Light deflecting element, light deflector, and image forming device

• US 8,553,305 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Makiko, Mizoguchi, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): FONT, FRANK G
• Application Number:
  US12/880,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20110102870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 359/199.3, 359/200.2, 359/200.3, 359/200.7, 359/213.1, 359/214.1, 359/221.1
• US Class Current: 359/200.7
• 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: 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

A light deflecting element includes: a movable plate provided with a light reflecting section having light reflectivity; a support section; a coupling section adapted to couple the movable plate rotatably to the support section; and a magnet disposed on an opposite surface of the movable plate to the light reflecting section, wherein the coupling section has a shape having a width gradually increasing in a direction from a side of the light reflecting section toward a side of the magnet in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to a rotational axis of the movable plate.

Claims

1. A light deflecting element comprising:

a movable plate provided with a light reflecting section having light reflectivity;

a support section;

a coupling section adapted to couple the movable plate rotatably to the support section, and composed mainly of a plurality of beams parallel to each other; and

a magnet disposed on an opposite surface of the movable plate to the light reflecting section,

wherein the plurality of beams of the coupling section is arranged side-by-side in a direction parallel to the light reflecting section and has a shape having a total length of widths of the respective beams and distances between adjacent ones of the beams in the direction parallel to the light reflecting section gradually increasing in a direction from a side of the light reflecting section toward a side of the magnet in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to a rotational axis of the movable plate.

2. The light deflecting element according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of beams includes a first beam and a second beam opposed to each other via the rotational axis of the movable plate, and parallel to each other, and

the first beam and the second beam have shapes tilted so that a distance from each other gradually increases in a direction from the side of the light reflecting section toward the side of the magnet in the cross-sectional view perpendicular to the rotational axis of the movable plate.

3. The light deflecting element according to claim 1, wherein

the movable plate and the coupling section are made of single crystal silicon.

4. The light deflecting element according to claim 3, wherein

both plate surfaces of the movable plate are each formed of a plane of the single crystal silicon, and

the coupling section is formed of a plane and a plane of the single crystal silicon.

5. The light deflecting element according to claim 1, wherein

the coupling section has surfaces formed so as to be in the same planes with both plate surfaces of the movable plate, respectively.

6. The light deflecting element according to claim 1, wherein

the movable plate has a portion having a width gradually decreasing in a direction from the side of the light reflecting section toward the side of the magnet in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the rotational axis of the movable plate.

7. The light deflecting element according to claim 1, wherein

the movable plate has a recessed section on a surface opposite to the light reflecting section, and

at least a part of the magnet is disposed inside the recessed section.

8. The light deflecting element according to claim 1, wherein

the magnet is a permanent magnet.

9. A light deflector comprising:

the light deflecting element according to claim 1.

10. An image forming device comprising:

a light emitting section adapted to emit light; and

the light deflector according to claim 9,

wherein the image forming device forms an image by scanning the light, which is emitted from the light emitting section, with the light deflector.