Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.

Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Susumu Monma

Keiji Kataoka

Yasuyuki Shibayama

Koji Doi

Shinya Kobayashi

Teruaki Mitsuya

Takeshi Mochizuki

Isao Nakajima

Shinichi Akatsu

Hideharu Miki

Makoto Yagawara

Masaru Hoshina

Jyun Ogino

Junichi Matsuno

An image forming apparatus for performing an image forming operation is disclosed that includes an image carrier on which a toner image is formed, an intermediate transfer member configured to transfer the toner image to a recording medium, the intermediate transfer member having a toner image forming area including an output image forming area and a non-output image forming area located outside of the output image forming area, the toner image forming area being wider than the output image forming area, and a detecting part configured to measure a physical quantity regarding an image quality of a first reference image formed in the output image forming area and a second reference image formed in the non-output image forming area.

Image forming apparatus and image forming method on measured physical quantity

A multi-beam generating device has plural semiconductor lasers, optical fibers to propagate laser beams generated by the semiconductor lasers, an optical fiber array to propagate the laser beams passed through the optical fibers, and an optical waveguide device provided with waveguides to propagate the laser beams having passed through the optical fiber array. Each of the waveguides has a core layer and a clad layer; a pitch between adjacent waveguides in the arrangement is narrower on the output section side where the laser beams emit than on the input section side where the laser beams enter; a width of the core layer is narrower in the transverse direction that is the direction of the arrangement of the waveguides than in the vertical direction; and a difference in refractive index between the core layer and the clad layer is larger in the transverse direction than in the vertical direction.

Multi-beam generating device and optical recording device using the same

The invention provides a multi-beam light source including a light guide array by which the yield can be improved. An array pitch Pof entrance surfaces of light guide pattern is 1/N as wide as an array pitch Pof exit surfaces of optical fiber arrays. The number of the light guide patterns is N or more times as large as the number of optical fibers. The exit surfaces of a plurality of the optical fibers are coupled with the entrance surfaces of a plurality of the light guide patterns opposed thereto.

Multi-beam light source, method for manufacturing the same, light scanning unit using the same, and image forming apparatus using the same

A semiconductor laser module includes a laser holder, a semiconductor laser, a sleeve, an optical fiber, an annular member, and a flexible member. The laser holder has an end portion and is formed with a through-hole opened on the end portion. The semiconductor laser is provided on the laser holder and has a light-emitting portion for emitting a laser beam passing through the through-hole. The sleeve is fixed to the end portion so as to block the through-hole and is formed with an insertion hole. The optical fiber is disposed in the insertion hole and has an incident face. The laser beam is capable of entering the incident face. The annular member is provided on the end portion of the laser holder to encircle outside of the sleeve to be separated from the sleeve with a space between the annular member and the sleeve. The flexible member is affixed to the sleeve and the annular member for covering the space.

Semiconductor laser module for optical scanner

An optical fiber array is constructed by using a plurality of laser modules, which guide a laser beam emitted from a semiconductor laser of a blue color wavelength to an optical fiber, such that beam emitting ends of respective optical fibers are aligned in one row at an equal interval, and the laser beam being output from the optical fiber array is used as a multibeam of an optical recording apparatus. A relative refractive index difference of the used optical fiber is set between 0.1% to 0.2%, and a core diameter is set to 4.5 &#x3bc;m or less, and also a mode field diameter of the optical fiber, i.e., a diameter of a beam spot emitted from the optical fiber is set to 3 &#x3bc;m or more.

Optical recording apparatus

In a semiconductor laser module in which light emitted from a packaged semiconductor laser is incident on an optical fiber via a lens, the semiconductor laser, the lens, the optical fiber, and a holding member which holds the optical fiber are disposed in an integrated module structure, and at least one space in the module has a flow path communicating with an ambient air via an adsorbent.

Growing community of inventors

Ibaraki, Japan

Susumu Monma