Document Feeder and Image Scanning Device Provided with the Same

An image scanning device, comprising:

• a document feeder configured to feed a document sheet in a sheet carrying direction on a sheet carrying path;
• and
• a scanner configured to scan images on the document sheet fed by the document feeder,
• wherein the document feeder comprises:
• a sheet tray configured to be loaded with sheets stacked thereon in a predetermined direction;
• a pickup unit configured to pull in sheets loaded on the sheet tray and feed the sheets forward in the sheet carrying direction;
• a separation unit configured to separate a sheet from the sheets fed through the pickup unit from the sheet tray and feed the separated sheet, so as to convey the sheets sequentially on a sheet-by-sheet basis;
• and
• a guide unit configured to form a carrying path which extends from the sheet tray to the separation unit,
• the guide unit having an entrance portion provided at a side of the sheet tray relative to the separation unit, the entrance portion being configured as an entrance of the sheets loaded on the sheet tray into the carrying path,
• the carrying path being configured to have a longer length in the predetermined direction at a downstream side in the sheet carrying direction relative to the entrance portion than a length in the predetermined direction of the entrance portion.