OPTICAL SCANNER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20120033280A1
• Filed: 07/28/2011
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: MIZOGUCHI, Yasushi, MIYAMOTO, Yukio
• Granted Patent: US 8,553,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/199.3
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/085 the reflecting means being moved or deformed by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/101 with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129

Abstract

An optical scanner includes: a light reflecting section having a light reflecting surface; a supporting section supporting the light reflecting section; a movable section supporting the supporting section; at least a pair of movable beams extending from the movable section and disposed in such a way that the movable beams face each other; a displacement section connected to the movable beam; two drive beams each extending from the displacement section; and a supporting frame supporting the drive beams, wherein the movable beams each include a bending section which is bent and deformed in a thickness direction of the supporting frame, and an end on the side of the movable section of the supporting section is fixed in a position more distant from the light reflecting section than an end face on the side of the light reflecting section of the movable section.

Claims

1. An optical scanner comprising:

a light reflecting section having a light reflecting surface;

a supporting section supporting the light reflecting section;

a movable section that supports the supporting section and can turn about a rotation center axis;

at least a pair of movable beams extending from the movable section and disposed in such a way that the movable beams face each other with the movable section interposed therebetween;

a displacement section connected to the movable beam on the side opposite from the movable section;

a driving section driving the displacement section;

two drive beams each extending from the displacement section in a direction along the light reflecting surface and perpendicular to a direction in which the movable beam extends; and

a supporting frame supporting the drive beams,

wherein

the movable beams each include a bending section which is bent and deformed in a thickness direction of the supporting frame by displacement of the displacement section, and

an end on the side of the movable section of the supporting section is fixed in a position more distant from the light reflecting section than an end face on the side of the light reflecting section of the movable section.

2. The optical scanner according to claim 1, wherein

the supporting section and the movable section are fabricated separately.

3. The optical scanner according to claim 1, wherein

an area of the light reflecting section in a plan view from a perpendicular direction to the reflecting surface is larger than that of the movable section.

4. The optical scanner according to claim 1, wherein

the displacement section includes a permanent magnet having, along a direction perpendicular to the light reflecting surface, a north pole disposed on a side where one surface of the displacement section is located and a south pole disposed on a side where the other surface of the displacement section is located, and

the driving section includes a coil disposed so as to generate a magnetic field in a direction perpendicular to the polarity of the permanent magnet.

5. The optical scanner according to claim 1, wherein

the supporting section is fixed to a bottom face portion of a concave section by being bonded thereto, the concave section provided in the movable section, and

the area of the bottom face portion of the concave section is greater than the area of an opening of the concave section.

6. The optical scanner according to claim 5, wherein

an area of a bonded section in which the supporting section is bonded to the light reflecting section is smaller than an area of a bonded section in which the supporting section is bonded to the movable section.

7. The optical scanner according to claim 1, wherein

a space formed by a concave section and the supporting section is filled with an adhesive, the concave section provided in the movable section, and

an end of the adhesive on the side of the opening of the concave section is located in the space.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a light source; and

an optical scanner scanning a light from the light source,

wherein

the optical scanner includes

a light reflecting section having a light reflecting surface,

a supporting section supporting the light reflecting section,

a movable section that supports the supporting section and can turn about a rotation center axis,

at least a pair of movable beams extending from the movable section and disposed in such a way that the movable beams face each other with the movable section interposed therebetween,

a displacement section connected to the movable beam on the side opposite from the movable section,

a driving section driving the displacement section,

two drive beams each extending from the displacement section in a direction along the light reflecting surface and perpendicular to a direction in which the movable beam extends, and

a supporting frame supporting the drive beams,

the movable beams each include a bending section which is bent and deformed in a thickness direction of the supporting frame by displacement of the displacement section, and

an end on the side of the movable section of the supporting section is fixed in a position more distant from the light reflecting section than an end face on the side of the light reflecting section of the movable section.