JP2003156704A5

JP2003156704A5 -

Info

Publication number: JP2003156704A5
Application number: JP2001356258A
Authority: JP
Filing date: 2001-11-21
Publication date: 2005-06-30

Claims

光源手段と、該光源手段から出射した光束を反射偏向させる偏向手段と、該偏向手段からの光束を被走査面上に導光し、該被走査面上を走査する走査光学系を具備する光走査装置において、
前記走査光学系は少なくとも１枚の走査光学素子を有し、該少なくとも１枚の走査光学素子のうち少なくとも２つの光学面の副走査方向の曲率半径は光軸から軸外に向い連続的に変化しており、且つ、該少なくとも２つの光学面は副走査方向の曲率半径の変化に１つの極値のみ有することを特徴とする光走査装置。Light having a light source means, a deflecting means for reflecting and deflecting a light beam emitted from the light source means, and a scanning optical system for guiding the light beam from the deflecting means onto the surface to be scanned and scanning the surface to be scanned In the scanning device,
The scanning optical system has at least one scanning optical element, and the curvature radius in the sub-scanning direction of at least two optical surfaces of the at least one scanning optical element continuously changes from the optical axis to the off-axis direction. The optical scanning device is characterized in that the at least two optical surfaces have only one extreme value for the change in the radius of curvature in the sub-scanning direction .

前記少なくとも２つの光学面のうち少なくとも１つの光学面は副走査方向の曲率半径の変化が光軸を中心として主走査方向に非対称に変化している請求項１記載の光走査装置。 2. The optical scanning device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two optical surfaces has a change in a radius of curvature in the sub- scanning direction that is asymmetric in the main scanning direction about the optical axis.

前記副走査方向の曲率半径の変化が光軸を中心として主走査方向に非対称に変化している光学面は、前記偏向手段に最も近い走査光学素子に設けられている請求項２記載の光走査装置。 3. The optical scanning according to claim 2, wherein the optical surface in which the change in the radius of curvature in the sub-scanning direction changes asymmetrically in the main scanning direction about the optical axis is provided on a scanning optical element closest to the deflecting unit. apparatus.

前記走査光学系の少なくとも１枚の走査光学素子は、光軸に対してシフト又は／及びチルトしている請求項１〜３のいづれか一項記載の光走査装置。The optical scanning device according to claim 1, wherein at least one scanning optical element of the scanning optical system is shifted or / and tilted with respect to the optical axis.

前記走査光学系は、副走査方向の曲率半径が光軸に対して主走査方向に非対称であり、かつ光軸上より主走査方向に離れるに従い、前記副走査方向の曲率半径の絶対値が小さくなるように変化する光学面を有していることを特徴とする請求項１記載の光走査装置。In the scanning optical system, the radius of curvature in the sub- scanning direction is asymmetric in the main scanning direction with respect to the optical axis, and the absolute value of the radius of curvature in the sub-scanning direction decreases with increasing distance from the optical axis in the main scanning direction. The optical scanning device according to claim 1, further comprising an optical surface that changes in such a manner.

前記光源手段は、複数の発光部を備えたマルチビーム光源であることを特徴とする請求項１乃至５の何れか１項に記載の光走査装置。6. The optical scanning device according to claim 1, wherein the light source means is a multi-beam light source including a plurality of light emitting units.

前記走査光学系を構成する各走査光学素子は、肉厚が１０ｍｍ以下であることを特徴とする請求項１乃至６の何れか１項に記載の光走査装置。The optical scanning device according to claim 1, wherein each scanning optical element constituting the scanning optical system has a thickness of 10 mm or less.

光源手段から出射した光束の状態を他の状態に変換する第１の光学系と、該第１の光学系により変換された光束を前記偏向手段の偏向面上であって主走査方向へ長い線像として結像させる第２の光学系とを有することを特徴とする請求項１乃至７の何れか１項に記載の光走査装置。A first optical system for converting the state of the light beam emitted from the light source means into another state, and a light beam converted by the first optical system on the deflection surface of the deflecting means and extending in the main scanning direction The optical scanning device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second optical system that forms an image.

前記少なくとも２つの光学面は、主走査断面内において正の屈折力を有する非円弧形状の光学面である請求項１乃至８の何れか１項に記載の光走査装置。9. The optical scanning device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two optical surfaces are non-arc-shaped optical surfaces having positive refractive power in a main scanning section.

請求項１乃至９の何れか１項に記載の光走査装置と、前記被走査面に配置された感光体と、前記光走査装置で走査された光束によって前記感光体上に形成された静電潜像をトナー像として現像する現像器と、現像されたトナー像を被転写材に転写する転写器と、転写されたトナー像を被転写材に定着させる定着器とを有することを特徴とする画像形成装置。An optical scanning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a photosensitive member disposed on the surface to be scanned, the optical scanning device electrostatic formed on said photosensitive member by a light beam scanned by A developing device that develops a latent image as a toner image, a transfer device that transfers the developed toner image onto a transfer material, and a fixing device that fixes the transferred toner image onto the transfer material. Image forming apparatus.

請求項１乃至９の何れか１項に記載の光走査装置と、外部機器から入力したコードデータを画像信号に変換して前記光走査装置に入力せしめるプリンタコントローラとを有していることを特徴とする画像形成装置。Wherein the optical scanning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, that converts code data inputted from an external device into an image signal and a printer controller for inputting the imagewise signal into said optical scanning device An image forming apparatus.