1. An apparatus comprising:
a lens for reading an image;
a plurality of light sources staggered to a predetermined circular arc that surrounds the lens; and
a support board which supports said plurality of light sources,
some light sources of said plurality of light sources being supported at predetermined angles with respect to a normal from the support board to be tilted toward an inside of the circular arc, and
remaining light sources of said plurality of light sources being supported at predetermined angles with respect to the normal from the support board to be tilted toward an outside of the circular arc.
2. An apparatus comprising:
a lens for reading an image;
a first plurality of light sources located on a first circular arc that surrounds the lens; and
a second plurality of light sources located on a second circular arc that has the same center as that of the first circular arc and a radius larger than that of the first circular arc,
wherein said first plurality of light sources located on the first circular arc are located at positions separated from radii drawn from said second plurality of light sources located on the second circular arc.
3. An apparatus comprising:
a lens for reading an image:
a first plurality of light sources which are located on a first circular arc that surrounds the lens,
a second plurality of light sources which are located on a second circular arc that has the same center as that of the first circular arc and a radius larger than that of the first circular arc, and
a support board which supports said first and second plurality of light sources located on the first and second circular arcs,
said first plurality of light sources located on the first circular arc being supported at predetermined angles with respect to a normal from the support board to be tilted toward an inside of the circular arc, and
said second plurality of light sources located on the second circular arc being supported at predetermined angles with respect to the normal from the support board to be tilted toward an outside of the circular arc.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A composition comprising
(a) at least 70% by weight microcrystalline cellulose, and
(b) a hydrocolloid
wherein the composition has a mean particle size of less than about 10 microns
2. A composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein
(i) when the hydrocolloid is a carrageenan at least about 50% of the particles have a particle size less than about 3.5 microns,
(ii) when the hydrocolloid is a hydrocolloid other than a carrageenan at least about 30% of the particles have a particle size less than about 3.5 microns, and
(iii) when the hydrocolloid is a combination of a carrageenan and another hydrocolloid at least about 20% of the particles have a particle size less than about 3.5 microns.
3. A composition as claimed in claim 1 having a Ca++ content of from 0.18 to 3.5% by weight based on the total weight of the composition.
4. A composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein the amount of hydrocolloid is equal to from 15% to 30% by weight based on the total weight of hydrocolloid and microcrystalline cellulose.
5. A composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hydrocolloid is a carrageenan.
6. A composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hydrocolloid is an alginate.
7. A composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein the amount of microcrystalline cellulose is equal to from 70% to 85% by weight based on the total weight of hydrocolloid and microcrystalline cellulose.
8. A composition as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a water soluble inorganic salt.
9. A composition as claimed in claim 8 wherein the amount of inorganic salt is equal to at least 1% by weight based on the total weight of the composition.
10. A composition as claimed in claim 7 wherein the inorganic salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, calcium chloride, calcium lactate, calcium tartrate, and calcium monophosphate.
11. A composition as claimed in claim 7 wherein the inorganic salt is calcium chloride.
12. A composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microcrystalline cellulose and the hydrocolloid are coattrited.
13. A process for preparing a microcrystalline cellulose composition, said process comprising:
(a) forming a high solids mixture of microcrystalline cellulose, a hydrocolloid and an anti-slip agent and
(b) kneading the mixture.
14. A process as claimed in claim 13 wherein the microcrystalline cellulose is combined with the hydrocolloid before the anti-slip agent is added.
15. A process as claimed in claim 13 wherein the microcrystalline cellulose is combined with the anti-slip agent before the hydrocolloid is added.
16. The process of claim 13 in which the hydrocolloid is selected from the group consisting of carrageenans and alginates.
17. The process of claim 13 in which the hydrocolloid is a carrageenan.
18. The process of claim 13 in which the hydrocolloid is an alginate.
19. The process of claim 13 in which the anti-slip agent is an aqueous solution of an inorganic salt.
20. The process of claim 19 in which the inorganic salt is a divalent salt.
21.-31. (canceled)