Patent ID: 8379265

Claim:
An image reading apparatus comprising: a document transfer device transferring a document; a platen glass; an image sensor disposed below the platen glass and having a stationary location to read an image from the document transferred by the document transfer device; and a document guiding unit disposed on the platen glass, and guiding the document transferred by the document transfer device to allow the image of the document to be read by the image sensor, wherein the document guiding unit is formed of a light transmitting material and comprises: a contacting surface that contacts the platen glass; a reading surface spaced upward from the contacting surface and having a flat reading portion covering at least a reading reference location of the image sensor; an access guiding surface guiding the document to the reading surface, tilted downward toward the reading surface, and having an access terminal that is stepped with respect to the reading surface; and a discharge guiding surface guiding the document after the document has passed along the reading surface, and tilting upward from the reading surface without a step.