An automatic document feeder (300) includes a housing (301), conveyance roller pairs (313 to 317), and a pressure releasing mechanism. The housing (301) is openably/closably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus. The conveyance roller pairs (313 to 317) pinch an original document sheet with pressure and feed the original document sheet. The pressure releasing mechanism detaches one rollers (313b to 317b) of the conveyance roller pairs (313 to 317) from the other rollers (313a to 317a) in conjunction with an operation of opening the housing 301 against the main body.

A fixing apparatus includes a heater including a heating member, a heater holder configured to hold the heater, a detection element configured to detect a temperature of the heater and disposed at a position that faces the heater in a third direction, a first holding member configured to hold the detection element, an urging member configured to urge the first holding member, a flexible member extending in the first direction and configured to support the first holding member on a first end portion of the flexible member in the first direction, and a second holding member configured to hold a second end portion of the flexible member in the first direction. The flexible member is flexible such that the first holding member and the second holding member are movable relative to each other in the third direction.

An image reading device including a contact glass; a reading unit; a pressure plate; a pressure-plate opening/closing sensor; and circuitry. The circuitry determines a presence or absence of external light input to a space between the pressure plate and the surface of the contact glass based on image data obtained by the reading unit when the light source is turned off; compares read data according to light emitted from the light source and received by the image sensor when the pressure plate is closed, with read data of a reference value obtained when the pressure plate is completely closed, to obtain a difference and determine a state of the read data based on the difference; and determines whether the pressure plate is open or closed based on a determination result of the presence or absence of external light and on the difference.

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.

An image reading device including a contact glass; a reading unit; a pressure plate; a pressure-plate opening/closing sensor, and circuitry. The circuitry determines a presence or absence of external light input to a space between the pressure plate and the surface of the contact glass based on image data obtained by the reading unit when the light source is turned off; compares read data according to light emitted from the light source and received by the image sensor when the pressure plate is closed, with read data of a reference value obtained when the pressure plate is completely closed, to obtain a difference and determine a state of the read data based on the difference; and determines whether the pressure plate is open or closed based on a determination result of the presence or absence of external light and on the difference.

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.

An image forming apparatus includes a housing, an image forming device, an image reading device coupled with the housing via a first hinge and switchable between an overlapping state and a standing state, the image reading device configured to read an image on an original document, an automatic document feeder coupled with the image reading device via a second hinge and switchable between an overlapping state overlapping the image reading device and a standing state standing at the image reading device, the automatic document feeder configured to turn the original document and convey the original document to an image position, and an automatic coupling device to couple the automatic document feeder and the image reading device when the image reading device is opened while the automatic document feeder is overlapped on the image reading device.

A sheet conveying apparatus which conveys a sheet includes: a first rotating member made of a material which is positive with respect to the sheet in a triboelectric series; and a second rotating member made of a material which is negative with respect to the sheet in the triboelectric series, wherein the first and second rotating members are arranged in a conveyance direction of the sheet and arranged to be contact with the same surface of the sheet, and a foreign material is removed from the conveyed sheet by the first and second rotating members.

A fixing apparatus includes a heater including a heating member, a heater holder configured to hold the heater, a detection element configured to detect a temperature of the heater and disposed at a position that faces the heater in a third direction, a first holding member configured to hold the detection element, an urging member configured to urge the first holding member, a flexible member extending in the first direction and configured to support the first holding member on a first end portion of the flexible member in the first direction, and a second holding member configured to hold a second end portion of the flexible member in the first direction. The flexible member is flexible such that the first holding member and the second holding member are movable relative to each other in the third direction.

A sheet conveyance device includes a rotating member that rotates while in contact with a sheet to convey the sheet, and a cleaning portion that cleans the rotating member. The cleaning portion has a cleaning member that makes contact with the outer circumferential surface of the rotating member to remove foreign substances from the outer circumferential surface of the rotating member and a housing that stores the foreign substances removed from the outer circumferential surface of the rotating member. A part of the housing is arranged at a position where it can make contact with the sheet, and guides the sheet conveyed by the rotating member.