Patent ID: 7900908

Claim:
An automatic paper feed device comprising: a placement unit in which paper is placed; a separation and transport mechanism that separates paper placed in the placement unit and transports paper placed in the placement unit in a transport direction; a cover member; and a paper insertion opening in a nearly rectangular shape which is defined by the cover member and the placement unit, the paper insertion opening having a longitudinal direction perpendicular to both the transport direction of the paper and a thickness direction of the paper, the thickness direction of the paper being perpendicular to a plane of the paper which is parallel to the transport direction; the paper insertion opening comprising: a first end opening portion; a second end opening portion; and a center opening portion; wherein the center opening portion is located in a position corresponding to the separation and transport mechanism; wherein the first end opening portion is disposed on one side of the center opening portion in the longitudinal direction of the paper insertion opening, and the second end opening portion is disposed on the other side of the center opening portion in the longitudinal direction of the paper insertion opening; and wherein a top of the first end opening portion, a top of the second end opening portion, and a top of the center opening portion are each defined by the cover member; wherein the cover member covers the separation and transport mechanism; wherein the paper insertion opening allows paper to be transported from the placement unit to the separation and transport mechanism; wherein the separation and transport mechanism is provided in a position corresponding to a nearly central location of the longitudinal direction of the paper insertion opening from the perspective of a head on view of the paper insertion opening; and wherein the first and second end opening portions are each larger in size than the center opening portion, such that a thickness dimension, parallel to the thickness direction of the paper, of each of the first and second end opening portions is greater than a thickness dimension of the center opening portion.