Patent ID: 6906740

Claim:
A light emitting array unit for emitting line-shaped light constituted by plural spotted lights arranged in a line, comprising: N light emitting element arrays disposed substantially in parallel with one another, each of said light emitting element arrays including plural light emitting elements arranged linearly in a first direction and at a pitch P, said light emitting elements being offset between said light emitting element arrays in said first direction by P/N; and a light guide means for guiding light emitted by respectively said light emitting elements; to create said line-shaped light, wherein said N light emitting element arrays include first and second light emitting arrays, and one light emitting element included in said second light emitting array is positioned on a straight extension line that passes a central point between two adjacent light emitting elements included in said first light emitting array, and said light guide means includes plural prism elements associated with respectively said light emitting elements, each of said prism elements is in a prismatic shape, and includes an inclined surface at one end with an inclination of half a right angle, and a perpendicular surface at a remaining end; said inclined surface is disposed on a straight line extending from an associated one of said light emitting elements, and reflects said light being incident thereon toward said perpendicular surface; said perpendicular surface of said prism elements is aligned in a flush manner, and causes said light to exit from said prism elements by way of said spotted lights according to said light emitting elements.