Abstract: An optical member that refracts a light beam to diverge or focus the light beam, includes: at least three pairs of opposing surfaces. Each of the three pairs of opposing surfaces include a lens. Curvatures of the lenses at one side surfaces of the respective three pairs of surfaces are all the same, or curvatures of the lenses at one side surfaces of respective pairs of at least two pairs of the three pairs of surfaces are different from each other, and respective shortest distances between optical axes of the lenses at the one side surfaces of respective pairs of the at least two pairs of surfaces, and reference sides which are each any one of respective sides surrounding surfaces including the lenses are different from each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, a light emitting substrate, and imaging optical systems, wherein an optical axis of the imaging optical systems are parallel, imaging magnifications of the imaging optical systems are substantially equal for the light emitting point groups, the imaging optical systems includes a first lens array, a second lens array, and apertures, central points of the light emitting point group exist in a first plane, central points of the imaging lenses exist in a second plane, central points of the apertures exist in a third plane, central points of the imaging lenses exist in a fourth plane, the first plane forms a non-zero predetermined angle with respect to a plane perpendicular to an optical axis direction, and the angle formed with respect to the plane perpendicular to the optical axis direction is greater in the order of the first, second, third, and the fourth plane.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a light-emitting element that includes light-emitting point groups; and an optical system that includes imaging systems focusing light from light-emitting points of the light-emitting point groups, wherein the light-emitting point groups and the imaging systems are combined into sets, the light-receiving surface has a cylindrical shape, each imaging system has a negative imaging magnification, light-emitting point groups are arranged at different positions, the imaging systems adjacent to each other have optical axes non-parallel to each other, each optical axis has an angle being not zero relative to the central normal, and a plane including the optical axis and the central normal is perpendicular to a rotational symmetry axis, and an angle between the optical axis and a line normal to the light-receiving surface is smaller than an angle between the central normal and a line normal to the light-receiving surface.

Abstract: An imaging device for projecting individually controllable laser beams onto an imaging surface movable in an X-direction. The device includes a plurality of semiconductor chips each comprising a plurality of laser beam emitting elements arranged in a main array of M·N. The chips are mounted such that each pair of adjacent chips in the Y-direction are offset from one another in the X-direction and, if activated continuously, the emitted laser beams of the two chips of said pair trace on the imaging surface a set of parallel lines that are substantially uniformly spaced in the Y-direction. In addition to the M·N elements of the main array, each chip comprises at least one additional column on one or each side, each additional column containing at least one selectively operable element capable of compensating for any misalignment in the Y-direction in the relative positioning of the adjacent chips on the support.

Abstract: A document illumination device includes a light-conducting member in which is formed a base surface that extends along a lengthwise direction, an irradiation surface that extends along the lengthwise direction and is tilted in the widthwise direction relative to the base surface, and a side surface that extends in the lengthwise direction and connects the base surface to the irradiation surface; a scattering member that is provided opposing the base surface and the side surface and that scatters light emitted from the base surface and the side surface; and a light source provided opposing a lengthwise direction-end surface of the light-conducting member.

Abstract: A lens array including: a plurality of imaging portions arrayed in a first direction; wherein each of the plurality of imaging portions includes a first optical system configured to form an intermediate image of an object and a second optical system configured to re-form the intermediate image of the object in a first cross section parallel to the first direction and a direction of optical axes of the imaging portions, and wherein in each of the plurality of imaging portions, an optical flux from an object height at which a light available efficiency becomes 90% is restricted by at least one of a first aperture surface of the first optical system and a second aperture surface of the second optical system, and the optical flux from an object height at which the light available efficiency becomes 10% is restricted by the aperture surface which restricts the optical flux from the object height at which the light available efficiency becomes 90%.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an LED unit capable of being in an exposing position or a retracted position, and a cartridge capable of being inserted into or pulled out with the LED unit in the retracted position.

Abstract: A lens array includes a first image-forming unit having a plurality of lens portions arrayed in a first direction and configured to form an intermediate image of an object at an intermediate image plane; and a second image-forming unit having a plurality of lens portions arrayed in the first direction and configured to re-image the intermediate image of the object onto a final image plane. The plurality of lens portions of the first and second image-forming units each have an anamorphic surface on a lens surface closest to the intermediate image plane, and each anamorphic surface has a shape having a decreased power at end portions as compared to a power in the vicinity of a surface vertex.

Abstract: An optical element unit is provided comprising an optical element group for projecting light along an optical axis of the optical element group and a housing having an inner housing part partly defining a first space and a light passageway between the inner housing part and a second space. The inner housing part receives the optical element group. The optical element group comprises an ultimate optical element located in the region of the light passageway. A load-relieving device is provided adjacent to the ultimate optical element, the load relieving device partly defining the first space and the second space and at least partly relieving the ultimate optical element from loads resulting from pressure differences between the first space.

Abstract: A plastic optical element for use in an optical scanning device including light effective portions that focus light, and at least one link portion that connects the light effective portions in the sub-scanning direction, the link portion forming a border arc having a curvature radius R of 2 mm or greater and contacting the light effective portions such that the tangent of the light effective portion at the connection point of the light effective portion and the border arc matches the tangent of the border arc at the connection point.

Abstract: A lens array includes a first lens row including first lenses arranged in a first direction, a second lens row including second lenses arranged in a direction substantially parallel with the first direction, a first boundary being a boundary between the first lenses adjacent to each other, a second boundary being a boundary between each of the first lenses and the second lens adjacent to the first lens, and a first join portion where the first boundary and the second boundary join each other. At the first joint portion, the first boundary and the second boundary contact each other with no step as seen in a plane that is substantially orthogonal to the first direction.

Abstract: An exposure head, includes: a lens array that includes lenses that are arranged in a first direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and a light emitting element substrate that is provided with light emitting elements that emit lights to be imaged by the lenses, wherein a relationship defined by a following formula: 1<L1/L2 is satisfied, where the symbol L1 denotes a length of the lens in the first direction and the symbol L2 denotes a length of the lens in the second direction.

Abstract: An erecting equal-magnification lens array plate comprises first and second lens array plates stacked on one another, a fourth surface light-shielding wall, and an intermediate light-shielding wall. An intermediate through hole formed in the intermediate light-shielding wall is formed such that the hole diameter is progressively smaller in a tapered fashion away from the first lens array plate toward the second lens array plate. An angle of inclination ? of an interior wall surface of the intermediate through hole with respect to a optical axis is given by ??tan?1(D4/(Gap+L2+H4))/2 where Gap denotes a gap between the lens array plates, L2 denotes a thickness of the second lens array plate, H4 denotes a height of the fourth surface light-shielding wall, and D4 denotes a diameter of the opening of the fourth surface through hole formed in the fourth surface light-shielding wall facing the image plane.

Abstract: A first body houses a photoconductor is provided with a second body openably and closably attached to the first body. Additionally, a unit is provided to be swingable with respect to the second body such that an exposure surface of the unit is disposed at an exposure position opposing the photoconductor when the second body is closed. The exposure surface of the unit is disposed at a retreated position facing toward the rotary shaft of the second body when the first body is opened. Since the exposure surface of the unit faces toward the rotary shaft of the second body when the second body is opened, the exposure surface is not exposed to outside of the second body.

Abstract: A lens array, a linear light exposure device, and an optical apparatus including the linear light exposure device. The lens array includes: an image side lens array unit in which a plurality of lens cells are arranged in at least one line along an arrangement direction to have optical axes parallel with each other; and a light blocking unit provided on an incidence surface of the image side lens array unit, the light blocking unit having light transmission regions, through which light is transmitted toward each lens cell, and blocking regions in regions other than the light transmission regions, wherein each lens cell of the image side lens array unit has a square formed effective optical region.

Abstract: A lens-mounting structure according to the present invention is; a lens mounting structure that glues a lens and a mounting surface of a support portion that supports the lens using an adhesive agent applied therebetween, to mount the lens to the support portion, characterized by setting a gluing surface area of the mounting surface of the support portion and the adhesive agent to be smaller than a gluing surface area of the lens and the adhesive agent.

Abstract: A lens array includes: a lens array substrate having a light transmissive property; a first lens disposed on the lens array substrate; and a second lens disposed on the lens array substrate in a first direction from the first lens and different from the first lens in peripheral shape.

Abstract: Lens pairs include: a first lens to form an intermediate image, which is an inverted image of an object, on an intermediate image plane; and a second lens to form an image of the object, which is an inverted image of the intermediate image, on the image plane. A ratio of SO1 (the distance between the first principal plane of the first lens and the object plane) to SI1 (the distance between the second principal plane of the first lens and the intermediate image plane) is substantially the same as the ratio of SI2 (the distance between the second principal plane of the second lens and the imaging plane) to SO2 (the distance between the first principal plane of the second lens and the intermediate image plane). The distance between the first lens and the object plane is different from a distance between the second lens and the imaging plane.

Abstract: An exposing device which radiates light on a photoconductor drum which rotates, thereby executing exposure, includes a light-emitting element unit including light-emitting element having an emission area which emits light that is generated, the emission area having a rectangular shape with a long side along a direction perpendicular to a rotational direction of the photoconductor drum, and a short side along the rotational direction, a lens unit which focuses the light, which is emitted from the emission area, on a peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum, thereby executing exposure, and forming on the peripheral surface a beam spot, and a driving circuit which causes the light-emitting element to emit light, thereby making a width of the shape of the beam spot in a direction along the rotational direction close to a width of the beam spot in a direction perpendicular to the rotational direction.

Abstract: A plastic optical element for use in an optical scanning device including light effective portions that focus light, and at least one link portion that connects the light effective portions in the sub-scanning direction, the link portion forming a border arc having a curvature radius R of 2 mm or greater and contacting the light effective portions such that the tangent of the light effective portion at the connection point of the light effective portion and the border arc matches the tangent of the border arc at the connection point.

Abstract: An exposure device is provided that has a light emitting unit having a plurality of light emitting elements and a lens array having a pair of lenses having a first lens and a second lens, the lens array having a shielding unit for shielding a light from any one of the pair of lenses, wherein a formula EC<EP/2 is satisfied, where EP denotes an interval between two adjacent light emitting elements of the plurality of light emitting elements and where EC denotes an off-set between a central axis of the first lens and a central axis of the second lens.

Abstract: An optical scanner includes a frame, a light source, an optical member, and a spacer. The light source emits a light beam. The optical member is mounted on the frame to guide the light beam to a scanning target. The spacer maintains the optical member at a predetermined position with respect to the frame. The spacer is formed of a photocurable resin that is cured in response to a predetermined light having a wavelength within a prescribed range.

Abstract: A light emitting device that forms a latent image by irradiating light onto a charged surface of an image carrier. The light emitting device includes an electro-optical substrate that forms an optical image, a focusing lens array that focuses light from the electro-optical substrate to form an erect image of the corresponding optical image on the charged surface, and a frame in which the focusing lens array is fixed. A position determining member, which is formed of resin, is disposed on the frame, comes in contact with a supporting body that supports the image carrier, and determines a distance between the focusing lens array and the image carrier by its own height.

Abstract: A line head includes light-emitting elements arranged in a first direction; and an optical system that images light emitted from the light-emitting elements on a latent image carrier. The optical system including first and second lens surfaces having refractive power, the second lens surface being provided on a side of the first lens surface opposite to the light-emitting elements. In cross sections in the first and second directions including an optical axis of the optical system, the curvatures of the first and second lens surfaces satisfy the following relationships: |C1X|<|C1Y|; and |C2X|>|C2Y| where, |C1X| and |C2X| are absolute values of the curvatures on the optical axis of the first and second lens surfaces on the cross section in the first direction, respectively; and |C1Y| and |C2Y| are absolute values of the curvatures on the optical axis of the first and second lens surfaces on the cross section in the second direction.

Abstract: A lens array, includes: a plurality of lens substrates which include a plurality of lenses arranged in a first direction; and a support member which supports the plurality of lens substrates arranged in the first direction.

Abstract: An optical system of a line head images light emitted from first and second light emitting elements and includes a rotationally symmetric lens having a lens face. A first region of the lens face includes an intersection point of the lens face with the symmetry axis of the lens, and a second region surrounding a periphery of the first region. The shape of a boundary portion between the first and second regions has the relationship 0.5?<??, wherein ? is a first direction angle that a first chief ray emitted by the first light emitting element makes with a second chief ray emitted by the second light emitting element, and ?? is an angle that a tangent line to the first region at the boundary portion makes with a tangent line to the second region at the boundary portion in a first direction cross-section including the symmetry axis.

Abstract: Provided are a light scanning unit capable of compensating for a zigzag error, an imaging apparatus having the same, and a method of compensating for a zigzag error of the light scanning unit. The light scanning unit may scan light beams using an oscillation mirror configured to rotatably oscillate. The light scanning unit may deflect light beams in a sub-scan direction in synchronization with the rotatable oscillation of the oscillation mirror, thereby compensating for a zigzag error caused by reciprocative scanning of the oscillation mirror.

Abstract: A lens array includes: a lens array substrate having a light transmissive property; a first lens disposed on the lens array substrate; and a second lens disposed on the lens array substrate in a first direction from the first lens and different from the first lens in peripheral shape.

Abstract: A lens array includes: a light transmissive lens array substrate; a plurality of lenses disposed on the lens array substrate in a first direction; and a line-like mark formed on the lens array substrate in a second direction one of perpendicular and substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: A line head includes: a first substrate that includes light-emitting elements formed thereon; and a second substrate that includes focusing lenses, which are inverted optical systems, focusing light emitted from the light-emitting elements, and has a linear expansion coefficient that is smaller than that of the first substrate.

Abstract: A lens array includes a light-transmissive substrate that satisfies the condition W1>W2, where W1 is the length of the light-transmissive substrate in a first direction and W2 is the length of the light-transmissive substrate in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a first lens that is provided on the light-transmissive substrate, and a second lens that is provided on the light-transmissive substrate on the second direction side of the first lens. The first lens and the second lens are connected to each other.

Abstract: An exposure head, includes: a first imaging optical system and a second imaging optical system which are arranged in a first direction; a light emitting element which emits light to be imaged by the first imaging optical system; and a light emitting element which emits light to be imaged by the second imaging optical system, wherein an inter-optical-system distance in the first direction between the first imaging optical system and the second imaging optical system satisfies the following expression: m1·L1+m2·L2>2P1?(m1·dp1+m2·dp2) where m1 represents an absolute value of the optical magnification of the first imaging optical system, L1 represents a width in the first direction of the light emitting element to be imaged by the first imaging optical system, dp1 represents a pitch between the light emitting element in the first direction in the light emitting element to be imaged by the first imaging optical system, m2 represents an absolute value of the optical magnification of the second imaging optical

Abstract: The invention provides an optical write linehead comprising a plurality of light emitter devices in rows located in association with each of a plurality positive lenses lined up in array form and designed such that even when the surface of the linehead with light emitter devices lined up on it and the write surface thereof fluctuate in the optical axis direction, there is no variation from misalignments of light-emission dots. The linehead comprises a light emitter array 1 including a plurality of light emitter blocks 4 located at least in the main scan direction at intervals. Each light emitter block 4 includes at least one row of a plurality of light emitter devices lined up in array form in the main scan direction. One each positive lens system 5 is located on the exit side of the light emitter array 1 and in line with each light emitting block 4. A write surface 41 is located on the imaging side of the lens array.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes a light source to generate a beam, a lens to transmit the beam generated from the light source, and a base member to which the lens is fixed, wherein the lens is fixed to the base member via a mount member having a same coefficient of thermal expansion as the lens. According to the present general inventive concept, an optical member, such as the lens, is not directly joined to the base member but is joined to the mount member having the same coefficient of thermal expansion as the optical member and is then coupled to the base member. Consequently, the optical member is stably coupled to the base member even when the temperature changes.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus comprises: a plurality of light sources; a first condensing unit, arranged to contact a light emitting surface of each of the light sources, that condenses the lights emitted from the plurality of light sources; and a second condensing unit that condenses the lights from each of the light sources, which are emitted from the first condensing unit, wherein the first condensing unit is configured so that a center of curvature of an output surface, to emit the light from the light source, of the first condensing unit is positioned near the side of the second condensing unit rather than an arrangement position of the light source.

Abstract: A line head, includes: a lens array in which a plurality of imaging lenses whose absolute value of magnification is m are arranged in a longitudinal direction which corresponds to a main scanning direction for a surface-to-be-scanned; and a plurality of luminous element groups which are disposed in one-to-one correspondence to the plurality of imaging lenses, wherein in each one of the plurality of luminous element groups, the plurality of luminous elements are arranged at mutually different positions in the longitudinal direction spaced apart by an element pitch dp, the plurality of luminous elements of this luminous element group are respectively turned on to emit light beams at timings in conformity with a movement of the surface-to-be-scanned in a sub scanning direction, the light beams emitted from the plurality of luminous elements of this luminous element group are imaged on the surface-to-be-scanned at mutually different positions in the main scanning direction, and accordingly a plurality of spots ar

Abstract: An electro-optical device includes an electro-optical panel including a substrate and a plurality of electro-optical elements arranged on the substrate, a converging lens that converges a light beam emitted from the electro-optical panel, and a light-transmitting member interposed between the electro-optical panel and the converging lens. A first surface of the light-transmitting member opposing the converging lens is rotated about an axis along which the electro-optical elements are arranged on the substrate.

Abstract: There is provided a light beam scanning apparatus which deflects a light beam from a light source by using a deflector and scans the surface of a photosensitive member with a focused light beam. The light beam scanning apparatus includes a first electro-optical element placed on the optical axis of the light beam between the light source and the deflector. The first electro-optical element includes an electro-optical crystal and transparent electrodes respectively provided on surfaces of the electro-optical crystal which oppose each other in the optical axis direction.

Abstract: An optical scanning device condenses a beam deflected by a light deflector, by a scanning and imaging lens toward a surface to be scanned to form a beam spot thereon, and scans the surface to be scanned by the beam spot. At least one lens of the scanning and imaging lens is configured so that a lens body thereof is held by a holding frame, wherein a rib surface at an end in a longitudinal direction of the holding frame is inclined so that a ghost light generated as a result of the deflected beam being reflected by the end in the longitudinal direction of the holding frame is changed in light path in a sub-scan direction.

Abstract: The document scanner of the present invention includes a reading assembly of simple, compact and light-weight construction. The reading assembly includes an optical system having a relatively short focal length. The reading assembly is thus simply configured in a compact manner close to the document to be scanned. The optical system is also configured to extend in a particular direction beyond the document viewing area for improved resolution of images from a bound document adjacent the binding. The reading assembly further includes a compact and light-weight illumination source which is low in power consumption, and thus, may be powered by batteries. The stand-alone document scanner of the present invention is particularly suited to portability.

Abstract: A multi-color image forming apparatus includes a rotatable endless image forming member, plural exposure devices provided inside of the image forming member, and plural units each including a charger to electrically charge an outer surface of the image forming member and a developing device containing a color toner of plural different color toners to develop a latent image. Each of the plural units are disposed on the outer surface of the image forming member so as to be opposite to one of plural exposure devices so that multi-color toner images can be formed on the outer surface of the image forming member during a single rotation of the image forming member. in addition, each of the plural units is detachable from the apparatus independently of other units.