Scanning optical device, image forming device and jitter correction method

An image forming device comprising:

• a plurality of photosensitive members;
• a charging device which charges said photosensitive members;
• a scanning optical device including:
• a rotating polygonal mirror provided with a plurality of reflecting faces that reflect an incident light beam while the rotating polygonal mirror is rotated;
• a first light source which emits a first light beam from one section obtained by sectioning said scanning optical device with a plane passing through the rotation axis of said rotating polygonal mirror;
• a second light source which emits a second light beam from the other section obtained by the sectioning with said plane;
• an imaging unit which images the first and second light beams having been deflected/scanned by said rotating polygonal minor onto corresponding ones of said photosensitive members;
• a first detection unit which detects the first light beam on the scanning start side in the main scanning direction;
• a second detection unit which detects the first light beam on the scanning end side in the main scanning direction;
• a third detection unit which detects the second light beam on the scanning start side in the main scanning direction;
• a fourth detection unit which detects the second light beam on the scanning end side in the main scanning direction;
• a first calculation unit which calculates a time interval between the time when the first light beam is detected by said first detection unit and the time when the first light beam is detected by said second detection unit as a scan time of said first light source;
• a second calculation unit which calculates a time interval between the time when the second light beam is detected by said third detection unit and the time when the second light beam is detected by said fourth detection unit as a scan time of said second light source;
• a storage unit which stores the scan times for said respective reflecting faces of said rotating polygonal minor calculated by said first calculation unit and said second calculation unit;
• and
• a jitter correction unit which corrects jitter by controlling a pixel clock supplied to said first light source in accordance with the scan time of said second light source, and a pixel clock supplied to said second light source in accordance with the scan time of said first light source,
• wherein said scanning optical device forms an electrostatic latent image by scanning the surface of said photosensitive members with a light beam corresponding to image information;
• a development device which forms a developed image by developing the electrostatic latent image;
• a transfer device which transfers the developed image onto paper;
• and
• a fixing device which fixes the developed image onto the paper.

A jitter correction method for a scanning optical device comprising:

• a rotating polygonal mirror provided with a plurality of reflecting faces that reflect an incident light beam while the rotating polygonal mirror is rotated;
• a first light source which emits a first light beam from one section obtained by sectioning said scanning optical device with a plane passing through the rotation axis of said rotating polygonal mirror;
• a second light source which emits a second light beam from the other section obtained by the sectioning with said plane;
• and
• an imaging unit which images the first and second light beams having been deflected/scanned by said rotating polygonal mirror onto corresponding photosensitive members, said method comprising:
• a first detection step of detecting the first light beam on the scanning start side in the main scanning direction;
• a second detection step of detecting the first light beam on the scanning end side in the main scanning direction;
• a third detection step of detecting the second light beam on the scanning start side in the main scanning direction;
• a fourth detection step of detecting the second light beam on the scanning end side in the main scanning direction;
• a first calculation step of calculating a time interval between the time when the first light beam is detected in said first detection step and the time when the first light beam is detected in said second detection step as a scan time of said first light source;
• a second calculation step of calculating a time interval between the time when the second light beam is detected in said third detection step and the time when the second light beam is detected in said fourth detection step as a scan time of said second light source;
• a storage step of storing the scan times for said respective reflecting faces of said rotating polygonal mirror calculated in said first calculation step and said second calculation step;
• and
• a jitter correction step of correcting jitter by controlling a pixel clock supplied to said first light source according to the scan time of said second light source, and a pixel clock supplied to said second light source according to the scan time of said first light source.