Color original reading apparatus having a knife edged reflecting beam splitter

Abstract

A color original reading apparatus includes a focusing lens which receives a light beam containing image information and reflecting from an original document to be read and outputs a convergent light beam toward a first line image sensor. A first color separating lens is disposed in front of the first image sensor so that only a first predetermined color component of the light beam is allowed to impinge on the first image sensor. A reflecting mirror having a reflecting surface at its forward side surface and a knife edge at its forward end surface is disposed to reflect part of the convergent light beam toward a second line image sensor. The reflecting mirror is disposed not to cross the optical axis of the convergent light beam. In addition, the angle defined by the knife edge is set to be smaller than the angle defined between the reflecting surface and the optical axis. A second color separating filter is disposed in front of the second image sensor so that only a predetermined second color component of said reflected part of said convergent light beam is allowed to reach the second image sensor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.