Optical scanning apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsJunshin Sakamoto, Takeshi Mochizuki
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Abstract
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical scanning apparatus including a light source, an optical unit, a first controller and a second controller. The light source emits a predetermined number of laser beams, the laser beams to be arranged in a sub-scanning direction on a recording medium. The optical unit simultaneously scans the laser beams in parallel on the recording medium. The first controller changes a dot size of the laser beams in a main scanning direction. The second controller changes the predetermined number.
Claims16
An optical scanning apparatus, comprising:
- a light source that emits a predetermined number of laser beams, the laser beams being arranged in a sub-scanning direction on a recording medium to form an imaginary single beam;
- an optical unit that simultaneously scans the laser beams in parallel on the recording medium;
- a first controller that changes a dot size of the laser beams in a main scanning direction;
- and
- a second controller that changes the predetermined number based on the change of the dot size of the laser beams,
- wherein the dot size is changed relative to a reference dot size L,
- wherein the laser beams are arranged in the sub-scanning direction at an interval of 1/M times L, where M is an integer of 2 or more,
- wherein the second controller switches the predetermined number between at least a first number N1 and a second number N2,
- wherein the light source comprises beam generating elements each generating respective one of the laser beams, and
- wherein a number of the beam generating elements is equal to a common multiple of the first number N1 and the second number N2.
An optical scanning apparatus, comprising:
- means for emitting a predetermined number of laser beams, the laser beams being arranged in a sub-scanning direction on a recording medium;
- means for simultaneously scanning the laser beams in parallel on the recording medium;
- means for changing a dot size of the laser beams in a main scanning direction;
- and
- means for changing the predetermined number based on the change of the dot size of the laser beams,
- wherein the dot size is changed relative to a reference dot size L,
- wherein the laser beams are arranged in the sub-scanning direction at an interval of 1/M times L, where M is an integer of 2 or more,
- wherein the means for changing the predetermined number switches the predetermined number between at least a first number N1 and a second number N2,
- wherein the means for emitting comprises beam generating elements each generating respective one of the laser beams, and
- wherein a number of the beam generating elements is equal to a common multiple of the first number N1 and the second number N2.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.