Patent · US Expired

Optical scanning device having a temperature compensation unit

US6785028B1 · kind B1 · utility

49Cited by
43References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 22, 2000
Grant dateAug 31, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 22, 2020

Classification

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

Abstract

In an optical scanning device and image forming apparatus according to the present invention, a light source emits a light beam, and a scanning optical unit deflects the light beam from the light source and focuses the deflected light beam to form a light spot on a scanned surface, the scanned surface being scanned by the light beam from the scanning optical unit. A temperature detection unit detects a temperature of the scanning optical unit and its neighboring locations. A temperature compensation unit adjusts a focal-point position of the light beam on the scanned surface in accordance with a change in the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit, the temperature compensation unit adjusting the focal-point position of the light beam by directly varying a focusing effect of a corrector lens on the light beam from the light source by a controlled amount of movement of the corrector lens along its optical axis that corresponds to the temperature change.

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