Light scanning unit capable of compensating for zigzag error, imaging apparatus having the same, and method of compensating for zigzag error of the light scanning unit
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorHee-sung CHO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided are a light scanning unit capable of compensating for a zigzag error, an imaging apparatus having the same, and a method of compensating for a zigzag error of the light scanning unit. The light scanning unit may scan light beams using an oscillation mirror configured to rotatably oscillate. The light scanning unit may deflect light beams in a sub-scan direction in synchronization with the rotatable oscillation of the oscillation mirror, thereby compensating for a zigzag error caused by reciprocative scanning of the oscillation mirror.
Claims32
A light scanning unit for scanning a light beam in a main scan direction orthogonal to a sub-scan direction onto a scanned surface moving in the sub-scan direction, the light scanning unit comprising:
- a light source configured to emit a light beam;
- a beam deflector configured to receive the light beam emitted by the light source and to reciprocatively scan the light beam onto the scanned surface, the beam deflector including an oscillation mirror configured to reciprocatively rotate;
- and
- a compensation device configured to compensate for a zigzag error caused by reciprocative rotation of the beam deflector.
An imaging apparatus comprising:
- a photoconductive medium having a scanned surface;
- and
- a light scanning unit configured to scan a light beam in a main scan direction orthogonal to a sub-scan direction onto the scanned surface, the scanned surface moving in the sub-scan direction,
- wherein the light scanning unit comprises:
- a light source configured to emit a light beam;
- a beam deflector configured to receive the light beam emitted by the light source and reciprocatively scan the light beam onto the scanned surface, the beam deflector including an oscillation mirror configured to rotate reciprocatively;
- and
- a compensation device configured to compensate for a zigzag error due to reciprocative rotation of the beam deflector by deflecting a light path of a light beam in the sub-scan direction in synchronization with the rotatable oscillation of the oscillation mirror.
A method of compensating for a zigzag error of a light scanning unit for reciprocatively scanning a light beam onto a scanned surface in a main scan direction orthogonal to a sub-scan direction, the scanned surface moving in the sub-scan direction, the method comprising deflecting a light beam incident to an oscillation mirror in the sub-scan direction in synchronization with rotatable oscillation of the oscillation mirror to compensate for a zigzag error caused by reciprocative scanning of the oscillation mirror.
A method of compensating for a zigzag error of a light scanning unit comprising a light source, a compensator, and a beam deflector, the method comprising:
- emitting a light beam from the light source;
- deflecting the light beam from the light source with the beam deflector to reciprocatively scan the light beam onto a scanned surface, the scanned surface moving in a first direction;
- and
- redirecting the light beam from the light source in the first direction with the compensator in synchronization with the reciprocative scanning of the beam deflector to generate adjacent scan lines traveling in opposite directions parallel to each other on the scanned surface.
A light scanning unit usable with a photoconductive drum of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a light source to emit a light beam;
- a beam deflector to direct the light beam toward the photoconductive drum, to scan the light beam onto the photoconductive drum in a first direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the beam deflector;
- a compensation device to direct the light beam in a second direction parallel to the rotation axis direction of the beam deflector.
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a receiving unit for receiving a printable article to have an image formed thereon;
- a developing unit comprising a developer storage area and a photoconductive drum;
- and
- a light scanning unit comprising:
- a light source configured to emit a light beam;
- a beam deflector to receive the light beam emitted by the light source and to reciprocatively scan the light beam onto a surface of the photoconductive drum, the beam deflector including an oscillation mirror to reciprocatively rotate;
- and
- a compensation device to compensate for a zigzag error caused by reciprocative
- rotation of the beam deflector and rotation of the photoconductive drum,
- wherein the developing unit is capable of forming an image corresponding to the light scanned onto the photoconductive drum onto the printable article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.