Contactless optical writing apparatus

A contactless optical writing apparatus comprising:

• a first semiconductor laser for outputting a first semiconductor laser beam;
• a first condensing lens for condensing the first semiconductor laser beam;
• a second semiconductor laser for outputting a second semiconductor laser beam;
• a second condensing lens for condensing the second semiconductor laser beam;
• a laser beam combining element for combining the first semiconductor laser beam condensed by the first condensing lens and the second semiconductor laser beam condensed by the second condensing lens with each other, and outputting the combined semiconductor laser beam;
• and
• a deflection scanning mechanism for scanning a surface of a thermal recording medium which when heated to a color development temperature higher than the normal temperature, develops a color, and when heated to a color disappearance temperature lower than the color development temperature while the thermal recording medium is kept in a color development state at the normal temperature, disappears the color by using the combined semiconductor laser beam output from the laser beam combining element, wherein
• the first semiconductor laser has a junction plane of active layers for outputting the first semiconductor laser beam,
• the second semiconductor laser has a junction plane of active layers for outputting the second semiconductor laser beam,
• a junction plane direction of the first semiconductor laser and a junction plane direction of the second semiconductor laser are perpendicular to or parallel to a direction of the scanning performed by the deflection scanning mechanism by using the combined semiconductor laser beam,
• the first semiconductor laser beam has one of output power capable of heating the thermal recording medium to a temperature equal to or lower than the color disappearance temperature by irradiating the thermal recording medium therewith and output power capable of heating the thermal recording medium up to the color disappearance temperature,
• the second semiconductor laser beam has one of output power capable of heating the thermal recording medium up to the color disappearance temperature by irradiating the thermal recording medium therewith and output power capable of heating the thermal recording medium to a temperature equal to or lower than the color disappearance temperature, and
• the apparatus has output power capable of heating the thermal recording medium up to the color development temperature by combining the first semiconductor laser beam and the second semiconductor laser beam into a combined semiconductor laser beam and irradiating the thermal recording medium with the combined semiconductor laser beam.