Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for scanning drum inner face and method of scanning therefor

US5689368A · kind A · utility

1Cited by
6References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJan 29, 1996
Grant dateNov 18, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 29, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N1/1911
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention allows image recording with plural light beams while eliminating alignment changes of light spots on the inner face of a drum. A light beam output unit 212 combines two circularly polarized light beams having opposite handedness to each other to produce a composite light beam CB. A polarization beam splitter 203 and mirrors 205 and 207 change the course of the light beam towards the inner face of a drum 120. A quarter-wave plate 202 is included, and the polarization beam splitter 203 splits the composite light beam to two separate light beams as a function of the handedness of the circularly polarized light. The optical elements 202, 203, 205, and 207 are integrally rotated around the axis of the drum 120 by a main scanning motor 230, thus scanning a photosensitive material 110 held on the inner face of the drum 120 with the light beams.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.