Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Yukito Satoh

Mitsumi Fujii

Tomohiro Nakajima

Yoshinori Hayashi

Eiji Mochizuki

Morimasa Kaminishi

Junichi Azumi

Takayuki Yamaguchi

Mitsugu Irinoda

Kaihei Isshiki

An optical deflector of the present invention includes a movable mirror and torsion bars supporting the mirror and formed integrally with the mirror. The mirror reciprocatingly vibrates to reflect a light beam to thereby deflect it. The mirror is curved in the form of an arch in a section including at least the torsion bars. The mirror deforms little during vibration even if it is thin. Small power can cause such a thin mirror to vibrate with a large amplitude.

Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus using the same

A vibration mirror is reciprocatively vibrated by an electrostatic force to reflect an incident light beam. The vibration mirror comprises a reflection means for reflecting the incident light beam; a reflection means holding substrate for holding the reflection means; a torsional rotation shaft comprising rod members rotatably supporting two ends of the reflection means holding substrate; movable electrodes formed on side faces of the reflection means holding substrate supported; a first substrate for supporting the reflection means supporting substrate via the torsional rotation shaft; first fixed electrodes formed on the first substrate so as to face the movable electrodes; a first electrically insulating and separating means formed on the first substrate to electrically insulate and separate the movable electrodes from the first fixed electrodes; and a second substrate overlaid on the first substrate with an insulating layer therebetween so as to be electrically insulated from and overlapped to adhere onto the first substrate.

Vibration mirror, optical scanning device, and image forming using the same, method for making the same, and method for scanning image

In this optical scanning device, a plurality of scanning optical systems are arranged in a main scanning direction. Each of the scanning optical systems includes a deflecting unit performing an optical scanning by oscillation. Scanning frequencies of the deflecting units are substantially equal to one another. Each of the deflecting units is provided with means for varying the scanning frequency. The scanning frequency of each of the deflecting units is set midway between a maximum value and a minimum value of a resonance frequency intrinsic to the deflecting unit.

Optical scanning device for reducing a dot position displacement at a joint of scanning lines

An electrostatic actuator includes a diaphragm caused to vibrate by electrostatic force, an electrode substrate opposing the diaphragm, an electrode formed on the electrode substrate so as to oppose said diaphragm with a gap being formed between the electrode and the diaphragm, an anti-corrosive thin film formed on said diaphragm, and diaphragm deflection prevention means preventing the diaphragm from deflecting.

Electrostatic actuator, method of producing electrostatic actuator, micropump, recording head, ink jet recording apparatus, ink cartridge, and method of producing recording head

A semiconductor thin film sensor device including a semiconductor body formed of silicon having a (110) plane; a depression formed by an anisotropic etch applied to a first surface of the semiconductor body, wherein the first surface is substantially parallel to the (110) plane; and a thin film insulation member having a predetermined configuration suspended over the depression, and having substantially opposing ends connected to the first surface of the semiconductor body so that the thin film insulation member is bridged across the depression. Preferably, the depth of the depression is over 200 .mu.m. In one embodiment, the predetermined configuration of the thin film insulation member is oriented substantially parallel to a &lt;100&gt; direction of the semiconductor body.

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Miyagi, Japan

Yukito Satoh