in the first apparatus. The cable-side connector is provided on a side of the first apparatus. The image forming apparatus comprises an opening portion provided in the first apparatus and through which the cable-side connector is connectable to the first-apparatus-side connector from an outside of the first apparatus; a lid that covers the opening portion; an attaching portion provided on the lid so as to attach the lid to the first apparatus; an engaging portion provided on the lid so as to be disengageably engaged with the opening portion; an outlet portion provided on the lid and through which the electrical cable extends to the outside of the first apparatus; and an attachment member attached to the electrical cable.

Abstract: A paper feed apparatus for a multifunction image forming apparatus includes a paper feeding portion that sends-out a paper placed in a paper placing tray. The paper feed apparatus comprises a first regulating portion and a second regulating portion arranged in the vicinity of a downstream side of a paper feeding position by the paper feeding portion. The first regulating portion is arranged outside a second width paper passage area to regulate a movement of a first width paper placed in the paper placing tray toward a feeding direction. The second regulating portion is arranged inside the second width paper passage area to regulate a movement of a second width paper placed in the paper placing tray toward a feeding direction. By this arrangement, the second width paper such as a name card can be fed in addition to the first width paper such as A4 paper.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes an image-reading unit. The image-reading unit includes a first member and a second member. The image-reading unit includes an original-document-feeding apparatus that conveys an original document from an original-document-loading tray to a discharge tray via a read position. In the first member and the second member, a first conveyance passage along which the original document is conveyed to the read position and a second conveyance passage along which the original document is conveyed from the read position to the discharge tray are formed. The second member includes at least two conveyance rollers. Between the two conveyance rollers, there are opening edges for partly allowing access to the second conveyance passage. The second member includes a lid for covering an opening that is defined by the opening edges.

Abstract: A sheet transport apparatus is equipped with a sheet transport guide section for guiding a sheet to be transported. The sheet transport guide section includes a first transport guide member swingable about a first axis, and a second transport guide member swingable about a second axis, the second transport guide member forming a sheet transport path between the second transport guide member and the first transport guide member. The second transport guide member is arranged at a first position when the first transport guide member is closed, at a second position where the second transport guide member is opened from the first position when the first transport guide member is opened, or at a third position where the second transport guide member is opened from the second position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a first apparatus and a second apparatus. A cable-side connector of an electrical cable extending from the second apparatus is connected to a first-apparatus-side connector provided in the first apparatus. The cable-side connector is provided on a side of the first apparatus. The image forming apparatus comprises an opening portion provided in the first apparatus and through which the cable-side connector is connectable to the first-apparatus-side connector from an outside of the first apparatus; a lid that covers the opening portion; an attaching portion provided on the lid so as to attach the lid to the first apparatus; an engaging portion provided on the lid so as to be disengageably engaged with the opening portion; an outlet portion provided on the lid and through which the electrical cable extends to the outside of the first apparatus; and an attachment member attached to the electrical cable.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus main body (apparatus main body) and an automatic document feeder mounted on the apparatus main body are provided, and a cable-side connector provided at a front end of an electrical cable extending from the automatic document feeder is removably connected to a board-side connector provided on a circuit board of the apparatus main body. In this configuration, an opening portion is provided in a back face of a housing of the apparatus main body at a position opposing the board-side connector, a lid that covers this opening portion is attached to a front end portion of the electrical cable by an attachment member, and this lid is configured so as to be attachable to the opening portion by a hook and fixing by screwing by means of a screw insertion boss.

Abstract: A sheet feed apparatus includes a sheet separation unit, and the sheet separation unit includes a separation roller that is provided so as to be brought into contact to an outer peripheral surface of a sheet feed roller, and separates a sheet fed by the sheet feed roller into one. The sheet separation unit comprises a hook for rotatably supporting the sheet separation unit in a main body casing of the sheet feed apparatus and an engaging claw that makes the sheet separation unit engage with the main body casing. Therefore, the sheet separation unit is held in the main body casing detachably.

Abstract: A sheet transport apparatus is equipped with a sheet transport guide section for guiding a sheet to be transported. The sheet transport guide section includes a first transport guide member swingable about a first axis, and a second transport guide member swingable about a second axis, the second transport guide member forming a sheet transport path between the second transport guide member and the first transport guide member. The second transport guide member is arranged at a first position when the first transport guide member is closed, at a second position where the second transport guide member is opened from the first position when the first transport guide member is opened, or at a third position where the second transport guide member is opened from the second position.

Abstract: A sheet feed apparatus includes a sheet separation unit, and the sheet separation unit includes a separation roller that is provided so as to be brought into contact to an outer peripheral surface of a sheet feed roller, and separates a sheet fed by the sheet feed roller into one. The sheet separation unit comprises a hook for rotatably supporting the sheet separation unit in a main body casing of the sheet feed apparatus and an engaging claw that makes the sheet separation unit engage with the main body casing. Therefore, the sheet separation unit is held in the main body casing detachably.