Patent ID: 8575581

Claim:
An image reading apparatus, comprising: an apparatus body including an insertion port into which a sheet medium is insertable; a light source provided in the apparatus body and configured to emit light for reading an image on the sheet medium inserted into the insertion port; a light guide and output unit optically connected to the light source and configured to guide the light emitted from the light source and output the guided light into the insertion port; a light receiving unit configured to detect the light output from the light guide and output unit; and a determining unit configured to determine whether the sheet medium is inserted into the insertion port based on a detection result by the light receiving unit, wherein the light source is configured to emit the light when the determining unit determines whether the sheet medium is inserted into the insertion port, the insertion port includes a region through which the light output from the light guide and output unit passes, the region extending from one end to the other end of the insertion port in a width direction, the width direction being a longitudinal direction of the insertion port, the light guide and output unit is configured to output the light emitted from the light source from the one end of the insertion port in the width direction, the light receiving unit is configured to detect the light output from the light guide and output unit at the other end of the insertion port in the width direction, the image reading apparatus further comprises a pair of light reflecting members provided opposite to each other in a sheet thickness direction orthogonal both to (i) an inserting direction of the sheet medium into the insertion port and to (ii) the width direction, the pair of light reflecting members is configured to reflect light incident on opposite surfaces of the pair of light reflecting members, and an optical axis of the light output from the light guide and output unit is configured to intersect with a normal line direction of one of the opposite surfaces of the pair of light reflecting members, so that the light reflected by the pair of light reflecting members is received by the light receiving unit.