An illumination assembly for a mark reader comprising: a light pipe arranged in a surrounding relationship to an interior area through which at least a portion of a mark is detectable having a distal end that is chamfered and includes a diffusive surface texture on the outer surface, wherein light transmitted though the light pipe is internally reflected along the pipe and is internally reflected at the chamfered end through a wall of the light pipe facing the interior area as dark field illumination and is refracted onto the surface at the chamfered end as bright field illumination. view more

An illumination assembly for a mark reader disposed along an optical viewing axis comprising: a light pipe defined by at least four adjacent sides including a first opposing pair of sides and a second opposing pair of sides, the light pipe including a chamfered edge at a distal end that directs light from a ring light source at the proximal end onto a surface as dark field; and wherein a first spacing between the first opposing pair of the sides has a length different than length of a second spacing between the second opposing pair of the sides. view more

The illumination assembly as set forth in claim 23 wherein the first opposing pair of sides and the second opposing pair of sides define collectively an approximate shape of an ellipse.

The illumination assembly as set forth in claim 23 wherein the first opposing pair of sides and the second opposing pair of sides collectively define a rectangle having corners between adjacent sides.

An illumination assembly for a mark reader comprising: a light pipe arranged in a surrounding relationship to an interior area through which at least a portion of a mark is detectable, the light pipe having a chamfered distal end that includes a chamfered surface, the chamfered surface having a diffusive surface texture, and wherein light transmitted through the light pipe is internally reflected along the pipe and is internally reflected at the chamfered distal end through an interior wall of the light pipe facing the interior area as dark field illumination and is refracted by the chamfered distal end as bright field illumination. view more