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US 5,499,045 AGranted
Image forming apparatus with optical element support structure
AssigneeMinolta Co., Ltd.
InventorsKenji Takeshita, Nobuo Kanai, Hitoshi Kageyama
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plurality of holding members individually hold some of a plurality of lenses in a scanning optical system. A base member holds and connects a plurality of the holding members at predetermined positional relations with rigidity higher than that of the holding member, and is attached to a structural member of an image forming apparatus.
Claims15
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a light source for generating a beam;
- deflecting means for deflecting a beam emitted from the light source and scanning an image forming surface;
- a plurality of lenses provided between the deflecting means and an image forming surface on an optical path of a beam for forming an image of the beam on the image forming surface;
- a first member on which a lens positioned closest to the image forming surface among said plurality of lenses is fixed;
- a second member on which a lens positioned closest to the deflecting means among said plurality of lenses is fixed;
- and
- a base member for connecting the first member with the second member, the rigidity of the base member being higher than that of the first member and second member.
4 more elements
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a light source for generating a beam;
- a polygon mirror for deflecting a beam emitted from the light source and scanning an image forming surface;
- a plurality of lenses provided between the deflecting means and image forming surface on an optical path of a beam for forming an image of the beam on the image forming surface, one of the plurality of lenses being a cylindrical lens provided for converging the beam in the direction of the axis of rotation of the polygon mirror to rectify a surface inclination of the polygon mirror;
- a first member on which said cylindrical lens is fixed;
- a second member for holding said polygon mirror;
- and
- a base member for connecting the first member with the second member, said base member being higher in rigidity than that of the first member and second member.
4 more elements
An improved optical scanning support assembly for an image forming apparatus having an image forming surface comprising:
- a first resin housing member;
- a light source for generating a beam mounted on the first housing member;
- a polygon mirror for deflecting a beam emitted from the light source and scanning the image forming surface operatively mounted within the first housing member;
- a plurality of lenses provided on the first housing member for forming an image of the beam on the image forming surface;
- a second resin housing member;
- a cylindrical lens provided for converging the beam in the direction of the axis of rotation of the polygon mirror to rectify a surface inclination of the polygon mirror mounted in the second housing member, the first and second housing members being formed from approximately the same resin material having approximately the same rigidity characteristics;
- and
- a third metal housing member configured with a base member and ribs extending therefrom to increase its rigidity and mounting the respective first and second housing members so that the second housing member is spaced from the first housing member and is positioned adjacent the image forming surface.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.