Patent ID: 6995880

Claim:
An image reading apparatus for reading indicia on two surfaces of a document automatically at a time, comprising: a document supply tray for placing a document to be fed for reading, document feed means for feeding the document on the document supply tray for reading, discharge means for discharging documents after reading, and a reading station situated between the document supply tray and the discharge means and including first reading means for reading one surface of the document, second reading means for reading the other surface of the document, transparent first guide means for guiding the document so that said one surface of the document is read by the first reading means, second guide means formed at a side opposite to the first guide means to form together with the first guide means a first path having a predetermined gap, said second guide means having an oblique portion at a side of the second reading means to incline obliquely toward the first guide means to gradually reduce a distance to the first guide means, transparent third guide means for guiding the document so that the other surface of the document is read by the second reading means, and fourth guide means formed at a side opposite to the third guide means and connected to the first guide means so that the first and fourth guide means form flat and continuous guide surfaces thereon, said fourth guide means forming a second path together with the third guide means to allow the document to pass from the first path to the second path, said second path having a gap smaller than said predetermined gap.