Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-Kaisha

Junji Fujitani

Yasuomi Jibu

Toshio Sakai

Hidetaka Hoshino

Kazuhiro Hayakawa

Yasuhiro Ideno

A light deflector includes: a polygon mirror made of plastic and having a plurality of reflecting surfaces; a motor including a rotor and configured to rotate the polygon mirror; and a pressing member configured to press the polygon mirror toward the rotor in an axial direction of the motor. The polygon mirror has a first surface having a polygonal shape, and a second surface opposite to the first surface in the axial direction and having a polygonal shape. The second surface faces the rotor. The polygon mirror includes a plurality of first contact portions configured to be in contact with and pressed by the pressing member, and the first contact portions are provided on the first surface at positions equally distant from an axis of the motor between each of vertices of the first surface and the axis of the motor.

Light deflector and polygon mirror

A light deflector and an image forming apparatus including the light deflector are provided. The light deflector includes a polygon mirror made of plastic and a motor including a rotor. The rotor supports the polygon mirror and includes a base and a first protrusion protruding from the base toward the polygon mirror in an axial direction. The polygon mirror includes a main body having a plurality of reflecting surfaces, and a second protrusion protruding from the main body toward the base. The second protrusion has an end face and an inner face. The end face is in contact with the base in the axial direction, and the inner face is in contact with the first protrusion in a radial direction.

Light deflector

A scanning lens molded of resin includes: a lens portion having an elongate shape extending in a main scanning direction and having first and second longitudinal ends located opposite to and away from each other in the main scanning direction; and a flange portion extending outward in the main scanning direction from the first longitudinal end of the lens portion. The scanning lens has first and second sides located opposite to and away from each other in a sub-scanning direction, and a first protrusion is provided on the first side to protrude outward in the sub-scanning direction. The flange portion protrudes farther beyond the first longitudinal end in an optical axis direction of the lens portion. As viewed from the sub-scanning direction, the first protrusion is located at a position overlapping an interface between the lens portion and the flange portion.

Scanning lens and optical scanner

A lens includes a lens portion having two opposite oblong surfaces at least one of which is a curved lens surface having a reflective power. A cross-sectional area of the lens portion varies from a center toward each end in a longitudinal direction of the lens portion. A rib portion is disposed at each of two opposite sides of the lens portion adjacent to longer sides of the oblong surfaces of the lens portion, and extends along the longitudinal direction of the lens portion. A cross-sectional area of the rib portion varies along the longitudinal direction in a manner that renders variations of a cross-sectional area of a portion including the lens portion and the rib portion along the longitudinal direction of the lens portion smaller.

Long-length lens

A lens including a lens portion having two opposite oblong surfaces at least one of which is a curved lens surface having a refractive power is disclosed. At both ends in a longitudinal direction of the lens portion, first and second flange portions are provided each of which tapers toward the lens portion and has a slant surface slanting with respect to the longitudinal direction of the lens portion and connected with one of the oblong surfaces. An angle of the slant surface of the first flange portion with respect to the longitudinal direction of the lens portion is different from an angle of the slant surface of the second flange portion with respect to the longitudinal direction of the lens portion.

Lens and method for manufacturing same

A lens including a lens portion having first and second opposite oblong surfaces is disclosed. At least one of the first and second oblong surfaces of the lens portion is a curved lens surface having a reflective power. A rib portion is disposed at each of two opposite sides of the lens portion facing in a direction of a width of the first oblong surface. The rib portion extends along a longitudinal direction of the lens portion in a position separate from the second oblong surface. A draft surface extends between the second oblong surface and the rib portion. The draft surface includes a slant surface slanting outwardly toward the rib portion. The slant surface is curved inwardly with a draft thereof increasing gradually toward the rib portion.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Junji Fujitani