Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Hideji Mizutani

Shingo Yoshida

Takayuki Kurihara

Hideki Ishida

Hiroatsu Tamai

Kosuke Uchida

Issei Nakano

Yuji Toyota

Seiji Taki

A laser scanning unit includes a light source portion, a scanning portion, a first correction portion, and a second correction portion. The light source portion outputs a plurality of light beams. The scanning portion scans the plurality of light beams to form a plurality of electrostatic latent images, respectively corresponding to a plurality of colors including at least one reference color and at least one non-reference color, in an image forming portion. The first correction portion applies an external mechanical force to an optical element located in a path of a reference beam, corresponding to the reference color, among the plurality of light beams to correct distortion of a scan line of the reference beam. The second correction portion controls the light source portion to correct distortion of a scan line of a non-reference beam, corresponding to the non-reference color, among the plurality of light beams.

Laser scanning unit, image forming apparatus, laser scanning method, and non-transitory storage medium

An optical scanner includes a multi beam light source, a scanning optical system, and a controller. The controller specifies selected beams, and changes light quantities of the respective selected beams at the same change timing based on the same profile data at respective positions in the main scanning direction which are fixedly determined as light quantity change positions. When the position of a center region in an arrangement width of the plurality of selected beams is moved in the main scanning direction in response to a selected mode of the beams, in the profile data, the controller derives a shift light quantity at a position shifted in the main scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the movement of the position of the center region, and the light quantity is modified so that the shift light quantity is used at the light quantity change position.

Optical scanner and image forming apparatus including optical scanner

In an optical scanning device, light emitting start timings of light emitting parts with respect to a reference light emitting part are stored in a storage part. In a correction mode, a light emitting timing correction control part performs first control for allowing positions of beam spots of the light beams emitted from the light emitting parts to be equal to each other, second control for allowing a light emitting part LDto emit a light beam at a plurality of different start timings and patch images to be formed on a intermediate transfer belt, and third control for correcting light emitting start timings of light emitting parts LDto LDon the basis of the start timing of the light emitting part LDat which the patch images has the highest concentration.

Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus including the same

A laser scanning device includes a light source, a deflection portion, an image forming lens, and a light source control portion. The light source emits a light beam. The deflection portion causes the light beam emitted from the light source to scan a scanned surface by deflecting the light beam at a predetermined deflection angle. The image forming lens condenses the deflected light beam on the scanned surface, and causes the light beam to be scanned on the scanned surface in a scanning direction at an equal speed. The light source control portion controls the light source to irradiate the light beam to at least one section area among a plurality of section areas sectioned from each other in the scanning direction on the scanned surface, at a plurality of irradiation timings determined based on a position of the at least one section area in the scanning direction.

Laser scanning device and image forming apparatus including the same

Disclosed is an optical deflector which includes: a polygonal mirror, a drive motor, a cover member, and a temperature detection unit. The cover member includes: a first cover portion defining a first space in which the polygonal mirror is installed, wherein the first cover portion is formed with a first opening opened in opposed relation to an outer peripheral surface of the polygonal mirror; a second cover portion defining a second space which is communicated with the first space and in which the drive motor is installed, wherein the second cover portion is formed with a second opening opened in opposed relation to a motor body of the drive motor; and a third cover portion defining a third space which is communicated with the second space. The temperature detection unit is mounted to the third cover portion so as to close the third space.

Optical deflector, and optical scanning device and image forming apparatus equipped with same

Disclosed is an optical deflector including a polygonal mirror and a drive motor each mounted on a substrate, a cover member covering the polygonal mirror and the drive motor, and an electronic component. The cover member includes: a first cover portion defining a first space in which the polygonal mirror is installed, wherein the first cover portion is formed with a first opening opened in opposed relation to an outer peripheral surface of the polygonal mirror; and a second cover portion defining a second space which is communicated with the first space and in which the drive motor is installed, wherein the second cover portion is formed with a second opening opened in opposed relation to a motor body of the drive motor. When viewed in the first direction, the electronic component is disposed such that it falls within an open region of the second opening.

An optical scanning device includes a scanning member, a plurality of light sources, a first reflection mirror, and a second reflection mirror. The scanning member scans incident laser beams in a predetermined main scanning direction. The plurality of light sources emit the laser beams from positions that are different along a sub scanning direction that is perpendicular to an optical axis direction of the laser beams and the main scanning direction. The first reflection mirror is inclined around the main scanning direction as a rotation axis, is inclined around the sub scanning direction as another rotation axis, and reflects the laser beams emitted from the light sources. The second reflection mirror is inclined around the main scanning direction as a rotation axis, is inclined around the sub scanning direction as another rotation axis, and reflects the laser beams reflected by the first reflection mirror toward the scanning member.

Optical scanning device, image forming apparatus, aperture fixing method

This light source unit includes a light source, a collimator lens, a support body, and an adhesive agent. The collimator lens is configured to collimate laser light emitted from the light source. In the support body, a first support portion configured to support the light source and a second support portion configured to support the collimator lens are integrally molded with each other by use of a synthetic resin. The adhesive agent is attached by a larger amount between the second support portion and a second face which is on an opposite side to a first face on the light source side of the collimator lens, than between the second support portion and the first face.

Light source unit, laser scanning unit, and image forming apparatus

A light deflector includes a fixing portion and a movable portion. The movable portion includes a mirror portion for deflecting light by swinging about a predetermined swing axis, a torsion bar fixedly supported on the fixing portion and having an axis serving as the swing axis, and a supporting body configured to support the mirror portion and fixed to the torsion bar. The supporting body includes a hole portion through which the axis passes. A mass body for adjusting a resonant frequency of the movable portion is arranged in the hole portion.

Light deflector with plate-like mirror forming a base of a recess in a movable member and a mass body on a non-deflecting surface of the mirror to adjust a resonent frequency of the movable member

A laser scanning unit includes a light source, a deflector, and a scanning lens. A surface shape of the scanning lens is formed so as to have: non-uniform-speed scanning characteristics in which a scanning speed with the light beam is the lowest at the one end and the other end of the to-be-scanned surface and is highest at a midpoint between the one end and the other end; and image formation characteristics in which a beam diameter of the light beam is largest at the one end and the other end of the to-be-scanned surface and is the smallest at the midpoint between the one end and the other end. The non-uniform-speed scanning characteristics and the image formation characteristics are characteristics in which a peak value of an intensity distribution of the light beam at each image height is made equal to each other by a combination of both characteristics.

Laser scanning unit and image forming apparatus including the same

An optical scanning device includes a light source portion, a deflector, a first focus lens, a second focus lens, a first mirror group, and a second mirror group. The first mirror group includes: a first reflection mirror on which a first light beam having transmitted through a first focus lens is incident, the first reflection mirror reflecting the first light beam in a second direction away from a first scanned surface; and a second reflection mirror that reflects the reflected first light beam toward the first scanned surface. The second mirror group includes: a third reflection mirror on which a second light beam having transmitted through a second focus lens is incident, the third reflection mirror reflecting the second light beam in the first direction of approaching the second scanned surface; and a fourth reflection mirror that reflects the reflected second light beam toward the second scanned surface.

Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus using the same

An optical scanning device includes a cylindrical aperture, a support member, and a base portion. In the aperture, an opening portion restricts a beam path width of a laser beam emitted from a light source. The support member includes a cylinder supporting portion that pivotably supports the aperture. To the base portion, the support member is fixed by adhesion fixing. The base portion includes a pass-through portion that passes through between front and rear surfaces of the base portion and allows the support member to move in direction perpendicular to a pivoting axis of the aperture. The support member has a length such that its lower end portion projects from a rear surface of the base portion in the state where the support member has been inserted in the pass-through portion to such a position where laser beam is incident in the opening portion of the aperture.

An optical scanning device includes a first aperture and an adjustment mechanism. The first aperture includes a first opening portion and a first cut portion. The first opening portion restricts a beam path width of a laser beam emitted from a light source. A first blocking member that blocks the laser beam is inserted in a detachable manner in the first cut portion in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the first opening portion, at a predetermined position of the first cut portion. The adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust a fixed state of the first aperture.

An optical scanning device includes a light source, a scanning member, a converging lens, a first aperture, a second aperture, and a support member. The first aperture is provided between the converging lens and the scanning member and includes a first opening portion configured to restrict a beam path width in a main scanning direction of the laser beams emitted from the light source. The second aperture is provided between the light source and the converging lens and includes a second opening portion and a cylindrical portion. The second opening portion is configured to restrict a beam path width in a sub scanning direction of the laser beams emitted from the light source, and is formed in the cylindrical portion. The support member includes a cylinder supporting portion that pivotably supports the cylindrical portion of the second aperture.

Optical scanning device, image forming apparatus

A light deflector includes a fixing portion, a movable portion and a reinforcing member. The movable portion includes a mirror portion for deflecting light by swinging about a predetermined swing axis, a torsion bar fixedly supported on the fixing portion and having an axis serving as the swing axis, and a supporting body configured to support the mirror portion and fixed to the torsion bar. The supporting body includes a contact surface to be held in contact with the mirror portion and a non-contact surface opposite to the contact surface. The reinforcing member is provided only on the non-contact surface out of the contact surface and the non-contact surface of the supporting body and reinforces the supporting body and adjusts a center of gravity of the movable portion so that the center of gravity of the movable portion is located on the axis.

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Osaka, Japan

Hideji Mizutani