An image reading device includes a loading plate, a frame, a scanner, a flat cable, and a holding member. The scanner includes a reading mechanism that extends in a main scanning direction and reciprocates in a sub-scanning direction on the side of a bottom surface opposite to an upper surface on which a document on the loading plate in the frame is loaded. The flat cable extends in the frame so that a width direction of the flat surface follows a direction orthogonal to the bottom surface of the loading plate. The holding member reciprocates together with the scanner and holds a part of the flat cable from the side on a main surface of the frame.

Provided is an image formation apparatus having a paper tray which is removably provided to an apparatus main body, in which sheets are loaded on a lifting plate, and from which the sheets on the lifting plate are fed by a paper feeding device, and the apparatus includes a holder that holds the lifting plate at a position higher than a lowest position when the paper tray is pulled out of the apparatus main body and the sheets are loaded on the lifting plate, wherein the holding by the holder is canceled to make the lifting plate go down to the lowest position before an operation of inserting the paper tray into the apparatus main body is completed.

A document cover closer provided with a fire spread preventing cover capable of almost entirely covering internal features of the document cover closer, in order to prevent exposure of the internal features to flare in case of an ignition at peripheral electrical equipment, as well as office equipment using such a document cover closer. The document cover closer comprises a fire spread preventing cover capable of almost entirely covering internal features with their parts coated with oil being exposed and of almost securely preventing a contamination of an end of a document placed on a document platen by lubricant oil or rust-preventive oil. The document cover closer comprises an attaching part attached to the main body side of office equipment having a document cover; a supporting part rotatably and pivotally supported on the attaching part via a first hinge shaft; and a lift part attached to the document cover.

Scanning devices include an input tray shaped to hold scannable items before scanning, an output tray shaped to hold the scannable items after scanning, a series of opposing belts positioned to transport the scannable items from the input tray to the output tray, and a round roller contacting a drum belt of the opposing belts. The opposing belts are positioned to have each of the scannable items constantly be held between the opposing belts or between the round roller and the drum belt of the opposing belts while the opposing belts are transporting the scannable items from the input tray to the output tray. A scanner is positioned in a gap between two of the opposing belts, and the gap is in a process direction that the opposing belts are moving the scannable items.

Regarding a restricting member that includes a contact face configured to be brought into contact with at least one portion of edges of a bundle of media mounted on a medium mounting section, and that is configured to be switched to either a blocking attitude for blocking advancement of the edges of the bundle of media into a nip portion between a feeding roller and a separating roller or an opening attitude for permitting the advancement of the edges of the bundle of media into the nip portion, the restricting member allows, in the blocking attitude, an edge shape of the bundle of media in contact with the contact face to be formed into a shape that fills in a tapered space tapering toward the nip portion.

A printing apparatus includes a guide unit provided with a guide surface configured to guide a medium by coming into contact with the medium on which printing has been performed, and a heating unit disposed to face the guide surface with a space therebetween. The heating unit includes a first opening portion that opens toward the guide surface on an upstream side in a transport direction, a second opening portion that opens toward the guide surface on a downstream side in the transport direction, a duct connecting the first opening portion and the second opening portion, and a first blowing unit disposed inside the duct. The printing apparatus switches a direction of airflow produced in a heating region in response to a switching of a blowing direction of the first blowing unit.

An image reading apparatus (6) includes a document placing table (6a) to an upper surface of which a contact glass (25) is fixed, and a document pressing device (24) supported at an end of the document placing table (6a) to be openable/closable via a hinge portion, and having, on its back surface side, a document presser (30) that presses a document placed on the contact glass (25). The document pressing device (24) includes a light transmission window (31) transmitting light in a front-surface-to-back-surface direction of the document pressing device (24). The light transmission window (31) is disposed at a position not overlapping with the contact glass (25) when the document pressing device (24) is at the closure position, and when the document pressing device (24) has moved in an opening direction from the closure position, light that has passed through the light transmission window (31) reaches the contact glass (25).

An image reading apparatus (6) includes a document placing table (6a) to an upper surface of which a contact glass (25) is fixed, and a document pressing device (24) supported at an end of the document placing table (6a) to be openable/closable via a hinge portion, and having, on its back surface side, a document presser (30) that presses a document placed on the contact glass (25). The document pressing device (24) includes a light transmission window (31) transmitting light in a front-surface-to-back-surface direction of the document pressing device (24). The light transmission window (31) is disposed at a position not overlapping with the contact glass (25) when the document pressing device (24) is at the closure position, and when the document pressing device (24) has moved in an opening direction from the closure position, light that has passed through the light transmission window (31) reaches the contact glass (25).

A hinge mechanism of the present disclosure includes a pair of hinge units each having a hinge base, a hinge upper member, and a shaft, and the hinge mechanism holds an automatic document feeder to be openable/closable in up/down directions with respect to an image reading unit. The hinge base is supported on the image reading unit which reads a document image. The hinge upper member is supported on the automatic document feeder which feeds a document to the image reading unit. The shaft pivotably couples the hinge base and the hinge upper member together. By attaching the hinge upper member to the automatic document feeder, a groove formed in a circumferential surface of the shaft in an annular shape in a circumferential direction of the shaft and a rib provided on the automatic document feeder engage with each other, whereby axial movement of the shaft is restricted.

A hinge structure includes an attachment recessed part, an attachment member, a first rotating body and a second rotating body. The attachment recessed part is configured to have inlet and outlet part in an upper part thereof. The attachment member is configured so that an upper end part thereof is pivotably connected to the document cover. The first rotating body is configured to be provided in the apparatus main body so as to come into contact with a side of the document mounting surface of the attachment member in the inlet and outlet part in the attachment recessed part. The second rotating body is configured to be provided in a lower part of the attachment member so as to come into contact with the attachment recessed part at an opposite side of the position in which the first rotating body is provided.