Patents by Inventor Mitsunori Iima

Mitsunori Iima has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5841566
    Abstract: A multi-beam scanning optical device. The multi-beam scanning optical device has a plurality of light emitting elements, a deflector that deflects a plurality of light fluxes emitted form the light emitting elements, and a scanning lens system that converges the light fluxes deflected by the deflector to form a plurality of light spots on a surface to be scanned. The light emitting elements are selected to satisfy a condition:.vertline..DELTA..lambda..vertline.<7.6.times.10.sup.3 /(.alpha..times.D),where .DELTA..lambda. is a wavelength error (unit:nm) of each of the plurality of light emitting elements from a reference wavelength, D is a resolution of the scanning optical device (unit:dots per inch (dpi)), and .alpha. is a ratio of a lateral chromatic aberration (unit:.lambda.m) per change in wavelength of 1 nm at an edge of a scanning range, where the scanning range defines an area in which an image is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadashi Minakuchi, Masahiro Oono, Mitsunori Iima, Hiroshi Kanazawa
  • Patent number: 5838001
    Abstract: A scanning optical device that includes a light source for emitting a light flux; a polygon mirror including a plurality of reflecting surfaces for deflecting the light flux to form a scanning beam spot on an image surface; a polygon mirror cover that covers the polygon mirror; and an optical sensor. The polygon mirror is provided with a mark on the top surface thereof that is eccentric from a rotation axis of the polygon mirror. Also, the polygon mirror cover includes a cylindrical rib formed on an inner surface of the top wall projecting toward the polygon mirror in a space between the top wall and the polygon mirror. The optical sensor is provided for detecting the mark and projects toward the polygon mirror from the inner surface of the top wall, through the cylindrical rib, such that the optical sensor forms a part of the cylindrical rib.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadashi Minakuchi, Masahiro Oono, Mitsunori Iima, Hiroshi Kanazawa
  • Patent number: 5828479
    Abstract: A cascade scanning optical system which includes: a pair of laser scanning optical systems each having a laser beam emitter and a laser beam deflector, wherein a laser beam emitted by the laser beam emitter enters the laser beam deflector so that the laser beam deflector deflects the laser beam to scan a surface of a member such that the laser beams proceed to the surface on a common line thereon in respective ranges of the common line; a pair of mirrors respectively provided in the pair of laser scanning optical systems, each of the pair of mirrors being positioned in a corresponding optical path between the laser beam deflector and the member to reflect a laser beam incident thereon toward the surface; a pair of cylindrical lenses having power in a sub-scanning direction, respectively provided in the pair of laser scanning optical systems, each of the pair of cylindrical lenses being positioned in a corresponding optical path between the laser beam emitter and the laser beam deflector; first means for adjus
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masatoshi Takano, Eiji Takasugi, Shinji Kikuchi, Tsutomu Sato, Hiroyuki Saito, Yoshiyuki Araki, Mitsunori Iima, Takashi Sasaki, Takashi Iizuka
  • Patent number: 5825403
    Abstract: An optical scanning system in which light emitted from a light source is deflected by a deflector and converged onto a surface to be scanned by an optical image forming system. The optical image forming system has a curvature of field in a sub-scanning direction to cancel a change in a beam spot diameter caused by a change in an F-number in the sub-scanning direction, depending on an image height in the main scanning direction. The invention is also addressed to a method for determining a curvature of field in the optical scanning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsunori Iima, Yoshihiro Hama
  • Patent number: 5825522
    Abstract: A cascade scanning optical system which includes a first laser scanning optical system for emitting a first laser beam to scan a surface of a member to generate a first scanning line, and a second laser scanning optical system for emitting a second laser beam to scan the surface to generate a second scanning line, wherein the first and second laser scanning optical systems are arranged so as to combine the first scanning line with the second scanning line at a point of contact therebetween in a main scanning direction to form a single scanning line, and wherein each of the first and second laser scanning optical systems is designed as a non-telecentric system through which the incident angle of a corresponding one of the first and second laser beams relative to the surface varies in accordance with a variation in the position of a scanning spot of the corresponding one of the first and second laser beams on the surface in the main scanning direction, and further wherein an incident angle of each of the first
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masatoshi Takano, Eiji Takasugi, Shinji Kikuchi, Tsutomu Sato, Hiroyuki Saito, Yoshiyuki Araki, Mitsunori Iima, Takashi Sasaki, Takashi Iizuka
  • Patent number: 5812299
    Abstract: A scanning optical device includes a light source, a polygon mirror having a plurality of reflecting surfaces for deflecting a light flux emitted from the light source to form a scanning beam spot on an image surface, an identifying device that identifies which reflecting surface is currently scanning the light flux, a memory that stores data corresponding to shape errors of the reflecting surfaces, a correcting member that corrects a position of the beam spot, and a controller that controls the correcting member in accordance with an output of the identifying device and with data read from the memory. The correcting member is controlled to compensate for deviations of the beam spot due to tilt errors of the reflecting surfaces and may also be controlled to compensate for deviations of the beam spot due to an unevenness of the movement of the image surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadashi Minakuchi, Masahiro Oono, Mitsunori Iima, Hiroshi Kanazawa
  • Patent number: 5812727
    Abstract: A multi-beam scanning optical device uses optical fibers to transmit the laser fluxes from the semiconductor lasers. The optical fibers are arranged such that point light sources formed at respective exit ends of the optical fibers are linearly aligned. The exit light fluxes from the optical fibers are deflected by a polygon mirror and converged on an image surface to form a line of beam spots, which forms plurality of scanning lines per scan.In order to adjust the angle of the line of beam spots, the exit end portions of the optical fibers is fixed to a fiber alignment block such that the exit end surfaces of said optical fiber are linearly aligned on an alignment line. Further, the fiber alignment block is fixed to a cylindrical member which is rotatably supported by a supporting member. Accordingly, the angle of the line of beam spots can be easily adjusted by rotating the cylindrical member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kanazawa, Tadashi Minakuchi, Masahiro Oono, Mitsunori Iima
  • Patent number: 5760944
    Abstract: A scanning optical device that includes a light source that emits a light flux; a polygon mirror for deflecting the light flux; a scanning lens for converging the light flux deflected by the polygon mirror to form a beam spot on an image surface; a dynamic prism that is rotatably disposed between the light source and the polygon mirror to affect the direction of the light flux; a driving mechanism for rotating the dynamic prism to change the deviation angle of the dynamic prism; and a controller for controlling the driving mechanism to change the position of the beam spot during scanning.In particular, the controller rotates the dynamic prism to compensate for errors that affect the position of the beam spot on the image surface, such as errors that vary with time and errors that occur randomly during the scanning process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadashi Minakuchi, Masahiro Oono, Mitsunori Iima, Hiroshi Kanazawa
  • Patent number: 5646767
    Abstract: A scanning optical system with a light beam deflected by an optical deflector is scanned on a scanning surface in a main scanning direction through the scanning optical system. The scanning optical system comprises an image forming lens system having a refracting power at least in a direction of the main scanning direction and an optical member having at least one deviated surface whose center of radius of paraxial curvature is deviated from a main scanning plane in a sub-scanning direction which is normal to the main scanning direction. The main scanning plane is defined by a plane that the light beam scans. A light interrupting member for interrupting a ghosting light reflected by external or internal surfaces including the deviated surface in the image forming lens system is provided. The light interrupting member is disposed between the image forming lens system and the scanning surface to prevent ghosting light from reaching to the scanning surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsunori Iima, Takashi Iizuka
  • Patent number: 5486688
    Abstract: A non-scanning type optical reading apparatus for reading patterns such as a bar code. The optical reading apparatus comprises an imaging lens for imaging a bar code as a pattern to be read, a CCD line sensor for reading the information of the image of the pattern, and a light damping mirror and/or filter that is provided between the pattern and the CCD line sensor. The central part of the light damping mirror filter is denser than the periphery to achieve a uniform distribution of light on the sensor. According to one embodiment, the filter is a bandpass filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsunori Iima, Kazuya Hara, Atsumi Kaneko
  • Patent number: 5453870
    Abstract: An optical scanning system is provided which includes a light source, a scanning deflector which deflects a bundle of rays emitted from the light source, and a scanning lens system which converges the deflected bundle of rays onto an image surface to form an image. The scanning lens system has at least two lenses, wherein the lens closest to the image surface is a meniscus lens with a surface which is convex in the main scanning direction facing the image surface. A surface of the meniscus lens nearest to the scanning deflector is a deformed toric surface which is convex in a sub scanning direction facing the scanning deflector. The sub scanning direction is normal to the main scanning direction. The convexed toric surface has a radius of curvature which is determined independently of a radius of curvature in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsunori Iima
  • Patent number: 5442477
    Abstract: An optical scanning system is provided which includes a light source, a scanning deflector which deflects a bundle of rays emitted from the light source, and a scanning lens group which converges the deflected bundle of rays onto an image surface to form an image. The scanning lens group includes at least one glass lens and at least two plastic lenses, and the at least one glass lens provides substantially all the power of the scanning lens group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsunori Iima
  • Patent number: 5179269
    Abstract: A wand type bar code reader has a semiconductor laser which emits a visible laser beam in order to read bar code information of an object based on scanning of the visible laser beam and a control and drive circuit which controls the semiconductor laser, whereby the semiconductor laser is automatically repeated ON and OFF at predetermined time intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1993
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mikio Horie, Mitsunori Iima
  • Patent number: 5162938
    Abstract: A light scanning system has a light source, a deflecting device, an anamorphic scanning lens having different refracting powers in a principal scanning plane and in a secondary scanning plane perpendicular to the principal scanning plane and another anamorphic convex lens, such as a cylindrical lens, having a larger refracting power in the secondary scanning plane than in the principal scanning plane. The anamorphic convex lens is rotatable for adjustment about an axis of rotation that is substantially parallel with the optical axis of the optical system. When a tapered polygon mirror is used as the deflecting device, the anamorphic convex lens is mounted in a tilted manner such that two principal meridians projected via the reflecting surface of the deflecting device substantially coincide with respective scanning planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1992
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsunori Iima, Akira Morimoto
  • Patent number: 5130840
    Abstract: A light scanning system has a light source, a deflecting device, an anamorphic scanning lens having different refracting powers in a principal scanning plane and in a secondary scanning plane perpendicular to the principal scanning plane, and another anamorphic convex lens, such as a cylindrical lens, having a larger refracting power in the secondary scanning plane than in the principal scanning plane. The anamorphic convex lens is rotatable for adjustment about an axis of rotation that is substantially parallel with the optical axis of the optical system. When a tapered polygon mirror is used as the deflecting device, the anamorphic convex lens is mounted in a tilted manner such that two principal meridians projected via the reflecting surface of the deflecting device substantially coincide with respective scanning planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Assignee: Asahi Kogyo Kogaku Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsunori Iima, Akira Morimoto
  • Patent number: 5047625
    Abstract: An optical system of a laser reader has a light projecting portion for emitting a laser beam of light converging toward an object, a condenser lens for condensing a reflecting light from the object and a light receiving element for detecting light quantity of the reflecting light condensed by the condenser lens. The optical axis of the light projecting portion and that of the condenser lens are substantially parallel within a readable range which is established by a relation between a spatial frequency of the object and a spot diameter of the laser beam of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1991
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsunori Iima, Seiich Mori
  • Patent number: 5043569
    Abstract: An optical system of a laser reader has a light projecting portion for emitting a laser beam of light converging toward an object, a condenser lens for condensing a reflecting light from the object and a light receiving element for detecting light quantity of the reflecting light condensed by the condenser lens. The optical axis of the light projecting portion and that of the condenser lens are substantially parallel within a readable range which is established by a relation between a spatial frequency of the object and a spot diameter of the laser beam of light. The laser emits infrared radiation and a light emitting diode emits a visible guide light to confirm the position of the infrared laser spot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1991
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsunori Iima, Seiich Mori, Mikio Horie, Masatoshi Takano
  • Patent number: 4998790
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus has a semiconductor laser which produces a divergent beam of light. A collimator lens makes the beam of light parallel, a cylindrical lens shapes the beam, and a polygonal deflector deflects the beam through a scanning lens and onto a rotating drum containing an exposure plane. The amount of light reflected back into the semiconductor laser is reduced by forming a slit either inside of the collimator lens or inside of a housing of the cylindrical lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1991
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo K.K.
    Inventors: Takashi Iizuka, Mitsunori Iima, Akira Morimoto
  • Patent number: 4968876
    Abstract: An optical system of a laser reader has a light projecting portion for emitting a laser beam of light converging toward an object, a condenser lens for condensing a reflecting light from the object and a light receiving element for detecting light quantity of the reflecting light condensed by the condenser lens. The optical axis of the light projecting portion and that of the condenser lens are intersected with each other within readable range which is established by a relation between a spatial frequency of the object and a spot diameter of the laser beam of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsunori Iima
  • Patent number: 4916318
    Abstract: A scan-type optical reader having a laser source used for reading information on a subject such as, for example, a bar code. A deflecting optical member deflects a laser beam emitted from the laser source to the subject to be scanned. In the reader there is a projecting lens displaced between the laser source and the deflecting optical member. A light-receiving member receives the laser beam reflected by the subject matter scanned in order to read the information on the subject matter. An optical member, such as a plane parallel plate, is moved back and forth in the beam of the laser source to change the beam waist of the laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1990
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo K.K.
    Inventor: Mitsunori Iima