Optical element and optical scanning device using the same
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKeiichiro Ishihara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There are provided an optical element which can reduce an assembly cost by simplifying focus adjustment of the optical element, decreasing the number of parts required for the adjustment, and shortening the adjustment time, and an optical scanning device using the element. The optical element has a plurality of sets of positioning references for defining the position of the element in the optical axis direction. The plurality of sets of positioning references respectively define different positions in the optical axis direction.
Claims32
An optical scanning device comprising:
- light source;
- a first imaging optical system which focuses a light beam emitted from said light source;
- deflection for causing a deflection surface to deflect a light beam passing through said first imaging optical system;
- and
- a second imaging optical system which optically scans the deflected light beam on a scanning target surface and forms the light beam into an image as a spot on the scanning target surface,
- wherein at least one lens included in said first and second imaging optical systems has a plurality of positioning references for defining a position of said optical element in the optical axis direction, said positioning references being formed on a plurality of surfaces at different positions in optical axis direction.
An optical scanning device comprising:
- light source;
- a first imaging optical system which focuses a light beam emitted from said light source;
- deflection means for causing a deflection surface to deflect a light beam passing through said first imaging optical system;
- and
- a second imaging optical system which optically scans the deflected light beam on a scanning target surface and forms the light beam into an image as a spot on the scanning target surface,
- wherein one of lenses constituting said first and second imaging optical systems has, on light incident and exit surfaces of said lens, positioning references for defining a position of said lens in the optical axis direction.
An image forming apparatus comprising said optical scanning device defined in any one of claims 1 to 24, and a printer controller which converts code data input from an external device into an image signal and inputs the signal to said optical scanning device.
An optical scanning device comprising:
- light source;
- a first imaging optical system which focuses a light beam emitted from said light source;
- deflection means for causing a deflection surface to deflect a light beam passing through said first imaging optical system;
- and
- a second imaging optical system which optically scans the deflected light beam on a scanning target surface and forms the light beam into an image as a spot on the scanning target surface,
- wherein at least one of optical elements included in said first and second imaging optical systems has at least two positioning references formed on a plurality of surfaces which differ in position in the optical axis direction, for defining a position of said optical element in the optical axis direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.