Adjustment apparatus for light source unit and adjustment method therefor

An adjustment method for a light source unit to be installed on an optical scanning apparatus including a deflector, the light source unit including a laser light source and a condensing optical element for condensing a light beam emitted from the laser light source, and leading the condensed light beam to the deflector, the adjustment method comprising:

• dividing the light beam emitted from the light source unit into a plurality of light beams in at least one of a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction;
• forming a plurality of images corresponding to the divided light beams on a light receiving element;
• and
• adjusting, based on a relative position between the plurality of images and positions of the plurality of images with respect to the optical axis, a relative position between the condensing optical element and the laser light source along a direction of an optical axis of the condensing optical element, and two relative positions between the condensing optical element and the laser light source along the respective directions orthogonal to each other and orthogonal to the optical axis of the condensing optical element.

A manufacturing method for a light source unit to be installed on an optical scanning apparatus including a deflector, the light source unit including a laser light source and a condensing optical element for condensing a light beam emitted from the laser light source, and leading the condensed light beam to the deflector, the manufacturing method comprising:

• dividing the light beam emitted from the light source unit into a plurality of light beams in at least one of a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction;
• forming a plurality of images corresponding to the divided a plurality of light beams on a light receiving element;
• adjusting, based on a relative position between the plurality of and positions of the plurality of images with respect to the optical axis, a relative position between the condensing optical element and the laser light source along a direction of an optical axis of the condensing optical element, and two relative positions between the condensing optical element and the laser light source along the respective directions orthogonal to each other and orthogonal to the optical axis of the condensing optical element;
• and
• then determining at least one of a position of the condensing optical element and a position of the laser light source.