Patent ID: 6479812
Filing Date: 2002-11-12
Classification: G02B,H04N

Abstract:
An illuminating unit comprising:(A) an illumination source adapted to illuminate an object in a line shape, said illumination source including an LED light source, an elongated light guide adapted to guide light from said LED light source, which is arranged at an end of said elongated light guide in the longitudinal direction, to form a light beam whose cross-section has a line shape, and a diffuser adapted to irradiate the light beam from a light irradiation surface of said elongated light guide; and (B) a housing adapted to hold said illumination source, wherein said housing has a convex portion and a shape of a geometric figure formed by connecting vertices of a cross-section of said housing to each other with a line forming a polygon having at least five sides, and wherein, when said illumination unit is arranged into a holder, said illumination unit is positioned by joining three surfaces of said housing to three surfaces of said holder, respectively, and engaging the convex portion of said housing with a concave portion of said holder.