Patent ID: 8416497

Claim:
A lens array unit, comprising: a longitudinally extending lens plate including a lens array, the lens array including a plurality of lenses that are aligned generally in a direction in which the lens plate extends and that have lens surfaces, and optical axes passing through the lens surfaces in directions substantially perpendicular to the direction, each of the lens surfaces having an outer perimeter that includes a circumferential perimeter and straight perimeter portions such that adjacent lenses are contiguous to and in contact with each other at one of the straight perimeter portions; and at least two projections formed on the lens plate and aligned in a direction traverse to the lens array such that the lens array extends through an area between the at least two projections, the at least two projections protecting the lens surfaces of the plurality of lenses, wherein the at least two projections are in areas outside an area in which the lens array extends, the area being between two planes parallel to the optical axes.