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:
Oct. 19, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 18, 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
A cascade scanning optical system which includes: a first laser scanning optical system having a first polygon mirror, provided with a plurality of first reflecting surfaces, for deflecting a first scanning laser beam to scan a part of a scanning surface to generate a first scanning line; a second laser scanning optical system having a second polygon mirror, provided with a plurality of second reflecting surfaces, for deflecting a second scanning laser beam to scan another part of the scanning surface to generate a second scanning line, wherein the first and second laser scanning optical systems are arranged so as to align the first scanning line with the second scanning line at a point of contact therebetween in a main scanning direction to form a single scanning line; means for measuring a degree of tilt of each of the plurality of first reflecting surfaces and the plurality of second reflecting surfaces; and means for determining combinations of the plurality of first reflecting surfaces with the plurality of second reflecting surfaces in accordance with results of measurements of the measuring means so that the single scanning line is formed by any one of the combinations while minimizing a phase difference between a first phase formed by degrees of tilt of the plurality of first reflecting surfaces and a second phase formed by degrees of tilt of the plurality of the second reflecting surfaces.