Imaging forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a spatial light-modulation element having a plurality of pixel portions which are two-dimensionally arranged, and individually modulate a plurality of portions of light applied to the spatial light-modulation element, according to control signals;
• a light source which applies the light to said spatial light-modulation element;
• a first image-forming optical system arranged so that the plurality of portions of the light modulated by said plurality of pixel portions pass through the first image-forming optical system;
• a microlens array being arranged in an image-forming plane of the first image-forming optical system, and having a plurality of microlenses arranged in correspondence with the plurality of pixel portions, respectively;
• an aperture array having a plurality of apertures respectively located at positions at which the plurality of portions of the light which have passed through said plurality of microlenses converge;
• and
• a second image-forming optical system being arranged so that the plurality of portions of the light which have passed through said plurality of apertures pass through the second image-forming optical system, and forming on a predetermined surface an image represented by the light modulated by the spatial light-modulation element;
• wherein one of said microlens array and said aperture array has at least one protrusion toward the other of the microlens array and the aperture array, the at least one protrusion has a predetermined height in a direction of an optical axis, and a relative position between the microlens array and the aperture array is set by one of said microlens array and the aperture array abutting the at least one protrusion of the other of said microlens array and the aperture array.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a spatial light-modulation element having a plurality of pixel portions which are two-dimensionally arranged, and individually modulate a plurality of portions of light applied to the spatial light-modulation element, according to control signals;
• a light source which applies the light to said spatial light-modulation element;
• a first image-forming optical system arranged so that the plurality of portions of the light modulated by said plurality of pixel portions pass through the first image-forming optical system;
• a microlens array being arranged in an image-forming plane of the first image-forming optical system, and having a plurality of microlenses arranged in correspondence with the plurality of pixel portions, respectively;
• an aperture array having a plurality of apertures respectively located at positions at which the plurality of portions of the light which have passed through said plurality of microlenses converge;
• and
• a second image-forming optical system being arranged so that the plurality of portions of the light which have passed through said plurality of apertures pass through the second image-forming optical system, and forming on a predetermined surface an image represented by the light modulated by the spatial light-modulation element;
• wherein a relative position between said microlens array and said aperture array in a direction of an optical axis is set by joining the microlens array and the aperture array together through a spacer having a predetermined thickness.