OPTICAL SCANNING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20180056668A1
• Filed: 08/28/2017
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: TOYOTA, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 10,232,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/082 Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76461 Optical, e.g. laser
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/471 using dot sequential main scanning by means of a light deflector, e.g. a rotating polygonal mirror
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0256 the transferable ink pattern being obtained by means of a computer driven printer, e.g. an ink jet or laser printer, or by electrographic means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0858 the reflecting means being moved or deformed by piezoelectric means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/105 with one or more pivoting mirrors or galvano-mirrors G02B26/101 takes precedence

Abstract

In an optical scanning device including a vibration mirror part, elastically deformable resin portions are respectively provided at both end portions in a main scanning direction on a surface of the vibration mirror part, which is an opposite surface of a reflective surface, a collision member, which has a collision surface and can collide with each of the resin portion, is provided at a side opposite to a side of the reflective surface of the vibration mirror part, and a control unit allows the vibration mirror part to swing such that each of the resin portion collides with the collision surface at least once before light beam for image data writing is deflected and scanned by the vibration mirror part, and then allows the vibration mirror part to swing in a range in which each of the resin portion does not collide with the collision surface.

Claims

1. An optical scanning device comprising:

a light source that emits light beam;

a vibration mirror part having a reflective surface for reflecting the light beam from the light source;

a torsion bar part that supports the vibration mirror part;

a driving part that allows the vibration mirror part to resonate, thereby allowing the vibration mirror part to swing around the torsion bar part; and

a control unit that controls the driving part,

wherein elastically deformable resin portions are respectively provided at both end portions in a main scanning direction on a surface of the vibration mirror part, which is an opposite surface of the reflective surface,

a collision member, which has a collision surface and is able to collide with each of the resin portion, is provided at a side opposite to a side of the reflective surface of the vibration mirror part, and

the control unit allows the vibration mirror part to swing such that each of the resin portion collides with the collision surface at least once before light beam for image data writing is deflected and scanned by the vibration mirror part, and allows the vibration mirror part to swing in a range in which each of the resin portion does not collide with the collision surface, so that the light beam for image data writing is deflected and scanned by the vibration mirror part.

2. The optical scanning device of claim 1, wherein the collision surface is inclined with respect to a direction of a swing axis of the vibration mirror part.

3. The optical scanning device of claim 1, wherein two collision surfaces are provided and are arranged to have a V shape which is opened to a side of the vibration mirror part when viewed from the main scanning direction.

4. The optical scanning device of claim 1, further comprising:

an adjustment unit that is able to adjust a position of the collision member in a direction of a swing axis of the vibration mirror part.

5. An image forming apparatus including the optical scanning device of claim 1.