Light scanner and image forming apparatus

• US 8,717,653 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Emi, Mizoguchi, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Stephone B
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCGEE, JAMES R
• Application Number:
  US13/194,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20120038961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 3591981-1994, 3592006-2008, 359/202.1, 359/221.2, 3592231-2251, 359/226.2, 359/904, 359290-295, 359/838, 359/846, 359/871, 359/872, 250/204, 250/559.06, 250/559.29, 250/230, 250/234, 347255-260, 353/39, 353 98- 99, 385 15- 18, 385/22, 398/12, 398/19, 398/45
• US Class Current: 359/200.7
• 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 scanner includes a light reflection part having light reflectivity, a movable part having the light reflection part and being rotatable around a first rotation center axis and a second rotation center axis, a pair of movable beams extending from the movable part, a displacement part connected to the movable beams and rotating the movable part around the first rotation center axis, a first drive part that drives the displacement part, a pair of drive beams extending from the displacement part in parallel to the light reflection surface and orthogonal to an extension direction of the movable beams, a support frame that supports the drive beams, and a second drive part that rotates the movable part around the second rotation center axis, and the movable beam has a bending part that bendingly deforms due to displacement of the displacement part.

Claims

1. A light scanner comprising:

a light reflection part having a light reflection surface;

a movable part having the light reflection part and being rotatable around a first rotation center axis and a second rotation center axis orthogonal to the first rotation center axis, the movable part being supported only by a pair of movable beams extending from the moveable part and oppositely provided with the moveable part in between;

a pair of displacement parts connected to each of the movable beams and producing displacement of rotating the movable part around the first rotation center axis;

a pair of first drive part that drive each of the displacement parts;

a pair of drive beams extending from the displacement parts in parallel to the light reflection surface and orthogonal to an extension direction of the movable beams;

a support frame that supports the drive beams; and

a second drive part that rotates the movable part around the second rotation center axis,

wherein the movable beam has a bending part that bendingly deforms in a thickness direction of the support frame due to displacement of one of the displacement parts;

each of the displacement parts includes a first permanent magnet,

the first drive parts each include a coil that generates a magnetic field acting on the first permanent magnets,

the movable part includes a second permanent magnet, and

the second drive part includes a coil that generates a magnetic field acting on the second permanent magnet.

2. The light scanner according to claim 1, wherein the first permanent magnet has poles oppositely located in a direction orthogonal to the light reflection surface, and the first permanent magnets have poles located at the side of the light reflection surface with different polarities from each other.

3. The light scanner of claim 1, wherein the first drive part is axially spaced away from the displacement part.

4. The light scanner according to claim 1, wherein the second permanent magnet is provided in the movable part so that poles may be opposed in a direction along the light reflection surface and orthogonal to the extension direction of the movable beams.

5. The light scanner according to claim 2, wherein the second permanent magnet is provided in the movable part to support the light reflection part.

6. The light scanner according to claim 1, wherein the light reflection surface has a larger area than that of the movable part.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a light source; and

a light scanner that performs scanning with light from the light source,

wherein the light scanner includes

a light reflection part having a light reflection surface,

a movable part having the light reflection part and being rotatable around a first rotation center axis and a second rotation center axis orthogonal to the first rotation center axis, the movable part being supported only by a pair of movable beams extending from the movable part and oppositely provided with the movable part in between,

a pair of displacement parts connected to the movable beams and displacing the movable part to rotate around the first rotation center axis,

a pair of first drive part that drives the displacement parts,

a pair of drive beams extending from the displacement parts in parallel to the light reflection surface and orthogonal to an extension direction of the movable beams,

a support frame that supports the drive beams, and

a second drive part that rotates the movable part around the second rotation center axis, and

wherein the movable beam has a bending part that bendingly deforms in a thickness direction of the support frame due to displacement of the displacement parts;

the displacement parts each include a first permanent magnet,

the first drive parts each include a coil that generates a magnetic field acting on the first permanent magnets,

the movable part includes a second permanent magnet, and

the second drive part includes a coil that generates a magnetic field acting on the second permanent magnet.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first permanent magnet has poles oppositely located in a direction orthogonal to the light reflection surface, and the first permanent magnets have poles located at the side of the light reflection surface with different polarities from each other.

9. The image forming apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first drive part is axially spaced away from the displacement part.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second permanent magnet is provided in the movable part so that poles may be opposed in a direction along the light reflection surface and orthogonal to the extension direction of the movable beams.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second permanent magnet is provided in the movable part to support the light reflection part.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the light reflection surface has a larger area than that of the movable part.