Patent · US Expired

Optical scanning device

US6141118A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
13References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 10, 1997
Grant dateOct 31, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 10, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41J2/471
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An optical scanning device corrects a scanning line curvature and prevents image quality degradation, while spatially separating a plurality of light beams at oblique angles of incidence despite its compact magnifying optical scanning device construction. The optical scanning device directs, to the deflection surface of an optical deflector via a cylindrical lens, the plurality of light beams emitted by a light source having a plurality of light emission sections, guides, via an f.theta. lens system to a surface being scanned, the plurality of light beams deflected by the optical deflector so that the plurality of light beams scan the surface being scanned. The f.theta. lens system has a plurality of rotationally asymmetrical lenses, the optical axes of which are substantially parallel with the light beams incident on the respective lenses, and each of the generatrices that connect the vertices of a radius curvature on a lens surface in the sub scanning direction of the rotationally asymmetrical lenses is curved in a sub scan direction.

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