Rohm Co., Ltd.

Yasuhiro Nagao

Hideki Sawada

Hiromi Ogata

Yasuyuki Aritaki

Hiroyuki Tajiri

Motoari Shoji

Hiroki Kawai

An elongate light guide includes a light incident portion provided at an end in the longitudinal direction of the guide, a light reflecting portion extending in the longitudinal direction, a light emitting portion extending in the longitudinal direction for emitting linear light, and a scatterer for scattering the light entering through the light incident portion. For instance, the scatterer is provided as a grained portion formed at least part of the reflecting portion.

Image reader, light guide used for the same, and method of making light guide

An image reading apparatus of the present invention includes a first light source, a first light guide, a second light source, a second light guide, light receiving elements and a lens unit. The first light source emits first light. The first light guide directs the first light from the first light source toward an image-carrying object as first linear light extending in a primary scanning direction. The second light source emits second light of a wavelength different from that of the first light. The second light guide directs the second light from the second light source toward the image-carrying object as second linear light extending in the primary scanning direction. The light receiving elements are arranged in the primary scanning direction. The first and second linear lights are reflected by the image-carrying object, and the reflected lights are guided by the lens unit toward the light receiving elements.

Image reading apparatus

An image sensor module includes a light source, a light guide elongated in a first direction, a reflector covering the guide, and a light receiver for linear light reflected on a reading target in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The guide includes an incident surface for entering light from the light source, a reflecting portion for reflecting, in a direction crossing the first direction, the light from the incident surface, and a surface for emitting light from the reflecting portion as linear light elongated in the first direction. The reflector has an opening and an inclined surface. The opening extends in the first direction to pass the light reflected by the target. The inclined surface, at an end of the opening in the first direction, has a normal which is non-parallel to the first direction and a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions.

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Kyoto, Japan

Yasuhiro Nagao