US Patent 7443551 Document feeder and image forming apparatus

A document feeder reads a document at a reading section while conveying the document. The document feeder has a flexible member which is set in a convey path formed in a document feeding section such that the document is always conveyed along the convey path, and which flexes by a passing force of the document, to allow conveyance of the document. The flexible member is formed of a PET sheet, and is adhered to a reading guide member provided to the document feeding section, to close the convey path.