A sheet loading device includes a discharge roller pair, a loading tray, a paddle member, a sheet holding member, a tray lifting-lowering drive portion, a top surface detection sensor, and a control portion. The control portion is capable of performing a lifting-lowering operation to arrange the loading tray at a reference position by lowering the loading tray with the sheet holding member arranged at the holding position to turn the top surface detection sensor into an off state, then lifting the loading tray to turn the top surface detection sensor into an on state, and then lowering the loading tray again to turn the top surface detection sensor into the off state and stopping the loading tray. With the loading tray at the reference position, a predetermined clearance is provided between a top surface of a sheet loaded on the loading tray and a rotational orbit of the paddle member.

A relay conveyance device includes a discharge unit which discharges a sheet toward a carry-in port, a decurling unit attached to the discharge unit, and a discharge adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting a height direction inclination of the discharge unit. The discharge adjustment mechanism is set to be capable of adjusting an inclination of the discharge unit such that the decurling unit maintains a predetermined reference position even when the discharge unit is supported by any of a plurality of unit supporting portions set according to a height position of the carry-in port.

A relay conveyance device includes a discharge unit which discharges a sheet toward a carry-in port, a decurling unit attached to the discharge unit, and a discharge adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting a height direction inclination of the discharge unit. The discharge adjustment mechanism is set to be capable of adjusting an inclination of the discharge unit such that the decurling unit maintains a predetermined reference position even when the discharge unit is supported by any of a plurality of unit supporting portions set according to a height position of the carry-in port.

An image scanner is configured to perform: controlling the sheet feed roller to feed the document supported on the sheet feed tray, controlling the conveyor to convey the fed document to the reading position, controlling the image sensor to read the image of the document at the reading position, and controlling the sheet discharge unit to discharge the read document to the sheet discharge tray; in response to detecting, by the sheet feed sensor, a state change from the first state to the second state, moving the movable plate upward until the sheet feed roller changes from the second state to the first state; after moving the movable plate, controlling the distance sensor to detect the document distance; and moving the sheet discharge unit vertically based on the detected document distance.

An image scanner is configured to perform: controlling the sheet feed roller to feed the document supported on the sheet feed tray, controlling the conveyor to convey the fed document to the reading position, controlling the image sensor to read the image of the document at the reading position, and controlling the sheet discharge unit to discharge the read document to the sheet discharge tray; in response to detecting, by the sheet feed sensor, a state change from the first state to the second state, moving the movable plate upward until the sheet feed roller changes from the second state to the first state; after moving the movable plate, controlling the distance sensor to detect the document distance; and moving the sheet discharge unit vertically based on the detected document distance.

In example implementations, a flexible bail of a printing device is provided. The flexible bail comprises a rigid bail coupled to a rotational motor, a flexible portion and a controller. The flexible portion is coupled to an end of the rigid bail. The flexible portion includes a plurality of segments that are unidirectionally flexible. The controller is communicatively coupled to the rotational motor to control movement of the rigid bail.

In example implementations, a flexible bail of a printing device is provided. The flexible bail comprises a rigid bail coupled to a rotational motor, a flexible portion and a controller. The flexible portion is coupled to an end of the rigid bail. The flexible portion includes a plurality of segments that are unidirectionally flexible. The controller is communicatively coupled to the rotational motor to control movement of the rigid bail.

According to aspects of the present disclosures, there is provided a tray swinging mechanism including a document tray. A movable plate of the document tray is configured to be swingable about a tray shaft and extends leftward. A lifter is configured to be swingable about a lifter shaft extending in the front-rear direction at a position different from the tray shaft. On a lower surface of the movable plate, a cam surface configured to contact a tip of the lifter is formed. The cam surface includes a parallel part parallel to an upper surface of the movable plate and a curved part spaced from the upper surface farther toward a right side. According to a shape of the cam surface, each time the lifter is rotated by a particular angle, the tip of the movable plate moves by a particular amount.

According to aspects of the present disclosures, there is provided a tray swinging mechanism including a document tray. A movable plate of the document tray is configured to be swingable about a tray shaft and extends leftward. A lifter is configured to be swingable about a lifter shaft extending in the front-rear direction at a position different from the tray shaft. On a lower surface of the movable plate, a cam surface configured to contact a tip of the lifter is formed. The cam surface includes a parallel part parallel to an upper surface of the movable plate and a curved part spaced from the upper surface farther toward a right side. According to a shape of the cam surface, each time the lifter is rotated by a particular angle, the tip of the movable plate moves by a particular amount.

Provided is a document conveying apparatus that properly discharges documents regardless of the amount of documents stacked on a discharge tray without complicated construction of a transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force to conveying rollers. A conveying roller pair is provided at an end portion on an upstream side. A swing mechanism swings a discharge mechanism centered around a drive shaft of the conveying roller pair. An upper surface height measuring unit measures the height of the upper surface of documents stacked on the discharge tray. A control unit, by causing the swing mechanism to swing the discharge mechanism according to the height measured by the upper surface height measuring unit, performs control so that the difference between a discharge port and the upper surface of the documents stacked on the discharge tray is within a specified range.