Contact type image sensor comprising a plurality of microlenses

A full-contact type image sensor comprising:

• a light source for emitting light;
• a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements provided in a linear or two-dimensional array on a transparent insulating substrate and each having one or more apertures and a photoelectric conversion region, said light from said light source being allowed to pass solely through said apertures and blocked by the photoelectric conversion regions;
• a plurality of micro-lenses;
• and
• an optical fiber converging member including a bundle of a plurality of optical fibers in close contact via a transparent adhesive layer with the photoelectric conversion elements, said optical fiber converging member for guiding light having been transmitted through said apertures and said plurality of micro-lenses to illuminate an original document and for guiding light reflected from said original document through said adhesive layer to the photo-electric conversion regions of the photoelectric conversion elements,
• wherein said plurality of micro-lenses is provided at least at a photoelectric conversion element side end of said optical fiber converging member in one-to-one correspondence to said plurality of optical fibers.

A full-contact type image sensor comprising:

• a light source for emitting light;
• a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements provided in a linear or two-dimensional array on a transparent insulating substrate and each having one or more apertures and a photoelectric conversion region, said light from said light source being allowed to pass solely through said apertures and blocked by the photoelectric conversion regions;
• a plurality of lens means provided in one-to-one correspondence with said photoelectric conversion elements;
• and
• an optical fiber converging member including a bundle of a plurality of optical fibers in close contact via a transparent adhesive layer with the photoelectric conversion elements, said optical fiber converging member for guiding light having been transmitted through said apertures and said plurality of lens means to illuminate an original document and for guiding light reflected from said original document through said adhesive layer to the photo-electric conversion regions of the photoelectric conversion elements,
• wherein each of said plurality of lens means is constituted by a first region and a second region of said optical fiber converging member arranged such that a numerical aperture of said plurality of optical fibers at said first region on a side of said photoelectric conversion elements is set to be greater than a numerical aperture of said plurality of optical fibers at said second region on a side of said original document.