Patent · US Expired

Optical scanning apparatus and scanning image forming lens

US6347004B1 · kind B1 · utility

50Cited by
7References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 6, 1999
Grant dateFeb 12, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 6, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S359/90
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical scanning apparatus includes a light source for outputting light, a first lens system arranged to receive the light output from the light source and to transmit a light flux therefrom, an optical deflector arranged to receive the light flux from the first lens system and having a deflecting reflective plane to deflect the light flux from a surface therefrom and a second lens system arranged to receive the light flux deflected from the optical deflector and to condense the deflected luminous flux into an optical beam spot on a surface to be scanned so as to form images having image heights, the luminous flux condensed by the second lens system into the optical beam spot including an optical beam waist. The second lens system has a scanning and image forming element including at least one surface including a plurality of portions each having a non-arc shape in a sub-scanning direction such that at least two of the non-arc shapes are different from each other and such that an effective writing width W and a width Fs of the sub-scanned image-surface curvature located within the effective writing width satisfies the condition Fs/W<0.005. Alternatively, the second lens system i…

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