Patent ID: 8587848

Claim:
An image reading apparatus, comprising: a platen cover; and an automatic document feeder provided on the platen cover and arranged to feed a document from a paper supply port to a paper ejection port; wherein the automatic document feeder includes: a document feeding route including an upstream half route on a side nearer the paper supply port and a downstream half route on a side nearer the paper ejection port; a feeder cover arranged to cover the upstream half route and movable between a closed position and an open position; a roller mechanism including a plurality of drive rollers arranged along the downstream half route and a plurality of idler rollers arranged in positions opposite the drive rollers such that the downstream half route is disposed therebetween, the roller mechanism being arranged to nip a document between the drive rollers and the idler rollers and feed the document toward the paper ejection port; and a jam clearance mechanism that is arranged to face the downstream half route and arranged to separate the idler rollers and the drive rollers from each other in coordination with a movement of the feeder cover from the closed position to the open position; wherein when the feeder cover is moved from the closed position to the open position, at least one of the idler rollers is moved away from a corresponding drive roller; the jam clearance mechanism includes a cam frame arranged to undergo a sliding displacement in a direction along which a plurality of roller pairs are arranged, each roller pair including one of the idler rollers and one of the drive rollers, the sliding displacement occurring in coordination with opening and closing of the feeder cover; and at least one of the idler rollers is arranged to be movable by the cam frame.