Konica Minolta, Inc.

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

Hajime Taniguchi

Ryo Hasegawa

Hidenari Tachibe

Atsushi Nagaoka

Kenji Takeshita

Takahiro Matsuo

Takafumi Yuasa

Yoshitaka Otani

Makoto Ooki

Atsushi Ohata

Masahiko Takahashi

Akihiro Nakamura

Wataru Senoo

Tooru Watanabe

Masato Togami

Ikuro Chimoto

Shinya Saito

Tsukasa Sugiura

Hirofumi Nishikiuchi

An optical writing device includes: an image carrier; an exposer that exposes a curved surface of the image carrier; and a control circuit that controls the exposer, wherein the exposer includes a plurality of light-emitting element groups having different positional relationships from one another with the image carrier, and has a configuration that is adjusted in accordance with at least one of an angle at which light reaching the curved surface of the image carrier from each light-emitting element group enters the image carrier, and a distance of each light-emitting element group from the image carrier.

Optical writing device

An exposure device includes: a first lens array unit and a second lens array unit each including a plurality of optical elements formed in a formation surface with respective optical axes parallel to each other, the formation surface of the first lens array unit being not perpendicular to the optical axes; a first lens array holder and a second lens array holder that hold the first lens array unit and the second lens array unit with the respective optical axes of the plurality of optical elements parallel to each other; and a light source assembly in which optical element groups each including a plurality of light-emitting devices aligned in a direction perpendicular to the optical axes are disposed at different positions in a direction parallel to the optical axes, wherein the first lens array unit is provided with a first seating surface and a second seating surface.

Exposure device and image forming apparatus

An optical scanning device including: a light source; a deflector that deflects light from the light source; an optical element that guides light deflected by the deflector on an optical path to a photosensor; and a housing that accommodates the deflector and the optical element. The housing is integrally formed and includes a bottom plate, a side wall standing upright from a periphery of a main surface of the bottom plate, and a pair of ribs parallel with each other and standing upright from the bottom plate. Both longitudinal ends of each of the ribs in plan view are joined to the side wall. A region of the bottom plate between the ribs in the plan view has a portion displaced farther upward in an upright direction of the side wall than other regions of the bottom plate.

Optical scanning device and image forming device

In an optical scanning device, a housing has a structure divided into an upper stage and a lower stage by a mounting plate on which a deflector, a first optical system and a second optical system are mounted. A first optical system reflection mirror and a second optical system reflection mirror are mounted in the other of the upper stage and the lower stage in which the deflector is not mounted. Each of the first optical system and the second optical system is disposed across a region including the upper stage and the lower stage. The first optical system reflection mirror and the second optical system reflection mirror are disposed with the deflector located therebetween. The first optical system reflection mirror is disposed on a side of the second optical system, and the second optical system reflection mirror is disposed on a side of the first optical system.

Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus

In a displacement sensor, an illumination optical system, which converts laser light emitted from an emission unit into first converging light, and irradiates with the first converging light a detection space through which a target moves. An imaging optical system converts laser light reflected from the target into second converging light, and irradiates with the second converging light a light-receiving surface of a detection unit. The image of the emission unit into which the illumination optical system focuses the first converging light is displaced along the optical axis of the imaging optical system by a temperature change of the illumination optical system. The range in which the image is displaced is limited to be located either anterior to the front principal point of the imaging optical system, or posterior to the rear principal point of the imaging optical system.

Displacement sensor and image forming device having the same

An optical scanning device has a housing in which a duct surrounds a space from the deflector and its circumference to an outlet in insulation from the optical system, and guides gas from an inlet to the space. A positioning member is shaped as a pillar that protrudes from the floor of the duct towards the deflector and has a tip to contact with the deflector to locate the rotation axis of the polygon mirror at a position relative to the housing. The positioning member further limits a clearance between an outer surface of the deflector and the floor to secure therein a flow path of the gas.

Optical scanning device with duct for heat dissipation, and image forming device having the same

An optical scanning device comprises: photoreceptors corresponding one-to-one to solid colors; high-resolution light sources each emitting a set of beams irradiating the corresponding photoreceptor with a predetermined distance therebetween along a sub-scanning direction; a deflection unit; a first optical system directing the sets of beams from the high-resolution light sources to the deflection unit; a low-resolution light source emitting a set of beams irradiating a predetermined photoreceptor with a distance therebetween larger than the predetermined distance along the sub-scanning direction; and a second optical system directing all of the sets of beams to the corresponding photoreceptor. The low-resolution light source and first optical system are positioned so as not to physically interfere with the high-resolution light sources and first optical system, and so as to allow the set of beams from the low-resolution light source to scan an image forming area on the predetermined photoreceptor along a main-scanning direction.

An optical scanning device includes a plurality of light sources, at least two securing units provided for each of the light sources, and a substrate for driving the light sources. The components are arranged such that the direction 'A' in which the light sources are arranged has an upward slant with respect to a lateral direction (i.e. X direction) of the substrate, and the direction 'B' in which the at least two securing units provided for each of the light sources are arranged has a downward slant with respect to the lateral direction of the substrate. Accordingly, a compact optical scanning device can be provided.

Optical scanning device including a plurality of light sources

A laser scanning optical apparatus wherein a plural number of beams are deflected by one polygon mirror and are scanned on respective corresponding photosensitive drums via a scanning optical system. The scanning optical system has a first scanning lens which transmits all the beams, exclusive second scanning lenses which transmit exclusively the respective beams and plane mirrors for reflecting the beams. The second scanning lenses are located such that at least one of the second scanning lenses is at a distance from the corresponding photosensitive drum on which the beam transmitted by the at least one of the second scanning lenses is scanned and that another second scanning lens is at another distance from the corresponding photosensitive drum on which the beams transmitted by the another second scanning lens is scanned. For example, at least one of the exclusive optical elements is at a distance from the corresponding photosensitive drum, and the other exclusive optical elements are at another distance from the respective corresponding photosensitive drums. Alternatively, the exclusive optical elements are at mutually different distances from the respective corresponding photosensitive drums.

Laser scanning optical apparatus having exclusive optical elements at varying distances from receiving surfaces

Deflection of multiple laser beams, scanning of the photoreceptors by such beams in the main scanning direction and light path separation in the sub scanning direction are carried out by having multiple laser beams strike the same deflecting reflective surface of the deflector at different angles in the sub scanning direction. In order to adjust the incident angles in the sub scanning direction, the angles of the laser beams are simultaneously changed. In order to adjust the incident positions in the sub scanning direction, the laser beams are simultaneously moved in a parallel fashion by a light source adjustment unit.

Tandem scanning optical device

It is desirable if the lengthwise center axis of a cylindrical rotating member such as a photoreceptor drum is aligned exactly with the center axes of the support shafts. However, as it is impossible to eliminate manufacturing errors in components, it is unavoidable for there to be a slight angle of intersection between the center axis of the cylindrical rotating member and the center axes of the support shaft. Consequently, the object of the present invention is to provide a support mechanism for the cylindrical rotating member whereby the cylindrical rotating member exhibits little unevenness of rotation. When lengthwise axis of the cylindrical rotating member forms angle of intersection .alpha. with lengthwise axis of shaft, this angle .alpha. is absorbed by the slight space between shaft and pierced hole of a rotation transmission member, as well as by the gap between the rotation transmission member and bearing of the cylindrical rotating member, so that the center axis of the cylindrical rotating member is fixed in a set position, and the outer circumference of the cylindrical rotating member moves in a predetermined perfectly circular path.

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Toyokawa, Japan

Hajime Taniguchi