Scanning optical apparatus
AssigneeMinolta Co., Ltd.
InventorEtsuko Shibata
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A scanning optical apparatus constitutes a light source which emits a ray in a wavelength range of 460 to 650 nm, a first lens unit for forming a luminous flux using the ray and having at least one or more positive lens element, a scanner for scanning the luminous flux, a second lens unit for forming an image on a scanned medium using the luminous flux and a holding structure connected the light source to the first lens unit via at least two support members having mutually different linear expansion coefficients. In scanning optical apparatus, the movement of the image forming point on the scanned medium caused by change in the oscillation wavelength of the light source is compensated by the thermal expansion of the support members.
Claims8
A scanning optical apparatus comprising:
- a light source which emits a ray;
- a first lens unit for forming a luminous flux using the ray and having at least one or more positive lens elements;
- a scanner for scanning the luminous flux;
- a second lens unit for forming an image on a scanned medium using the luminous flux and having a lens element;
- and
- a holding structure connecting the light source to the first lens unit via at least two support members having mutually different linear expansion coefficients,
- wherein the movement of the image forming point on the scanned medium caused by at least one of thermal deformation of lenses included in the first or second lens units, and thermal refractivity fluctuation of the first or second lens units is compensated by the thermal expansion of the support members, wherein the scanning optical apparatus fulfills the following condition:
- α1<α2
- α1:
- Linear expansion coefficient of the support member A supporting the first lens unit, and
- α2:
- Linear expansion coefficient of the support member B supporting the light source and the support member A.
A scanning optical apparatus comprising:
- two light sources which emit rays;
- a cube beam deflector for deflecting the rays in the same direction;
- a first lens unit for forming luminous fluxes using the rays and having at least one or more positive lens elements;
- a scanner for scanning the luminous fluxes;
- a second lens unit for forming images on a scanned medium using the luminous fluxes and having a lens element;
- and
- a holding structure connecting the light sources to the first lens unit via at least two support members having mutually different linear expansion coefficients,
- wherein the movement of the image forming point on the scanned medium caused by at least one of thermal deformation of lenses included in the first or second lens units, and thermal refractivity fluctuation of the first or second lens units is compensated by the thermal expansion of the support members, wherein the scanning optical apparatus fulfills the following condition:
- α1<α2
- α1:
- Linear expansion coefficient of the support member A supporting the first lens unit, and
- α2:
- Linear expansion coefficient of the support member B supporting the light source and the support member A.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.