Document transport device, image reading device, and image forming device

Abstract

To provide a configuration that has excellent operability even when installed in a small space.SOLUTION: A document feeding tray 320 has a main body tray 321 having a first support surface 321a that supports a document and a sub tray 322 having a second support surface 322a that supports the document together with the first support surface 321a. The sub tray 322 is slidable and movable to a first position covering an upper portion of the main body tray 321 in a state where the second support surface 322a is located above a back surface 322b and to a second position where the second support surface 322a supports the document together with the first support surface 321a in a state where the second support surface 322a is located above the back surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to A document transport device that transports documents, an image reading apparatus that reads an image of a document, and an image forming apparatus including such an image reading apparatus. [Background Art]

[0002] As an image reading apparatus, one including an automatic document feeder (ADF) that automatically conveys a document to an image reading unit that reads an image and reads the image of the document has been conventionally known. Further, in a conventional AFD, there has been conventionally known a configuration in which a document tray on which a document to be fed to the image reading unit is placed is rotatable between a closed position where the document placement surface faces downward and an open position where the document placement surface faces upward (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-46681 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is , Misao to provide a configuration with good operability. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides: A document transport device, a document supporting section including: a first supporting section having a first supporting surface that supports a document; and a second supporting section having a second supporting surface that supports the document together with the first supporting surface; and a document feeding section that feeds the document supported by the document supporting section, A sliding support unit that supports the second support unit so that it can slide, having first engaging portions provided at both ends of the second support unit in a width direction perpendicular to the direction in which the document is fed by the document feeding unit, and a second engaging portion provided on the housing of the document transport device and capable of engaging with the first engaging portions,The document transport device is characterized in that the second support portion is slidable between a first position in which the second support surface covers the upper part of the first support portion and a second position in which the second support surface supports the document together with the first support surface in which the second support surface is the upper part of the second support portion, and the device is provided with a biasing means that applies a biasing force to the second support portion in the opposite direction to the direction in which the second support portion moves when the second support portion moves from the first position to the second position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a configuration with good operability can be obtained even when installed in a narrow space. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment, as seen from the front. [Figure 2] A perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment, seen from the right front side. [Figure 3] A perspective view showing the pressure plate portion of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment in an open state. [Figure 4] A schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view of the ADF according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] A plan view showing the drive configuration of the reading unit of the image reading device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] A perspective view showing the document feeding tray and document output tray of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment in a pulled-out state. [Figure 8] A side view showing the rotation range of the control panel with the document feeding tray and document output tray of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment extended. [Figure 9] A plan view of an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment, showing the relationship between the apparatus center and the document transport center. [Figure 10]An enlarged perspective view showing the periphery of a slide rail according to the first embodiment, with a sub tray removed. [Figure 11] A perspective view of the sub tray according to the first embodiment viewed from below. [Figure 12] An enlarged perspective view showing the periphery of an abutment portion of the sub tray according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] A perspective view of the ADF according to the first embodiment viewed from above, with the sub tray removed. [Figure 14] A perspective view showing details of a rail portion according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] A partial cross-sectional view of the ADF showing a state where the sub tray according to the first embodiment is placed at the second position. [Figure 16] A partial cross-sectional view of the ADF showing a state where the sub tray according to the first embodiment is pulled out from the second position. [Figure 17] A partial cross-sectional view of the ADF showing a state where the sub tray according to the first embodiment is pulled out from the second position and tilted down. [Figure 18] A partial cross-sectional view of the ADF showing a state where the sub tray according to the first embodiment is pushed toward the first position. [Figure 19] A partial cross-sectional view of the ADF showing a state where the sub tray according to the first embodiment is placed at the first position. [Figure 20] A cross-sectional view showing the relationship between an abutment portion and an abutted portion immediately before the sub tray according to the first embodiment is pushed into the first position. [Figure 21] A cross-sectional view showing a state where the abutment portion and the abutted portion are in contact with each other when the sub tray according to the first embodiment is pushed into the first position. [Figure 22] A cross-sectional view showing a state where after the sub tray according to the first embodiment is pushed into the first position, the abutted portion is locked in the recess. [Figure 23] A perspective view showing a document placement surface of a platen glass according to the first embodiment. [Figure 24] A perspective view of a platen according to the first embodiment viewed from below. [Figure 25] A cross-sectional view around the document placement surface of an image reading apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 26] (a) A cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 23, (b) a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 23. [Figure 27] A perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 28] A perspective view showing a state where a sub-tray of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment is pulled out. [Figure 29] A perspective view showing a state where a sub-tray of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment is detached. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0009] <First Embodiment> The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 26. First, a schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0010] [Image Forming Apparatus] The image forming apparatus 100 is a printer capable of forming full-color images. In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus includes: an image forming apparatus main body 200 having an image forming unit 201 that forms an image on a sheet; and an image reading apparatus 300 having a reading unit 301 as an image reading unit that reads an image of a document. The image reading apparatus 300 is provided on an upper portion of the image forming apparatus main body 200. In the following description, the term "sheet" includes not only plain paper, but also special paper such as coated paper, recording materials having special shapes such as envelopes and index paper, plastic films for overhead projectors, cloth, and the like, and a document is also an example of a sheet.

[0011] The image forming apparatus 100 is equipped with an operation panel 400 on the front side of the apparatus (front side in Figure 1, front left side in Figures 2 and 3, and right side in Figure 4) as an operation unit for receiving operator input. The operation panel 400 has physical switches 401 such as a start button, and a display unit 402 such as a liquid crystal screen that can display various information and be operated by touch. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the operation panel 400 is positioned on the front surface of the image forming apparatus 100 (the front side of the apparatus), offset to the left from the center of the apparatus when viewed from the front. The operation panel 400 may also be offset to the right.

[0012] Hereafter, the side on which the control panel 400 is located will be referred to as the front side, front, or front of the device, and the opposite side will be referred to as the rear side, back, or back of the device (rear side in Figure 1, right rear side in Figures 2 and 3, and left side in Figure 4). When simply referring to "right" or "left," it will mean the image forming apparatus 100 as viewed from the front. The direction from the front side to the rear of the device and the direction from the rear of the device to the front of the device will be referred to as the front-to-back direction, and the left-to-right direction when viewing the image forming apparatus 100 from the front will be simply referred to as the "left-to-right direction" or "width direction."

[0013] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as will be described later, the image forming unit 201 is an inkjet-type image forming unit that ejects ink onto a sheet to form an image. For this reason, ink level indicators 202a and 202b that display the remaining amount of ink used in the image forming unit 201 are located on the front side of the image forming apparatus 100. The ink level indicator 202a on the right side of the image forming apparatus 100 shows the remaining amounts of yellow, magenta, and cyan color inks, and the ink level indicator 202b on the left side shows the remaining amount of black ink. In this embodiment, the ink level indicators 202a and 202b are windows formed to show the remaining amount of ink in each color ink tank, but they may also be display units such as liquid crystal screens that display images corresponding to the remaining amount of ink of each color. Also, the positions of the color ink level indicators and the black ink level indicators may be reversed left and right, or they may be grouped together on either the left or right side.

[0014] Furthermore, a USB terminal 101 for connecting to an external terminal such as a personal computer is provided on the front of the image forming apparatus 100. The USB terminal 101 may be located on the right or left side of the image forming apparatus 100, or on the back. In this embodiment, the USB terminal 101 is located on the front of the image forming apparatus 100 to improve operability from the front of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0015] [Image forming apparatus main unit] Next, the main body 200 of the image forming apparatus will be described. As shown in Figure 4, the main body 200 of the image forming apparatus includes a cassette 203, a pickup roller 204 as a sheet feeding unit, an image forming unit 201, and a pair of discharge rollers 205 as a sheet discharge unit. The cassette 203 as a sheet support unit supports the sheet. The pickup roller 204 feeds the sheet supported by the cassette 203. The image forming unit 201 forms an image on the sheet fed from the pickup roller 204. The pair of discharge rollers 205 discharges the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit 201. A detailed explanation follows below.

[0016] Cassette 203 is capable of accommodating multiple sheets, which are supported while stacked within the cassette 203. Cassette 203 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 210 of the image forming apparatus body 200. The direction in which cassette 203 is removed is towards the front of the apparatus. That is, when storing sheets in cassette 203, cassette 203 is pulled out towards the front of the apparatus. Then, cassette 203 containing the sheets is pushed towards the back of the apparatus to mount it in the housing 210. For this purpose, a cassette gripping part 203a (see Figures 1 and 2, etc.) is provided on the front side of cassette 203 for the operator to grasp and pull out the cassette 203 by hand.

[0017] The pickup roller 204 picks up the sheets in the cassette 203. The top sheet in the cassette 203 is picked up by the pickup roller 204 and fed toward the transport path 206a. The pickup roller 204 feeds the sheets in the direction from the front of the device toward the back of the device.

[0018] The sheet, transported along the transport path 206a, reaches the registration roller pair 207, which acts as a transport member for transporting the sheet. The registration roller pair 207 is stopped from rotating when the sheet transported from the transport path 206a comes into contact with it. This corrects the sheet's skew. Next, the registration roller pair 207 starts rotating in sync with the image formation timing by the image forming unit 201, and feeds the sheet to the image forming unit 201.

[0019] Furthermore, an inversion transport path 206b is provided upstream of the registration roller pair 207 in the sheet transport direction for inverting sheets that have been transported in the reverse direction and sending them to the image forming unit 201. When image formation is performed on both sides of the sheet, the image forming unit 201 forms an image on one side of the sheet transported from the transport path 206a. Next, the sheet with the image formed on one side is transported in the reverse direction, and the transport path is switched by a switching member (not shown) to guide it to the inversion transport path 206b. The inverted sheet then reaches the registration roller pair 207 again, and an image is formed on the back side of the sheet by the image forming unit 201.

[0020] In this embodiment, a manual feed tray 208 is provided at the upper rear of the image forming apparatus 100. The manual feed tray 208 is rotatable between a storage position shown in Figure 4 and a placement position where it can be opened from the storage position to place a sheet. At the placement position, a sheet can be fed into the apparatus. Specifically, a sheet placed on the manual feed tray 208 is transported to a transport path 208b by a feed roller (not shown). The sheet transported along the transport path 208b reaches a pair of registration rollers 207. From there, the process is the same as for a sheet transported from a cassette 203. The manual feed tray 208 is located at the rear of the image reading device 300 and, in the storage position, does not protrude from the rear of the housing 210 of the image forming apparatus body 200 or from the top of the image reading device 300.

[0021] As described above, the image forming unit 201 employs an inkjet method that ejects ink to form an image on a sheet. Specifically, it has a recording head capable of ejecting ink of each color, and each color recording head ejects ink toward the sheet conveyed by the registration roller pair 207 in accordance with the image signal input from the image reading device 300 or an external terminal. This forms an image on the sheet. The image forming unit 201 may also be an electrophotographic image forming unit using toner.

[0022] The discharge roller pair 205 discharges the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit 201 to the discharge tray 209. The discharge roller pair 205 discharges the sheet from the back of the device toward the front of the device. The discharge tray 209 can be inserted into and pulled out of the housing 210. The direction in which the discharge tray 209 is pulled out is toward the front of the device. For this reason, a discharge tray gripping part 209a (see Figures 1 and 2, etc.) is provided on the front side of the discharge tray 209 for the operator to grasp and pull out the discharge tray 209 by hand.

[0023] [Image reading device] Next, the image reading device 300 will be described. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the image reading device 300 includes an ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) 310 as an automatic document transport device, a document glass 302, a pressure plate 303 as a document holder, two hinge parts 304 as a rotating support part (Figure 3), a reading unit 301, and the like. The image reading device 300 of this embodiment can perform two modes: a so-called "smooth reading mode" in which the reading unit 301 reads the image of the document while the document is transported by the ADF 310, and a so-called "fixed reading mode" in which the reading unit 301 is moved while the reading unit 301 is moved with the document placed on the document glass 302 and the document is pressed against the document glass 302 by the pressure plate 303 to read the image of the document.

[0024] In this embodiment, the maximum size of the document for image scanning differs between the skimming mode and the fixed-scanning mode, with the fixed-scanning mode supporting a smaller maximum document size. For example, the maximum document size for the skimming mode is A4, while the maximum document size for the fixed-scanning mode is A5. However, the maximum document size for both modes may be the same.

[0025] [Document glass and pressure plate section] First, the configuration of the document glass 302 and the pressure plate section 303 will be explained using Figures 1 to 3. The document glass 302 has a document placement surface 302a on which the document is placed. That is, the image reading device 300 has a document table 332, and the document glass 302 and the reading glass 333 are provided on the document table 332. The upper surface of the document glass 302 is the document placement surface 302a.

[0026] The document glass 302 is provided over the entire area where the reading unit 301 moves to read, so that the image of the document placed on the document glass 302 can be read by the reading unit 301 when the fixed reading mode is performed. On the other hand, the reading glass 333 is provided at the image reading position (swiping position) which is located away from the document glass 302. That is, the reading glass 333 is provided at the position where the reading unit 301 stops when the swiping reading mode is performed. When the swiping reading mode is performed, the reading unit 301 moves to a position facing the reading glass 333 and reads the image of the document transported by the ADF 310 (described later) via the reading glass 333.

[0027] The pressure plate section 303, which serves as a document holder, presses down the document placed on the document glass 302 against the document glass 302. The pressure plate section 303, together with the ADF 310 described later, is supported by a hinge section 304, which serves as a rotatable support, so that it can rotate between the closed position shown in Figures 1 and 2 and the open position shown in Figure 3, relative to the housing 330a on the document glass 332 side of the image reading device 300.

[0028] The closed position is the position in which the pressure plate portion 303 presses the document against the document glass 302. The open position is the position in which the document glass 302 is opened so that a document can be placed on the document glass 302. The hinge portion 304 supports the pressure plate portion 303 so that it can rotate around a pivot axis relative to the housing 330a of the image reading device 300. The pivot axis is arranged in a direction along the width direction (left-right direction), which is perpendicular to the direction from the front side of the device to the back side of the device and the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0029] Furthermore, the hinge portion 304 is positioned further back from the document glass 302, and a gripping portion 323 is provided at the front end of the pressure plate portion 303, which can be gripped to rotate the pressure plate portion 303 from the closed position to the open position. The gripping portion 323 is a recess formed on the front end face of the pressure plate portion 303 so that the operator can reach in and lift the pressure plate portion 303 to rotate it to the open position. The gripping portion 323 can also be used to push down the pressure plate portion 303 to rotate it from the open position to the closed position. As will be described later, this gripping portion 323 also serves as a gripping portion for pulling out the sub-tray 322 of the document feed tray 320.

[0030] In this embodiment, the hinge portion 304 is positioned on the rear side of the device, and the gripping portion 323 is positioned on the front side of the device. Therefore, the operator grasps the gripping portion 323 from the front side of the device to open and close the pressure plate portion 303. For example pressure When rotating the plate portion 303 from the closed position to the open position, the operator grasps the gripping portion 323 and lifts the pressure plate portion 303. At this time, the front end of the pressure plate portion 303 of the device follows a trajectory such that it moves towards the back of the device as it moves upward, around the pivot axis of the hinge portion 304.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, the edges of the document glass 302 are provided with a first abutment portion 305 and a second abutment portion 306, against which the edges of the document placed on the document placement surface 302a abut, in order to position the document at a reference position for reading by the reading unit 301. The first abutment portion 305 is for positioning the document in the front-to-back direction, and the second abutment portion 306 is for positioning the document in the left-to-right direction. A detailed explanation will follow later.

[0032] [ADF] Next, the ADF310 will be described using Figures 4 and 5. The ADF310 is provided on the pressure plate section 303 and includes a document feeding tray 320, a document feeding section 311, a back-side scanning unit 312, and a discharge roller 313 as a document discharge section. The document feeding tray 320, which acts as a document support section, supports the document. The document feeding section 311 feeds the document supported by the document feeding tray 320. The back-side scanning unit 312 reads the image of the back side of the document fed from the document feeding section 311. The image of the front side of the document is read by the reading unit 301, which acts as an image reading section. The discharge roller 313 discharges the document whose image has been read by the reading unit 301 and the back-side scanning unit 312. In this embodiment, the maximum size of a document that can be transported by the ADF310 is A4 portrait size. That is, as the maximum document size, it is possible to transport documents so that the long side of an A4 size document is the transport direction. The following explains in detail.

[0033] The document feed tray 320 is slidably positioned at least partially toward the front of the device relative to the housing 330 on the ADF 310 side of the image reading device 300. Specifically, the document feed tray 320 has a main tray 321 as a first support part having a first support surface 321a for supporting a document, and a sub-tray 322 as a second support part and a sliding support part having a second support surface 322a that supports the document together with the first support surface 321a. The sub-tray 322 is slidably positioned relative to the housing 330 having a pressure plate part 303, between a first position and a second position located toward the front of the device than the first position, forming a support surface capable of supporting a document in the second position. Details of the document feed tray 320 will be described later.

[0034] The document feeding unit 311 includes a pickup roller 314, a separation roller 315, a separation pad 316, and the like. The pickup roller 314 picks up the topmost document placed on the document feeding tray 320. The separation roller 315 and the separation pad 316 are arranged to press against each other and separate the documents picked up by the pickup roller 314 one by one and transport them to the transport path 317. The document feeding unit 311 feeds documents from the front of the device towards the back of the device.

[0035] A transport roller 317a is provided along the transport path 317 as a document transport section for transporting the document. The document, separated and transported by the separation roller 315, is transported further downstream by the transport roller 317a. That is, the transport roller 317a transports the document fed from the document feeding section 311 toward the image reading position. The reading unit 301, located at the image reading position, reads the image of the front surface of the document. In addition, a back surface reading unit 312 is positioned downstream of the image reading position in the document transport direction of the transport path 317, facing the back surface of the document passing through the transport path 317. If the operator instructs to read the back surface of the document, the back surface reading unit 312 also reads the image of the back surface of the document.

[0036] The discharge roller 313 discharges the original document, whose image has been read by the reading unit 301 and the reverse side reading unit 312, to the document discharge tray 318 and the discharge support surface 319. The discharge roller 313 discharges the document from the back of the device toward the front of the device.

[0037] The document output tray 318, which serves as a document placement area, is where documents ejected from the output roller 313 are placed. This document output tray 318 can be inserted into and pulled out from the housing 330. The direction in which the document output tray 318 is pulled out is towards the front of the device. For this reason, an output tray gripping part 318a (see Figures 1 and 2, etc.) is provided on the front side of the document output tray 318 for the operator to grasp and pull out the document output tray 318. Details of the document output tray 318 will be described later. The output support surface 319 is a support surface integrally formed with the housing 330 and supports documents together with the document output tray 318. When the document output tray 318 is inserted into the housing 330, it is inserted below the output support surface 319. That is, it can be inserted into and pulled out from the document output tray 318 and functions as a support surface that extends the output support surface 319.

[0038] [Reading Unit] The reading unit 301 and the back-side reading unit 312 are, for example, contact image sensors (CIS). A CIS reads image information from a document by irradiating the surface of the document containing the image with light from a light source such as an LED, and focusing the reflected light from that surface onto a sensor element using a self-focusing rod lens array. The reading unit 301, which reads the front surface of the document, is movable inside the document glass 302, as will be described later, and stops at the image reading position when reading the image of a document being transported by the ADF 310 (i.e., in the pass-through mode).

[0039] In this embodiment, the reading unit 301 is configured to move in the front-to-back direction of the device, as shown in Figure 6. Specifically, the reading unit 301 is located inside the housing 330a of the image reading device 300 on the side opposite to the pressure plate section 303 relative to the document glass 302. Inside this housing 330a, there is a reading movement section 350 that reciprocates the reading unit 301 in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the hinge section 304. The direction in which the reading movement section 350 moves the reading unit 301 is from the front of the device to the back of the device and the opposite direction, i.e., the front-to-back direction of the device. Therefore, the direction in which the reading unit 301 moves is in the direction along which the document is fed by the document feeding section 311.

[0040] Such a reading and moving unit 350 includes a carriage 351, a rail section 352 acting as a guide, a carriage motor 353, a belt 354, and the like. The carriage 351 supports the reading unit 301. The rail section 352 guides the carriage 351 in the direction from the front of the device to the back of the device and in the opposite direction. The carriage motor 353 is the drive source that moves the carriage 351. The belt 354 is a power transmission unit that transmits the drive of the carriage motor 353 to the carriage 35, thereby moving the carriage 351. A detailed explanation follows below.

[0041] The reading unit 301 is positioned so that its longitudinal direction, which is the main scanning direction, is aligned with the width direction of the device. The length of the reading unit 301 in the longitudinal direction is such that it can read an image within the range of the short-side length of an A4 size sheet of paper. The carriage 351 supports the reading unit 301 so that even when the reading unit 301 moves in the front-to-back direction (i.e., the sub-scanning direction), the longitudinal direction of the reading unit 301 is maintained aligned with the width direction. The rail section 352 is positioned along the front-to-back direction of the device and supports the carriage 351, as well as guiding the carriage 351 in the front-to-back direction.

[0042] The carriage motor 353 is positioned offset from the document placement surface 302a in either the width direction. In this embodiment, as described above, it is positioned on the left side, which is the side where the operation panel 400 is located. That is, the carriage motor 353 is positioned to the left of the document placement surface 302a in the width direction and behind the operation panel 400 in the front-to-back direction. The carriage motor 353 may also be positioned to the right of the document placement surface 302a in the width direction, but as will be described in more detail later, it is preferable to position it on the opposite side from the side where the document transport center is offset from the center of the device.

[0043] The belt 354 is stretched across a drive pulley 355a, which serves as a drive tensioning section, a first pulley 355b, which serves as a first tensioning section, and a second pulley 355c, which serves as a second tensioning section. The carriage 351 is fixed to the portion of the belt 354 that is stretched between the first pulley 355b and the second pulley 355c. As a result, the carriage 351 can reciprocate between the first pulley 355b and the second pulley 355c when the belt 354 is driven and rotated by the carriage motor 353.

[0044] The drive pulley 355a is a pulley that, together with the carriage motor 353, is positioned on either side in the width direction relative to the document placement surface 302a and transmits the drive of the carriage motor 353. In this embodiment, the drive pulley 355a is provided on the output shaft 353c of the reduction gear 353b, which reduces and outputs the drive of the drive shaft 353a of the carriage motor 353. In this embodiment, the carriage motor 353, reduction gear 353b, and drive pulley 355a are arranged together in the space on either side in the width direction relative to the document placement surface 302a. This makes effective use of the space created by shifting the document transport center away from the center of the device.

[0045] The first pulley 355b is positioned to one side of the carriage 351's moving end (the rear end of the device) in the direction of movement of the carriage 351, i.e., in the front-to-back direction. As will be described later, the reading glass 333 at the image reading position is located at the rear of the device beyond the document placement surface 302a of the document glass 302. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rear end of the carriage 351 is at a position where the reading unit 301 can be positioned at the image reading position. The first pulley 355b is positioned so that the carriage 351 can move until the reading unit 301 is at the image reading position.

[0046] Furthermore, in configurations where the reading unit 301 can move further back in the device than the reading glass 333, for example, if the home position of the reading unit 301 is located further back in the device than the reading glass 333, the position to which the reading unit 301 can move to that further back position in the device becomes the rearmost moving end of the carriage 351.

[0047] The second pulley 355c is positioned further to the other side (front side of the device) of the carriage 351 in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the home position of the reading unit 301 is set to the front end of the reading unit 301's range of motion. For example, the home position of the reading unit 301 is set to a position in front of the document glass 302. Therefore, in this embodiment, the front end of the carriage 351 is a position from which the reading unit 301 can be positioned at its home position. The second pulley 355c is provided in a position from which the carriage 351 can move until the reading unit 301 is in its home position.

[0048] The home position may also be located at the rear of the device, as described above. In this case, the front end of the carriage 351 is positioned so that the reading unit 301 can be located at the front end of the scanning range in the sub-scanning direction.

[0049] As described above, in this embodiment, the drive pulley 355a is located on the left side of the device, the first pulley 355b is located at the rear of the device, and the second pulley 355c is located at the front of the device. Therefore, the belt 354 is stretched in a roughly triangular shape, as shown in Figure 6. Furthermore, the portion of the belt 354 stretched between the first pulley 355b and the second pulley 355c is roughly parallel to the direction in which the rail section 352 is installed. Consequently, by driving the carriage motor 353 to rotate the belt 354, the reading unit 301 supported by the carriage 351 reciprocates along the rail section 352 between the first pulley 355b and the second pulley 355c. This allows the reading unit 301 to be moved to the image reading position in the scrolling reading mode, and to be moved in the forward and backward direction in the fixed reading mode.

[0050] In this embodiment, when reading an image of a document placed on the document glass 302, that is, in fixed reading mode, the reading unit 301 is moved from the front of the device to the back of the device. That is, as will be described later, in this embodiment, the first stopper 305 for positioning the document in the front-to-back direction is provided on the front side of the device, so when performing fixed reading mode, the reading unit 301 is moved from the front of the device to the back of the device.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the home position of the reading unit 301 is set to the front side of the device (the side of the first abutment). Therefore, when starting the fixed reading mode, the distance the reading unit 301 travels from the home position to the reading start position can be shortened, and the time lag from the operator's instruction to start reading to the actual start of the fixed reading mode can be shortened. When executing the scrolling reading mode, the reading unit 301 will be moved from the home position to the image reading position.

[0052] [Document feed tray] As described above, the document feeding tray 320, which serves as the document support section, has a sub-tray 322, which serves as the second support section, that can slide between a first position and a second position relative to the main tray 321, which serves as the first support section. The first position is the position in which the sub-tray 322 covers the top of the main tray 321 with the second support surface 322a positioned above the back surface 322b, which is the back surface of the second support surface 322a. That is, the first position is the storage position in which the sub-tray 322 is housed in the housing 330, and is the position shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0053] Even when the subtray 322 is in the first position, the second support surface 322a faces upward, and it is not configured in such a way that, for example, the subtray rotates when stored so that its back surface faces upward. The second support surface 322a of the subtray 322 constitutes the exterior surface of the image reading device 300 when it is in the first position. In other words, the second support surface 322a also serves as the exterior cover of the image reading device 300.

[0054] In this embodiment, when the sub-tray 322 is in the first position, it is in a state of continuousness with the upper surface 331 of the housing 330 with virtually no step difference, and when the image forming apparatus 100 is installed in its installation location, the second support surface 322a and the upper surface 331 are substantially parallel to the horizontal plane. Therefore, it is possible to place documents and other items on the second support surface 322a and the upper surface 331.

[0055] The second support surface 322a of the sub-tray 322 is continuous with the top surface 331 with almost no gap or a small gap (e.g., less than 1 mm) when in the first position, but there may be a larger gap between the second support surface 322a and the top surface 331. There may also be a step between the second support surface 322a and the top surface 331, and the second support surface 322a may be inclined with respect to the horizontal plane when in the first position. Furthermore, the second support surface 322a of the sub-tray 322 does not need to be exposed upwards when stored in the housing 330. For example, it may be configured to be stored below the top plate of the housing 330 and above the main tray 321. In short, it is sufficient that the sub-tray 322 is configured to be stored above the main tray 321 by sliding.

[0056] The second position is the position in which the second support surface 322a is positioned above the back surface 322b, and the second support surface 322a supports the document together with the first support surface 321a. That is, it is the position shown in Figures 4 and 5, and is the document setting position in which the document is placed. When the subtray 322 is in the second position, the second support surface 322a is positioned so that its inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane is greater than that of the first support surface 321a. The inclination direction of the second support surface 322a at this time is such that it inclins downward as it moves downstream in the direction of document feeding.

[0057] In this embodiment, the subtray 322 is positioned in the second position by pulling it out from the first position towards the front of the device. That is, the direction in which the subtray 322 slides from the first position to the second position is from the back of the device towards the front of the device. When returning the subtray 322 from the second position to the first position, the subtray 322 is positioned in the first position by pushing it towards the back of the device while returning its inclination to the state it was in at the first position. Such a subtray 322 is supported by a sliding support part 340 so that it can slide between the first and second positions. The sliding support part 340 will be described later.

[0058] Furthermore, a gripping portion 323 is provided at the front end of the subtray 322, which serves as a sliding gripping portion for sliding the subtray 322. As shown in Figure 5, the gripping portion 323 has a notch 323a that is cut out downwards in a part of the front end of the subtray 322, and a recessed portion 323b that is recessed upwards on the rear side of the notch 323a. When pulling the subtray 322 towards the front of the device, for example, the operator puts their fingers into the recessed portion 3232b and pulls the subtray 322 towards the front of the device. On the other hand, when rotating the pressure plate portion 303 from the closed position to the open position, for example, the operator puts their hand into the notch 323a and lifts the pressure plate portion 303.

[0059] The document output tray 318 is located below the notch 323a. By inserting a hand into the notch 323a, it is possible to grasp the output tray gripping portion 318a mentioned above. Furthermore, by inserting a hand into the notch 323a and grasping the output tray gripping portion 318a of the document output tray 318 in its unextended state, i.e., inserted state, and pushing it down, it is also possible to rotate the pressure plate portion 303 from the open position to the closed position.

[0060] In this embodiment, the gripping portion 323 also serves as a gripping portion for pulling out the sub-tray 322 and for opening and closing the pressure plate portion 303. For this purpose, as will be described in detail later, it has a locking portion 348 (Figure 22) that can lock the sub-tray 322 in a first position. In this way, when opening and closing the pressure plate portion 303, the sub-tray 322 is prevented from being unintentionally pulled out from the first position, thereby improving operability.

[0061] [Document Output Tray] As described above, the document output tray 318 is retractable towards the front of the device. Specifically, the document output tray 318 has an output main tray 318b and an output sub-tray 318c. The output main tray 318b is supported in the housing 330 so as to be slidable into and out of the housing 330. That is, the document output tray 318 is retractable from the housing 330 of the image reading device 300 in the same direction as the sub-tray 322 slides from the first position to the second position. Furthermore, the document output tray 318 is located below the sub-tray 322, which is in the second position when retracted.

[0062] The output sub-tray 318c is rotatably supported at the front end of the output main tray 318b, and as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 7, it can support documents together with the output main tray 318b when open. Also, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, when the output sub-tray 318c is folded toward the top surface of the output main tray 318b, the document output tray 318 can be stored in the housing 330. Even when the output sub-tray 318c is folded, the back surface of the output sub-tray 318c when it is open forms a surface for placing documents together with the output main tray 318b.

[0063] Here, as shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9, with the document output tray 318 extended, it is positioned away from the control panel 400 in the width direction. In other words, the control panel 400 is positioned so as not to overlap with the extended document output tray 318 when viewed from above the image forming apparatus 100. The control panel 400 is supported by the housing 210 of the image forming apparatus main body 200 or the housing 330a of the image reading device 300 (housing of the image forming apparatus 100), as shown in Figure 8, so as to be rotatable between the solid line position and the dashed line position in the figure, around a pivot axis that is positioned parallel to the width direction near the upper end of the control panel 400.

[0064] Specifically, the control panel 400 is rotatably supported on the housing of the image forming apparatus 100 between a first operating position in which the display unit 402 faces the front of the apparatus and a second operating position in which the display unit 402 faces upward compared to the first operating position. Specifically, the solid line position of the control panel 400 in Figure 8 is the first operating position, where the front surface (front) of the control panel 400 is approximately vertical. On the other hand, the dashed line position of the control panel 400 in Figure 8 is the second operating position, where the front surface of the control panel 400 is inclined with respect to the vertical, and the front surface faces diagonally upward.

[0065] If the control panel 400 is positioned so that it overlaps with at least a portion of the extended document output tray 318 when viewed from above the image forming apparatus 100, the operability of the control panel 400 when the document output tray 318 is extended will be reduced. In particular, since the document output tray 318 is extended from the lower part of the image reading device 300 located on top of the image forming apparatus body 200 toward the front of the device, the vertical distance between the extended document output tray 318 and the control panel 400 is short. For this reason, for example, if the control panel 400 is set to the second operating position, and a portion of the extended document output tray 318 overlaps with the control panel 400 when viewed from above, the visibility of the display unit 402 will be reduced, and the operability of the physical switches 401 and the display unit 402 will be reduced. For this reason, in this embodiment, the document output tray 318 and the control panel 400 are not positioned so that they do not overlap when viewed from above the image forming apparatus 100. However, it is sufficient that at least the display unit 402 of the control panel 400 is positioned so as not to overlap with the document output tray 318, and the parts of the control panel 400 other than the display unit 402 may be positioned to overlap with the document output tray 318.

[0066] Regarding the sub-tray 322 of the document feed tray 320, when the image forming apparatus 100 is viewed from above, at least a portion of it overlaps with a portion of the control panel 400. However, the sub-tray 322 has less impact on the operability of the control panel 400 than the document output tray 318. That is, the sub-tray 322 is located above the document output tray 318 and is pulled out at an upward inclination, so the vertical distance between it and the control panel 400 is greater than that of the document output tray 318. For this reason, even if the control panel 400 is in the second operating position, it has little impact on the operability of the control panel 400.

[0067] Regarding the sub-tray 322, it is preferable that it does not overlap with the operation panel 400 when the image forming apparatus 100 is viewed from above. However, in this case, there is a risk that the apparatus will become larger, such as by increasing the amount of misalignment between the document transport center and the center of the apparatus, as described below. For this reason, in this embodiment, in order to make the apparatus smaller while improving the operability of the operation panel 400, the document output tray 318 is designed so that it does not overlap with the operation panel 400 when viewed from above, and the sub-tray 322 is designed so that a part of it overlaps with a part of the operation panel 400 when viewed from above.

[0068] [Relationship between the document transport center and the device center] Next, the relationship between the document transport center in the image reading device 300 and the device center of the image forming device 100 will be explained using Figure 9. First, the document transport center N1 is defined as the left-right center of the document transport path from the document feeding unit 311 to the discharge roller 313, and the device center N2 is defined as the left-right center of the outer shape of the image reading device 300. That is, the device center N2 is defined as the widthwise center between the two end faces in the width direction of the outer shape of the image reading device 300.

[0069] On the other hand, the document transport center N1 is the widthwise center position between the restricting surfaces 320a and 320b of a pair of restricting guides that restrict both ends of the document in the widthwise direction in the document feeding tray 320. In this embodiment, the pair of restricting surfaces 320a and 320b are movable in the widthwise direction toward and toward each other in accordance with the size of the document, and the position of the transport center N1 does not change regardless of the size of the document. In this configuration, the widthwise center position of the document output tray 318 also coincides with the transport center N1.

[0070] Furthermore, regarding the pair of restricting guides that restrict both ends of the document in the width direction in the document feeding tray 320, there is also a configuration in which one restricting guide is fixed, and only the other restricting guide moves in the width direction according to the size of the document. In this case, the position of the transport center N1 in the width direction will shift depending on the size of the document, but even when the transport center N1 is closest to the device center N2 in such a case, the transport center N1 will still be offset relative to the device center N2. Also, the direction of the offset will be the same regardless of the size of the document. In this configuration, the width direction center position of the document output tray 318 will be offset from the transport center N1 depending on the size of the document.

[0071] The document transport center N1 is offset to either the left or right direction relative to the device center N2. In this embodiment, the transport center N1 is offset to the opposite side of the side on which the operation panel 400 is offset. In other words, the operation panel 400 is positioned such that its center is offset relative to the device center N2 in the opposite direction to the direction in which the transport center N1 is offset relative to the device center N2.

[0072] In this embodiment, the operation panel 400 is offset relative to the device center N2 until its left end substantially coincides with the left end of the housing 210 of the image forming apparatus body 200. However, the amount of offset of the center of the operation panel 400 relative to the device center N2 may be small. For example, the center of the operation panel 400 in the width direction may be offset relative to the device center N2, but a part of the operation panel 400 may be located on the device center N2. However, it is preferable that the entire operation panel 400 is offset in the width direction relative to the device center N2. Furthermore, as described above, it is preferable to offset the operation panel 400 in the width direction relative to the device center N2 until it does not overlap with the document output tray 318 when viewed from above in its extended state.

[0073] The amount of displacement of the transport center N1 relative to the device center N2 may be small. For example, if the operation panel 400 is positioned such that its left edge approximately coincides with the left edge of the housing 210 of the image forming apparatus main body 200, then a portion of the document output tray 318 may overlap with a portion of the operation panel 400 when viewed from above. However, as mentioned above, it is preferable to offset the transport center N1 and the device center N2 so that the document output tray 318 and the operation panel 400 do not overlap when viewed from above. Furthermore, it is even more preferable to offset the transport center N1 and the device center N2 so that the sub-tray 322 and the operation panel 400 do not overlap when viewed from above. These relationships are also true in configurations where one regulating guide is fixed and only the regulating guide on the other side moves in the width direction according to the size of the document.

[0074] Furthermore, because the transport center N1 is offset from the device center N2, a larger area is created on the side of the housing 330 opposite to the transport center N1 in the left-right direction, where the document does not pass. For this reason, it is preferable that the motors and gears (not shown) for driving each roller of the document feeding unit 311 be housed on the side opposite to the transport center N1 relative to the device center N2. In other words, in this embodiment, the motors and gears (not shown) for driving each roller of the document feeding unit 311 are housed on the left side of the housing 330. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the space created by offsetting the document transport center N1 from the device center N2.

[0075] [Slide movement support part] Next, the slide movement support section 340, which supports the sub-tray 322 so that it can slide, will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 22. The slide movement support section 340 has a projection 341 as a first engaging part and a rail section 342 as a second engaging part and guide part. As shown in Figure 11, the projection 341 is provided at both ends of the sub-tray 322 with respect to the direction in which the document is fed by the document feeding section 311 (from the front of the device to the back of the device) and the width direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. The projection 341 is provided so as to protrude from the widthwise end of the sub-tray 322 toward the part of the housing 330 opposite to this widthwise end. As shown in Figure 10, the rail section 342 is provided on the housing 330 of the image reading device 300 and is engageable with the projection 341. That is, the rail section 342 as a guide part engages with the projection 341 and guides the sub-tray 322 so that it can slide.

[0076] Furthermore, as described above, in the second position, the sub-tray 322 has a second support surface 322a that is more inclined than in the first position. For this reason, the sliding support unit 340 has a holding unit 343 that holds the sub-tray 322 in an inclined state in the second position.

[0077] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the image reading device 300 includes a contact portion 344 and a contacted portion 345, as shown in Figures 11 to 14. The contact portion 344 is provided on either the housing 330 or the sub-tray 322 of the image reading device 300. In this embodiment, the contact portion 344 is provided on the sub-tray 322. The contacted portion 345 is provided on the other of the housing 330 and the sub-tray 322 of the image reading device 300, and contacts the contact portion 344 when the sub-tray 322 is located at a predetermined position between a first position and a second position, but does not contact the contact portion 344 when the sub-tray 322 is located on the second position side of the predetermined position. In this embodiment, the contacted portion 345 is provided on the housing 330. Alternatively, the contact portion 344 may be provided on the housing 330 side and the contacted portion 345 on the sub-tray 322 side. The configuration for the sliding movement of the sub-tray 322 will be explained in detail below.

[0078] [Configuration related to sub-trays] First, the configuration of the subtray 322, specifically the configuration of the subtray 322, will be explained using Figures 11 and 12. As shown in Figure 11, protrusions 341 are provided at the ends of the end faces 322c on both sides of the subtray 322 in the width direction, on the end faces towards the rear of the device, so as to protrude outward in the width direction (away from the end faces 322c). When viewed from the width direction, the protrusions 341 are elongated in the sliding direction of the subtray 322 and have an elliptical shape, or a shape in which the ends of a pair of semicircles that are convex outward from each other are connected by a straight line.

[0079] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, the front end of the subtray 322 is provided with a bent portion 322d that is formed to bend downward from the end face 322c. The rear end of the bent portion 322d is provided with an extension portion 346 that is formed to protrude toward the rear of the device. Between the extension portion 346 and the end face 322c, a recessed portion 347 is formed so as to penetrate the front end of the extension portion 346 toward the rear end of the device. Therefore, a gap exists between the extension portion 346 and the end face 322c.

[0080] The extension portion 346 is provided with the aforementioned contact portion 344 at the rear end of the device. That is, the contact portion 344 is provided so as to protrude outward in the width direction from a part of the extension portion 346. On the outer surface of the extension portion 346 in the width direction, an inclined surface 346a is formed on the rear side (tip side) of the device from the contact portion 344, which slopes inward in the width direction as it approaches the tip, and a recessed area 346b is formed on the front side of the device from the contact portion 344, which is recessed inward in the width direction. In addition, an inclined surface 346c is formed between the contact portion 344 and the recessed area 346b, which slopes inward in the width direction as it approaches the front side of the device.

[0081] [Configuration of the housing side of the image reading device] Next, the configuration of the sliding movement of the sub-tray 322, specifically the configuration on the housing 330 side of the image reading device 300, will be explained using Figures 10, 13, and 14. As shown in Figures 10 and 13, the housing 330 has an opening 334 through which the sub-tray 322 can be inserted and pulled out. The opening 334 has side walls 335 that face each other at both ends in the width direction of the sub-tray 322 in the first position. The side walls 335 are provided along the front-rear direction at both ends in the width direction of the opening 334. The side walls 335 are perpendicular to the discharge support surface 319 and are substantially parallel to the vertical direction.

[0082] A rail portion 342 is formed along the front-to-back direction on the upper part of the main tray 321 of the side wall portion 335. The rail portion 342 is a recess formed so as to be recessed from the wall surface of the side wall portion 335, and its vertical width is slightly larger than the vertical width (short side length) of the projection portion 341. The rail portion 342 engages with the projection portion 341 provided on the sub-tray 322 when the projection portion 341 penetrates inward, and also guides the projection portion 341 in the front-to-back direction.

[0083] A retaining portion 343 is formed at the front end of the rail portion 342 of the side wall portion 335, so as to be continuous with the rail portion 342. The retaining portion 343 is a recess formed to be recessed from the wall surface of the side wall portion 335, similar to the rail portion 342, and is inclined with respect to the rail portion 342. Specifically, as shown in Figure 14, the retaining portion 343 is bent downward from the front end of the rail portion 342 and is formed to be inclined towards the rear of the device as it goes downward. In addition, the retaining portion 343 is provided on the front side of the main tray 321.

[0084] As will be described in more detail later, the holding portion 343 is formed such that after the protrusion 341 of the subtray 322 moves to the front end of the rail portion 342, the front end of the subtray 322 is lifted, allowing the protrusion 341 to enter. Then, by pushing the subtray 322 down along the inclination of the holding portion 343, the protrusion 341 enters the holding portion 343. As the protrusion 341 has a long shape in the front-to-back direction as described above, the side surface of the protrusion 341 engages with the inner wall surface of the holding portion 343, thereby holding the subtray 322 in a direction along the inclination of the holding portion 343.

[0085] Furthermore, the rail portion 342 and the holding portion 343 may be configured as separate members fixed to the side wall portion 335, in addition to the recesses formed in the side wall portion 335 as described above. Alternatively, they may be provided so as to protrude from the side wall portion 335, sandwiching the projection portion 341 from both sides in the short direction. The projection portion 341 may also be cylindrical in shape, or a rotatably mounted roller. In this case, multiple projection portions 341 are provided in the front-rear direction of the sub-tray 322 (for example, one at each end in the front-rear direction on one side in the width direction of the sub-tray 322, for a total of four on both sides in the width direction).

[0086] Furthermore, below the holding portion 343 of the side wall portion 335, an inclined support portion 336 is provided so as to protrude inward in the width direction. The inclined support portion 336 is inclined along the inclination of the holding portion 343, and the projection 341 supports the lower surface of the sub-tray 322 held by the holding portion 343. As a result, the sub-tray 322 is more securely held in the inclined state in the second position. Note that if the sub-tray 322 can be sufficiently held by the engagement of the projection 341 and the holding portion 343, the inclined support portion 336 may be omitted.

[0087] An auxiliary support portion 337 is provided on the front side of the inclined support portion 336 of the side wall portion 335, projecting inward in the width direction. The auxiliary support portion 337 is provided approximately parallel to the front-rear direction, and with the projection 341 guided by the rail portion 342, it supports the lower surface of the portion of the sub-tray 322 that is in front of the rail portion 342, thereby assisting the sliding movement of the sub-tray 322. The rear end of the auxiliary support portion 337 is smoothly continuous with the front end of the inclined support portion 336, so as not to interfere with the sub-tray 322 when the sub-tray 322 is tilted due to the engagement of the projection 341 and the holding portion 343.

[0088] A contact portion 345 is provided below the auxiliary support portion 337 of the side wall portion 335. The contact portion 345 is provided so as to protrude inward in the width direction from the side wall portion 335 and so as to be movable in the width direction relative to the side wall portion 335. Furthermore, the contact portion 345 is biased inward in the width direction by a biasing spring 349 (Figures 20 to 22) which acts as a biasing member.

[0089] The contact portion 345 is positioned to align with the extension portion 346 when the sub-tray 322 is in the first position. By contacting the contact portion 344 provided on the extension portion 346, it provides the operator with a click sensation (feel) when the sub-tray 322 is pushed into the first position. Furthermore, the contact portion 345 enters the recess 346b provided on the extension portion 346, locking the sub-tray 322 into the first position. In other words, the contact portion 345 and the recess 346b function as a locking portion 348 (Figure 22) capable of locking the sub-tray 322 into the first position. The operation related to this point will be described later.

[0090] [Sub-tray sliding operation] Next, the operation of sliding the sub-tray 322 from the second position to the first position will be explained using Figures 15 to 19. Figure 15 shows the sub-tray 322 in the second position. In the second position, the protrusion 341 of the sub-tray 322 engages with the holding part 343, and the lower surface of the sub-tray 322 is supported by the inclined support part 336. To return the sub-tray 322 to the first position, first, as shown in Figure 16, the sub-tray 322 is pulled up towards the front of the device and upward, that is, diagonally upward. This causes the protrusion 341 to disengage from the holding part 343, making it possible to rotate the sub-tray 322 in a direction where the front of the device is lowered.

[0091] Next, as shown in Figure 17, the sub-tray 322 is tilted in a direction along the rail portion 342, which in this embodiment is approximately horizontal. When the sub-tray 322 is pushed towards the rear of the device in this state, as shown in Figure 18, the sub-tray 322 is guided towards the rear of the device along the rail portion 342 by the engagement of the protrusion 341 and the rail portion 342. In this position, the contact portion 344 of the sub-tray 322 is not in contact with the contacted portion 345 on the housing 330 side.

[0092] Furthermore, when the sub-tray 322 is pushed in from this position, as will be described later, the contact portion 344 comes into contact with the contacted portion 345, giving the operator a click sensation. When pushed in further, the contacted portion 345 enters the recess 346b, and as shown in Figure 19, the sub-tray 322 is locked in the first position. In this state, the sub-tray 322 is mounted in the first position. Also in this state, the auxiliary support portion 337 enters the recessed portion 347. The lower surface of the auxiliary support portion 337 is provided with a projection 337a that protrudes downward, and when the auxiliary support portion 337 is entered into the recessed portion 347, the projection 337a comes into contact with the upper surface of the extension portion 346 of the sub-tray 322, or comes into close proximity with a small gap between them. Such a protrusion 337a, when the subtray 322 is in the first position, contacts the upper surface of the extension 346, thereby restricting the subtray 322 from being lifted upward independently of the pressure plate 303. As a result, when the operator grasps the gripping part 323 and lifts it upward, the pressure plate 303 and ADF 310 are lifted upward together with the subtray 322.

[0093] When pulling the sub-tray 322 from the first position to the second position, the reverse operation described above is performed. That is, from the state shown in Figure 19, the gripping part 323 is grasped and the sub-tray 322 is pulled towards the front of the device, causing the contact part 344 to move over the contacted part 345 and into the state shown in Figure 18. This operation also provides the operator with a click sensation. Next, the sub-tray 322 is pulled towards the front of the device to the state shown in Figure 17. In the state shown in Figure 17, the projection 341 disengages from the front end of the rail part 342, allowing the sub-tray 322 to rotate in a direction that lifts the front side of the device.

[0094] Next, the sub-tray 322 is tilted by lifting the front side of the device to the state shown in Figure 16. In the state shown in Figure 16, the protrusion 341 can enter the holding part 343. Then, by pushing the sub-tray 322 towards the rear of the device and downward, that is, diagonally downward, the protrusion 341 enters the holding part 343, resulting in the second position shown in Figure 15.

[0095] [Pushing the sub-tray to its first position] Next, the relationship between the area around the contact portion 344 and the contacted portion 345 during the pushing operation of the subtray 322, as described in Figures 18 to 19 above, to the first position at the rear of the device, will be explained using Figures 20 to 22. Figure 20 shows the state as described in Figure 18 above. In this state, the tip of the inclined surface 346a on the front side (towards the rear of the device) is in contact with the contacted portion 345.

[0096] The contact portion 345 has a base portion 345a and a projection portion 345b protruding from the base portion 345a, and is arranged so that the projection portion 345b protrudes from a through hole 335a formed in the side wall portion 335 of the housing 330. The base portion 345a is located in the internal space 335b which is on the outside with respect to the width direction of the side wall portion 335. An inner wall portion 335c is provided within the internal space 335b of the housing 330, and a biasing spring 349 is arranged between the inner wall portion 335c and the base portion 345a.

[0097] The contact portion 345 is biased inward in the width direction by a biasing spring 349, that is, in the direction in which the projection 345b protrudes from the through hole 335a. At this time, the amount of protrusion of the projection 345b is restricted by the base portion 345a abutting against the side wall portion 335. Furthermore, when the contact portion 345 is pushed outward in the width direction, the contact portion 345 can move outward in the width direction against the biasing force of the biasing spring 349. The state in Figure 20 is when the base portion 345a is in contact with the side wall portion 335.

[0098] When the sub-tray 322 is pushed towards the back of the device from this state, the protrusion 345b of the contacted portion 345 comes into contact with the inclined surface 346a and is pushed outward in the width direction along the inclination of the inclined surface 346a. Then, as shown in Figure 21, the contact portion 344 and the contacted portion 345 come into contact. This position is a predetermined position between the first position and the second position. Also, in this state, the contacted portion 345 is pushed against the biasing force of the biasing spring 349. Therefore, when the contact portion 344 passes the contacted portion 345, the resistance to pushing the sub-tray 322 towards the back of the device increases.

[0099] In other words, the contact portion 345 does not contact the contact portion 344 when the subtray 322 is positioned towards the second position from the predetermined position, but contacts the contact portion 344 when the subtray 322 is positioned at the predetermined position. Therefore, when the subtray 322 passes the predetermined position, the resistance to moving the subtray 322 increases. In this embodiment, this change in resistance provides the operator with a click sensation.

[0100] Next, when the sub-tray 322 is pushed further towards the rear of the device, the protrusion 345b of the contact portion 345 moves over the contact portion 344 and moves along the inclined surface 346c due to the biasing force of the biasing spring 349. Then, as shown in Figure 22, the protrusion 345b of the contact portion 345 fits into the recess 346b. In this state, the sub-tray 322 is locked in the first position. Also, in this state, the contact portion 345 does not come into contact with the contact portion 344, and the protrusion 345b of the contact portion 345 protrudes inward in the width direction more than when it is in a predetermined position.

[0101] On the other hand, when pulling the sub-tray 322 from the first position to the second position, the sub-tray 322 is pulled towards the front of the device from the state shown in Figure 22. At this time, the inclined surface 346c on the rear side of the recess 346b comes into contact with the protrusion 345b of the contacted portion 345, causing the contacted portion 345 to move outward in the width direction against the biasing force of the biasing spring 349. Then, as shown in Figure 21, the protrusion 345b of the contacted portion 345 comes into contact with the contact portion 344, and as the sub-tray 322 is pulled out further, the protrusion 345b of the contacted portion 345 goes over the contact portion 344, resulting in the state shown in Figure 20. This position corresponds to the position shown in Figure 18 above, so the sub-tray 322 is then pulled out to the second position as described in Figures 17 to 15 above.

[0102] In this embodiment, when the sub-tray 322 is pulled out from the first position, the protrusion 345b of the contact portion 345 overcomes the contact portion 344, so that the operator can feel a click, similar to when the sub-tray 322 is pushed into the first position. By providing the operator with a click when attaching the sub-tray 322 to the first position and when pulling it out from the first position, it becomes easier for the operator to determine that the attachment and removal operations have been performed without problems.

[0103] Furthermore, when the sub-tray 322 is in the first position, the projection 345b of the contact portion 345 is locked into the recess 346b, which prevents the sub-tray 322 from being unintentionally pulled out from the first position. For example, when an operator grasps the gripping portion 323 and lifts the pressure plate portion 303, the sub-tray 322 is also prevented from being unintentionally pulled out. Thus, when the gripping portion for pulling out the sub-tray 322 and the gripping portion for opening the pressure plate portion 303 are used for both purposes, the operability for opening the pressure plate portion 303 can be improved.

[0104] [Configuration of the document display stand] Next, the document glass 302 and First abutment section 305The configuration of the document table 332 having the second stopper portion 306 will be explained with reference to Figures 23 to 26. The document table 332 is provided so as to cover the reading unit 301 of the image reading device 300 and the components that drive the reading unit 301, and is provided with a document glass 302, a reading glass 333, etc. As described above, in this embodiment, the carriage motor 353, the reduction gear 353b, and the drive pulley 355a for driving the reading unit 301 are arranged together in the space to the left of the document placement surface 302a in the width direction (see Figure 6). In other words, the document glass 302 and the reading glass 333 are shifted to the right in the width direction from the center of the image reading device 300, and a space is provided on the left side of the image reading device 300 for arranging the carriage motor 353, etc.

[0105] For this purpose, as shown in Figure 24, a storage compartment 332a is provided on the underside of the document glass 332 to house the carriage motor 353, the reduction gear 353b, and the drive pulley 355a. The document glass 302 and the reading glass 333 are provided on the right side in the width direction of the storage compartment 332a (upper left in Figure 24). The transport center N1 of the ADF 310 is offset in the width direction relative to the center N2 of the device to match the width direction position of the reading glass 333 (see Figure 9).

[0106] Next, the abutment portion that the document placed on the document placement surface 302a of the document glass 302 is abutted against will be described. As described above, the edges of the document glass 302 are provided with a first abutment portion 305 and a second abutment portion 306, as shown in Figure 23, which are abutted against the edges of the document placed on the document placement surface 302a in order to position the document at a reference position for reading by the reading unit 301.

[0107] The first abutment portion 305 is provided at the end of the pair of ends of the document placement surface 302a in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the hinge portion 304 (Figure 3) (front-to-back direction), which is the end furthest from the hinge portion 304. In this embodiment, the hinge portion 304 is located further back from the device than the document placement surface 302a, and the first abutment portion 305 is located at the end of the document placement surface 302a that is closer to the device.

[0108] The first abutment portion 305 is provided at the front edge of the document placement surface 302a, approximately parallel to the width direction. The first edge of the document placed on the document placement surface 302a, the edge closest to the front of the device, abuts against the first abutment portion 305. By abutting the first edge of the document against the first abutment portion 305, the document is positioned in the front-to-back direction.

[0109] The second abutment portion 306 is provided at one of a pair of ends of the document placement surface 302a in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the hinge portion 304 (width direction). In this embodiment, the second abutment portion 306 is provided at the left end of the document placement surface 302a. The second edge of the document placed on the document placement surface 302a, which is perpendicular to the first edge, abuts against the second abutment portion 306. In this embodiment, the second edge is the left edge of the document placed on the document placement surface 302a. Positioning of the document in the width direction (left-right direction) is performed by abutting the second edge of the document against the second abutment portion 306.

[0110] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 23 and 25, a document regulating section 307 is provided on the rear side of the document placement surface 302a, extending in the width direction. The document regulating section 307 is a wall portion that protrudes upward from the document placement surface 302a in order to regulate the position of the rear side of the document placed on the document placement surface 302a, indicating that image reading in fixed reading mode is performed on the front side of this position. Further back from the document regulating section 307, as described above, a reading glass 333 is provided where the reading unit 301 is located when performing the scrolling reading mode.

[0111] In this embodiment, the maximum size of a document that can be placed on the document placement surface 302a for image scanning is A5 size. This is because documents larger than A5 size (for example, A4 size) can be transported by the ADF 310 and scanned using the flow scanning mode. The fixed scanning mode is intended for documents smaller than A5 size and is particularly suitable for scanning card-sized documents such as business cards and driver's licenses, which are difficult to transport using the ADF 310.

[0112] As mentioned above, to position the document in the front-to-back direction First abutment section 305 Although it is located on the front side of the device, the front side of the device is also the side from which the operator places the document on the document placement surface 302a and removes the document from the document placement surface 302a. Therefore, First abutment section 305 If the document placement surface 302a is provided across the entire width of the front edge of the device, it may become difficult for the operator to remove the document from the document placement surface 302a.

[0113] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 23, a portion of the front end of the document placement surface 302a is First abutment section 305 The remaining portion is an inclined surface 308 that facilitates the sliding and removal of the document from the document placement surface 302a towards the front of the device. Specifically, the first stopper portion 305 is provided in part at the end of the pair of ends of the document placement surface 302a that is furthest from the hinge portion 304, i.e., the end on the front side of the device, in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the hinge portion 304 (width direction). On the other hand, the inclined surface 308 is provided in the other part of the end of the document placement surface 302a on the front side of the device, in the width direction. Furthermore, the inclined surface 308 is inclined upward the further it is from the hinge portion 304, i.e., the closer it is to the front of the device.

[0114] in particular, First abutment section 305 It is provided in the portion of the front end of the document placement surface 302a that extends from the left side of the center in the width direction to the left edge of the document placement surface 302a. On the other hand, the inclined surface 308 is First abutment section 305It is provided in the portion from the right side to the right edge of the document placement surface 302a. As described above, the left edge of the document placement surface 302a is the second abutment portion 306. Therefore, by abutting the document against the corner formed by the front edge and left edge of the document placement surface 302a, the document is positioned in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions.

[0115] On the other hand, when removing the document from the document placement surface 302a, First abutment section 305 The document positioned by the second abutment portion 306 is shifted to the right and slid towards the front of the device from the inclined surface 308. First abutment section 305 This allows for smooth retrieval of the document without interference.

[0116] Here, First abutment section 305 The relationship between the widthwise lengths of the second abutment portion 306 and the second abutment portion 306 can be set as appropriate, but in this embodiment, First abutment section 305 This is shorter than the second stopper section 306. This is because, in fixed reading mode, it is intended for smaller documents. First abutment section 305 This is because even if the length is short, sufficient positioning in the front-to-back direction can be achieved. On the other hand, by increasing the length of the second abutment portion 306, for example, it becomes easier to remove the document from the document placement surface 302a without having to open the pressure plate portion 303 wide.

[0117] Such First abutment section 305 The inclined surface 308 will be explained in more detail using Figures 26(a) and (b). Figure 26(a) is First abutment section 305 This is a cross-sectional view. First abutment section 305 This is a wall that rises approximately perpendicularly to the document placement surface 302a of the document glass 302, allowing the first edge of the document to abut against it. The second abutment portion 306 has the same configuration as the first abutment portion 305.

[0118] Figure 26(b) is a cross-sectional view of the inclined surface 308. As described above, the inclined surface 308 slopes upward towards the front of the device (left side in Figure 26(b)). Also, the lowest end 308a of the inclined surface 308 is located below the document placement surface 302a. In other words, the document placement surface 302a, which is the surface of the document glass 302, is located above the lowest end 308a of the inclined surface 308. This makes it easier to remove documents placed on the document placement surface 302a via the inclined surface 308.

[0119] In other words, if the lowest end 308a of the inclined surface 308 is above the document placement surface 302a, a step will be created between the document placement surface 302a and the inclined surface 308, and there is a risk that the document will hit this step when sliding it out towards the inclined surface 308. Also, if the lowest end 308a of the inclined surface 308 is at the same height as the document placement surface 302a, there is a possibility that the lowest end 308a may be slightly above the document placement surface 302a due to manufacturing errors, etc., in which case the aforementioned step will still be created. If the document hits the step when removing it from the document placement surface 302a, it will be difficult to slide the document out despite the presence of the inclined surface 308. For this reason, in this embodiment, the lowest end 308a of the inclined surface 308 is positioned below the document placement surface 302a.

[0120] As described above, in this embodiment, since the first abutment portion 305 is provided at the front end of the document placement surface 302a of the device, it becomes easy to place the document on the document placement surface 302a from the front side of the device and position it in the front-to-back direction. In particular, even if the space above the image reading device 300 is narrow and the pressure plate portion 303 does not open wide, it is easy to position and place the document on the document placement surface 302a by simply abutting the document against the first abutment portion 305 on the front side of the device.

[0121] Furthermore, since the inclined surface 308 is provided adjacent to the first stopper portion 305 at the front end of the document placement surface 302a, it is easy to remove the document from the document placement surface 302a. In particular, it is easy to remove the document even if the pressure plate portion 303 does not open wide. For example, it is possible to remove the document by sliding it towards the front of the device via the inclined surface 308 while shifting it in the width direction to the area where the inclined surface 308 is located.

[0122] The image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment, having the configuration described above, offers good operability even when installed in narrow spaces such as under a shelf or desk. In other words, in this embodiment, the main functions of the image forming apparatus 100 can be operated from the front of the apparatus, so the image forming apparatus 100 is easy to operate even when there is limited space above or to the left and right of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0123] Specifically, the sheet feed direction from the cassette 203 in the image forming apparatus body 200 is from the front of the apparatus to the back of the apparatus, and the sheet discharge direction is from the back of the apparatus to the front of the apparatus. Similarly, the document feed direction from the document feed tray 320 in the image reading apparatus 300 is from the front of the apparatus to the back of the apparatus, and the document discharge direction is from the back of the apparatus to the front of the apparatus. In this way, the feeding and discharge of sheets and documents in the image forming apparatus body 200 and the image reading apparatus 300 can be performed at the front of the apparatus, making it easy to feed and discharge sheets and documents even when the left-right space of the image forming apparatus 100 is narrow.

[0124] Furthermore, since the cassette 203 is drawn out towards the front of the device, operation from the front of the device is also easy. Similarly, the sub-tray 322 of the image reading device 300 is configured to slide towards the front of the device, so operation from the front of the device is also easy. Additionally, since the hinge 304 for rotating the pressure plate 303 is located towards the rear of the device, and the gripping part 323 for rotating the pressure plate 303 is located towards the front of the device, operation from the front of the device is also easy. Moreover, since the first abutment part 305 and the inclined surface 308 are located towards the front of the device, operation from the front of the device is also easy.

[0125] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the gripping portion 323 for pulling out the sub-tray 322 is also used as the gripping portion for opening and closing the pressure plate portion 303, and since the sub-tray 322 is locked by the locking portion 348 when it is stored in the first position, it is possible to prevent the sub-tray 322 from being pulled out unintentionally when opening and closing the pressure plate portion 303, and in this respect as well, the operability of the image forming apparatus 100 can be improved.

[0126] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by configuring the reading unit 301 to move in the front-to-back direction, it is possible to set the document feeding and ejection direction by the ADF 310 to the front-to-back direction as described above. That is, in the case where the reading unit 301 is configured to move in the left-to-right direction, the main scanning direction of the reading unit 301 is the front-to-back direction, and the sub-scanning direction is the left-to-right direction. Therefore, when performing a continuous scanning mode using the ADF 310 in such a configuration, it is necessary to transport the document in the left-to-right direction. In contrast, in this embodiment, since the reading unit 301 is configured to move in the front-to-back direction, it is possible to set the document transport direction by the ADF 310 to the front-to-back direction as described above, and the operability from the front side of the device can be improved.

[0127] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sub-tray 322 is configured to slide between a first position and a second position, so that the sub-tray 322 can be moved between the first and second positions even if there is no space above the image forming apparatus 100. For example, in a configuration where the sub-tray can be moved between a position where it is housed in the housing of the image reading device and a position where it can support the document together with the main tray by rotating the sub-tray, space is required above the image forming apparatus to rotate the sub-tray. In contrast, in this embodiment, since the sub-tray 322 is configured to slide, it can be moved between the first and second positions even if there is no space above, and the image forming apparatus 100 can be installed in a narrow space with good operability.

[0128] Furthermore, the first position is such that the sub-tray 322 covers the top of the main tray 321 with the second support surface 322a positioned above the back surface 322b, which is the back surface of the second support surface 322a. Therefore, when the sub-tray 322 is in the first position, it can be used as a space to place documents, for example.

[0129] <Second Embodiment> A second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 27 to 29. In the first embodiment described above, the document feeding direction and discharge direction of the ADF 310 were set to the front-to-back direction. In contrast, in this embodiment, the document feeding direction and left-to-right direction of the ADF 310A, which is an automatic document transport device, are set to the left-to-right direction. Accordingly, the movement direction of the reading unit 301 (see Figure 6) is also set to the left-to-right direction. The other configurations and operations are the same as in the first embodiment described above, so the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description and illustration are omitted or simplified. The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0130] First, the image forming apparatus 100A of this embodiment has an image forming apparatus body 200 similar to that of the first embodiment, and an image reading device 300A is provided on the upper part of the image forming apparatus body 200. Since the image forming apparatus body 200 is the same as that of the first embodiment, the direction in which the sheets are fed from the cassette 203 is from the front side of the apparatus (first side) to the back side of the apparatus (second side), and the direction in which the sheets are discharged is from the back side of the apparatus to the front side of the apparatus.

[0131] On the other hand, the document feeding direction from the document feeding tray 320A of the ADF 310A of the image reading device 300A is from the right side (third side, one side) to the left side (fourth side, the other side) in the width direction, and the document discharge direction is from the left side to the right side in the width direction. Alternatively, the document feeding direction may be from left to right, and the document discharge direction may be from right to left.

[0132] Furthermore, the pressure plate section 303 equipped with such an ADF310A has a hinge section 304 (see Figure 3) on the rear side of the device, similar to the first embodiment, and is opened by rotating it upward from the front side of the device. The document transport configuration and image reading configuration of the ADF310A are the same as in the first embodiment, except that the document transport direction is different. Also, the reading unit 301 Direction of movement The left-right direction is set to match the document transport direction of the ADF310A.

[0133] In this embodiment as well, the document feeding tray 320A that supports the document has, similar to the document feeding tray 320 of the first embodiment, a main tray 321A as a first support part having a first support surface 321a that supports the document, and a sub-tray 322A as a second support part and slide support part having a second support surface 322a that supports the document together with the first support surface 321a. The sub-tray 322A is arranged to slide between a first position and a second position on one side in the width direction of the first position (the right side in this embodiment) relative to the pressure plate part 303, and forms a support surface capable of supporting the document at the second position.

[0134] The first position is the position in which the sub-tray 322A covers the top of the main tray 321A with the second support surface 322a positioned above the back surface 322b, which is the back surface of the second support surface 322a. That is, the first position is the storage position in which the sub-tray 322A is housed in the housing 330A of the image reading device 300A, which is the position shown in Figure 27.

[0135] Similar to the first embodiment, the sub-tray 322A has its second support surface 322a facing upward even when in the first position, and is not configured such that, for example, the sub-tray rotates when stored so that its back surface faces upward. The second support surface 322a of the sub-tray 322A constitutes the exterior surface of the image reading device 300A when in the first position. In other words, the second support surface 322a also serves as the exterior cover of the image reading device 300A.

[0136] The second position is the position in which the second support surface 322a is positioned above the back surface 322b, and the second support surface 322a supports the document together with the first support surface 321a. That is, it is the position shown in Figure 28, and is the document setting position in which the document is placed. When the subtray 322A is in the second position, the second support surface 322a is positioned so that its inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane is greater than that of the first support surface 321a.

[0137] In this embodiment, the subtray 322A is positioned in the second position by pulling it out from the first position to one side in the width direction (the right side in this embodiment). That is, the direction in which the subtray 322A is slid from the first position to the second position is from the other side in the width direction to one side. (As described in the claims, "from one side to the other in the left-right direction when the image forming apparatus is viewed from the front.") This is the direction toward. Furthermore, when returning the subtray 322A from the second position to the first position, the subtray 322A is positioned in the first position by pushing it toward the other side in the width direction (the left side in this embodiment) while returning the inclination of the subtray 322 to the state in the first position. As shown in Figures 28 and 29, such a subtray 322A is supported by a sliding support part 340A so as to be able to slide between the first position and the second position. The configuration of the sliding support part 340A is the same as in the first embodiment except for the sliding direction, so a description is omitted.

[0138] In this embodiment as well, the sub-tray 322A is configured to slide between a first position and a second position. Therefore, similar to the first embodiment, it can move between the first and second positions even if there is no space above it, and the image forming apparatus 100 can be installed in a narrow space with good operability. The first position is such that the sub-tray 322A covers the top of the main tray 321A with the second support surface 322a positioned above the back surface 322b, which is the back surface of the second support surface 322a. Therefore, when the sub-tray 322A is in the first position, it can be used as a space to place documents, for example.

[0139] <Other Embodiments> The image forming apparatus of the present invention may be a printer, or it may be a copier, facsimile, or multifunction device. A multifunction device has multiple functions such as a copier, printer, and facsimile.

[0140] Furthermore, the disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration. (Composition 1) An image reading device that reads images from a document, A document support section having a first support section having a first support surface for supporting the document, and a second support section having a second support surface that supports the document together with the first support section, A document feeding unit that feeds the document supported by the document support unit, An image reading unit reads the image of the document fed from the document feeding unit, The second support portion is supported by a sliding support portion that allows it to slide between a first position in which the second support surface is positioned above the back surface of the second support surface and covers the upper part of the first support portion, and a second position in which the second support surface is positioned above the back surface and supports the document together with the first support surface. An image reading device characterized by the following: (Configuration 2) The second support surface constitutes the exterior surface of the image reading device when it is positioned in the first position. The image reading device according to configuration 1, characterized by the above. (Composition 3) A document ejection unit ejects the document read by the image reading unit. The system further comprises a mounting section on which the sheet discharged from the document discharge section is placed, The mounting portion is retractable from the housing of the image reading device in the same direction as the second support portion slides from the first position to the second position, and is located below the second support portion when retracted and positioned at the second position. The image reading device according to configuration 1 or 2, characterized by the above. (Composition 4) The slide movement support section has first engaging portions provided at both ends of the second support section with respect to the width direction perpendicular to the direction in which the document is fed by the document feeding section and the vertical direction, and a second engaging portion provided on the housing of the image reading device and capable of engaging with the first engaging portion. An image reading device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized by the above. (Composition 5) The first engaging portion is a projection that protrudes toward the second engaging portion, The second engaging portion is a guide portion that engages with the projection and guides the second support portion so that it can slide. The image reading device according to configuration 4, characterized in that it is a picture reading device. (Composition 6) In the second support portion, the second support surface is inclined more than it is in the first position. The sliding support portion has a holding portion that holds the second support portion in an inclined state at the second position. An image reading device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized by the above. (Composition 7) The housing of the image reading device and a contact portion provided on either the housing or the second support portion, The image reading device further comprises a contact portion provided on the other side of the housing and the second support portion, which contacts the contact portion when the second support portion is located at a predetermined position between the first position and the second position, and does not contact the contact portion when the second support portion is located on the second position side of the predetermined position. An image reading device according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, characterized by the above. (Composition 8) The contacted portion does not come into contact with the contacted portion when the second support portion is in the first position. The image reading device according to configuration 7, characterized by the above. (Composition 9) An image forming apparatus body having a sheet support section for supporting a sheet, a sheet feeding section for feeding the sheet supported by the support section, an image forming section for forming an image on the sheet fed from the sheet feeding section, and a sheet discharge section for discharging the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming section, An image forming apparatus comprising an image reading device provided on the upper part of the main body of the image forming apparatus for reading an image of a document, The image reading device is the image reading device described in any one of configurations 1 to 8. An image forming apparatus characterized by the following features. (Composition 10) It is further equipped with an operating section for receiving operations from the operator, The sheet feeding unit feeds the sheet in a direction toward the rear of the image forming apparatus, from the front side of the apparatus, which is the front side of the image forming apparatus where the operating unit is located, The document feeding unit feeds the document in a direction from the front of the device toward the back of the device. The direction in which the second support portion slides from the first position to the second position is from the rear side of the device towards the front side of the device. The image forming apparatus according to configuration 9, characterized by the features described therein. (Composition 11) It is further equipped with an operating section for receiving operations from the operator, The sheet feeding unit feeds the sheet in a direction toward the rear of the image forming apparatus, from the front side of the apparatus, which is the front side of the image forming apparatus where the operating unit is located, The document feeding unit feeds the document in a direction perpendicular to the direction from the front of the device toward the rear of the device, from one side to the other in the width direction of the image forming apparatus. The direction in which the second support portion slides from the first position to the second position is from the other side in the width direction toward one side. The image forming apparatus according to configuration 9, characterized by the features described therein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0141] 100...Image forming apparatus 200...Image forming apparatus main unit 201...Image Forming Department 202a, 202b... Battery level indicator 203...Cassette (seat support part) 204...Pickup roller (sheet feeding section) 205...Discharge roller pair (sheet discharge section) 210... cabinet 300...Image reading device 301...Reading Unit (Image Reading Section) 302...Document glass 302a... Manuscript placement surface 303...Pressure plate section (document holder section) 304...Hinge section (rotation support section) 305...First abutment section (abutment section) 306...Second impact section 308...Slope surface 308a...Bottom end 310...ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) 311... Manuscript Feeding Department 313... Discharge roller (document discharge section) 317a... Conveyor roller (document transport section) 318...Document output tray (storage section) 320...Document feeding tray (document support section) 321...Main tray (first support part) 321a...1st support surface 322... Sub-tray (second support part, sliding support part) 322a...Second support surface 322b...Back side 323...Gripping part (sliding gripping part) 330, 330a... enclosure 340...Slide movement support part 341...Protrusion (first engagement part) 342... Rail section (second engagement section) 343...Holding part 344...Contact part 345...Abutted part 348... Locking part 350···Reading and moving unit 351...carriage 352... Rail section (guide section) 353...Carriage motor (motor) 354... belt 355a... Drive pulley (drive tensioning section) 355b...First pulley (first tensioning section) 355c...Second pulley (second tensioning section) 400... Control panel (operating unit) 402...Display section

Claims

1. A document transport device, A document support section having a first support section having a first support surface for supporting the document, and a second support section having a second support surface that supports the document together with the first support section, A document feeding unit that feeds the document supported by the document support unit, A sliding support unit that supports the second support unit so that it can slide, having first engaging portions provided at both ends of the second support unit in a width direction perpendicular to the direction in which the document is fed by the document feeding unit, and a second engaging portion provided on the housing of the document transport device and capable of engaging with the first engaging portions, Equipped with, The second support portion is slidable between a first position in which the second support surface covers the upper part of the first support portion and a second position in which the second support surface supports the document together with the first support surface in which the second support surface is the upper part of the second support portion. The device includes a biasing means that applies a biasing force to the second support portion in the opposite direction to the direction in which the second support portion moves when the second support portion moves from the first position to the second position. A document transport device characterized by the following features.

2. The second support surface constitutes the outer surface of the document transport device when it is positioned in the first position. The document transport device according to feature 1.

3. A document discharge unit discharges the document fed by the document feeding unit. The system further comprises a mounting section provided below the document support section, on which the sheet discharged from the document discharge section is placed, The mounting portion is retractable from the housing of the document transport device in the direction in which the second support portion slides from the first position to the second position. The document transport device according to feature 1.

4. The first engaging portion is a projection that protrudes toward the second engaging portion, The second engaging portion is a guide portion that engages with the projection and guides the second support portion so that it can slide. The document transport device according to feature 1.

5. In the second support portion, the second support surface is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane more than it is in the first position. The document transport device according to feature 1.

6. The biasing means is The housing of the document transport device and a contact portion provided on either the second support portion, The document transport device has a housing and a second support portion, which are provided on the other side of the second support portion, and which contact the contact portion when the second support portion is located at a predetermined position between the first position and the second position, and which do not contact the contact portion when the second support portion is located on the second position side of the predetermined position. The document transport device according to feature 1.

7. The contacted portion does not come into contact with the contacted portion when the second support portion is in the first position. The document transport device according to feature 6.

8. A document transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The system includes an image reading unit that reads the image of a document fed by the document feeding unit, An image reading device characterized by the following:

9. An image forming apparatus, The image reading device according to claim 8, The image forming apparatus comprises a sheet support section for supporting a sheet, a sheet feeding section for feeding the sheet supported by the sheet support section, an image forming section for forming an image on the sheet fed from the sheet feeding section, and a sheet discharging section for discharging the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming section. An image forming apparatus characterized by the following features.

10. The direction in which the second support portion slides from the first position to the second position is from the rear side of the image forming apparatus to the front side of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to feature 9.

11. The direction in which the second support portion slides from the first position to the second position is the direction from one side to the other in the left-right direction when the image forming apparatus is viewed from the front. The image forming apparatus according to feature 9.

Images