# US 11,079,516 B2 · Optical device, image reading device, and image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,516 B2 - Document ID: US11079516B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/515,469 - Filed: 2019-07-18 - Published: 2020-10-01 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-26 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp. - Applicants: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. - Inventors: Masaki Hachisuga - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079516B2 ## CPC - G02B 3/0056: {arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses (G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085)} - G02B 3/0062: {Stacked lens arrays, i.e. refractive surfaces arranged in at least two planes, without structurally separate optical elements in-between} - G02B 5/003: {Light absorbing elements} - H04N 1/00997: {Light control, e.g. shielding from ambient light or preventing light leakage} - H04N 1/0282: {Using a single or a few point light sources, e.g. a laser diode} - H04N 1/02895: {Additional elements in the illumination means or cooperating with the illumination means, e.g. filters (H04N1/02885 takes precedence; optical elements other than lenses per se G02B5/00)} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An optical device includes: a lens member including a plurality of lenses arranged such that optical axes of the lenses are substantially parallel to one another; and a light-transmitting member including: at least one light-transmitting part that is disposed to face the lens member, positioned on the optical axis of some of the plurality of lenses, and transmits light; and a light-shielding part that is provided on a surface of the light-transmitting part and blocks passage of light. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical device comprising: a lens member including a plurality of lenses arranged such that optical axes of the lenses are substantially parallel to one another; and a light-transmitting member including: at least one light-transmitting part that is disposed to face the lens member, positioned on the optical axis of some of the plurality of lenses, and transmits light; and a light-shielding part that is provided on a surface of the light-transmitting part and blocks passage of light, wherein the light-shielding part is provided between the lenses among the plurality of lenses, the some of the lenses are positioned at predetermined intervals among the plurality of lenses, a space is formed between a plurality of the light-transmitting parts and positioned on the optical axis of another lens than the some of the plurality of lenses, the light-transmitting member includes a plurality of other light-transmitting parts that transmit light to a position different from the space in a direction along the optical axis of the another lens, another space is formed between the other light-transmitting parts among the plurality of other light-transmitting parts at a position along the optical axis of the some of the lenses, and the plurality of other light-transmitting parts each have a portion continuous with any one of the plurality of light-transmitting parts in an arrangement direction of the plurality of lenses. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light-transmitting member has another light-shielding part that is provided on a surface of the other light-transmitting part and blocks passage of light. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of lenses are arranged in a first row and a second row substantially parallel to each other, and each of the plurality of light-transmitting parts projects in an intersection direction intersecting an arrangement direction of the plurality of lenses, and intersects the optical axis of the lens in the first row and the optical axis of the lens in the second row. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The optical device according to claim 3, wherein each of the lenses in the first row and each of the lenses in the second row are disposed to be shifted from each other in the arrangement direction, and each of the plurality of light-transmitting parts is bent at a portion where a portion intersecting the optical axis of the lens in the first row is joined to a portion intersecting the optical axis of the lens in the second row. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light-shielding part has a coating portion formed by coating the surface of the light-transmitting part. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The optical device according to claim 5, wherein a surface of the light-transmitting part covered with the coating portion is rougher than a surface of the light-transmitting part not covered with the coating portion. ### Claim 7 An optical device comprising: a lens member including a plurality of lenses arranged such that optical axes of the lenses are substantially parallel to one another; and a light-transmitting member including: at least one light-transmitting part that is disposed to face the lens member, positioned on the optical axis of some of the plurality of lenses, and transmits light; and a light-shielding part that is provided on a surface of the light-transmitting part and blocks passage of light, wherein the plurality of lenses are arranged in a first row and a second row substantially parallel to each other, and the light-transmitting member includes: a first light-transmitting member having: a first base that is provided, at a position shifted from the optical axis of the lens in the first row, along an arrangement direction in which the lenses in the first row are arranged; and a plurality of first light-transmitting parts that project from the first base in an intersection direction intersecting the arrangement direction and are positioned on the optical axes of the lenses in the first row; and a second light-transmitting member having: a second base that is provided, at a position shifted from the optical axis of the lens in the second row, along the arrangement direction on a side opposite to the first base with the lens of the first row and the lens of the second row interposed therebetween, and a plurality of second light-transmitting parts that project from the second base in the intersection direction and are positioned on the optical axes of the lenses in the second row. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The optical device according to claim 7, wherein the light-shielding part is provided between the lenses in the arrangement direction of the first row and the second row, and between the first row and the second row. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The optical device according to claim 8, wherein an end portion of the first light-transmitting part in the first light-transmitting member is provided in contact with an end portion of the second light-transmitting part in the second light-transmitting member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The optical device according to claim 9, wherein the end portion of the first light-transmitting part in the first light-transmitting member and the end portion of the second light-transmitting part in the second light-transmitting member are flat. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The optical device according to claim 7, further comprising: a covering member that is provided on a side opposite to the lens member with the first light-transmitting member and the second light-transmitting member interposed therebetween in a direction along the optical axis of the lens, and covers a region facing the first light-transmitting member and the second light-transmitting member. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The optical device according to claim 11, wherein the covering member includes a passing region through which light passes on each of optical axes of the plurality of lenses. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The optical device according to claim 12, wherein the covering member has a thickness smaller than that of the first light-transmitting member and that of the second light-transmitting member in a direction along the optical axis of the lens. ### Claim 14 An image reading device comprising: an irradiation section that irradiates a document with light; two lens members both including a plurality of lenses that are arranged such that optical axes of the lenses are substantially parallel to one another and through which light reflected from the document passes; a light-transmitting member having: at least one light-transmitting part that is disposed to face one of the two lens members, positioned on the optical axis of some of the plurality of lenses, and transmits light; and a light-shielding part that is provided on a surface of the light-transmitting part and blocks passage of light; and a light receiving section that receives light passing through the plurality of lenses, wherein the at least one light-transmitting part is a physical element, and wherein the light-transmitting member, the two lens members and the light receiving section are arranged along a direction of the optical axes so that the two lens members are between the light transmitting member and the light receiving section. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The image reading device according to claim 14, wherein the optical axes of the two lens members coincide with one another, and the light-shielding part and the light-transmitting part are integrated. ### Claim 16 An image forming apparatus comprising: an irradiation section that irradiates a document with light; two lens members including a plurality of lenses that are arranged such that optical axes of the lenses are substantially parallel to one another and through which light reflected from the document passes; a light-transmitting member having: at least one light-transmitting part that is disposed to face one of the two lens members, positioned on the optical axis of some of the plurality of lenses, and transmits light; and a light-shielding part that is provided on a surface of the light-transmitting part and blocks passage of light; a light receiving section that receives light passing through the plurality of lenses; and an image forming section that forms an image based on light received by the light receiving section, wherein the at least one light-transmitting part is a physical element, and wherein the light-transmitting member, the two lens members and the light receiving section are arranged along a direction of the optical axes so that the two lens members are between the light transmitting member and the light receiving section. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The image forming apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the optical axes of the two lens members coincide with one another, and the light-shielding part and the light-transmitting part are integrated.