Abstract: A lighting apparatus includes a first illumination portion and a second illumination portion. The first illumination portion and the second illumination portion respectively include a bar-like light guide whose shape of an end face of an end portion includes a part of a circle, an ellipse or a parabola, and light source elements that are provided to face the end face of the end portion of the light guide. In the light guide of the second illumination portion, light enters a determined range in which a focus of the shape of the end face of the end portion of the light guide is included. In the light guide of the first illumination portion, light enters a range that is not the determined range in which the focus of the shape of the end face of the light guide is included.

Abstract: A light guide includes a first exit portion emitting first exiting light, a second exit portion emitting second exiting light in a different direction than the first exiting light, and a reflecting portion reflecting light entering the light guide to each of the first and second exit portions. The first and second exit portions respectively have first and second curved surfaces each having a convex cross section perpendicular to the long axis direction. The second exit portion is connected to the first exit portion in the direction perpendicular to the long axis direction. The reflecting portion is provided, in a plane facing the first exit portion and the second exit portion, at a position shifted in the direction perpendicular to the long axis direction from a position where a normal to the plane passes through a connection portion between the first and second exit portions.

Abstract: An image reader configured to read an image of an object-to-be-read includes: a board, a line sensor assembly including a plurality of photosensitive elements formed on one surface of the board along a main scanning direction, a lens array assembly including a plurality of lenses arrayed along the main scanning direction, and configured to focus the reflected light onto the line sensor assembly, a light shield configured to support a portion of the lens array assembly at the line-sensor-assembly side or to be in contact with the portion of the lens array assembly at the line-sensor-assembly side, and to block light other than the light focused by the lens array assembly, and a transparent member made of transparent material, formed with a retainer space where the lens array assembly and the light shield are retained, and covering a portion of the lens array assembly at the object-to-be-read side and the light shield.

Abstract: An image sensor and image sensor device include: a lighting portion extending in a main scanning direction and emitting light to the object-to-be-read; a rod lens array for imaging light from the object-to-be-read; and a light receiving portion for converting the light imaged by the rod lens array to an electric signal. The lighting portion emits a normally directed light from the normal direction of the object-to-be-read to irradiate a first irradiation region of the object-to-be-read, and an inclined light inclined by a predetermined angle from the normal direction of the object-to-be-read to irradiate a second irradiation region being apart from the first irradiation region in a sub-scanning direction.

Abstract: An image reading device including: concave first lens mirrors that are arranged in an array shape along a main scanning direction and that collimate scattered light reflected by an irradiated object and reflect the scattered light as a substantially parallel bundle of rays that are angled in a sub-scanning direction; planar mirrors that reflect light from the first lens mirrors; apertures that are arranged in an array shape and that allow light from the planar mirrors to pass through by way of openings that are arranged in an array shape and that are light-shielded therearound for selectively allowing light to pass through; concave second lens mirrors that are arranged in an array shape into which light from the apertures is incident and that reflect the light from the apertures as converged light; and light receivers that have light receiving areas on which light from the second lens mirrors is incident and that form images that correspond to light from the openings.

Abstract: A light guide including a light scattering portion that reflects light guided inside the light guide, and a light emitting surface portion emitting light reflected by the light scattering portion to outside the light guide. A light emitting surface portion includes first and second light emitting surface portions, the first light emitting surface portion has a longer circumferential length than that of the second light emitting surface portion in the transversal cross section, and circumference curvature of the first light emitting surface portion in the transversal cross section increases away from the second light emitting surface portion. A normal line to the light scattering portion, passing through the center of the light scattering portion in the transversal cross section, intersects with the first light emitting surface portion, at a point at a near side to the second light emitting surface portion in the transversal cross section.

Abstract: A light guide includes a first exit portion emitting first exiting light, a second exit portion emitting second exiting light in a different direction than the first exiting light, and a reflecting portion reflecting light entering the light guide to each of the first and second exit portions. The first and second exit portions respectively have first and second curved surfaces each having a convex cross section perpendicular to the long axis direction. The second exit portion is connected to the first exit portion in the direction perpendicular to the long axis direction. The reflecting portion is provided, in a plane facing the first exit portion and the second exit portion, at a position shifted in the direction perpendicular to the long axis direction from a position where a normal to the plane passes through a connection portion between the first and second exit portions.

Abstract: An image reader configured to read an image of an object-to-be-read includes: a board, a line sensor assembly including a plurality of photosensitive elements formed on one surface of the board along a main scanning direction, a lens array assembly including a plurality of lenses arrayed along the main scanning direction, and configured to focus the reflected light onto the line sensor assembly, a light shield configured to support a portion of the lens array assembly at the line-sensor-assembly side or to be in contact with the portion of the lens array assembly at the line-sensor-assembly side, and to block light other than the light focused by the lens array assembly, and a transparent member made of transparent material, formed with a retainer space where the lens array assembly and the light shield are retained, and covering a portion of the lens array assembly at the object-to-be-read side and the light shield.

Abstract: A lighting unit is provided with: LED arrays in which light-emitting elements are positioned in an array in a main scanning direction; cylindrical parabolic mirrors that project light emitted from the LED arrays on an illumination region of an illuminated item; and a housing that houses or holds the LED arrays and the cylindrical parabolic mirrors. Each cylindrical parabolic mirror forms a shape in which a cylindrical paraboloid having curvature with respect to a sub-scanning direction has been clipped by an axial plane that is perpendicular to the vertex of the cylindrical paraboloid in the main scanning direction. The LED arrays are positioned so as to include the focal position of the cylindrical paraboloid in the light-emitting region, the central axis in the light-emitting direction being perpendicular to the axial plane.

Abstract: An image sensor and image sensor device include: a lighting portion extending in a main scanning direction and emitting light to the object-to-be-read; a rod lens array for imaging light from the object-to-be-read; and a light receiving portion for converting the light imaged by the rod lens array to an electric signal. The lighting portion emits a normally directed light from the normal direction of the object-to-be-read to irradiate a first irradiation region of the object-to-be-read, and an inclined light inclined by a predetermined angle from the normal direction of the object-to-be-read to irradiate a second irradiation region being apart from the first irradiation region in a sub-scanning direction.

Abstract: A lighting unit includes LED chips positioned in an array form in a main scanning direction on LED substrates. Cylindrical parabolic mirrors each form a shape in which a cylindrical paraboloid having curvature with respect to an sub-scanning direction has been clipped by an axial plane that is perpendicular to the vertex of the cylindrical paraboloid in the main scanning direction, and project light emitted from the light source on an illumination area of an illuminated item. Each cylindrical parabolic mirror includes an anchoring section that is provided at the vertex of the cylindrical paraboloid, and extends from the vertex in an outside direction of the cylindrical paraboloid. Heat-radiating plates each have a contact section that is in contact with the LED substrate, and a non-contact section. Each LED substrate is interposed between the contact section of the heat-radiating plate and the anchoring section of the cylindrical parabolic mirror.

Abstract: A lighting unit includes LED chips positioned in an array form in a main scanning direction on LED substrates. Cylindrical parabolic mirrors each form a shape in which a cylindrical paraboloid having curvature with respect to an sub-scanning direction has been clipped by an axial plane that is perpendicular to the vertex of the cylindrical paraboloid in the main scanning direction, and project light emitted from the light source on an illumination area of an illuminated item. Each cylindrical parabolic mirror includes an anchoring section that is provided at the vertex of the cylindrical paraboloid, and extends from the vertex in an outside direction of the cylindrical paraboloid. Heat-radiating plates each have a contact section that is in contact with the LED substrate, and a non-contact section. Each LED substrate is interposed between the contact section of the heat-radiating plate and the anchoring section of the cylindrical parabolic mirror.

Abstract: A lighting unit is provided with: LED arrays in which light-emitting elements are positioned in an array in a main scanning direction; cylindrical parabolic mirrors that project light emitted from the LED arrays on an illumination region of an illuminated item; and a housing that houses or holds the LED arrays and the cylindrical parabolic mirrors. Each cylindrical parabolic mirror forms a shape in which a cylindrical paraboloid having curvature with respect to a sub-scanning direction has been clipped by an axial plane that is perpendicular to the vertex of the cylindrical paraboloid in the main scanning direction. The LED arrays are positioned so as to include the focal position of the cylindrical paraboloid in the light-emitting region, the central axis in the light-emitting direction being perpendicular to the axial plane.

Abstract: An image reading device including: concave first lens mirrors that are arranged in an array shape along a main scanning direction and that collimate scattered light reflected by an irradiated object and reflect the scattered light as a substantially parallel bundle of rays that are angled in a sub-scanning direction; planar mirrors that reflect light from the first lens mirrors; apertures that are arranged in an array shape and that allow light from the planar mirrors to pass through by way of openings that are arranged in an array shape and that are light-shielded therearound for selectively allowing light to pass through; concave second lens mirrors that are arranged in an array shape into which light from the apertures is incident and that reflect the light from the apertures as converged light; and light receivers that have light receiving areas on which light from the second lens mirrors is incident and that form images that correspond to light from the openings.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus having a large depth of field and being compact in size. The image reading apparatus includes a light source, an imaging optics system, an image pickup device unit, a memory, and a processor. The imaging optics system has a plurality of cells each being an independent optics system arranged in a main scanning direction, and arranged in two rows in a sub-scanning direction. In each of the cells, a first reflective light-gathering optical element, a first plane mirror, an aperture, and a second reflective light-gathering optical element are arranged in this order from a document, and the aperture is arranged at the back focal point position of the first reflective light-gathering optical element to form a telecentric optics system at the side of the document.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus having a large depth of field and being compact in size. The image reading apparatus includes a light source, an imaging optics system, an image pickup device unit, a memory, and a processor. The imaging optics system has a plurality of cells each being an independent optics system arranged in a main scanning direction, and arranged in two rows in a sub-scanning direction. In each of the cells, a first reflective light-gathering optical element, a first plane mirror, an aperture, and a second reflective light-gathering optical element are arranged in this order from a document, and the aperture is arranged at the back focal point position of the first reflective light-gathering optical element to form a telecentric optics system at the side of the document.