The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 11, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 31, 1997
Masatoshi Takano, Saitama-ken, JP;
Eiji Takasugi, Saitama-ken, JP;
Shinji Kikuchi, Tokyo, JP;
Tsutomu Sato, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroyuki Saito, Tokyo, JP;
Yoshiyuki Araki, Saitama-ken, JP;
Mitsunori Iima, Saitama-ken, JP;
Takashi Sasaki, Nagano-ken, JP;
Takashi Iizuka, Saitama-ken, JP;
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
Disclosed is a scanning apparatus having a cascade scanning optical system. The scanning apparatus includes: a first scanning optical system for deflecting a first scanning laser beam to scan a scanning surface; a second scanning optical system for deflecting a second scanning laser beam to scan the scanning surface, wherein each of the first and second scanning optical systems is a telecentric system; a beam splitter positioned such that a first portion of the first scanning laser beam which has been reflected by the beam splitter and a first portion of the second scanning laser beam which has passed through the beam splitter proceed to the scanning surface on a common line thereon extending in a main scanning direction in respective different adjacent ranges of the common line to generate a single scanning line on the scanning surface by a combination of the first portion of the first scanning laser beam and the first portion of the second scanning laser beam; and a first laser beam detector fixed at a position to detect a second portion of the first scanning laser beam which has passed through the beam splitter and a second portion of the second scanning laser beam which has been reflected by the beam splitter when the first and second laser beams start scanning the respective different adjacent rang of the common line.