Image reading device and image forming device

Abstract

To improve the accuracy of reading performed by a reading unit.SOLUTION: An image reading device comprises: a reading guide 16 that guides a sheet to be conveyed; a second reading unit 40 that has a case 42 and a CIS 41, is openable and closable to a first closed position where it forms with the reading guide 16 a first area Ar1 of a conveyance path through which the sheet is conveyed and a first open position where it opens the first area Ar1, and reads an image of the sheet conveyed in the first area Ar1 at the first closed position; and a rotation guide 14 that is openable and closable to a second closed position where it forms with the reading guide 16 a second area Ar2 located downstream of the first area Ar1 in a sheet conveyance direction and a second open position where it opens the second area Ar2. The second reading unit 40 has a fourth guide surface G4 that extends from the case 42 toward the downstream in the sheet conveyance direction and guides the sheet with the reading guide 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image reading device that reads an image from a document, and an image forming apparatus to which this image reading device is applied. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, image reading devices mounted on image forming devices such as copiers and printers have been widely used, equipped with an automatic document feeder (hereinafter also referred to as "sheet") that separates and feeds documents (hereinafter also referred to as "sheets") placed on a document tray as a sheet conveying device. One such image reading device has been developed that includes a second reading unit on the automatic document feeder side in addition to a first reading unit on the reader side having a glass on which the documents are placed (see Patent Document 1). This configuration makes it possible to realize a one-pass double-sided scanning function that can read image information on both sides of a double-sided document without flipping it over, thereby increasing productivity for scanning double-sided documents.

[0003] In this image reading device, it is desirable that the transport path formed by the second reading unit be openable in order to clear jams in the transport path near the second reading unit or to clean the glass of the second reading unit to eliminate scanning streaks caused by dirt on the glass. Therefore, in this image reading device, the second reading unit and a rotary guide unit, which is located downstream of the second reading unit in the sheet transport direction and has a guide surface downstream of the second reading unit in the sheet transport direction, are rotatable about their respective rotary axes to open and close like a double door. This allows the transport path formed by the second reading unit to be opened in this image reading device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-004032 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Here, it is desirable that the transport path formed by the second reading unit and the transport path formed by the rotary guide unit communicate during use. However, in the image reading device described in Patent Document 1, the second reading unit and the rotary guide unit are configured to rotate around rotation axes located at different positions. For this reason, the transport path formed by the second reading unit and the transport path formed by the rotary guide unit are installed with a space (gap) in the sheet transport direction to take into account mutual interference during rotation and misalignment during use due to tolerances. As a result, a sheet transported downstream from the second reading unit in the sheet transport direction may flutter in the thickness direction in the space between the transport paths. In this case, slight speed fluctuations may occur in the sheet even at the reading position of the second reading unit, which may result in a decrease in reading accuracy.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image reading device and an image forming device that can improve the reading accuracy of a reading unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is an image reading device comprising: a support portion having a conveying member for conveying a sheet; a first guide provided on the support portion and guiding the sheet conveyed by the conveying member; a case rotatably provided relative to the support portion and including a transparent member; and a reading sensor housed in the case and reading an image of the sheet through the transparent member; a reading portion that is openable and closable between a first closed position in which it forms a first region of a conveying path through which the sheet is conveyed with the first guide and a first open position in which it opens the first region, and that reads an image of the sheet conveyed through the first region in the first closed position; and a second guide that is rotatably provided relative to the support portion and openable and closable between a second closed position in which it forms a second region of the conveying path located downstream of the first region of the sheet conveying direction with the first guide and a second open position in which it opens the second region, and the reading portion has a downstream guide portion that extends from the case downstream in the sheet conveying direction and guides the sheet between the case and the first guide.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is an image forming apparatus including the image reading device described above and an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the reading accuracy of the reading unit can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a second reading unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state in which the second reading unit and the rotation guide according to the embodiment are in a closed position. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of the rotating guide according to the embodiment in a rotated state. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state in which the rotation guide according to the embodiment pushes up the second reading unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state in which the second reading unit and the separation guide member according to the embodiment are in an open position. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 3. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a second reading unit and a rotation guide according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a second reading unit according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] This embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. First, a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an image reading device 10, which is a part of the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment. Here, the image reading device 10 is viewed from the sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an image forming apparatus main body 2 and an image reading device 10 disposed above the image forming apparatus main body 2. The image forming apparatus main body 2 includes a sheet cassette (not shown) and an image forming unit 3 that forms an image on the sheet. A sheet conveyed from the sheet cassette is conveyed to the image forming unit 3, where a toner image is formed on the sheet. In this embodiment, the image forming unit 3 can form an image read by the image reading device 10 or an image obtained from image information input from an external computer or the like on the sheet. Examples of sheets include paper such as thin paper and cardboard, plastic film such as overhead projector sheet (OHP), surface-treated paper such as coated paper, specially shaped sheets such as envelopes, and cloth. Furthermore, as the image formation method in the image forming unit 3, for example, a full-color copying machine equipped with multiple photosensitive drums is applied. However, this is not limited to this, and the method can also be applied to a monochrome or mono-color copying machine or printer equipped with one photosensitive drum, or an inkjet printer.

[0012] [Image reader] The image reading device 10 has a reader 103 for reading images of documents set by a user above the image forming apparatus main body 2, and an ADF 102 (Auto Document Feeder). The ADF 102 transports multiple documents set on a document tray 200 into the interior, where the document images can be read by a first reading unit 30 and a second reading unit 40 mounted therein. The reader 103 is an example of a reading unit, and houses the first reading unit 30 that reads an image on the front side, which is the first surface, of a sheet. The ADF 102 is an example of a transport unit, and has a transport section 310 that transports the sheet to the first reading unit 30, and a second reading unit 40 that reads an image on the back side, which is the second surface opposite to the front surface, of the sheet.

[0013] Specifically, the documents placed on document tray 200 are transported along transport path 11 by transport unit 310. Transport unit 310 includes a feed roller 300, a separation roller pair 301, a transport roller pair 302, a transport roller pair 303, a transport roller pair 304, a discharge roller pair 305, and guide members that form transport path 11. Note that transport unit 310 also includes a motor and a transmission mechanism that drive these roller pairs. As a result, when a stack of documents is placed on document tray 200 and scanning begins, the documents on document tray 200 are sequentially fed out, starting with the top document, by feed roller 300. The fed documents are separated and fed one by one by separation roller pair 301. The separated and fed documents are transported by transport roller pairs 302, 303, and 304.

[0014] Image information on the first side of the document is read by a first reading unit 30 mounted inside the reader 103 through a first flow reading glass 34. The first reading unit 30 captures scattered reflected light of light irradiated onto the document by an illumination 31 and reads the image formed on a sensor 33 via a mirror 32 to obtain an image. The document is then transported by a pair of transport rollers 304, and image information on the second side, opposite the first side, is read by a second reading unit 40 mounted inside the ADF 102 through a second flow reading glass 43. The second reading unit 40 reads the image of the document at a position fixed relatively to the transport section 310. The document after reading is discharged to a discharge tray 201 by a pair of discharge rollers 305. The reader 103 also has a document table glass 104. By opening and closing the ADF 102, the image of the document placed on the document table glass 104 can be read by moving and scanning the first reading unit 30 in the sub-scanning direction.

[0015] [Transport path] In this embodiment, the ADF 102 includes an outer cover 12, a main unit 13 (an example of a support), and a rotating guide 14. The main unit 13 includes a frame including conveying members such as a pair of conveying rollers 303 and a pair of conveying rollers 304, a conveying guide member 15, and a reading guide 16, and forms a conveying path 11 therein. The conveying members also include a motor and a transmission mechanism that drive the pair of conveying rollers 303 and the pair of conveying rollers 304. The outer cover 12 forms the top surface of the ADF 102. The outer cover 12 is rotatable relative to the main unit 13 and can be opened and closed between a closed position (third closed position) where the outer cover 12, together with the rotating guide 14, forms an upper conveying path 11a of the conveying path 11, and an open position (third open position) where the upper conveying path 11a is opened. In this embodiment, the outer cover 12 forms the upper conveying path 11a between the conveying guide member 15 and the rotating guide 14 in the closed position. The lower surface of the outer cover 12 faces the upper surface of the document to be conveyed, and the upper surface of the rotary guide 14 faces the lower surface of the document to be conveyed.

[0016] The transport guide member 15 guides the document downstream in the sheet transport direction of the portion of the rotating guide 14 facing the outer cover 12. The reading guide 16 is disposed on the opposite side of the rotating guide 14 with the second reading unit 40 in between, and forms a lower transport path 11b between the second reading unit 40 and the second reading unit 40, which is continuous with the upper transport path 11a downstream of the upper transport path 11a of the transport path 11. The second reading unit 40 is disposed in a position between the upper transport path 11a and the lower transport path 11b in the transport path 11, which is curved in a substantially U-shape in the vertical direction.

[0017] [Second reading unit] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the second reading unit 40. As shown in FIG. 2, the second reading unit 40 is an example of a reading section, and includes a case 42, a CIS 41 which is a contact image sensor, and a second flow reading glass 43. The case 42 is rotatably provided with respect to the main unit 13. The second flow reading glass 43 is a transparent member which constitutes part of the case 42. The CIS 41 is an example of a reading sensor which reads an image of a document, and is housed in the case 42. The CIS 41 reads an image of a document transported along the lower transport path 11b of the transport path 11.

[0018] [Second reading unit and guide configuration] The schematic configuration of the second reading unit 40, the rotating guide 14, and the reading guide 16 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower conveying path 11b has a first area Ar1 on the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction and a second area Ar2 on the downstream side. The second area Ar2 is located downstream of the first area Ar1 in the sheet conveying direction and spaced apart from the first area Ar1. A space Sp is formed between the first area Ar1 and the second area Ar2. The reading guide 16 is an example of a first guide, and is fixed to the main unit 13. The reading guide 16 has a first guide surface G1 on its upper surface.

[0019] The rotating guide 14 is an example of a second guide and is rotatably disposed relative to the main unit 13. The rotating guide 14 can be rotated between a second closed position where the second area Ar2 is formed between the rotating guide 14 and the reading guide 16 and a second open position where the second area Ar2 is opened. The rotating guide 14 is rotatably supported relative to the main unit 13 by a second rotation shaft 140 provided on the rotating guide 14 of the main unit 13. When the rotating guide 14 is located at the second closed position, the rotating guide 14 has a second guide surface G2 that forms the second area Ar2 between the rotating guide 14 and the first guide surface G1 and guides the sheet. In this embodiment, the rotating guide 14 covers the second reading unit 40 located at the first closed position when located at the second closed position, and exposes the second reading unit 40 and opens it so that it can be opened and closed when located at the second open position, thereby also functioning as a cover for the second reading unit 40.

[0020] A fifth guide surface G5 is provided adjacent to the second guide surface G2 of the rotating guide 14 on the upstream side in the sheet width direction. That is, the fifth guide surface G5 is continuous with the edge of the second guide surface G2 on the third guide surface G3 side (guide surface side), and is a surface that is inclined so that the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction is farther away from the first guide surface G1 than the downstream side when the rotating guide 14 is located in the second closed position. The fifth guide surface G5 is an inclined portion provided adjacent to the second reading unit 40. By providing such a fifth guide surface G5, it becomes possible to smoothly guide the sheet conveyed from the first area Ar1 to the second area, and it becomes possible to prevent interference with the second reading unit 40 when the rotating guide 14 is rotated.

[0021] The second reading unit 40 can be opened and closed between a first closed position where a first area Ar1 is formed between the second reading unit 40 and the reading guide 16, and a first open position where the first area Ar1 is opened. When the second reading unit 40 is in the first closed position, it reads an image on a sheet conveyed through the first area Ar1. The second reading unit 40 is rotatably supported relative to the main unit 13 by a first rotation shaft 45 provided on the conveyance guide member 15 of the main unit 13. When the second reading unit 40 is in the first closed position, the first rotation shaft 45 is located on the opposite side of the second reading unit 40 from the second rotation shaft 140. In other words, the second reading unit 40 and the rotation guide 14 open and close like a double door. When the second reading unit 40 is in the first closed position, the second reading unit 40 has a third guide surface G3 that forms the first area Ar1 with the first guide surface G1 and guides the sheet.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 7 , the reading guide 16 has contact portions 161 at both ends in the sheet width direction, protruding toward the second reading unit 40 and contacting the second scanning glass 43. The second reading unit 40 and the reading guide 16 butt against each other at two contact portions 161 at both ends in the sheet width direction. Here, the second scanning glass 43 corresponds to the butting portion, and the contact portion 161 corresponds to the butted portion. That is, when the second reading unit 40 is positioned in the first closed position, the second scanning glass 43 butts against the contact portion 161, and the contact portion 161 positions the first guide surface G1 and the third guide surface G3 with a gap that forms the lower conveying path 11b. As a result, the height of the contact portion 161 ensures a gap between the first guide surface G1 and the third guide surface G3. In this embodiment, the second scanning glass 43 corresponds to the butting portion, but this is not limiting. For example, a contact portion may be provided on a part of the case 42 other than the second scanning glass 43 so as to contact the contact portion 161.

[0023] 3, the second reading unit 40 has a pressure receiving portion 44 having a compression spring and a resin cover on its upper portion so that the second reading unit 40 can stably stand still when the second reading unit 40 is abutted against the rotating guide 14. Meanwhile, the rotating guide 14 is provided with a pressing portion 141 that can press the pressure receiving portion 44. Therefore, when the rotating guide 14 is positioned at the second closed position, the pressing portion 141 presses the pressure receiving portion 44 downward, pressing the second reading unit 40 toward the rotating guide 14, so that the state in which the second reading unit 40 is abutted against the rotating guide 14 can be stably maintained. In other words, when the rotating guide 14 is positioned at the second closed position, the rotating guide 14 presses the second reading unit 40 so that the second scanning glass 43 abuts against the abutment portion 161.

[0024] 4, the hole 152 supporting the second rotation shaft 45 of the second reading unit 40 is formed into an elongated hole shape, which allows the hole 152 to absorb variations due to components. This makes it possible to stabilize the abutment property when the second reading unit 40 abuts against the abutment portion 161 of the reading guide 16.

[0025] [Rotational movement] Repeated scanning using the ADF 102 gradually accumulates tiny particles of dust, such as paper dust, and stains from glue or ink on the original document on the first and second flow reading glasses 34 and 43. When scanning using the ADF 102 under these conditions, if the dust or stain coincides with the scanning position, a streak that does not actually exist on the original document may be recorded in the image at that position. This occurs when the dust or stain remains in the same position during paper feed, blocking the scanning optical path and creating a shadow. To eliminate these streaks, it is effective to clean the first and second flow reading glasses 34 and 43 as necessary when dust or stain accumulates, thereby eliminating the cause of the streaks. The first flow reading glass 34 can be maintained by rotating the ADF 102 away from the reader 103. On the other hand, the second scanning glass 43 is exposed to the upper space and cleaned by rotating the second reading unit 40 counterclockwise around the first rotation shaft 45.

[0026] Next, the operation of rotating the second reading unit 40 from the first closed position (reading position) to the first open position (maintenance position) through maintenance work will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 6. Figures 3 to 6 are front views showing the rotation configuration of the second reading unit 40 of this embodiment. Note that although the outer cover 12 is not shown in Figures 3 to 6, the outer cover 12 is positioned in the open position in Figures 4 to 6. As shown in Figure 3, inside the ADF 102, a lower transport path 11b is formed by a rotation guide 14, a transport guide member 15, a reading guide 16, etc.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a front view showing the state in which the rotation guide 14 has rotated in the clockwise direction. To ensure rotation space for the back-side reading unit, the rotation guide 14 is rotated in the clockwise direction in the figure. When the arm 130 abuts against the rotation guide 14 at the abutment portion 133, the arm 130 also rotates together with the rotation guide 14. In other words, when the rotation guide 14 rotates beyond a certain angle, the arm 130 can also rotate in synchronization with the rotation guide 14 (see FIGS. 4 to 6). Then, the first abutment portion 131 of the arm 130 abuts against the lower surface 40a of the second reading unit 40. As a result, the second reading unit 40 begins to rotate in the counterclockwise direction around the first rotation shaft 45.

[0028] 5 is a front view showing a state in which the rotation guide 14 pushes up the second reading unit 40 in the counterclockwise rotation direction. As shown in Fig. 5, the first contact portion 131 contacts the lower surface 40a of the second reading unit 40 and presses it upward when the second reading unit 40 is located at the first closed position. After the second reading unit 40 is rotated by the first contact portion 131, the second contact portion 17 contacts the side surface 40b of the second reading unit 40 and presses it to the first open position.

[0029] 6 is a front view of the second reading unit 40 and the rotation guide 14 in the open position. As shown in FIG. 6, when the second reading unit 40 rotates to a certain angle, the pressure receiving portion 44 provided on the second reading unit 40 comes into contact with the rotation restricting portion 151 provided on the transport guide member 15, and the second reading unit 40 is unable to rotate.

[0030] [Extension section] Next, the configuration of the extension portion 46 will be described, which stabilizes sheet conveyance and prevents a decrease in back-surface reading accuracy with a configuration in which the rotating guide 14 and the second reading unit 40 each rotate. In this embodiment, the rotating guide 14 has two conveyance surfaces: a conveyance surface on which a pair of separation rollers 301 that separates fed sheets one by one is provided, and a second guide surface G2 downstream of the second reading unit 40. As shown in FIG. 8, when the rotating guide 14 is closed during sheet passage, the upper part of the rotating guide 14 is the conveyance surface on which the pair of separation rollers 301 is provided, and the lower part is the second guide surface G2. The second reading unit 40 is stably positioned by abutting against the opposing reading guide 16.

[0031] On the other hand, the rotating guide 14 does not abut against the opposing reading guide 16, and the position of the second guide surface G2 (thickness of the conveying path) is less stable than the third guide surface G3 of the second reading unit 40. Therefore, it is desirable to avoid paper jams and document damage caused by the leading edge of the conveyed sheet getting caught in the receiving opening of the second guide surface G2. For this reason, a fifth guide surface G5 is formed at the upstream portion of the rotating guide 14 in the sheet conveying direction, which is inclined to guide the sheet to the second guide surface G2, and a space Sp is formed between the rotating guide 14 and the second reading unit 40. If a large space exists in the conveying guide near the second reading unit 40, the sheet's posture when conveyed may become unstable, causing slight fluctuations in the sheet conveying speed and resulting in a decrease in the accuracy of the read image. Therefore, in this embodiment, a guide shape extending downstream of the second reading unit 40 in the sheet conveying direction is provided to guide the sheet in the space Sp of the transfer section and stabilize its posture.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 8 , the second reading unit 40 has an extension 46 extending from the case 42 toward the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction. The extension 46 is a downstream guide portion that guides the sheet downstream of the second scanning glass 43. The extension 46 is formed with a fourth guide surface G4 that extends from the case 42 toward the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction and guides the sheet between the case 42 and the first guide surface G1. By providing the extension 46 that protrudes toward the space Sp on the case 42, which can stabilize its position, it is possible to suppress changes in the posture of the sheet being conveyed. In particular, in this embodiment, at least a portion of the fourth guide surface G4 is positioned in the space Sp formed between the case 42 and the fifth guide surface G5. This narrows the space Sp that allows for changes in the posture of the sheet, thereby suppressing changes in the posture of the sheet.

[0033] In this embodiment, the tip of the extension portion 46 is shaped to extend further into the conveying guide than the imaginary plane S0 connecting the surface of the second scanning glass 43 (i.e., the third guide surface G3) and the second guide surface G2. That is, at least a portion of the fourth guide surface G4 protrudes toward the first guide surface G1 from the imaginary plane S0 connecting the edge of the third guide surface G3 on the second guide surface G2 side and the edge of the second guide surface G2 on the third guide surface G3 side. In other words, at least a portion of the fourth guide surface G4 protrudes toward the first guide surface G1 (first guide side) beyond the second scanning glass 43. This makes it possible to more steadily convey the sheet. Also, in this embodiment, the downstream end of the extension portion 46 in the sheet conveying direction extends downstream of the center of the imaginary plane S0 in the sheet conveying direction. This makes it possible to fill the space Sp as much as possible with the extension portion 46, making it possible to more steadily convey the sheet.

[0034] Furthermore, the fourth guide surface G4 is an inclined surface that is inclined so that the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction is closer to the first guide surface G1 than the upstream side. This allows the leading edge of the conveyed sheet to be guided smoothly. Note that in this embodiment, the fourth guide surface G4 is configured to consist solely of an inclined surface, but this is not limited to this, and a portion of the fourth guide surface G4 may be parallel to the sheet conveying direction. Furthermore, the inclination angle does not need to be constant, and the inclination angle may be different depending on the position.

[0035] In this embodiment, the extension 46 is formed integrally with the case 42. This prevents increases in cost and complexity of the assembly work. The extension 46 may be formed as a separate member from the case 42 and then integrated with the case 42 later.

[0036] Because the sheet is conveyed while contacting the extension portions 46, it is preferable to reduce the area of ​​the fourth guide surface G4 to reduce the possibility of conveyance resistance resulting in a decrease in reading accuracy. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9 , it is preferable to provide multiple narrow extension portions 46 spaced apart in the sheet width direction rather than providing the extension portions 46 across the entire width of the sheet. In this embodiment, the extension portions 46a, 46b, and 46c extend 0.8 mm into the conveying path from the virtual plane S0 and have widths of 12 mm to 16 mm in the sheet width direction. Furthermore, one extension portion 46 is not limited to having one fourth guide surface G4. For example, the extension portion 46 may integrally include multiple comb-shaped tips (fourth guide surface G4) and one base, and the base may be integrated with the case 42.

[0037] As described above, in the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the second reading unit 40 has the fourth guide surface G4, which makes it possible to suppress changes in the posture of the sheet being conveyed and stabilize the sheet conveyance speed, thereby improving the reading accuracy of the second reading unit 40.

[0038] In the above-described embodiment, the fourth guide surface G4 exceeds the imaginary surface S0, but this is not limiting and the fourth guide surface G4 does not have to exceed the imaginary surface S0, and may have a shape that is provided along the imaginary surface S0, for example. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the rotating guide 14 and the second reading unit 40 are configured to move in an interlocking manner, but this is not limiting and the fourth guide surface G4 may not be configured to move in an interlocking manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1...image forming apparatus, 3...image forming section, 11...conveyance path, 13...main body unit (support section), 14...rotating guide (second guide), 14a...second guide surface, 16...reading guide member (first guide), 30...first reading unit (first reading section), 40...second reading unit (second reading section, reading section), 41...CIS (reading sensor), 42...case, 43...second running reading glass (transparent member, abutment section), 45...first rotating shaft, 46...extension portion, 102...ADF (transport unit), 103...reader (reading unit), 140...second rotating shaft, 161...contact portion (butted portion), 303...transport roller pair (transport member), 304...transport roller pair (transport member), 310...transport portion, Ar1...first region, Ar2...second region, G4...fourth guide surface (downstream guide portion), G5...fifth guide surface (inclined portion), Sp...space

Claims

1. a support portion provided with a conveying member for conveying a sheet; a first guide provided on the support portion and configured to guide the sheet conveyed by the conveying member; a reading unit that is rotatably provided with respect to the support unit and has a case including a transparent member, and a reading sensor that is housed in the case and reads an image of a sheet through the transparent member, and that can be opened and closed between a first closed position that forms a first region of a conveying path along which the sheet is conveyed between the first guide and the reading unit, and a first open position that opens the first region, and that reads an image of a sheet conveyed through the first region when in the first closed position; a second guide that is rotatably provided with respect to the support portion and that can be opened and closed between a second closed position where the second region is formed between the first guide and the second guide, the second region being located downstream of the first region of the conveying path in a sheet conveying direction, and a second open position where the second region is opened; the reading unit includes a downstream guide portion extending from the case toward the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction and guiding the sheet between the reading unit and the first guide; An image reading device characterized by:

2. At least a portion of the downstream guide portion protrudes toward the first guide side beyond the transparent member.

2. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein:

3. the downstream guide portion has an inclined surface that is inclined so that the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction approaches the first guide more closely than the upstream side.

2. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein:

4. the reading unit is provided to extend from the case toward a downstream side in the sheet conveying direction, and has a plurality of extension units arranged at intervals in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, The downstream guide portion is formed on the plurality of extension portions.

2. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein:

5. The extension portion is integrally formed with the case.

5. The image reading device according to claim 4, wherein:

6. a first rotation shaft that supports the reading unit rotatably relative to the support unit; a second rotation shaft that is located on the opposite side of the first rotation shaft across the reading unit when the reading unit is located at the first closed position and that supports the second guide rotatably with respect to the support unit; 2. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein:

7. the second guide covers the reading unit located at the first closed position from above when the second guide is located at the second closed position, and exposes the reading unit when the second guide is located at the second open position.

2. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein:

8. the reading unit has a butting portion, the support portion has an abutted portion against which the abutting portion abuts when the reading portion is located at the first closed position, and which forms a gap that becomes the transport path between the first guide and the transparent member.

2. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein:

9. When the second guide is located at the second closed position, the second guide presses the reading unit so that the abutting portion abuts against the abutted portion.

9. The image reading device according to claim 8, wherein:

10. the second guide is formed at a position adjacent to the reading unit, and has an inclined portion inclined so that an upstream side in the sheet conveying direction is farther away from the first guide than a downstream side when the second guide is located at the second closed position; 2. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein:

11. At least a portion of the downstream guide portion is located in a space formed between the case and the inclined portion.

11. The image reading device according to claim 10.

12. an outer cover that is rotatably provided on the support portion and that can be opened and closed between a third closed position at which the outer cover forms a part of the conveying path together with the second guide and a third open position at which the outer cover opens a part of the conveying path; 2. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein:

13. a reading unit accommodating a first reading section that reads an image on a first surface of a sheet; a transport unit having the transport member and including a transport section that transports a sheet to the first reading section, and a second reading section that is the reading section that reads an image on a second surface of the sheet opposite to the first surface, 2. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein:

14. An image reading device according to any one of claims 1 to 13; an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, An image forming apparatus characterized by:

Images