Abstract: A light beam scanning apparatus is provided having a light source for emitting light beams, a first optical unit for optically coupling the light beams, a second optical unit for converging the light beams into an approximately line image elongated along the horizontal scanning direction, a light beam deflector for deflecting the light beams by interaction with reflecting planes, and a third optical unit for converging the light beams deflected by the light beam deflector into a spot of light formed on the surface to be scanned, in which the third optical unit includes first and second anamorphic optical elements, each having a positive power along the horizontal and vertical scanning directions, respectively, and the magnification of the third optical unit is approximately constant and the power of the first anamorphic optical element L1 is also approximately constant irrespective of deflection angle for the light beam scanning.

Abstract: A light source emitting a light flux; a coupling optical system couples the light flux from the light source to a subsequent optical system by transforming it into a parallel light flux, an approximately convergent light flux or an approximately divergent light flux; a light deflector reflects the light flux from the coupling optical system with a deflection reflective surface, and deflects it; a scanning and imaging optical system condenses the deflected light flux from the light deflector onto a surface to be scanned as a beam spot; and a correcting optical system is provided for self correcting shift of focal position of the beam spot on the surface to be scanned occurring due to environmental change or the like.

Abstract: A resin-made non-spherical optical element is a resin-made optical element made by plastic molding, in which at least one optical surface is formed in a non-spherical shape. The optical surface having the non-spherical shape includes an effective area and an area outside of the effective area located outside of the effective area. A shape of the optical surface in the area outside of the effective area smoothly continues to the shape in the effective area and is different from the non-spherical shape in the effective area.

Abstract: The imaging position of an optical beam spot in an optical scanning device is adjusted. The imaging position of the optical beam spot is adjusted in both a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction. The imaging position of the optical beam spot in the main scanning direction is adjusted by individually adjusting, in an optical axis direction, a position of at least one lens 10 having power in the main scanning direction. The imaging position of the optical beam spot in the sub-scanning direction is adjusted by collectively adjusting, in the optical axis direction, a position of the linear image imaging optical system 100 as a whole.

Abstract: A scanning and imaging lens condensing a light flux deflected by a deflector onto a surface to be scanned as a beam spot, has a plurality of lenses. A shape in main scanning cross section of each of both surfaces of a lens on a side of deflector has a convex shape, and a shape in main scanning cross section of at least one surface of the lens on the side of deflector is a non-arc shape. A shape in main scanning cross section of a first surface of a lens on a side of surface to be scanned has a convex shape, and a shape in main scanning cross section of at least one surface of the lens on the side of surface to be scanned is a non-arc shape. The scanning and imaging lens has at least two special toroidal surfaces in each of which a curvature in sub-scanning cross section varies in main scanning direction.

Abstract: Scanning optics of the present invention effectively reduces the variation of the curvature of field in the main and subscanning directions ascribable to varying environment, which includes temperature and humidity. This, coupled with the fact that the scanning optics desirably corrects wavefront aberration, reduces the variation of a beam spot diameter and implements a desirable beam spot with a small diameter. A scanning device with such optics can effect desirable optical scanning with a stable, small-diameter beam spot and allows an image forming apparatus to form attractive images.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes a light source for radiating a light beam, an optical scanning system for deflecting the light beam from the light source and condensing the light beam on a surface to be scanned, a detecting device for detecting an image forming state of the light beam scanned by the optical scanning system, and an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the focal position of the light beam on the surface to be scanned. The detecting device includes a very low cost detecting element that can accurately detect an image forming state of the light beam scanned by the optical scanning system independently in a main scanning direction and in a sub scanning direction. While the focal position of the light beam is changed continuously or at a predetermined pitch by the adjusting mechanism, the detecting device monitors the image forming state of the light beam and detects the location and vicinity of a light beam waist position relative to a desired position on the surface to be scanned.

Abstract: An optical scanner which performs optical scanning of a surface to be scanned by deflecting a luminous flux having a wavelength &lgr; from a light source by means of an optical deflector, and condensing the deflected flux toward the surface to be scanned through a scanning image forming optical system, thereby forming an optical spot on the surface to be scanned. The scanning image forming optical system has at least one lens, and when the focal length f&sgr; in the main scanning direction at a surface accuracy &sgr;i is defined as follows: f&sgr;={2.

Abstract: An optical scanning device deflects one or a plurality of light flux(es) originating from a light source by an optical deflecting unit, gathers the deflected light flux(es) to cause it(them) to form a beam spot(s) on a surface to be scanned by a scanning and image-forming optical system, and, thus, performs optical scanning of the surface to be scanned. The scanning and image-forming optical system includes one or a plurality of optical component(s) including a lens. At least one surface of the lens included in the scanning and image-forming optical system is a sub-non-arc surface having an arc or non-arc shape in a main scanning plane, and a non-arc shape in a sub-scanning plane. The sub-non-arc surface is formed in a lens in which a diameter of a light flux passing through the scanning and image-forming optical system is largest in the sub-scanning plane’.

Abstract: In a multi-beam scanning device and method of the present invention, a semiconductor laser array having a plurality of light emitting parts emitting multiple laser beams is provided. A rotary deflector deflects the laser beams emitted by the light emitting parts of the semiconductor laser array. The deflected laser beams from the rotary deflector is focused onto a scanned surface to form a plurality of beam spots that are separated on the scanned surface in a sub-scanning direction, the scanned surface being scanned simultaneously with the plurality of beam spots in a main scanning direction by a rotation of the rotary deflector.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes a light source unit for emitting a light beam, an image-forming lens for imaging the light beam in a main-scanning direction, a beam deflector for reflecting and deflecting a line image produced by the image-forming lens, a reflective optical system including a plurality of reflecting mirrors for reflecting a deflected light beam incident on the reflective optical system a plurality of times, wherein reflecting surfaces of the plurality of reflecting mirrors are tilted with respect to a system axis of the optical scanning apparatus, the reflective optical system includes an image-forming mirror for converging the deflected light beam to form a beam spot for scanning a scanned surface at a constant velocity, and the image-forming mirror has an anamorphic configuration obtained by rotating a curve drawn with a first radius on a main-scanning plane, around an axis residing on the main-scanning plane and parallel with the main-scanning direction, maintaining a second radius.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes a light source unit for emitting a light beam, an image-forming lens for imaging the light beam in a main-scanning direction, a beam deflector for reflecting and deflecting a line image produced by the image-forming lens, a reflective optical system including a plurality of reflecting mirrors for reflecting a deflected light beam incident on the reflective optical system a plurality of times, wherein reflecting surfaces of the plurality of reflecting mirrors are tilted with respect to a system axis of the optical scanning apparatus, the reflective optical system includes an image-forming mirror for converging the deflected light beam to form a beam spot for scanning a scanned surface at a constant velocity, and the image-forming mirror has an anamorphic configuration obtained by rotating a curve drawn with a first radius on a main-scanning plane, around an axis residing on the main-scanning plane and parallel with the main-scanning direction maintaining a second radius.

Abstract: An optical scanner comprising an image forming mirror for an equal speed optical scan and for field curvature correction, a light beam is emitted from a light source device and is deflected by an optical deflector at an equal angular velocity. This deflected light beam is converged onto a scanned face and a scanning speed of a light spot on the scanned face is equalized. The image forming mirror has a reflecting face formed in coaxial, aspherical and concave shapes. The reflecting face is obtained by rotating a curve X(H) represented by the following formula,X(H)=CH.sup.2 /?1+.sqroot. {1-(1+K)C.sup.2 H.sup.2 }!+.SIGMA.Ai.multidot.H**iaround an X-axis. The curve X(H) is set such that a parameter .DELTA.X(H) represented by.DELTA.X(H)=X(H)-C'H.sup.2 /?1+.sqroot. {1-C'.sup.2 H.sup.2 }!satisfies the following condition (I),-3.0.times.10.sup.-5 <.DELTA.X(H=0.1f)/f<3.0.times.10.sup.-5(I)when C'=C+2A.sub.2 and f is set to a focal length of the reflecting face.

Abstract: An LED array head comprises a plurality of LED elements and a reflecting element, wherein the reflecting element directs luminous flux emitted from the LED element in a direction substantially perpendicular to the luminous flux emitting direction.

Abstract: In an optical scanner, a light beam from a light source device is formed by a linear image forming optical system as a linear image extending in a main scan-corresponding direction. The light beam is then deflected by an optical deflector at an equal angular velocity and is converged by an image forming reflecting mirror as a light spot on a scanned face. An optical scanning operation is performed at an equal speed by using this light spot. An error in an image forming position in a cross scan-corresponding direction caused by an error in arrangement of an optical system is corrected by displacing and adjusting an arranging position of the linear image forming optical system in the cross scan-corresponding direction. In the optical scanner using the image forming reflecting mirror, a curve ill a scanning line caused by the error in arrangement of the optical system can be effectively corrected and reduced.

Abstract: An optical scanner has a light source device for emitting a light beam for performing an optical scanning operation; a cylindrical lens system for converging the light beam from the light source device only in a cross scan-corresponding direction and focusing and forming the light beam as a linear image extending in a main scan-corresponding direction; an optical deflector for reflecting the light beam from this cylindrical lens system on a deflecting reflecting face and deflecting this light beam at an equal angular velocity; an image forming mirror system for converging the deflected light beam as a light spot on a scanned face and performing the optical scanning operation at an equal speed by using the light spot; and an adjusting mechanism for displacing and adjusting a position of the cylindrical lens system in an optical axis direction thereof.

Abstract: In an optical scanner for reducing shading, a semiconductor laser or a semiconductor laser array is set to a light source and a laser beam from the light source is deflected by a light deflector having a deflecting reflecting face and is converged by a lens for scanning as a light spot on a scanned face to perform an optical scanning operation. The optical scanner has an antireflection coating film disposed on only a refractive face for providing a largest change in incident angle in the deflection of the laser beam with respect to faces of optical elements arranged on an optical path from the light deflector to the scanned face to transmit the laser beam through the optical elements. The optical scanner may have an antireflection coating film disposed on one or more lens faces of the scanning lens such that transmittance of the scanning lens is gradually increased from an optical axis thereof toward both end portions in a main scan-corresponding direction.

Abstract: In an optical scanner, an optical deflector has a deflecting reflecting face rotated at an equal speed. A light beam from a light source is deflected on a plane by the deflector at an equal angular velocity and is incident to a reflective image-forming element through a half mirror inclined with respect to a beam deflecting face. The light beam reflected on the reflective image-forming element is reflected on the half mirror and is converged by an image-forming action of the reflective image-forming element as a light spot on a scanned face to perform an optical scanning operation. The reflective image-forming element has a function for substantially performing the optical scanning operation using the light spot at an equal speed. The reflective image-forming element is arranged such that the reflective image-forming element is shifted by a predetermined shifting amount in a direction perpendicular to the beam deflecting face to correct the curve of a scanning line on the scanned face.

Abstract: In an optical scanner, a light source emits a light beam and a coupling lens changes this light beam to a convergent, divergent or parallel light beam. An optical deflector deflects the light beam from the coupling lens at an equal angular velocity. The deflected light beam is converged onto a scanned face by an image forming mirror and an elongated cylindrical optical element to perform an optical scanning operation at an equal speed. An optical path separating device separates an optical path of light reflected on the image forming mirror from an optical path of incident light from the light source to the image forming mirror. A reflecting face of the image forming mirror is constructed by a coaxial aspherical surface.

Abstract: In an optical scanner for reducing shading, a semiconductor laser or a semiconductor laser array is set to a light source and a laser beam from the light source is deflected by a light deflector having a deflecting reflecting face and is converged by a lens for scanning as a light spot on a scanned face to perform an optical scanning operation. The optical scanner comprises one or more bending mirrors for bending an optical path of the laser beam and arranged between the light deflector and the scanned face; and an increased reflecting coating film disposed on a mirror face of the one or more mirrors such that reflectivity is gradually increased from a central portion of the increased reflecting coating film in a main scan-corresponding direction toward both end portions of the film.