Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Jun Igarashi

Kiyoto Toyoizumi

An optical scanning device includes a deflecting unit having a deflecting surface, and arranged to deflect a light beam and optically scan a scanned surface in a main-scanning direction; an incident optical system arranged to cause the light beam to be obliquely incident on the deflecting surface in a sub-scanning section; and a light receiving unit arranged to receive a light beam deflected by the deflecting surface and generate a signal. A following condition is satisfied,|&#x3b2;|&#x2266;|&#x3b1;|,where &#x3b1; (deg) is an incident angle of the light beam from the incident optical system with respect to the deflecting surface in the sub-scanning section, and &#x3b2; (deg) is an angle defined by the light beam incident on the deflecting surface and the light beam deflected by the deflecting surface and directed toward the light receiving unit in a main-scanning section.

Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus including the same

An optical scanning apparatus includes, a deflection unit configured to deflect first and second light fluxes in a main scanning direction by a same deflection surface, an incident optical system configured to cause the first and second light fluxes to enter the deflection surface, and an imaging optical system configured to converge the first and second light fluxes deflected by the deflection unit to first and second surfaces to be scanned, respectively. The imaging optical system includes first imaging optical element having an output surface including first and second curves that the first and second light fluxes respectively enter, and among light rays included in the first and second light fluxes, the light rays that are reflected by the first and second curves, intersect each other in a sub-scanning cross section perpendicular to the main scanning direction.

Optical scanning apparatus and image forming apparatus equipped with scanning apparatus

An optical scanning apparatus, including: light sources; a deflector configured to deflect beams emitted from the light sources; and imaging optical systems configured to focus the beams deflected by a deflecting surface of the deflector on surfaces to be scanned, respectively, wherein: the beams entering the deflecting surface are P-polarized beam; the optical scanning apparatus further includes at least one reflection optical element reflecting a beam in a sub-scanning cross section on each of optical paths from the deflecting surface to the surfaces to be scanned; the optical paths include first and second optical paths having different numbers of the reflection optical elements from each other; and the optical scanning apparatus further includes an adjustor configured to adjust an output of a light source corresponding to at least one of the first and the second optical paths from among the light sources so that predetermined conditions are satisfied.

Optical scanning apparatus, including an adjustor, and image forming apparatus

To provide high flexibility in the arrangement of optical paths toward a plurality of photosensitive members and not to cause an increase in size of an image forming apparatus even when a cartridge capacity is increased, provided is an image forming apparatus including: light source units; a deflecting unit for deflecting a plurality of light beams for scanning; a plurality of photosensitive members; an imaging optical system for imaging the light beams deflected for scanning; and a plurality of toner containers, in which the toner containers are different in capacity, and an optical path length from the photosensitive member for the same color as the toner container having a large capacity to the deflecting surface of the deflecting unit is longer than an optical path length from the photosensitive member for the same color as the toner container having a small capacity to the deflecting surface of the deflecting unit.

Optical scanning apparatus and color image forming apparatus using the same

An optical scanning apparatus effectively blocks undesirable-light generated in opposed scanning units, and forms high-quality image with simple configuration. The apparatus includes two scanning units disposed with a polygon mirror therebetween, each scanning unit including: an incident optical system guiding a beam from a light source to the polygon mirror; and an imaging optical system including an imaging optical element to cause the deflected beam form an image on a scanning surface. One of the scanning units includes a member to block an undesirable light reflected on optical surfaces of the imaging optical element of the other scanning unit and traveling toward the scanning surface of said one scanning unit. rp&#x3c;L&#x2266;A/2 is satisfied, where rp denotes circumcircle radius of polygon mirror; L denotes distance from rotational center of polygon mirror to the blocking member of said one scanning unit, and A denotes length of polygon mirror drive circuit substrate.

Optical scanning apparatus for blocking undesirable-light generated in opposing scanning units to form a high quality image

An optical scanning device includes an input optical system having an input optical element, for projecting a light beam from a light source device onto a deflecting surface of an optical deflector, and an imaging optical system having an imaging optical element, for imaging the light beam scanningly deflected by the deflecting surface of the optical deflector, on a surface to be scanned, wherein the light beam is obliquely incident on the deflecting surface in a sub-scan section, wherein the imaging optical element has at least one optical surface which is decentered in the sub-scan section, wherein the input optical element has at least one optical surface having an asymmetric and aspherical surface shape, wherein the input optical element has a thickness dmin the sub-scan section and at a position where a first marginal light ray of the light beam passing through the input optical system, which first marginal light ray is closer to an optical reference axis than the principal ray of that light beam is, passes, as well as a thickness dmat a position where a second marginal light ray further remote from the optical reference axis than the principal light ray of the light beam is, passes, and wherein dm&#x3c;dm

Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus using the same

An illuminated position adjusting method used in optical scanning apparatus, suppressing deterioration of imaging spot shape on scanning surface, and preventing undesirable light from arriving at the scanning surface, to form high-quality image. The optical scanning apparatus includes: a common deflector for deflecting beams emitted from light source units; and imaging optical units each including at least one imaging optical element and at least one reflector which are disposed in optical path of beam deflected by the common deflector, and image the beam on scanning surface. In an optical path in which the largest number of the reflectors are disposed among the optical paths guided to the scanning surfaces, the reflector which is disposed optically closest to the scanning surface is rotated in sub-scanning direction, to adjust the illuminated position of the beam, which illuminates the scanning surface, on the scanning surface in sub-scanning direction.

Illuminated position adjusting method in optical scanning apparatus

An optical scanning device includes two scanning units which are disposed opposed to each other with a scanning deflector arranged therebetween, wherein one scanning unit has first and second imaging optical elements while the other scanning unit has third and fourth imaging optical elements, wherein the one scanning unit includes a light blocking member for intercepting unwanted light reflected at an optical surface of the fourth imaging optical element, wherein the third imaging optical element is provided at a light path between the fourth imaging optical element and the first light blocking member, and wherein the third imaging optical element has a positive refracting power in the sub-scan section through which unwanted light reflected at the optical surface of the fourth imaging optical element passes.

Disclosed is an optical scanning system and an image forming apparatus having the same, wherein, in one preferred form of the invention, the optical scanning system includes a light source device, a deflecting device for scanningly deflecting a light beam from the light source device, and an imaging optical system for imaging, upon a scan surface to be scanned, the light beam deflected by the deflecting device, wherein the imaging optical system consists of a single imaging optical element with a light exit surface having a concave shape with respect to a main-scan sectional plane, and wherein relations0.5&#x2266;&#x2266;0.90&#x3c;&#x2266;0.09are satisfied where &#x3c6;p is a power of the imaging optical element at an optical axis with respect to the main-scan direction, &#x3c6;m is a power of the imaging optical element at an outermost abaxial portion with respect to the main-scan direction, dp is a thickness of the imaging optical element at the optical axis, and kp is a k-&#x3b8; coefficient of the imaging optical element at the optical axis.

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Nikko, Japan

Jun Igarashi