Optical scanning apparatus and image forming apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorTadashi NAKAMURA
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an optical scanning apparatus, an aperture is provided between a semiconductor laser in a light source unit and an oscillating mirror, and between a cylindrical lens and the oscillating mirror. When a light beam from the semiconductor laser comes into an reflection surface of the oscillating mirror, the optical scanning apparatus is configured to limit a beam width of the light beam to a width appropriate to the reflection surface, and then to ensure an irradiation position of the light beam in a main-scanning direction to come into the reflection surface of the oscillating mirror, by causing the light beam to pass through an opening of the aperture.
Claims20
An optical scanning apparatus comprising:
- a light source unit that emits a light beam;
- a light-source activating unit that activates the light source unit;
- an aperture unit having an opening for limiting a beam width of the light beam output from the light source unit;
- a light deflection unit that includes a reflection surface configured to deflect the light beam output from the light source unit, the reflection surface being configured to rotate freely about a twist beam;
- and
- an optical system that forms an image into a spot onto a scan target surface with the light beam deflected by the light deflection unit,
- wherein the aperture unit is arranged such that a center of the light beam incident to the light deflection unit substantially matches a rotation axis of the reflection surface.
An optical scanning apparatus comprising:
- a light source unit that emits a light beam;
- a light deflection unit that includes a reflection surface configured to deflect the light beam output from the light source unit, the reflection surface being configured to rotate freely about a twist beam;
- and
- an optical system that forms an image into a spot onto a scan target surface with the light beam deflected by the light deflection unit,
- wherein a beam width of the light beam is limited by the reflection surface at least in a main-scanning direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.