Abstract:
An image reading and/or reproducing apparatus, including a single sided document feeding tray and a double sided document feed tray to each supply a stack of documents to the apparatus; a document feeding unit to feed a document from a top of the stack of documents in the single sided document feeding tray, and to feed a document from a bottom of the stack of documents in the double sided document feeding tray; and an image scan unit to scan an image of the document fed from the document feeding unit. The apparatus further includes a reverse unit to position the double-sided document, fed by the document feeding unit, upstream of the image scan unit as the image scan unit completes a scanning of the image on a first side of the document such that the image scan unit may scan the image on a second side of the document. According to the above structure, reducing a time required to scan an image is possible.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2005-8603, filed Jan. 31, 2005, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     An aspect of the present invention relates to an image reading and/or reproducing apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image reading and/or reproducing apparatus that provides enhanced image reading speed by improving a document feeding structure of the image reading and/or reproducing apparatus.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a view of a schematic operation of a conventional image reading apparatus  1 . According to the conventional image reading apparatus, when reading a single-sided image, a document  3  supplied from a document feeding tray  2  is picked up by a pick-up roller  5  to be fed to a document convey path  7 . The document  3 , fed by the pick-up roller  5 , passes an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) roller  9  to be separated into a single sheet. A friction pad  11  is formed adjacently to an opposed surface of the ADF roller  9  to provide a frictional force when the document  3  is separated. The document  3 , separated into a single sheet by the ADF roller  9 , is then transmitted via convey rollers  13 ,  15  to an image scan unit  17 .  
         [0006]     A single side of the document  3  transmitted to the image scan unit  17  is read, then the document is conveyed to a discharge roller  21 , where the document is loaded in order on a document discharge tray  23  by the discharge roller  21 .  
         [0007]     When reading a double-sided image, one side of the document  3  is scanned according to the same operational principles as are described above. The trailing end of the document  3  is positioned upstream of the image scan unit as the conveying direction of the document is reversed along a document reverse path  25  prior to the document being scanned again and then discharged to the document discharge tray  23  via the discharge roller  21 . A path conversion device  26  is formed around the document reverse path  25  to selectively open the document reverse path  25  and the document convey path  7 . The document  3 , moved to the document reverse path  25 , passes a reverse roller  27  and then U-turns at a position of the convey roller  15  such that the surfaces of the document  3  are reversed with respect to the image scan unit. The image scan unit  17  then reads an image on the document  3  to complete the double-sided image reading process.  
         [0008]     A problem exists, however, in that, when reading the double-sided image, the order of the documents  3  that are discharged onto the document discharge tray  23  is necessarily different from the order of the documents  3  as they were loaded on the document feeding tray  2 . The cause of the difference will be described in detail as follows.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2A  is a view of a status of double-sided documents loaded on the document feeding tray  2  of a conventional image reading apparatus  1 , and  FIG. 2B  is a view of an example of the double-sided documents discharged from the apparatus once the conventional image reading apparatus performs a reading of both sides of the double-sided image.  
         [0010]     Referring to  FIG. 2A , when, for example, double-sided documents with 6 pages, 3 sheets are loaded, the double-sided documents are loaded on the document discharge tray  23  in order of pages  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6  (hereinafter, when the first image forming page is positioned at the uppermost side, this arrangement will be referred to as “face up”, whereas when the first image forming page is positioned at the lowermost side, this arrangement will be referred to as “face down”), a plurality of the loaded documents are sequentially separated from the uppermost surface of the stack to perform a reading of both sides of the double-sided image as described above.  
         [0011]     As illustrated in  FIG. 2B , the documents are output in order of pages  2 ,  1 ,  4 ,  3 ,  6 ,  5  from the lowermost side on the document discharge tray  23  such that the pages are not arranged in a correct order.  
         [0012]     In order to solve the above problem, as the reading of the double-sided images of the document  3  is completed, the document  3  is reversely conveyed via the document reverse path  25  and U-turned via the convey roller  15  to be discharged. In other words, the document  3  travels through a portion  7   a  of the document convey path  7  that corresponds to a section B between a starting point S 1  and an ending point E 1  of the document reverse path  25  three times.  
         [0013]     When reading the double-sided images according to a conventional art as described above, additional reverse operations are performed to arrange the order of the discharged document pages. Therefore, a long time is required to read images.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     An aspect of the present invention solves the above-mentioned and/or other problems and provides an image reading apparatus which reduces a time required to read double-sided images by improving a feeding structure of a document.  
         [0015]     In order to achieve the above and/or other aspects, according to a first embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an image reading apparatus comprising a plurality of document feeding trays, an image scan unit to scan an image of the document fed from the document feeding trays, and a document feeding unit to selectively feed the document of a document stack on one of the plurality of document feeding trays from the uppermost surface of the stack of documents, and feeding the document of a document stack on the other document feeding tray from the lowermost surface of the stack of documents.  
         [0016]     The image reading apparatus further comprises a reverse unit to reverse the document to a position that is upstream of the image scan unit as the image scan unit completes a scanning of the image of the document.  
         [0017]     At least one of the document feeding trays, which feeds the document from the uppermost surface of the stack of documents and the document feeding tray which feeds the document from the lowermost surface of the stack of documents, is a single-sided document tray.  
         [0018]     A single-sided document may be loaded face up on the single-sided document feeding tray.  
         [0019]     The document feeding tray to feed the document from the lowermost surface of the stack of documents may be a double-sided document feeding tray. A double-sided document may be loaded face up or down on the double-sided document feeding tray.  
         [0020]     The document feeding unit which feeds the document from the uppermost surface of the stack of documents may comprise a pick-up roller to pick up the document from the uppermost side of the document stack on the document feeding tray; a first separation roller to separate the picked-up document into a single sheet; and a first friction pad opposed to the first separation roller and to provide a frictional force in the separating of the document from the other documents into a single sheet.  
         [0021]     The document feeding unit which feeds the document from the lowermost surface of the stack of documents may comprise a second separation roller to pick up the document from the lowermost surface of the stack of documents on the document feeding tray to separate into a single sheet, and a second friction pad opposed to the second separation roller to provide a frictional force in the separating of the double-sided document from the other documents into a single sheet.  
         [0022]     A single-sided document sensor and a double-sided document sensor may be provided in each of the single-sided document feeding tray and the double-sided document feeding tray.  
         [0023]     The image reading apparatus further comprises a plurality of document convey paths to guide the document fed from the plurality of document feeding trays to the image scan unit, an image scan path to discharge the document fed from the document convey path onto the document discharge tray via the image scan unit, and a document reverse path to feed the document, reversed from the document reverse unit, to a position that is upstream of the image scan unit.  
         [0024]     The first document convey path and the second document convey path may be formed in substantially flattened U shapes and joined with each other at a position that is upstream of the image scan unit, a starting point of the document reverse path is formed at a position that is downstream of the image scan unit, and a finishing point of the document reverse path is connected with a joint point of the first and the second document convey paths.  
         [0025]     Additional and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0026]     These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:  
         [0027]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an operation status of a conventional image reading apparatus;  
         [0028]      FIG. 2A  is a view of a status of double-sided documents loaded on a document feeding tray of the conventional image reading apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0029]      FIG. 2B  is a view of an example of double-sided documents not arranged in a correct order of pages on the document discharge tray when the conventional image reading apparatus performs reading double-sided images;  
         [0030]      FIG. 3  is a view of an example of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0031]      FIG. 4A  is a view of a status of single-sided documents loaded face up on a single-sided document feeding tray according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0032]      FIG. 4B  is a view of a status of double-sided documents loaded face down on a double-sided document feeding tray according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0033]      FIG. 4C  is a view of an example of single-sided documents loaded face down on a single document feeding tray according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0034]      FIG. 4D  is a view of an example of double-sided documents loaded face up on a double-sided document feeding tray according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0035]      FIG. 5A  is a view of a status of single-sided documents discharged on the document discharge tray when the single-sided documents are loaded as shown in  FIG. 4A  and fed from the uppermost surface of the stack of documents;  
         [0036]      FIG. 5B  is a view of a status of double-sided documents discharged on the document discharge tray when the double-sided documents are loaded face down as shown in  FIG. 4B  and fed from the lowermost surface of the stack of documents;  
         [0037]      FIG. 5C  is a view of a status of single-sided documents discharged on the document discharge tray when the single-sided documents are loaded face up as shown in  FIG. 4A  and fed from the lowermost surface of the stack of documents;  
         [0038]      FIG. 5D  is a view of a status of double-sided documents discharged on the document discharge tray when the double-sided documents are loaded face up as shown in  FIG. 4D  and fed from the lowermost surface of the stack of documents;  
         [0039]      FIG. 5E  is a view of a status of double-sided documents discharged on the document discharge tray when the double-sided documents are loaded face down as shown in  FIG. 4B  and fed from the uppermost surface of the stack of documents; and  
         [0040]      FIG. 5F  is a view of a status of double-sided documents discharged on the document discharge tray when the double-sided documents are loaded face up as shown in  FIG. 4D  and fed from the lowermost surface of the stack of documents. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0041]     Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.  
         [0042]      FIG. 3  is a view of an example of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 3 , a double-sided image reading and/or reproducing apparatus  100  comprises an image scan part S and an automatic document feeding part A. The image scan part S comprises an image scan body  101 , a document holder glass  103 , and an image scan unit  105 .  
         [0043]     A document to be scanned is set on the document holder glass  103 , which comprises a platen glass  103   a  and an automatic document feeder (ADF) glass  103   b,  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The platen glass  103   a  sets documents to a fixed position thereon, and the ADF glass  103   b  allows the documents D 1 , D 2  that are sequentially fed by an automatic document feeding unit  120  to come into contact with the ADF glass  103   b.    
         [0044]     The image scan unit  105  is provided in the image scan body  101  and is provided in a lower portion of the body  101  below the ADF glass  103   b  so as to be positioned to read images of the documents D 1 , D 2  that are continuously fed via the automatic document feeding unit  130 . The image scan unit  105  reciprocates in linear directions as illustrated by the horizontal arrow of  FIG. 3  to read an image of a document fixed on the platen glass  103   a.    
         [0045]     The automatic document feeding unit A comprises a feeding body  107 , a document feeding tray  110 , a document feeding unit  130 , a document convey path  150 , a document reverse unit  160 , a document discharge tray  170 , and a document sensor  190 .  
         [0046]     The document feeding tray  110  comprises a single-sided document feeding tray  111  to load single-sided documents D 1  therein and a double-sided document feeding tray  113  to load double-sided documents D 2  therein.  
         [0047]      FIG. 4A  shows the documents D 1  loaded face-up on the single-sided document feeding tray  111 . Similarly,  FIG. 4B  shows the documents D 2  loaded face-down on the double-sided document feeding tray  113 .  
         [0048]     The document feeding unit  130  comprises a single-sided document feeding unit  131  to feed the loaded document D 1  from the single-sided document tray  111  and a double-sided document feeding unit  133  to feed the loaded document D 2  from the double-sided document feeding tray  113 .  
         [0049]     The single-sided document feeding unit  131  feeds the uppermost document loaded on the single-sided document feeding tray  111  from the uppermost surface of the stack of documents D 1  loaded thereon. The single-sided document feeding unit  131  comprises a pick-up roller  131   a  to pick up the uppermost document, a first separation roller  131   b  to insure that the document is separated from other documents into a single sheet, and a first friction pad  131   c  opposed to the first separation roller  131   b  to provide a frictional force in the separation operation.  
         [0050]     The double-sided document feeding unit  133  comprises a second separation roller  133   a  to slide the lowermost double-sided document D 2  out from under the stack of documents D 2  loaded on the double-sided document feeding tray  113 , and a second friction pad  133   b  opposed to the second separation roller  133   a  to provide a frictional force in the separation operation. The double-sided document feeding tray  113  may be inclined to a certain angle to smoothly feed the double-sided document D 2  between the second separation roller  133   a  and the second friction pad  133   b.  A pick-up roller may be additionally provided as the aforementioned single-sided document feeding unit  133 .  
         [0051]     The document convey path  150  comprises a first convey path  151  to feed single-sided documents D 1  from the single-sided feeding unit  131  to the image scan unit  105 , a second convey path  153  to feed double-sided documents D 2  from the double-sided document feeding unit  133  to the image scan unit  105 , and an image scan path  155  to discharge the single sided document D 1  or the double sided document D 2  from either the first or second convey path  151  or  153 , respectively, from the image scan unit  105  to the document discharge tray  170 .  
         [0052]     A document reverse path  157  is provided to convey double-sided documents D 2  back to the image scan path  155  upstream of the image scan unit  105 . Here, the conveying direction of the double-sided documents D 2  is reversed while the documents travel along the image scan path  155  downstream from the image scan unit  105 . The first and second convey paths  151 ,  153  intersect at the image scan path  155  upstream of the image scan unit  105 . A starting point S 2  of the document reverse path  157  is connected with the image scan path  155  downstream from the image scan unit  105 , and a finishing point E 2  of the document reverse path  157  is connected with the image scan path  155  upstream of the image reading unit  105 . The finishing point E 2  is connected with the point of intersection of the first and second paths  151 ,  153 .  
         [0053]     The document reverse unit  160  positions a trailing end of the document D 2  upstream of the image scan unit  105  and reverses the conveying direction of document as the scanning of a first side of the document D 2  is completed by the image scan unit  105 . The document reverse unit  160  comprises a motor (not shown) to drive forward and backward, and a discharge roller  161  to rotate via a power of the motor. The discharge roller  161  discharges the documents D 1  or D 2  onto the document discharge tray  170  when rotating forward (clockwise), and reverses the document D 2  when rotating backward (counterclockwise). A reverse sensor  163  may be added at a front side of the turning point S 2  of the image scan path  155  to sense that a document D 2  is located upstream of the reverse sensor  163  and to aid in a determination of an operation of the document reverse unit  160 .  
         [0054]     The document sensor  190  comprises a single-sided document sensor  191  to sense whether at least one single-sided document D 1  is loaded on the single-sided document feeding tray  111  and a double-sided document sensor  193  to sense whether at least one double-sided document D 2  is loaded on the double-sided document feeding tray  113 . Here, a double-sided image scan mode or a single-sided image scan mode may be designated as an operational mode of the apparatus depending on the sensing condition of the single-sided document sensor  191  and the double-sided document sensor  193 .  
         [0055]     A scan roller  201  is provided at a front side of the image scan unit  105  to cause the single-sided document D 1  to make a U-turn towards the image scan path  155  and to feed the double-sided document D 2  onto the image scan path  155 . A scan sensor  203  is provided to sense a position of the conveyed document D 1  or D 2  and to provide data to aid in the decision as to an operational timing point of the image scan unit  105 . A path conversion device  205  is provided around the turning point S 2  to traverse the document convey path. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the path conversion device  205  may comprise a gate bar  205   a.  If the path conversion device  205  is used, one end of the path conversion device  205  should be hinged such that the path conversion device  205  is biased to pivot downward so as to maintain an opened state of the document reverse path  157 . However, the path conversion device  205  may be pivoted upward by a conveying force of the document D 1  or D 2  so as to open the image scan path  155  as the document D 1  or D 2  is conveyed via the image scan path  155 .  
         [0056]     With references to  FIGS. 3, 4A , and  5 A, the single-sided image scan operation will now be described. Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 A, when the single-sided documents D 1  are loaded face-up on the single-sided document feeding tray  113 , the pick-up roller  131   a  is driven depending on the sensing condition of the single-sided document sensor  191 .  
         [0057]     The pick-up roller  131   a  picks up an uppermost loaded single-sided document from the uppermost surface of the stack of documents in the single-sided document feeding tray  113 , and the picked-up single-sided document D 1  passes between the first separation roller  131   b  and the first friction pad  131   c  to insure that the document is separated from other documents into a single sheet.  
         [0058]     The single-sided document D 1  then passes the first convey path  151  and is made to make a curving U-turn by an operation of the scan roller  201  such that the single-sided document D 1  is conveyed via the image scan path  155  to the image scan unit  105 . After the image side of the document is read, the single-sided document D 1  is discharged via the discharge roller  161  onto the document discharge tray  170  so as to complete the single-sided image reading process. The gate bar  205   a,  which acts as the path conversion device  205 , according to this embodiment of the invention, rotates upward by the force of the document D 1  hitting a face of the gate bar  205   a  as the document D 1  is conveyed.  
         [0059]     Once all of the single-sided documents D 1  are discharged, as illustrated in  FIG. 5A , the single-sided documents D 1  are loaded on the document discharge tray  170  with the first image forming page, which is page  1 , acting as the lowermost facing page. In other words, the single-sided document D 1  is loaded from the lowermost surface of the stack of discharged documents D 1  in order of pages  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 .  
         [0060]     With references to  FIGS. 3, 4B ,  5 B, the double-sided image scan operation will now be explained. Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 B, when the double-sided document D 2  is loaded face-down on the double-sided document feeding tray  113 , the second separation roller  133   a  rotates depending on the sensing condition of the double-sided document sensor  193  to sequentially slide the lowermost double-sided document D 2  out from under the stack of documents D 2  loaded on the double-sided document feeding tray  113 . The slid-out double-sided document D 2  is separated from the other documents into a single sheet by a frictional force of the friction pad  133   b.  The separated double-sided document D 2  passes along the second convey path  153  and is made to make a U-turn by an operation of the scan roller  201  so as to be conveyed via the image scan path  155  to the image scan unit  105 . After a first side (front page of the document on the double-sided document feeding tray  113 ) is read, the double-sided document D 2  is conveyed through the image scan path  155 , and the reverse sensor  203  senses that the double-sided document D 2  is upstream of the reverse sensor  203 . The discharge roller  161  then begins to rotate backward relative to the discharge direction a certain time after the reverse sensor  203  senses the position of the double-sided document D 2 . Accordingly, the double-sided document D 2  is conveyed backward along the document reverse path  157  and is made to make a U-turn by the scan roller  201  such that the second side (a rear page of the document on the double-sided document feeding tray  113 ) faces toward the image scan unit  105 , i.e., the double-sided document D 2  is reversed. The double-sided document D 2  is then conveyed along the image scan path  155  and passes the image scan unit  105  so that the second side of the document D 2  is read. The double-sided document D 2  is then discharged onto the document discharge tray  170 .  
         [0061]     When all of the double-sided documents D 2  are discharged, the first image forming page, i.e., page  1 , of the double-sided documents D 2 , is positioned face down at the lowermost surface of the stack of documents D 2  on the document discharge tray  170  as shown in  FIG. 5B  with the other documents D 2  similarly aligned. In other words, the double-sided documents D 2  are loaded face down in order of pages  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6  on the document discharge tray  170  in the same order as the order of the pages of the documents D 2  when the documents were loaded on the double-sided document feeding tray  113 .  
         [0062]     The image reading apparatus  100  as described above may be coupled with a multi-operational peripheral device such as a copier with combination of an image forming device (not shown).  
         [0063]     According to the above noted embodiments of the document feeding tray  110 , documents are fed from a lowermost surface of the stack of documents in the double-sided document feeding tray  113 , whereas documents are fed from an uppermost surface of the stack of documents in the single sided document feeding tray  111 . However, this arrangement should not be considered as limiting. The document feeding tray  110  may be differently applied. For example, both document feeding trays  111 ,  113  may be used as a single-sided document feeding tray. Additionally, the double-sided document D 2  may be loaded with documents either face-up or face-down.  
         [0064]     As another example in another embodiment,  FIG. 5C  is a view of the single-sided documents D 1  after they have been discharged on the discharge tray  170 —in the case where the documents D 1  would have been loaded face up on the single-sided document feeding tray  111  and fed from the lowermost surface of the stack of documents D 1 . As shown in  FIG. 5C , the documents D 1  were discharged in a reverse order of the pages, as compared to the original order of the pages, with the image forming pages facing down. Thus, when the single-sided documents D 1  are fed from the lowermost surface of the stack of documents D 1 , no problem exists with respect to the discharge order.  
         [0065]     However, the printing speed may be slowed if a multi-operational peripheral device is attached to the image reading apparatus  100  that adds an image forming part operating based on the information read by the image reading apparatus  100 . In other words, since the image-scanned pages are in order of  6 ,  5 ,  4 ,  3 ,  2 ,  1 , a printing operation may have to be performed backward with respect to the order of the pages in order to arrange for a correct discharge order. In this case, a long time may be required for the printing operation. Moreover, while the embodiments discussed herein refer to documents with 6 pages, a scanning operation of 100 pages may require a much longer time for the printing operation.  
         [0066]     The single-sided document D 1  may be loaded face-down on the document feeding tray  110  (in fact, either document feeding tray  113  or  111 ).  FIG. 4C  is a view of an example of the single-sided document D 1  loaded in the face-down form on the document feeding tray  111 . As a surface of the page without an image thereon faces up, the surface of the page having the image thereon cannot face toward the image scan unit  105  as the document passes along the image scan path whether the document is fed from the uppermost surface of the stack of documents or from the lowermost surface of the stack of documents. In this case, if the single-sided document D 1  is reversed, as in the scan process of the double-sided document D 2 , this embodiment may be useful in image scanning or reproducing operations. However, this embodiment may also slow the image scan speed. Therefore, when the single-sided document D 1  is to be scanned, the single-sided document D 1  should be loaded face-up and the documents should be fed from the uppermost surface of the stack of documents D 1 .  
         [0067]      FIG. 4D  is a view of an example of the double-sided documents D 2  loaded face-up form on the document feeding tray  113 , and  FIG. 5D  is a view of an example of the double-sided documents D 2  after they have been discharged on the discharge tray  170  and when the double-sided documents D 2 , loaded as shown in  FIG. 4D , are fed from the lowermost surface of the stack of documents D 2 . As shown in  FIGS. 4D and 5D , the double-sided documents D 2  on the document feeding tray  110  are loaded in the same order as the order of the double-sided documents D 2  when they are discharged onto the discharge tray  170 . However, since the document is scanned in order of pages  6 ,  5 ,  4 ,  3 ,  2 ,  1 , the printing speed is slowed, as is described above. Accordingly, when the double-sided document D 2  is scanned, the double-sided document D 2  on the document feeding tray  110  should be fed from the lowermost surface of the stack of documents D 2 .  
         [0068]     As a reference, when the double-sided documents D 2 , loaded on the document feeding tray  110 , are fed from the uppermost surface of the stack of documents D 2 , the following examples explain the problem solved by the invention.  
         [0069]      FIG. 5E  is a view of an example of the double-sided documents D 2  discharged on the discharge tray  170  when the double-sided documents D 2  are loaded face-down as shown in  FIG. 4B  and fed from the uppermost surface of the stack of documents D 2 . The double-sided documents D 2  are discharged on the discharge tray  170  in order of pages  5 ,  6 ,  3 ,  4 ,  1 ,  2  from the lowermost surface of the discharged stack of documents D 2 .  
         [0070]     Similarly,  FIG. 5F  is a view of an example of the double-sided documents D 2  discharged on the discharge tray  170  when the double-sided documents D 2  are loaded face-up as shown in  FIG. 4D  and fed from the uppermost surface of the stack of documents D 2 . The double-sided documents D 2  are discharged on the discharge tray  170  in order of pages  2 ,  1 ,  4 ,  3 ,  6 ,  5  from the lowermost surface of the discharged stack of documents D 2 .  
         [0071]     If the image reading apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention is applied, reducing a time to read images is possible since the conventional reverse operation is improved.  
         [0072]     Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.