Light emitting device, print head, and image forming apparatus

A print head comprising:

• a light emitting unit that includes
• a plurality of light emitting chips,
• each of the plurality of light emitting chips including
• a plurality of light emitting elements, and
• a plurality of transfer elements that sequentially specify, by sequentially entering an on-state, the plurality of light emitting elements as targets for control of illumination or non-illumination, each of the plurality of transfer elements being provided for a corresponding one of the plurality of light emitting elements,
• a mount board on which the plurality of light emitting chips are mounted, and
• a buffer amplifier that is provided on the mount board, and that outputs a transfer signal on the basis of an input transfer signal, the transfer signal being used to sequentially set the plurality of transfer elements, which are included in each of the plurality of light emitting chips, to be in the on-state;
• and
• an optical unit that forms an image using light which is emitted from the light emitting unit.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image carrier;
• a charging unit that charges the image carrier;
• a light emitting unit that includes
• a plurality of light emitting chips,
• each of the plurality of light emitting chips including
• a plurality of light emitting elements, and
• a plurality of transfer elements that sequentially specify, by sequentially entering an on-state, the plurality of light emitting elements as targets for control of illumination or non-illumination, each of the plurality of transfer elements being provided for a corresponding one of the plurality of light emitting elements,
• a mount board on which the plurality of light emitting chips are mounted, and
• a buffer amplifier that is provided on the mount board, and that outputs a transfer signal on the basis of an input transfer signal, the transfer signal being used to sequentially set the plurality of transfer elements, which are included in each of the plurality of light emitting chips, to be in the on-state;
• a driving unit that transmits the transfer signal to the buffer amplifier of the light emitting unit, and that transmits each of illumination signals to a corresponding one of the plurality of light emitting chips, the illumination signal being used to control illumination or non-illumination of the plurality of light emitting elements that are specified by the plurality of transfer elements which are included in the light emitting chip and which are in the on-state;
• an optical unit that forms an image using light which is emitted from the light emitting unit;
• a developing unit that develops an electrostatic latent image which is formed on the image carrier by exposing the image carrier to light with the light emitting unit;
• and
• a transferring unit that transfers the electrostatic latent image, which has been developed on the image carrier, onto a transfer-receiving body.