Abstract: A light modulation element of the invention has a plurality of polygonal modulation portions for modulating incident light staggered on arrays. Sides, of each two adjacent portions on different arrays, which are closest to each other are parallel to each other and are not perpendicular to the array direction. The modulation portions can be arranged at a high density along the array direction, the utilization efficiency of illumination light is improved, and the modulation light amount can be increased. When an element is used for a recording apparatus, and S/N ratio is improved, uniform exposure along the array direction is achieved, and the required memory capacity is decreased. A light modulation apparatus of the invention has an imaging optical system, a modulation optical system, and a scanning optical system.

Abstract: An information memory apparatus includes: an endless belt which is driven forward and in reverse by a motor and reciprocates a recording medium such as an optical card; an optical head for reading out information from the recording medium which is being moved by the endless belt; a memory for temporarily storing the information read out by the optical head; a transfer apparatus for transferring the information read out of the memory to the outside; and a control circuit for changing the positions at which the information stored in the memory is read in accordance with the reading of the information upon the forward and returning operation of the recording medium. The control circuit also changes the reading directions of the information from the memory in accordance with the forward and returning operations of the recording medium. With this apparatus, the information reading efficiency is improved and the information is efficiently transferred by a simple constitution, while reducing the number of memories.

Abstract: In an apparatus for recording and reproducing information, an information recording medium is reciprocated relative to a head for effecting information recording and reproduction, under such conditions that one end of the recording medium is urged against a guide member extending in a direction of the reciprocation of the recording medium.

Abstract: There is disclosed an optical information record/regenerating apparatus, provided with an optical system for forming a light spot on an optical information recording medium having plural tracks and a track jump area in the tracks, and an optical head movably supporting the optical system so as that the light spot can be moved at least to an adjacent track in the track jump area. Information recording and/or regeneration is achieved by moving both the optical head relative to the recording medium, and by moving the optical system within the optical head. However, the movement of the optical head is prohibited in the track jump area to stabilize the track control operation.

Abstract: An information recording-reproducing apparatus, in which an information recording medium is held on a supporting table and the supporting table is reciprocally moved relative to a recording and/or reproducing head thereby to accomplish recording and/or reproduction of information, has means for feeding the information recording medium onto the supporting table and/or means for taking out the information recording medium from the supporting table.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium in the form of a card having tracking tracks for obtaining a tracking signal and clock tracks for obtaining a clock signal arranged alternately and record zones for recording information between each of the tracking tracks and each of the clock tracks, and apparatus for recording/reproducing information using the recording medium.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for driving an optical pickup of an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus having the optical pickup movable on an information track of an optical information recording medium having information tracks formed thereon side by side, and an optical pickup drive device for intermittently moving the optical pickup, wherein a distance of movement in one intermittent movement of the optical pickup is smaller than the pitch of the information tracks.

Abstract: An information recording/reproducing apparatus uses a card-like recording medium having an area for information recording and a blank area, the area for information recording having a reflectivity different from that of the blank area. The apparatus includes a head unit for performing at least one of recording and reproduction, an autotracking servo, a stepping motor and the like cooperating to cause the card to reciprocate relative to the head unit, and an abnormal state detect circuit for detecting whether the card is inserted in the apparatus in a normal state. The abnormal state detect circuit includes a photosensing unit consisting of a light-emitting element for emitting light rays onto the card and a light-receiving element for receiving the light rays from the card.

Abstract: A functional optical element comprises a first optical member, a second optical member provided in contact with said first optical member, the interface between said first optical member and said second optical member being non-flat planar, a means for changing the refractive index of said second optical member, said means for changing refractive index being capable of creating selectively a first state in which said first optical member and said second optical member have an equal refractive index and a second state in which said first optical member and said second optical member have different refractive indices by changing the refractive index of said second optical member.

Abstract: An optical element having the function of changing the cross-sectional intensity distribution of an incident light beam is comprised of a plurality of prisms. The optical element spatially combines a light beam having been amplitude-divided by an amplitude-dividing mirror provided on the joined surface of the prisms and a light beam having been totally reflected by a total-reflection mirror provided on the outermost one of the prisms to thereby change the cross-sectional intensity distribution of the light beam entering the optical element.

Abstract: A compact scanning optical system includes a scanning light beam generator, a detector for deflecting the light beam from the generator in a predetermined direction, a first optical system for forming the light beam from the generator linearly near the deflecting and reflecting surface of the deflector, and a single optical element disposed and having a power between the deflector and a surface to be scanned. The single optical element has a power both in the deflection plane of the light beam deflected by the deflector and a plane orthogonal to the deflection plane and has different powers in the orthogonal planes.

Abstract: This specification discloses a plural-beam scanning apparatus in which the directions of light emission of light-emitting portions such as semiconductor lasers or light-emitting diodes are determined so that the central rays of light beams emitted from the light-emitting portions are emitted as if they originate from or pass through substantially the same point as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the deflection scan plane and which has a deflector for deflecting a plurality of light beams from the light source unit at one time and optical means for making said same point and a point near the deflecting-reflecting surface of the deflector optically conjugate.

Abstract: A plural-beam scanning apparatus comprises a light source unit having a plurality of light-emitting portions, a deflector for deflecting the light beams from the light-emitting portions, a prism for refracting the light beams from the light-emitting portions so that the central light rays of the light beams emitted from the light-emitting portions of the light source unit as if they originated from or pass through substantially the same point, and an imaging system for rendering that same point and a point near the reflecting surface of the deflector optically conjugate.

Abstract: An optical system for scanning a medium with a beam spot includes a light beam generator, a deflector for deflecting the light beam in a predetermined direction and in deflection plane, and an imaging optical system between the deflector and the medium for imaging the light beam from the deflector on the medium as a beam spot, the imaging optical system having at least one lens element mode of a moisture absorbing material. The lens element has a shape in which the dimension in a direction parallel to the deflection plane of the light beam is greater than the dimension in a direction perpendicular to the deflection plane of the light beam. A device mitigates any influence on the imaged condition of the light beam on the medium caused by the lens element being subjected to moisture.

Abstract: This specification discloses a reading apparatus having a staggeredly arranged compound-eye optical system for divisionally forming the image of an original with respect to individual ones of a plurality of image pick-up elements juxtaposed in the primary scanning direction of the original. The compound-eye optical system comprises a plurality of lens blocks arranged in a row corresponding to said primary scanning direction, each of the lens blocks being formed with a plurality of staggeredly arranged effective plastic lens portions and a protective portion provided around and formed integrally with the effective lens portions. The boundary surface of adjacent ones of the lens blocks is inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the blocks so that the distance between the effective plastic lens portions and the boundary surface is greater.

Abstract: A scanning optical system having a tilting correcting function includes a light beam generator, a deflector for deflecting the light beam from the light beam generator in a predetermined direction, a first optical system disposed between the light beam generated and the deflector for linearly forming the light beam from the light beam generator near the deflecting and reflecting surface of the deflector, and a second optical system disposed between the deflector and a medium to be scanned for imaging on the medium the light beam deflected by the deflector. The second optical system includes, in succession from the deflector side, a spherical single lens and a single lens having a toric surface. The product of the curvature of the surface of the spherical single lens which is adjacent to the deflector and the curvature of the surface of the spherical single lens which is adjacent to the medium to be scanned is zero or less.

Abstract: A scanning optical system having a tilting correcting function includes a light beam generator, a deflector for deflecting the light beam from the light beam generator in a predetermined direction, a first optical system disposed between the light beam generator and the deflector means for linearly forming the light beam from the light beam generator near the deflecting and reflecting surface of the deflector, and second optical system disposed between the deflector and a medium to be scanned for imaging on the medium to be scanned the light beam deflected by the deflector. The second optical system includes, in succession from the deflector side, a spherical single lens and a single lens having a toric surface. The position of the center of curvature of the surface of the spherical single lens which is adjacent to the deflector lies on the side of the medium to be scanned.

Abstract: A multibeam scanning apparatus capable of changing magnification is is provided with a light source part, an afocal zoom lens, a first anamorphic optical system and a second anamorphic optical system. The light source part generates a plural number of collimated light beams and the afocal zoom lens changes the angular magnification of the collimated light beams. The first anamorphic optical system forms linear images from the beams transmitted through the afocal zoom lens. The linear images are parallel with the plane defined by the light beams as deflected by a deflector. The second anamorphic optical system is disposed between the deflector and a surface to be scanned to form good scanning spots on the scanned surface from the linear images on the reflecting surface of the deflector.

Abstract: A light-shield plate for correcting the ununiform exposure distribution in an original reading apparatus for example a facsimile resulting from so-called cosine fourth power rule is composed of an easily produceable single member having an arc of a radius R and is positioned in front of or behind an imaging lens at an axial distance L from the lens and at a perpendicular distance H from the center of the arc to the optical axis in such a manner as to be parallel to the light beam entering or emerging from the lens corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the illuminated area on the original and as that the amounts L, H and R are selected to satisfy a certain relationship.

Abstract: A scanning optical system provided with a light source portion, a first imaging optical system for linearly imaging the light beam emitted from the light source portion, a deflector having its deflecting-reflecting surface near the linear image formed by said first imaging optical system, a scanned medium scanned by the light beam deflected by the deflector, and a second imaging optical system disposed between the scanned medium and the deflector and comprising, in succession from the deflector side, a spherical single lens and a single lens having a toric surface.