Abstract: An absorber for absorbing liquid discharged from a liquid discharge head includes three or more laminated layers. The three or more laminated layers include an uppermost layer, a lowermost layer, and an inner layer. The uppermost layer of nonwoven fabric has through holes that penetrate through the uppermost layer in a lamination direction in which the laminated layers are laminated. The lowermost layer of nonwoven fabric has through holes that penetrate through the lowermost layer in the lamination direction. The inner layer is between the uppermost layer and the lowermost layer and has a porous structure higher in liquid absorption capacity than each of the uppermost layer and the lowermost layer.

Abstract: A linear element array with n functional elements disposed one-dimensionally is constructed of a linear element array section having N blocks each having m functional elements, and a wiring section having m electrical wirings disposed side by side; wherein each of the functional elements is connected to a corresponding one of the electrical wirings by means of wire bonding.

Abstract: An image reader, comprises a plurality of photosensors which photoelectrically convert incident light from an object to be read, a memory for storing, as correction reference data, data corresponding to photoelectric conversion outputs from said photosensors when said object to be read presents a uniform halftone image, and a correction circuit for obtaining uniform photoelectric conversion output levels among said photosensors using the correction reference data.