Patent ID: 6957037

Claim:
An image reading apparatus comprising: a reading apparatus main body having a document base on which an original document is placed and a scanning unit which scans an image of the original document placed on the document base; a document pressing device which is provided so that the document pressing device is rotatable with respect to the reading apparatus main body; and an opening/closing unit which supports the document pressing device so that the document pressing device is movable between a pressing position where the original document is pressed on the document base and an opening position where the original document is released, wherein the document pressing device has a pressing plate which presses the original document on the document base and a plurality of elastic members provided apart from each other on a face of the pressing plate opposite to the document base between a center of rotating of the document pressing device and an opening/closing end of the document pressing device, wherein the opening/closing unit has a force applying mechanism which applies a predetermined force in a direction so that a weight of the document pressing device is reduced, and had an adjusting mechanism which adjusts the height of the document pressing device with respect to the reading apparatus main body on the pressing position so that the plurality of elastic members are deformed when the document pressing device moves to the pressing position, and the restoration forces by deformation of the plurality of elastic members on the pressing position are set to be smaller so that the elastic members are disposed at a position further from the center of rotating of the document pressing device.