Provided is a reading device including: a first emitting unit configured to emit light; an optical path unit having a reflection surface configured to reflect a part of light emitted from the first emitting unit, and an optical path configured to guide the part of light from the reflection surface to an original; and an image sensor that generates an image from specular reflection of the part of light guided by the optical path from the original.

The reading device of the present disclosure includes a housing, a first irradiation part, an imaging device, and a first diffusion part. The housing has an opening in an upper portion with a transparent reading window member. The first irradiation part emits an infrared light. The imaging device is disposed on a bottom portion such that an optical axis is directed to a reading window member. The first diffusion part is disposed on a left side wall connecting the upper and bottom portions. The first diffusion part diffuses the infrared light. The first diffusion part is made up of a light-transmitting first diffusion plate and a light-transmitting second diffusion plate. The first diffusion plate is disposed on the bottom surface side and inclined toward the upper portion. The second diffusion plate is disposed on the upper surface side and inclined toward the bottom portion.

Provided is a lighting unit for an image sensor, the lighting unit including: a light source; a light guide extending in a main scanning direction; and a light diffusion area which diffuses light emitted from the light source and incident on the light guide, the light diffusion area including a first coating film formed on the light guide from a first paint containing metal powder.

A lighting device (23) irradiates a web under conveyance with light. The lighting device includes a light source (43), and an irradiation port (61) configured to open linearly in a widthwise direction of the web at an end portion facing the web. The irradiation port (61) is formed between first and second parallel portions (62b, 63b) where a first plate member (62) and a second plate member (63) parallelly face each other. The web under conveyance is irradiated with linear light. It is possible to provide a lighting device capable of irradiating only an inspection region of a sheet or a web with light.

A reading apparatus that reads an image formed on a document while transporting the document, the reading apparatus includes a first reading section that reads, as a read image, one of specularly reflected light or diffusely reflected light which is reflected from the document on a reading glass through which the moving document passes, and a second reading section that reads, as a read image, the other of the specularly reflected light or the diffusely reflected light which is reflected from the document on one side of a transport path through which the document is transported.

Provided is a light scanning apparatus including a deflector deflecting a light flux to scan a scanned surface, and an imaging optical element including an optical surface and guiding light flux from deflector to scanned surface. The light scanning apparatus causes a first marginal ray on a side closer to a first deflection point on deflector in a first cross section including first deflection point and being perpendicular to a main scanning section and a sub-scanning section, the first marginal ray being included in an on-axis light flux reflected by the optical surface after being deflected at first deflection point, to travel toward a position spaced apart from first deflection point in a sub-scanning direction by 4 mm or more in first cross section. A sub-scanning width of on-axis light flux on first cross section is smaller than a sub-scanning width of on-axis light flux on optical surface.

In accordance with an embodiment, a lens mirror array includes a plurality of optical elements integrally connected in a first direction. Each optical element includes an incident side lens surface through which light enters the optical element, a ridge located at an edge of the incident side lens surface, a reflection surface on which light incident on the incident side lens surface is reflected, an exit side lens surface through which light reflected by the reflection surface exits the optical element, and a groove surrounding the reflection surface except for a portion adjacent to the ridge, the portion adjacent to the ridge connecting to an adjacent optical element in the plurality of optical elements.

An optical information reader includes a reflective member that reflects illumination light emitted from an illuminant toward a reading surface, and an image former ensured to present an imaging target held over the reading surface within an imaging region of an imager. The imaging region includes a first imaging region defined between the image former and the reading surface, and a second imaging region defined between the reading surface and the reflective member so as to be continuous to the first imaging region when light is internally reflected on the reading surface inside the housing. The reflective member is arranged outside the first imaging region, while the illuminant, the imager and the image former are arranged outside the second imaging region. The illuminant emits illumination light toward a reflecting surface of the reflective member in the second imaging region.

An image reading device includes a glass having a document reading surface along which a document moves; an image reading unit movable in a sub-scanning direction and including a light emitting portion that emits light to illuminate the document with the light and a light receiving portion that receives the light reflected by the document, the image reading unit reading the document that moves along the document reading surface at a predetermined document reading position; and a light emission control unit that causes the light emitting portion to emit the light so that the light enters the glass through a side surface that crosses the document reading surface in an operation different from an operation in which the image reading unit reads the document.

By a first grouping pattern, a plurality of regions for which a filter operation is to be performed in an operation target image are grouped. Then, for each group obtained by the first grouping pattern, a first filter corresponding to the group is used to perform a filter operation on each region belonging to the group. By a second grouping pattern, a plurality of regions for which a filter operation is to be performed in an intermediate image obtained by the filter operation are grouped. Then, for each group obtained by the second grouping pattern, a second filter corresponding to the group is used to perform a filter operation on each region belonging to the group.