Patent ID: 8625170

Claim:
An illuminating device comprising: a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in a line, the illuminating device illuminating an irradiation target by irradiating the irradiation target with light that is emitted from the light-emitting elements via a first and a second optical paths, wherein a light diffusing portion for diffusing light is provided in one of the first optical path and the second optical path, wherein an irradiation light amount of said one of the first optical path and the second optical path in which the light diffusing portion is provided is larger than an irradiation light amount of the other optical path, wherein the first optical path is an optical path in which light emitted from the light-emitting elements is irradiated on the irradiation target directly or after having been transmitted through a light-transmitting member, wherein the second optical path is an optical path in which light emitted from the light-emitting elements is reflected by a reflecting member and irradiated on the irradiation target, and wherein the light diffusing portion is provided in a portion of the light-transmitting member that is closer to the irradiation target than to the light-emitting elements.