Patent ID: 8619342

Claim:
An image reading apparatus for optically reading an image of a document, comprising: a light source for emitting light for irradiating the document; a light guide arranged between the light source and the document and having a light incident surface on which light emitted from the light source is incident at a side of the light source, a first light emitting surface from which the light is emitted at a side of the document, a second light emitting surface which is located on a surface different from the one including the first light emitting surface and from which the light is emitted, a first reflecting surface arranged between the first and second light emitting surfaces, a second reflecting surface arranged between the light incident surface and the second light emitting surface, and a third reflecting surface facing the second reflecting surface; a reflecting member for reflecting light emitted from the second light emitting surface toward the document; one or more mirrors for forming an optical path by reflecting light reflected by the document; an imaging lens for imaging the light reflected by the one or more mirrors; and an image reader arranged at an imaging position of the imaging lens and adapted to read the image of the document based on imaging by the imaging lens; wherein: the first reflecting surface is oriented to reflect light received thereby toward the first light emitting surface; the second reflecting surface is oriented to reflect light received thereby toward any one of the second light emitting surface, the first reflecting surface and the third reflecting surface; and the third reflecting surface is oriented to reflect light received thereby toward either the second light emitting surface or the first reflecting surface.