Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of light generators, an image transfer mechanism, a plurality of image forming cartridges corresponding to the plurality of light generators, and a housing including slots corresponding to the light generators. Each image forming cartridge has a photosensitive drum with an exposure position and a transfer position. The exposure position is facing a corresponding light generator and the transfer position is substantially diametrically opposed to the exposure position. The slots are positioned to allow light beams emitted from said light generators to pass therethrough onto the respective exposure positions. The housing is configured to house the plurality of light generators one above another.

Abstract: A vibration mirror is reciprocatively vibrated by an electrostatic force to reflect an incident light beam.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges removably mounted to an apparatus body one above the other is disclosed. Structural members each partition off a space between nearby image forming cartridges mounted to the apparatus body. The apparatus is capable of obviating banding ascribable to the vibration of the cartridges.

Abstract: A deflector mirror is disclosed that includes a mirror substrate configured to vibrate in a reciprocating manner on beams as a torsional rotary shaft so as to deflect a light beam emitted from a light source. The mirror substrate includes multiple regions in each of portions thereof extending from the torsional rotary shaft to respective ends of the mirror substrate, the regions being different in flexural rigidity.

Abstract: In a beam-spot position compensation method for use in an optical scanning device which scans a surface of a photosensitive medium by a light beam emitted by a light source, a plurality of sections are defined by dividing a scanning region on the scanned surface. An emission timing of the light beam for every section is adjusted so that a spacing between beam-spot positions corresponding to pixels of start and end of each section is changed by a predetermined amount. The sparseness or denseness of beam-spot position spacings of the plurality of sections in the whole scanning region is compensated.

Abstract: A module configured to deflect light in an image forming apparatus. A torsion bar supports a mirror and defines a rotational axis of the mirror. A controller is configured to apply electronic pulses to at least one driving device to oscillate the mirror in the module around the rotational axis at a scanning frequency different than a resonance frequency of the mirror.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus scans a surface to be scanned in a main scanning direction by simultaneously using a plurality of optical spots formed of a plurality of optical beans emitted from an illuminant, comprising: a light path deflecting part deflecting a light path of at least one of the optical beams, wherein the light path deflecting part is provided in light paths of the optical beams wherein the light path deflecting part may use a liquid crystal deflecting element formed of a liquid crystal element being controllable by an electronic signal to deflect the light path of the one of the optical beams.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges arranged one above another and configured to form an image on a medium. The apparatus also include a transfer belt support unit, including a transfer belt, hingedly attached to the image forming apparatus at a lower end position of the transfer belt support unit and movable between a first position covering the plurality of the image cartridges and a second position uncovering the plurality of the image forming cartridges. Each of the image forming cartridges is configured to be mounted to or dismounted from the image forming apparatus when the transfer belt support unit is in the second position.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes light sources, an aperture having, and coupling lenses. Numbers of the light sources and the coupling lenses are equal to each other and the apparatus satisfies an inequality 12.7<(D×?0×m0×dpi)/(2×NA)<38.1 and an equation ?0=(?+???)/(n?1), wherein D represents a width of the slit of the aperture, ?0 represents a beam open angle, mo represents a total lateral magnification ratio, dpi represents a number of dots per inch, NA represents a numerical aperture, ?+ represents a positive open angle, ?? represents a negative open angle, and n represents the number. Further, an image forming apparatus using this optical scanning apparatus and an image forming method are provided.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes an optical source, a deflection part deflecting an optical beam emitted from the optical source, plural optical elements directing or focusing the optical beam deflected by the deflection part to corresponding one of plural image carrying bodies, a holding member holding the plural optical elements, wherein the optical beam scans the respective image carrying bodies in a main scanning direction, and wherein the holding member includes a pair of holding member elements disposed so as to face each other in the main scanning direction, and the plural optical elements are held between the pair of holding member elements in a bridged state.

Abstract: A vibration mirror is reciprocatively vibrated by an electrostatic force to reflect an incident light beam.

Abstract: A vibrating mirror comprises a moving mirror configured to deflect a light beam, a torsion bar coupled to the moving mirror and defining a rotational axis of the moving mirror, and a mirror driving part configured to produce a rotational force for causing the moving mirror to oscillate, wherein the torsion bar is coupled to the moving mirror at connecting positions offset from the rotational axis by a distance r/2 in opposite directions so as to satisfy r>A/6, where A is the width of the moving mirror perpendicular to the rotational axis.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes light sources, an aperture having, and coupling lenses. Numbers of the light sources and the coupling lenses are equal to each other and the apparatus satisfies an inequality 12.7 <(D×?0×m0×xdpi)/(2×NA) <38.1 and an equation ?0=(?+???)/(n?1), wherein D represents a width of the slit of the aperture, ?0represents a beam open angle, mo represents a total lateral magnification ratio, dpi represents a number of dots per inch, NA represents a numerical aperture, ?+ represents a positive open angle, ?? represents a negative open angle, and n represents the number. Further, an image forming apparatus using this optical scanning apparatus and an image forming method are provided.

Abstract: A multibeam scan apparatus includes a light source having semiconductor laser diodes and coupling lenses arranged in a main scan direction. The semiconductor laser diodes are positioned so that light beams emitted by the semiconductor laser diodes substantially cross each other at a point. A light beam restricting unit shapes the light beams from the laser diodes through the coupling lenses so that the light beams have a given spot size. The light beam restricting unit is positioned close to the above-mentioned point. A scan lens causes the light beams reflected by a polygonal mirror to form images on a scanned surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges removably mounted to an apparatus body one above the other is disclosed. Structural members each partition off a space between nearby image forming cartridges mounted to the apparatus body. The apparatus is capable of obviating banding ascribable to the vibration of the cartridges.

Abstract: An optical scanner has light source units spaced from each other along a first direction and having optical axes parallel to each other. Positions from which the light beams are emitted are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance at least along a predetermined direction. The optical scanner also includes a deflection unit that deflects the light beams together and scans the light beams along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The optical scanner also has imaging units that form an image with each of the light beams on a surface and a housing unit that holds the light source units, the deflection units, and the imaging units.

Abstract: A multibeam scan apparatus includes a light source having semiconductor laser diodes and coupling lenses arranged in a main scan direction. The semiconductor laser diodes are positioned so that light beams emitted by the semiconductor laser diodes substantially cross each other at a point. A light beam restricting unit shapes the light beams from the laser diodes through the coupling lenses so that the light beams have a given spot size. The light beam restricting unit is positioned close to the above-mentioned point. A scan lens causes the light beams reflected by a polygonal mirror to form images on a scanned surface.

Abstract: A method of forming an image, including emitting a plurality of light beams from a plurality of vertically arranged light emitting devices; passing the plurality of light beams through corresponding slots of a vertical stay; receiving the plurality of light beams which have passed through the corresponding slots of the vertical stay by a plurality of photosensitive surfaces contained in a corresponding plurality of vertically arranged detachable cartridges, thereby forming a plurality of latent images; developing the plurality of latent images into a corresponding plurality of different colored toner images using different colored toner contained in the plurality of detachable cartridges; and transferring each of the plurality of different colored toner images onto a medium by moving the medium in a vertical direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a plurality of image forming cartridges arranged one above another and configured to form an image on a medium; a plurality of optical writing devices arranged one above another respectively corresponding to the plurality of image forming cartridges and configured to emit light beams to the plurality of image forming cartridges so as to form the image on the medium; and a vertical stay disposed between the plurality of image forming cartridges and optical writing devices and including slots configured to allow the light beams emitted from the plurality of optical writing devices to pass therethrough to the plurality of image forming cartridges.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges removably mounted to an apparatus body one above the other is disclosed. Structural members each partition off a space between nearby image forming cartridges mounted to the apparatus body. The apparatus is capable of obviating banding ascribable to the vibration of the cartridges.