# US 2013/0278985 A1 · Optical scanner and image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0278985 A1 - Document ID: US20130278985A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/858,244 - Filed: 2013-04-08 - Published: 2013-10-24 - Earliest claimed: 2012-04-18 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Makiko HINO; Yasushi MIZOGUCHI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130278985A1 ## CPC - G02B 26/105: {with one or more pivoting mirrors or galvano-mirrors (G02B26/101 takes precedence)} - G02B 26/085: {the reflecting means being moved or deformed by electromagnetic means} - G02B 26/101: {with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners (colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129)} - G02B 27/104: {for use with scanning systems (scanning systems G02B26/10)} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract An optical scanner includes: a movable body that is able to oscillate around a first axis; a first shaft member that is connected to the movable body along the first axis; and a drive unit that includes a permanent magnet, a coil that generates a magnetic field by application of voltage, and a voltage applying section that applies a voltage to the coil and oscillates the movable body around the first axis, wherein the movable body includes a light reflecting plate provided with a light reflecting section having light reflectivity, a support frame that surrounds the light reflecting plate and has a thickness that is, ten times or less, larger than the thickness of the light reflecting plate, and a plurality of connecting sections that connects the light reflecting plate and the support frame at a plurality of locations. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical scanner comprising: a movable body that is able to oscillate around a first axis; a first shaft member that is connected to an end part of the movable body in a direction along the first axis; and a drive unit that includes a permanent magnet, a coil that generates a magnetic field by application of voltage, and a voltage applying section that oscillates the movable body around the first axis, wherein the movable body includes a light reflecting plate provided with a light reflecting section having light reflectivity, a support frame that surrounds the light reflecting plate and has a thickness that is, ten times or less, larger than the thickness of the light reflecting plate, and a plurality of connecting sections that connects the light reflecting plate and the support frame at a plurality of locations. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical scanner according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the support frame is, two times or more, larger than the thickness of the light reflecting plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optical scanner according to claim 1, wherein the support frame is configured by a stacked structure obtained by sequentially stacking a first Si layer, an SiO2 layer and a second Si layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical scanner according to claim 1, wherein the light reflecting plate has a configuration in which the light reflecting section is provided on an Si layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optical scanner according to claim 1, wherein the movable body includes a frame-shaped member; a movable section that is provided inside the frame-shaped member, includes the light reflecting plate, the support frame and the respective connecting sections, and is able to oscillate around a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; and a second shaft member that is connected to an end part of the movable section in a direction along the second axis and connects the movable section and the frame-shaped member, wherein the first shaft member is connected to an end part of the frame-shaped member in the direction along the first axis so that the frame-shaped member is able to oscillate around the first axis, and wherein the voltage applying section includes a first voltage generating section that generates a first voltage of a first frequency, a second voltage generating section that generates a second voltage of a second frequency different from the first frequency, and a voltage overlapping section that overlaps the first voltage and the second voltage, and as a voltage overlapped by the voltage overlapping section is applied to the coil, the movable section oscillates around the first axis at the first frequency and oscillates around the second axis at the second frequency. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The optical scanner according to claim 1, wherein the permanent magnet is disposed in the movable body. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The optical scanner according to claim 6, wherein the permanent magnet is disposed in the support frame. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The optical scanner according to claim 1, wherein the coil is disposed in the movable body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The optical scanner according to claim 8, wherein the coil is disposed in the support frame. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The optical scanner according to claim 5, wherein the coil is disposed in the frame-shaped member. ### Claim 11 An image forming apparatus comprising: a light source that emits light; and an optical scanner that scans the light from the light source, wherein the optical scanner includes a movable body that is able to oscillate around an axis; a shaft member that is connected to an end part of the movable body in a direction along the axis; and a drive unit that includes a permanent magnet, a coil that generates a magnetic field by application of voltage, and a voltage applying section that applies a voltage to the coil and oscillates the movable body around the axis, wherein the movable body includes a light reflecting plate provided with a light reflecting section having light reflectivity, a support frame that surrounds the light reflecting plate and has a thickness that is, ten times or less, larger than the thickness of the light reflecting plate, and a plurality of connecting sections that connects the light reflecting plate and the support frame at a plurality of locations, and wherein as the voltage applying section applies a voltage of a predetermined frequency to the coil, the movable body oscillates around the axis at the predetermined frequency.