JP4588665B2 - Automatic document feeder, image reading apparatus, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder that transports a document to a reading position, and an image reading apparatus and an image forming apparatus that include the automatic document feeder.

  In a conventional image forming apparatus, a sound insulating plate is disposed close to both ends in the axial direction of a pair of paper discharge rollers disposed at a paper discharge port of a housing, and a sound absorbing material is laminated on the outer periphery of the core of the paper discharge roller. They are integrated (for example, see Patent Document 1). With this configuration, it is expected to reduce the gap between the paper discharge port and the paper discharge roller and the noise inside the device that leaks outside through the paper discharge roller. Here, for example, a sound-absorbing plastic is used as the material of the sound insulating plate, and the sound-absorbing material is an open-cell system made of a synthetic resin such as a polyurethane-based open-cell foam, an ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer, or chloroprene. A foam is used. In addition, it does not mention about the attachment method and removal method of the said sound-insulating board and the said sound-absorbing material.

  In some cases, a sound insulation member made of an elastic member is attached to a dustproof cover of the insertion side opening of the paper feed cassette, and a sound absorption member is attached to the back side of the sound insulation member (for example, see Patent Document 2). This configuration is expected to reduce noise radiated from the insertion side opening of the paper feed cassette. In addition, the material of the said sound insulation member and the said sound absorption member, the attachment method of the said sound absorption member, and the removal method are not mentioned.

In some cases, a fibrous sound-absorbing member having a sound-absorbing function in an audible region is attached to the outer casing of the image forming apparatus or the case of a process cartridge that is a sound source of charged sound (for example, see Patent Document 3). ). With this configuration, it is expected to reduce charging noise in a predetermined frequency band generated from the process cartridge of the image forming apparatus. Here, for example, a felt made of carbon fiber of 8 mm is used as the sound absorbing member. In addition, it does not mention about the removal method of the said sound-absorbing member.
JP-A-6-336359 (for example, page 2, FIG. 1, FIG. 6) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-5743 (for example, pages 5, 6, 6, 4, 5, and 6) JP 2002-365985 (for example, page 5, FIG. 1)

  However, in the conventional image forming apparatus, noise generated in the apparatus due to the document conveying operation (for example, the reversing operation of the document after separation and the operation of entering the reading entrance nip) No consideration has been given to leakage from the gap (for example, the gap between the paper feed cover and the exterior part of another image forming apparatus) to the outside, and there is room for further improvement.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the conventional problems, can reduce leakage of sheet passing sound during document conveyance while maintaining the operability of the paper feed cover, and can attach and remove the sound absorbing member. An object of the present invention is to provide an easy automatic document feeder, an image reading apparatus, and an image forming apparatus.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic document conveying device according to the present invention, which exposes or covers the conveying path by oscillating around a predetermined rotating shaft with conveying means for conveying an original on the conveying path to a reading position. and covering means, an inner pre Symbol covering means, and provided with a urethane foam of the sound absorbing member disposed in the vicinity of the gap provided in the connection portion of the exterior component and the covering means excluding said covering means The sound absorbing member has a film member made of a synthetic resin integrally bonded to the facing surface by heating the facing surface to the covering means, and the film member adheres to the covering means. The sound absorbing member is detachably attached to the covering means by being adhered and attached with an agent .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reading apparatus according to the present invention, comprising: a document conveying unit that conveys a document to a reading position; and an image reading unit that reads an image of the document at the reading position. 1 is provided with the automatic document feeder.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention, a document conveying unit that conveys a document to a reading position, an image reading unit that reads an image of a document at the reading position, and an image of the document read by the image reading unit. And an image forming unit for forming the image on a predetermined recording medium, and the automatic document conveying device according to claim 1 is provided as the document conveying unit.

Automatic invention, which has the effect that it is possible to reduce the leakage of sheet passing sound when the document transported while maintaining the operability of the sheet feeding cover as to be covered means, and it is easy to install and removal of the sound absorbing member An original conveying apparatus can be provided.

  Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows a copying machine as an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a copying machine 150 includes a main body 300 of the copying machine 150 and a sheet-through automatic document feeder 200 that is mounted on the main body 300 and is openably and closably connected by a connecting member such as a hinge. It is. The copying machine 150 has at least a single-side mode for reading only one side of a document conveyed to the reading position 28 by the automatic document feeder 200 and a double-side mode for reading both sides as operation modes. It can be selected according to the operation 108. Further, the automatic document feeder 200 conveys the document to the reading position 28 according to the setting of the above-described single-side mode and double-side mode.

Here, a contact glass (not shown) made of a translucent member is provided on the upper surface of the main body 300, and a slit glass 41 made of a translucent member having a smaller area than the contact glass is adjacent to the contact glass (see FIG. 2). The automatic document feeder 200 conveys the document P to the reading position on the upper surface of the main body (here, the reading position 28 on the slit glass 41). The configuration of the automatic document feeder 200 will be described later.
Further, the main body 300 is provided with an image reading unit 81 including an image sensor such as a light source, a reflection mirror, a condensing lens, and a CCD. Image information read by the image reading unit 81 is written by a writing unit 82. The photosensitive drum 83 is irradiated.

  Around the photosensitive drum 83, a developing device 86, a transfer belt 87, a cleaning device 88, a charging device and a charge eliminating device (not shown) that form an image forming unit together with the photosensitive drum 83 are provided. The charging device controls the corona discharge with a positive charge in the dark using a grid to charge the surface of the photosensitive drum to a constant potential.

  The writing unit 82 irradiates a laser diode containing image information on the photosensitive drum 83 charged at a constant potential to remove negative charges on the photosensitive drum 83 to form an electrostatic latent image.

  The developing device 86 forms a visible image by attaching a negatively charged toner to the electrically removed portion on the photosensitive drum 83. A positive bias is applied to the transfer belt 87, and the transfer belt 87 transfers a negatively charged visible image onto transfer paper (paper) and conveys it.

  The cleaning device 88 includes a cleaning blade, and scrapes off the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 83. The static eliminator performs preparation for forming a new image on the next transfer paper by turning on the LED to remove the residual charge on the photosensitive drum 83.

The transfer paper on which the image is formed in this manner is conveyed to the fixing device 90, and the toner image is fixed on the transfer paper by the fixing device 90.
The main body 300 is provided with storage cassettes 91 to 95 in which transfer papers S _{1 to} S _{5 of} different sizes are stored, and the transfer paper stored in the storage cassettes 91 to 95 is picked up from the pickup rollers 91a to 91a. After being fed by the roller 95a, after being separated by the feed rollers 91b to 95b and the feed rollers 91b to 95b rotating in the transport direction and separated by the reverse rollers 91c to 95c rotating in the separation preventing direction, the relay roller pair The toner is conveyed to the registration roller pair 98 through 96 and 97, and is timed by the registration roller pair 98 to be conveyed to a conveyance path between the photosensitive drum 83 and the transfer belt 87.

  Next, the configuration of the automatic document feeder 200 is shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the control system of the automatic document feeder 200. Hereinafter, the pull-out roller 6 and the pull-out driven roller 7 are also referred to as pull-out roller pairs 6 and 7. The reading entrance roller 8 and the reading entrance driven roller 9 are also referred to as a reading entrance roller pair 8 and 9. The reading exit roller 10 and the reading exit driven roller 11 are also referred to as reading exit roller pairs 10 and 11. The paper discharge roller 12 and the lower discharge driven roller 13 are also referred to as paper discharge roller pairs 12 and 13. The paper discharge roller 12 and the paper discharge upper driven roller 18 are also referred to as paper discharge roller pairs 12 and 18. The reversing roller 16 and the reversing driven roller 17 are also referred to as reversing roller pairs 16 and 17.

  In FIG. 2, an automatic document feeder 200 separates a document one by one from a document setting unit A for setting a document P or a document bundle to be read at a predetermined position and a document bundle set in the document setting unit A. The separation sheet feeding unit B that feeds (conveys) the sheet toward the reading position and the document conveyed from the separation sheet feeding unit B are abutted and aligned, and the bumped document is further pulled out and conveyed. The conveyance unit C, the reversing unit D that reverses the document conveyed from the abutting conveyance unit C and conveys it to the registration position, and the document P while further conveying the document waiting on the reversing unit D A reading and conveying unit E for reading the image of the image at the reading position 28 of the slit glass 41, a switchback unit F for retracting the original P after reading from the reading and conveying unit E in the direction b indicated by the arrow, and the switchback unit Evacuated by F The original P is transported in the direction c indicated by the arrow, and the intermediate transport unit G is returned to the abutting transport unit C, and the paper is discharged from the reading transport unit E in the direction a indicated by the arrow. It is configured to include a section H and a stack section I that stacks and holds the original P discharged by the paper discharge section H.

  2 and 3, the automatic document feeder 200 includes a document table 1 as a sheet placement table. A document bundle P as a sheet bundle is placed on the document cable 1 so that the document surface faces upward. It has come to be.

  The table surface of the document table 1 is provided with document length sensors 20 to 22 as sheet size detecting means for detecting the length of the document. The document length sensors 20 to 22 are respectively provided with adjacent light receiving elements and light emitting elements. It has an element.

  Specifically, the light reflected from the original bundle P from the light emitting element is detected by the light receiving element, the optical signal is received by the light receiving element, and converted into an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of received light. To the controller 100.

  Accordingly, the document length sensors 20 to 22 are arranged on the table surface of the document table 1 so as to be able to determine at least whether the document size is vertical or horizontal. The controller 100 determines the transport direction length of the document bundle P placed on the document table 1 based on the information input from the light receiving element, and the document bundle based on the change in the light amount or the reflectance input from the light receiving element. The thickness of P is calculated. That is, the document length sensors 20 to 22 according to the present embodiment are used both as a sensor for detecting the length of the document bundle P and a sensor for detecting the thickness of the document bundle P.

  Further, a stop claw 2 as a stopper member is provided on the downstream side of the document table 1 in the conveyance direction of the document. The stop claw 2 is abutted against the leading edge of the document bundle P by the paper feed motor 102. It is moved between a position (a position indicated by a broken line) and a separation position (a position indicated by a solid line) that is separated from the leading end of the document bundle P.

  Therefore, when the stop pawl 2 is in the abutting position, the leading end of the document bundle P is abutted so that the leading ends of the document bundle P are aligned. Further, the width direction of the document bundle P is abutted against a side fence (not shown) provided on the document table 1 so that positioning in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction is performed.

  When the stop claw 2 moves downward, the stop claw 2 is detected by a claw home position (HP) sensor 34, and the claw HP sensor 34 outputs the detected upper part to the controller 100.

  A document set filler 31 and a document set sensor 19 are provided on the document table 1 on the leading end side of the document bundle P. The document set filler 31 is a broken line when the document bundle P is placed on the document table 1. When the document set sensor 19 moves from the position indicated by the solid line to the position indicated by the solid line and changes from the state in which the document set filler 31 is detected to the undetected state, a signal is output to the controller 100. The controller 100 outputs a signal to a main body control unit 111 provided in the main body 300 of the copying machine via an interface (I / F) 107, and the main body 300 shifts to a standby state for reading a document.

  A pickup roller 3 as a calling means is provided above the stop pawl 2, and the pickup roller 3 is configured such that the driving force from the calling motor 101 is transmitted via a cam mechanism (not shown). The motor 101 and the cam mechanism are moved up and down between a position separated from the original bundle P indicated by a solid line and a position in contact with the upper surface of the original bundle P. Note that the calling motor 101 of this embodiment is composed of a stepping motor. The calling motor 101 and a cam mechanism (not shown) constitute lifting means.

  Further, when a print key of the operation unit 108 provided on the main body 300 side is pressed and a document feed signal is transmitted from the main body control unit 111 to the controller 100 via the interface 107, the controller 100 corrects the calling motor 101. It is driven to roll so that the stop pawl 2 is retracted downward.

  When the stop claw 2 is detected by the claw HP sensor 34, the controller 100 drives the calling motor 101 in the reverse direction to lower the pickup roller 3 to a position where it comes into contact with the document bundle P. At this time, the pickup roller 3 starts feeding several (ideally one) documents on the document table 1. The fed document is conveyed to a separation feeding unit including a feeding belt 5 and a reverse roller 4 provided on the downstream side of the pickup roller 3.

  The paper feed belt 5 is driven to rotate in the paper feed direction (clockwise) when the paper feed motor 102 is driven forward, and the reverse roller 4 has a torque limiter (not shown) built in. When the motor 102 is driven to rotate forward, it is driven to rotate in the direction opposite to the paper feeding direction (clockwise). For this reason, the uppermost document and the document below it are separated, and only the uppermost document is fed.

  Specifically, the reverse roller 4 is in contact with the paper feed belt 5 at a predetermined pressure, and is in direct contact with the paper feed belt 5 or in the state of being in contact with one original sheet. When the document enters between the paper feeding belt 5 and the reverse roller 4, the rotation force becomes lower than the torque of the torque limiter. Is set. For this reason, the reverse roller 4 rotates in the clockwise direction, which is the original driving direction, and pushes back an excess document, thereby preventing double feeding.

  When this separated original is conveyed by the paper feeding belt 5 and conveyed by a predetermined amount X mm from the time when the leading edge of the original is detected by the abutting sensor 24 as a paper detecting means provided on the downstream side of the paper feeding belt 5, The controller 100 is stopped when the forward drive of the paper feed motor 102 is stopped.

  This predetermined amount Xmm is set to be larger than the distance from the abutting sensor 24 to the nip portion of the pair of pull-out rollers (rotating members) 6 and 7, and the nip portion of the pull-out roller 6 and the pull-out driven roller 7 that are in sliding contact with each other. It is stopped in a state where a certain amount of bending is formed.

  At this time, the calling motor 101 is driven in reverse by a command from the controller 100, so that the pickup roller 3 is retracted from the upper surface of the original and the original is conveyed only by the conveying force of the paper feeding belt 5, thereby pulling out the leading edge of the original. It is possible to correct the bending (skew) of the original that has entered the nip portion of the roller pair 6 and 7 and has occurred during separation feeding.

  The pair of pull-out rollers 6 and 7 constitutes a first skew correction means, and serves as a second skew correction means provided on the downstream side of a document skew-corrected by reverse rotation driving of the paper feed motor 102 after separation. The paper is conveyed toward the reading entrance roller pair (rotating members) 8 and 9.

  Further, when the paper feed motor 102 is driven in reverse rotation, the pull-out roller pair 6 and 7 is driven, but the driving force is not transmitted to the pickup roller 3 and the paper feed belt 5 by the action of a one-way clutch (not shown).

  A document width sensor 25 is provided downstream of the pull-out roller pairs 6 and 7. A plurality of document width sensors 25 are arranged in the depth direction in FIG. 2 and are conveyed by the pull-out roller pairs 6 and 7. Information in the width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the original P is acquired and the detection information is transmitted to the controller 100.

  Based on the combination of information from the document length sensors 20 to 22 and information from the document width sensor 25, the controller 100 transmits size information of the document bundle P stacked on the document table 1 to the main body control unit 111. To do.

  In addition, the controller 100 calculates the exact length of the document by counting the number of motor driving pulses corresponding to the distance conveyed while the leading edge and the trailing edge of the document are detected by the abutment sensor 24.

  Here, when the original is conveyed to the reading inlet roller pair 8 and 9 by driving the pull-out roller pair 6 and 7, the original conveying speed is set to a high speed and the original is read on the slit glass 41 (working position). The processing time of the original document is shortened. In particular, in the second and subsequent originals, productivity can be improved by shortening the paper gap with the previous original by this high-speed conveyance. When the leading edge of the document P is detected by the reading entrance sensor 26, deceleration is started before the leading edge of the document enters the pair of reading entrance rollers 8 and 9.

  In addition, the controller 100 stops the reading by driving and stopping the paper feed motor 102 so that the conveyance distance is longer by Y mm than the distance from the reading inlet sensor 26 to the reading inlet roller pair 8 and 9. The document is stopped in a state where the leading edge of the document is abutted against the nip portion of the pair of entrance rollers 8 and 9 to form a certain amount of deflection. As a result, it is possible to correct the skew generated when the document is conveyed by the pull-out roller pair 6 and 7.

  The controller 100 also transmits a registration stop signal to the main body control unit 111 via the interface 107 when the original is temporarily stopped (resist stop) at the nip portion of the pair of reading entrance rollers 8 and 9.

  When the registration stop signal is transmitted, the controller 100 receives a reading start signal from the main body control unit 111, and reads the original that has been registered to be conveyed at a conveyance speed corresponding to the reading magnification. The motor 103 is driven and the document is conveyed by the reading exit roller 10.

  Here, when the reading start signal is received before the leading edge of the document reaches the registration sensor 27 provided on the upstream side of the slit glass 41, the registration non-stop reading operation is performed. In the registration non-stop reading operation, reading is performed while maintaining the reading conveyance speed without stopping the registration.

  The registration sensor 27 detects the leading edge of the document P. When the registration sensor 27 detects the leading edge of the document, the controller 100 starts the pulse count of the reading motor 103, and at the timing when the leading edge of the document reaches the reading position 28 on the slit glass 41, the controller 100 The gate signal indicating the effective image area in the sub-scanning direction is transmitted. This gate signal is normally sent until the trailing edge of the original leaves the reading position 28.

  The document P that has passed the reading position 28 is conveyed by the reading exit roller pair 10 and 11 and the paper discharge roller pair 12 and 13, and after the reading of the double-sided document or the single-sided reading of the single-sided document is completed. Thereafter, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 14.

  Further, the paper discharge roller 12 is in contact with the paper discharge driven roller 13 and the paper discharge driven roller 18, and constitutes a paper discharge roller pair 12 and 13 and a paper discharge roller pair 12 and 18. A switching claw 15 is provided on the downstream side of the discharge roller pair 12.

  When carrying a double-sided document, the switching claw 15 is driven by a reverse solenoid (SOL) 105 before the leading edge of the document that has passed through the reading position 28 reaches the discharge roller 12 when reading the surface of the document. The position is switched to a position indicated by a two-dot chain line.

  At this time, the document is conveyed to the switchback path by the discharge roller pairs 12 and 13 driven by the reading motor 103 and the reverse roller pairs 16 and 17 driven by the reverse motor 104. The switchback path is a conveyance path that connects the pair of reverse rollers 16 and 17 and the pair of paper discharge rollers 12 and 18.

  When the driving pulse of the reading motor 103 reaches a predetermined pulse after the trailing edge of the original is detected by the reading outlet sensor 29 provided on the downstream side of the reading outlet roller 10, the controller 100 detects the trailing edge of the original as the discharge roller. 12 is judged to have exited, the reverse solenoid 105 is turned off, and the switching claw 15 is moved to the position indicated by the solid line.

  Further, as described above, after the driving pulse of the reading motor 103 reaches a predetermined pulse, the controller 100 drives the reverse motor 104 in the reverse direction and reversely drives the reverse roller pair 16 and 17 to pull the document out. Switch back toward pair 6,7. When the next original is present, the reverse claw 15 is moved to the position indicated by the broken line by the reverse solenoid 105 when the reverse motor 104 is driven by a predetermined pulse after the rear end of the original is detected by the reverse sensor 30.

  At this time, the driving direction of the reading motor 103 is the same direction and the driving direction of the reversing motor 104 is reversed, and the reversing motor 104 and the reading motor 103 are driven at high speed in order to shorten the processing time. Further, when the document starts to switch back, the controller 100 drives the paper feed motor 102 in reverse at a high speed to drive the document toward the pull-out rollers 6 and 7 after the drive pulse of the reversing motor 104 becomes a predetermined pulse. Transport.

  Thereafter, the skew of the document is corrected by the pull-out roller pairs 6 and 7, and one side of the document is read as described above.

  On the other hand, the controller 100 of the present embodiment controls the lowering state of the pickup roller 3 by driving the calling motor 101 according to the thickness of the document bundle P detected by the document length sensors 20 to 22. Thus, the controller 100 and the calling motor 101 constitute a descending state control means.

Specifically, the control of the descending state includes D as the total number of pulses (total descending distance) of the calling motor 101 until the pickup roller 3 descends from the separation position to the contact position, and the pickup roller 3 from the separation position to the predetermined position. The number of pulses of the call motor 101 until it moves up and moves is D ₁ , and the number of pulses of the call motor 101 until the pickup roller 3 moves from the stopped state (steady state) to the contact position is D _2. In this case, the relationship of D> D ₁ + D ₂ is established.

  Further, the copying machine main body 300 is provided with a liquid crystal display (not shown), and the controller 100 determines that the thickness of the document bundle P is equal to or larger than the allowable number of sheets based on information from the document length sensors 20-22. In this case, an alarm is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit to notify the user. In the present embodiment, the controller 100 and the liquid crystal display unit constitute alarm means.

  The controller 100 also determines the thickness of the original bundle P placed on the original table 1 based on information from the original length sensors 20 to 22 and the original bundle immediately after the uppermost original is separated from the original bundle P. The thickness per sheet of the separated document is calculated by comparing with the thickness of the sheet, and constitutes a separation sheet thickness calculation means.

  Further, the separation distance S between the stop pawl 2 and the abutment sensor 24 and the separation distances S1 and S2 (where S1 and S2 are equivalent to Sn) of the document length sensors 20 to 22 are set so that S> S1. ing.

  For this reason, since the separation distance S between the abutment sensor 24 and the stop claw 2 is larger than the separation distances S1 and S2 of the document length sensors 20 to 22, the document before the leading edge of the document reaches the abutment sensor 24. The rear end always passes through any one of the document length sensors 20 to 22, and the controller 100 determines the thickness per separated document based on the state immediately before and after the separation of the topmost document. Can be calculated.

  Further, the controller 100 changes the amount of abutment between the pull-out roller pairs 6 and 7 and the reading inlet roller pairs 8 and 9 according to the paper thickness of the separated document calculated based on information from the document length sensors 20 to 22. It is like that.

  The abutting amount is the time for the original to abut against the nip between the pull-out roller pairs 6 and 7 and the reading inlet roller pairs 8 and 9, and the pull-out roller pairs 6 and 7 and the reading inlet roller pair 8, This corresponds to a stop time of 9, and the abutting amount increases when the abutting time is long, and the abutting amount decreases when the abutting time is short.

  Further, the controller 100 drives the reading motor 103 in accordance with the paper thickness of the separated document calculated based on the information from the document length sensors 20 to 22, thereby changing the rotation speed of the paper discharge roller 12. The discharge speed of the document discharged to the discharge tray 14 is variable, and constitutes a discharge speed variable means.

  Further, the controller 100 determines a jam according to the paper thickness of the separated document calculated based on the information from the bump sensor 24, the reading inlet sensor 26, the reading outlet sensor 29, and the information from the document length sensors 20-22. The conditions for performing the above are made different, and a jam determination means is configured.

  Specifically, the jam determination criterion is set so that the document transport distance is long in consideration of the slip of the document. However, when the jam occurs, some of the paper feed motor 102, the reading motor 103, and the reverse motor 104 are When a force is applied to step out and forcefully suppress the conveyance, the thin paper original with a small slip is forcibly conveyed over a long distance before the jam is judged, and the original is damaged. For this reason, in the case of a thin paper original, a thick paper original is quickly judged for jamming, and the paper feed motor 102, reading motor 103, and reversing motor 104 are immediately stopped.

If the controller 100 determines that the paper feed cover 51 has been opened based on information from the paper feed cover opening / closing sensor 32, the controller 100 invalidates the input from the various sensors 19-27, 29, 30, 32-34, Driving of the driving unit (for example, various motors 101 to 104, the reverse solenoid 105, and the completed stamp 106) is prohibited.
Next, the opened state of the paper feed cover 51 of the automatic document feeder 200 is shown in FIG. Further, the sound absorbing member 50 attached to the inner surface of the paper feed cover 51 is shown in FIG. Further, a method for attaching the sound absorbing member 50 is shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 4, the paper feed cover 51 is connected to an exterior component (exterior of the automatic document feeder 200 excluding the paper feed cover 51) by a connecting member such as a hinge in the vicinity of the pair of reading entrance rollers 8 and 9. It can swing around a rotation axis (not shown). By opening the paper feed cover 51 during maintenance or jam processing, members such as the pickup roller 3, the paper feed belt 5, and the pull-out driven roller 7 disposed above the paper feed upper guide 52 on the upper side of the transport path are moved upward. The members such as the reverse roller 4 and the pull-out roller 6 that move and are arranged below the sheet feed lower guide 55 below the conveyance path are exposed on the conveyance path. By exposing the conveyance path in this way, good operability can be obtained during maintenance and jam processing, but the exterior parts of the automatic document feeder 200 are divided, and the paper feed cover 51 and other exteriors are separated. A gap 202 is generated in the connecting portion of the parts (near the reverse path between the pull-out roller pair 6 and 7 and the reading inlet roller pair 8 and 9). The paper passing sound is likely to leak out of the apparatus from the gap 202. The sheet passing sound is caused by, for example, sliding on a reversing path in the vicinity of the reading entrance roller pair 8 or 9 or entering of the reading entrance roller pair 8 or 9 into the nip.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 5, on the inner side (for example, the inner wall surface) of the paper feed cover 51, in the vicinity of the gap 202 between the paper feed cover 51 and the exterior part, the width direction of the paper feed cover 51 (perpendicular to the conveying direction). The sound absorbing member 50 is attached over a wide range of directions. The sound absorbing function of the sound absorbing member 50 absorbs a sliding sound when the original passes through the reverse path, an impact sound that the front end of the original comes into contact with the nip of the pair of reading inlet rollers 8 and 9, and the like. It suppresses leakage of generated sound (particularly, paper passing sound generated in the paper feeding operation) and reduces noise. Moreover, as a material of the sound absorbing member 50, for example, urethane foam or non-woven fabric is used. If it is urethane foam, it can respond to various reasons for selection, such as inexpensive general grade, relatively expensive high performance sound absorbing grade, frequency band to be reduced, flame retardance, presence or absence of environmental impact substances Since it has been developed, it is possible to appropriately select a necessary one from a wide range of options. Moreover, the thing of a noise reduction use with high sound absorption performance is developed even if it is a nonwoven fabric, and it is also possible to select as needed.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the sound absorbing member 50 is attached to the inner wall surface of the paper feed cover 51 with an adhesive 54 through a synthetic resin film 53. The sound absorbing member 50 made of urethane foam or non-woven fabric is attached to one surface of the film 53 with a predetermined adhesive. However, the sound absorbing member 50 and the film 53 may be integrally bonded by heating the surface of the sound absorbing member 50 made of urethane foam. Here, since the method of attaching the sound absorbing member 50 to the paper feed cover 51 through the film 53 is adopted, the sound absorbing member 50 is directly attached to the paper feed cover 51 by an adhesive material typified by a double-sided adhesive tape. Compared with the resin material forming the paper feed cover 51, the workability when removing the sound absorbing member 50 made of a different material is good (the film 53 can be easily peeled off from the paper feed cover 51) and recycled. Improves.

  The paper feeding operation of the copying machine 150 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As described above, the original bundle is set on the original table 1. That is, the document surface is faced upward, the leading edge of the document is abutted against the stop claw 2, positioning in the transport direction is performed, and positioning in the width direction is performed by the side fence. Here, the document set filler 31 is displaced, and the document set sensor 19 detects the document set (step S1 in FIG. 7).

  Thereafter, when the print key of the operation unit 108 is pressed and a document feed signal is transmitted from the main body control unit 111 to the controller 100, the calling motor 101 is driven to rotate forward to move the stop pawl 2 downward (solid line). The stop claw 2 is retracted by the claw HP sensor 34 (steps S2 and S3).

  Next, the controller 100 drives the calling motor 101 in the reverse direction to lower the pickup roller 3 to the pickup position (step S4). When the pickup roller 3 reaches the pickup position, it is detected by the pickup HP sensor 33 (step S5), and the controller 100 stops the calling motor 101 (step S6). Here, the pickup roller 3 is in contact with the bundle of documents from above.

  When the document is set, the length of the document in the conveyance direction is determined by the document length sensors 20 to 22, and the outline of the document size is determined based on the combination with the detection result of the document width by the document width sensor 25 downstream in the conveyance direction. A determination is made (step S7).

Thereafter, the paper feed motor 102 is driven to rotate forward (step S8), and the pickup roller 3 is rotationally driven in the direction of conveying the uppermost document to the paper feed port by this forward rotation drive. The pickup roller 3 feeds several (ideally one) originals on the original table 1 to the nip between the paper supply belt 5 and the reverse roller 4. Here, by the forward rotation drive of the paper feed motor 102, the paper feed belt 5 rotates in the paper feed direction, and the reverse roller 4 rotates in the reverse direction to the paper feed to separate the uppermost document from the document below it. To do. The single document thus separated is further fed by the paper feed belt 5 and starts counting a bump amount for transporting the document by a predetermined amount from the time when the leading edge is detected by the bump sensor 24 (step S9). , S10). If the abutting sensor 24 does not detect the leading edge of the document even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the forward rotation driving of the paper feed motor 102, it is determined that an abutting unachieved jam has occurred and a predetermined jam has occurred. Processing is performed (steps S11 and S12).
Next, the calling motor 101 is driven in reverse to retract the pickup roller 3 from the upper surface of the document to the home position and then stop (steps S13, S14, S15 in FIG. 8). Here, as the pickup roller 3 is retracted, the original is fed only by the conveying force of the paper feeding belt 5, and the leading edge of the original enters the nip between the pull-out rollers 6 and 7, and the original generated at the time of separation and feeding. Can be corrected.
Thereafter, when the abutting amount reaches a predetermined count value, the paper feed motor 102 is driven in reverse (steps S16 and S17). Here, the document is stopped in a state in which the pullout roller 6 is formed with a certain amount of deflection by making the conveyance amount until the predetermined count value is made larger than the distance from the bump sensor 24 to the pullout roller 6. It will be.

The pull-out roller 6 is rotated by the reverse rotation driving of the paper feed motor 102, and the skew-corrected document as described above is conveyed to the reading entrance roller pair 8 and 9. Here, although the pull-out roller 6 rotates, the driving force is not transmitted to the pickup roller 3 and the paper feed belt 5 due to the action of a one-way clutch (not shown).
In the course of conveyance from the pair of pull-out rollers 6 and 7 to the pair of reading entrance rollers 8 and 9, the controller 100 acquires information in the width direction of the document (width information) by the document width sensor 25, and the document length sensor 20 described above. The size information of the original is acquired based on the combination of the length information acquired from the detection results of ˜22 and the width information, and the size information is transmitted to the main body control unit 111 (steps S18 to S21). The exact length of the document in the conveyance direction is calculated by counting the number of motor drive pulses while the bump sensor 24 detects the leading and trailing edges of the document. Here, in order to shorten the processing time for feeding the document to the reading position, the conveyance speed in the section from the pull-out roller pair 6 and 7 to the reading entrance roller pair 8 and 9 is set to be higher than the other sections (high speed). Transport). In particular, productivity of the second and subsequent originals can be improved by shortening the gap between the original and the previous original by this high-speed conveyance.

  Next, when the leading edge of the document conveyed at a high speed as described above is detected by the reading inlet sensor 29, deceleration starts before the leading edge of the document enters the reading inlet roller pair 8 and 9, and the reading inlet sensor 26 The paper feed motor 102 is driven so that the transport distance is longer by Ymm than the distance to the reading entrance roller 8, and then temporarily stopped (steps S22 to S25 in FIG. 9). By temporarily stopping in this way, the leading edge of the document comes into contact with the nip portion of the stopped reading entrance roller pair 8 and 9, and the document is stopped in a state where a certain amount of bending is formed. By abutting the leading edge of the document, it is possible to correct a skew generated during conveyance by the pull-out roller pairs 6 and 7. When the document is temporarily stopped (resist stop) at the nip portion of the reading entrance roller pair 8 and 9, the controller 100 transmits a resist stop signal to the main body control unit 111 via the interface 107 (step S26). If the reading entrance sensor 29 does not detect the leading edge of the document even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the paper feed motor 102 is driven in reverse rotation, it is determined that the leading edge jam has occurred and a predetermined jam processing is performed. It performs (step S27, S28).

  Further, the reading operation of the copying machine 150 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS.

  When the reading start signal is received from the main body control unit 111, the controller 100 starts a document reading operation. For example, in the single-sided mode (Yes in step S31 in FIG. 10), the reading motor 103 is driven to rotate forward to rotate the reading inlet roller 8 and the reading outlet roller 10 at a conveying speed corresponding to the reading magnification (steps S32 and S33). ). When the registration sensor 27 detects the leading edge of the document, the controller 100 starts the pulse count of the reading motor 103, and at the timing when the leading edge of the document reaches the reading position 28, the controller 100 detects the effective image in the sub-scanning direction. A gate signal indicating the area is transmitted (steps S34 to S38). This gate signal is normally sent until the trailing edge of the original passes through the reading exit roller pair 10 and 11 (step S40, S43 and S46 to S49 in FIG. 11).

  If the paper discharge sensor 35 does not detect the leading edge of the document even after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the front gate count, it is determined that a paper discharge failure jam has occurred and a predetermined jam processing is performed ( Steps S41 and S42 in FIG. If the registration sensor 43 does not detect the passage of the document even after a predetermined time has elapsed after the paper discharge sensor 35 detects the leading edge of the document, it is determined that a paper discharge failure jam has occurred and the predetermined time has passed. Is performed (steps S44 and S45 in FIG. 11).

  The document that has passed through the reading exit roller pair 10 and 11 is conveyed by the reading exit roller pair 10 and 11 and the discharge roller pair 12 and 13 (direction a) and discharged to the discharge tray 14 (steps S50 and S53). ). If the paper discharge sensor 35 does not detect the passage of the original document even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the end of the transmission of the gate signal, it is determined that a paper discharge retention jam has occurred and a predetermined jam processing is performed ( Steps S51 and S52).

  On the other hand, in the double-sided mode (No in step S31 in FIG. 10), the front side scanning is started in the same way as in the single-sided mode (steps S54 to S61 in FIG. 12). Before reaching the paper discharge roller 12, the reverse solenoid 105 is turned on to switch the switching claw 15 to the position of the two-dot chain line (shown in FIG. 2). By this switching, the document after reading the front surface is sandwiched between the pair of discharge rollers 12 and 13 rotated by driving the reading motor 103 and the pair of reversing rollers 16 and 17 rotated by driving the reversing motor 104 and is moved in the b direction. It is conveyed (steps S62 to S68, S69 to S75 in FIG. 13).

  After the trailing edge of the document conveyed in the direction b is detected by the reading outlet sensor 29 and then driven for a predetermined pulse, the trailing edge of the document passes through the paper discharge roller pairs 12 and 13 (steps S76 to S79), and then reverses. The solenoid 105 is turned off and the switching claw 15 is returned to the position indicated by the solid line (shown in FIG. 2). Further, after driving a predetermined pulse, the reverse roller 16 is rotated in reverse by the reverse drive of the reverse motor 104. By this switching and reversing operation of the claw position, the original is switched back in the c direction. At this time, the driving direction of the reading motor 103 is the same direction (conveyance direction), and the driving direction of the reversing motor 104 is reversed, and the reversing motor 104 and the reading motor 103 are driven at a high speed in order to shorten the processing time (step S80). As described above, after the original starts to switch back, the paper feed motor 102 is driven at high speed reverse rotation after a predetermined pulse drive, and the pull-out roller 6 is rotated in the transport direction (steps S81 and S82).

  The switched-back document is conveyed in the direction c by the paper discharge roller pairs 12 and 13, and in the same manner as in the above-described single-side mode (included in the paper feeding operation shown in FIGS. 7 to 9), 7. Pass through the reading inlet roller pair 8 and 9 and temporarily stop at the nip portion of the reading inlet roller pair 8 and 9 for reading the back surface. In order to perform skew correction by abutting the leading edge of the document against the nip portion of the reading inlet roller pair 8 and 9 even when reading the back side, the reading motor 103 is driven before the leading edge of the document reaches the reading inlet roller pair 8 and 9. Therefore, the reading motor 103 stops driving when the leading edge of the document is detected by the reading entrance sensor 26 (steps S83 to S87a in FIG. 14).

  Thus, the document whose registration has been stopped for reading the back side is conveyed to the reading position 28 at the conveyance speed corresponding to the designated magnification after receiving the reading start signal from the main body control unit 111 as in the case of reading the front side. Back side reading is performed (steps S87b to S99, S100 to S109 in FIG. 15). When the reverse side reading is completed, the same reversing operation for page alignment is performed again, and the paper is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 14 by the paper discharge roller pairs 12 and 13 (steps S110 to S116, S117 to S123 in FIG. 16). Here, at the time of the reversing operation for page alignment, it is not necessary to convey at a speed corresponding to the reading magnification. Therefore, high-speed conveyance is maintained until the trailing edge of the document is detected by the reading exit sensor 29, and the reading exit sensor 29 is maintained. Decelerate after detection. This deceleration prevents the document from popping out during paper discharge and shortens the processing time.

According to the automatic document feeder 200 mounted on the copying machine 150 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, various rollers and belts as a conveyance unit that conveys the document P on the conveyance path to the reading position 28. (For example, the reverse roller 4, the paper feed belt 5, the pull-out roller pair 6, 7 and the reading entrance roller pair 8, 9) and swinging around a rotation shaft (not shown) expose or cover the conveyance path. A gap provided in a connecting portion between the paper feed cover 51 and another exterior component (a portion adjacent to the paper feed cover 51 in the vicinity of the rotation shaft). In the vicinity of 202, the sound-absorbing member 5 can be removed by the film 53 and the adhesive 54 over the width direction of the paper feed cover 51 (perpendicular to the conveying direction). It has a configuration which sticks to the inside of the feeding cover 51. This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention according to claim 1 .

  With this configuration, the sound absorbing function of the sound absorbing member 50 suppresses leakage of the sheet passing sound accompanying the conveying operation of the document P from the gap 202 between the paper feed cover 51 and other exterior parts. Noise can be reduced. Further, since the sound absorbing member 50 is adhered to the paper feed cover 51 through the film 53, the entire sound absorbing member 50 is disposed when the automatic document feeder 200 is discarded or maintained (for example, when the sound absorbing member 50 is replaced). Can be easily removed from the paper feed cover 51. Further, the sound absorbing member 50 can be easily attached. Furthermore, since the removal is easy, it is expected that the paper feed cover 51 after the sound absorbing member 50 is removed is reused or the paper feed cover 51 is regenerated as a resin material to contribute to the improvement of recyclability. The Further, since the sound absorbing member 50 is adhered to the inside of the paper feed cover 51, the aesthetic appearance of the automatic document feeder 200 is not impaired, and the gap 202 is provided, so that the paper feed cover can be used during jam processing or maintenance. 51 operability can be maintained.

Moreover, according to this embodiment, since the sound absorbing member 50 is formed of urethane foam, a desired sound absorbing function can be realized as described above. This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention according to claim 1 . Or the effect similar to the above-mentioned is acquired by forming the sound-absorbing member 50 with a nonwoven fabric .

Further, according to the present embodiment, the automatic document feeder 200 serving as a document conveying unit that conveys the document P to the reading position 28 on the slit glass 41, and the image reading unit 81 that reads an image of the document P at the reading position 28. And a photosensitive drum 83 as an image forming means for forming images on transfer sheets S1 to S5 as predetermined recording media based on the image of the original P read by the image reading means 81, a developing device 86, and a transfer belt. 87, a cleaning device 88, a charging device and a static elimination device (not shown), and further, the copying machine 150 as an image forming apparatus having the sound absorbing member 50 that is easily attached as described above is configured. While maintaining the operability of the cover 51, it is possible to reduce the sheet passing sound accompanying the conveying operation of the original P and contribute to the improvement of the recyclability. . This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention according to claim 3 .

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the automatic document feeder 200 is mounted on the copying machine 150A as the image forming apparatus has been described. However, the present invention can be applied to an image reading apparatus in addition to the same effect. It is obtained. In this case, an automatic document conveying device 200 as a document conveying unit that conveys the document P to the reading position 28 and an image reading unit 81 that reads an image of the document P at the reading position 28 may be provided. This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention according to claim 2 . With this configuration, while maintaining the operability of the paper feed cover 51, it is possible to reduce leakage of paper passing sound that occurs before image reading, and to realize an image reading apparatus that is easy to attach and remove the sound absorbing member 50 and that is highly recyclable. be able to.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the film 53 and the adhesive 54 are used to attach the sound absorbing member 50 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the film made of synthetic resin (for example, a polyester film base material, PET A first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (for example, an acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive layer) having a strong adhesive force is formed on the first surface of the film base material, and a second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a weak adhesive force is formed on the second surface. Even if the sound absorbing member 50 and the film are bonded with the first acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive, and the film and the paper feed cover 51 are bonded with the second acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive, the same effect can be obtained. In this case, by using a double-sided tape (registered trademark) in which the first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, the film, and the second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer are formed on the release paper, the mounting work of the sound absorbing member 50 can be reduced. .

[Second Embodiment]
Next, FIG. 17 shows the vicinity of the paper feed unit of the automatic document feeder according to the second embodiment of the present invention. This is different from the first embodiment in that the film 53 and the adhesive 54 as adhesive means for attaching and attaching the sound absorbing member 50 to the paper feed cover 51 are replaced with claws 54 as the latching means. Yes. In addition, since it is the same as that of 1st Embodiment except the nail | claw 54, while using FIGS. 1-3, the same code | symbol is provided to the same structure and description is abbreviate | omitted partially.

  In FIG. 17, the sound absorbing member 50 is attached across the width direction of the paper feed cover 51 in the vicinity of the gap 202 between the paper feed cover 51 and other exterior parts of the automatic document feeder 200. Here, the sound absorbing member 50 is hooked on a plurality of claws 54 formed inside the paper feed cover 51. The claw 54 is formed integrally with a paper feed cover 51 made of synthetic resin, for example. As described above, the sound absorbing function of the sound absorbing member 50 suppresses leakage of paper passing sound generated in the housing from the gap 202, thereby reducing noise. In addition, as a material of the sound absorbing member 50, for example, urethane foam or non-woven fabric is used. Here, since the method of hooking the sound absorbing member 50 with the plurality of claws 54 is adopted, the workability when attaching and removing the sound absorbing member 50 is further improved as compared with the attaching method of the first embodiment. Recyclability is improved.

According to the automatic document feeder 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, sound absorption is performed in the width direction in the vicinity of the gap 202 between the paper feed cover 51 and other exterior parts of the automatic document feeder 200. A claw 54 as a hooking means for detachably hooking the member 50 is integrally formed with the paper feed cover 51 and provided inside thereof, and the sound absorbing member 50 is hooked inside the paper feed cover 51. Yes .

  With this configuration, the sound absorbing function of the sound absorbing member 50 suppresses leakage of the sheet passing sound accompanying the conveying operation of the document P from the gap 202 between the paper feed cover 51 and other exterior parts of the automatic document conveying device 200. The noise of the automatic document feeder 200 can be reduced. In addition, since the sound absorbing member 50 is hooked on the paper feed cover 51, when the automatic document feeder 200 is discarded or maintained (for example, when the sound absorbing member 50 is replaced), the entire sound absorbing member 50 is more easily disposed. Can be removed. In addition, positioning of the sound absorbing member 50 is easy, and attachment work is reduced. Furthermore, since it is easy to remove, it is expected that the paper feed cover 51 after removing the sound absorbing member 50 is reused or recycled as a resin material to contribute to the improvement of recyclability. Further, since the sound absorbing member 50 is hooked on the inside of the paper feed cover 51, the aesthetic appearance of the automatic document feeder 200 is not impaired, and the operability of the paper feed cover 51 is maintained during jam processing or maintenance. Can do.

In the above-described embodiment, the copying machine 150 as an image forming apparatus equipped with the automatic document feeder 200 has been described. However, the present invention also includes the above-described image reading device equipped with the automatic document feeder 200. Even if configured, the same effect can be obtained .

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the plurality of claws 54 are used as the latching means has been described. However, in the present invention, in addition to this, a plurality of protrusions as the fitting means are integrated inside the paper feed cover 51. The same effect can be obtained by forming a plurality of receiving holes as fitting means corresponding to the protrusions at predetermined positions of the sound absorbing member 51 and fitting the plurality of protrusions with the plurality of receiving holes. Is obtained.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a copier according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an automatic document feeder according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows opening | release of the paper feed cover which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a paper feed unit of the automatic document feeder according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the attachment method of the sound absorption member which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control unit of the image forming apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart (part 1) illustrating a sheet feeding operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart (part 2) illustrating a sheet feeding operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart (part 3) illustrating a sheet feeding operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart (the 1) which shows the reading operation which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart (the 2) which shows the reading operation which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart (the 3) which shows the reading operation which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart (the 4) which shows the reading operation which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart (the 5) which shows the reading operation which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart (the 6) which shows the reading operation which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart (the 7) which shows the reading operation which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the attachment method of the sound absorption member which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Document table 2 Stop claw 3 Pickup roller 4 Reverse roller 5 Paper feed belt 6 Pull-out roller 7 Pull-out driven roller 8 Reading inlet roller 9 Reading inlet driven roller 10 Reading outlet roller 11 Reading outlet driven roller 12 Paper discharge roller 13 Paper discharge lower driven Roller 14 Discharge tray 15 Switching claw 16 Reverse roller 17 Reverse driven roller 18 Driven upper roller 19 Document set sensor 20, 21, 22 Document length sensor 23 Separation sensor 24 Abutment sensor 25 Document width sensor 26 Reading entrance sensor 27 Resist Sensor 28 Reading position 29 Reading exit sensor 30 Reverse sensor 31 Document set filler 32 Paper feed cover open / close sensor 33 Pickup home position (HP) sensor 34 Nail home position (HP) sensor 35 Paper discharge sensor 40 Flexible member 41 Slit glass 42 Reading guide 50 Sound absorbing member 51 Paper feed cover 52 Paper feed upper guide
53 Film (film member)
106 finished stamp 150 copier (image forming apparatus)
200 Automatic document feeder 300 Copier body

Claims (3)

Conveying means for conveying to the reading position document conveying path, by swinging around a predetermined rotation axis, and the covering means to expose or cover the conveying path, an inner pre Symbol covering means, And an external component excluding the covering means and a urethane foam sound absorbing member disposed in the vicinity of the gap provided in the connecting portion of the covering means ,
The sound absorbing member has a film member made of a synthetic resin integrally bonded to the facing surface by heating the facing surface to the covering means,
An automatic document feeder , wherein the sound absorbing member is detachably attached to the covering means by attaching the film member to the covering means by sticking with an adhesive . A document conveying unit that conveys the document to a reading position; and an image reading unit that reads an image of the document at the reading position;
An image reading apparatus comprising the automatic document feeder according to claim 1 as the document feeder. A document conveying unit that conveys the document to a reading position, an image reading unit that reads an image of the document at the reading position, and the image formed on a predetermined recording medium based on the image of the document read by the image reading unit An image forming means for
An image forming apparatus comprising the automatic document feeder according to claim 1 as the document feeder.

Images