Patent ID: 8605259

Claim:
A distance measuring apparatus comprising: a light source that emits light from a light-emitting portion by making a divergent angle of the light larger in a transversal direction of the light-emitting portion than in a longitudinal direction of the light-emitting portion, the light-emitting portion having a linear shape; an objective lens that projects the light onto a target object and converges reflection light reflected from the target object; a partial reflection member that is disposed between the light source and the objective lens and has a partial reflection surface composed of a transmitting area reflecting light emitted from the light source and a receiving area transmitting reflection light reflected from the target object and converged by the objective lens; and a photodetector that detects the reflection light transmitted by the receiving area of the partial reflection surface; wherein the light source and the partial reflection member are disposed with respect to each other such that the longitudinal direction of the light-emitting portion is disposed substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the transmitting area as seen along an optical axis.