OPTICAL SCANNING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20130201536A1
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Shingo Tachikawa, Tadashi Nakamura, Taku Amada, Toshiaki Tokita, Yukio Itami
• Inventors: NAKAMURA, Tadashi, Tokita, Toshiaki, Itami, Yukio, Amada, Taku, Tachikawa, Shingo
• Granted Patent: US 8,928,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/475
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/473 using multiple light beams, wavelengths or colours
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/10 Scanning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/123 Multibeam scanners, e.g. using multiple light sources or beam splitters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/141 using dichroic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/04 Scanning arrangements , i.e. arrangements for the displacement of active reading or reproducing elements relative to the original or reproducing medium, or vice versaH04N1/387 takes precedence

Abstract

An optical scanning device includes: a light source device that emits five light beams corresponding to four basic colors and a single specific color; and five scanning optical systems corresponding the five light beams. One light beam in a first waveband among the light beams corresponding to the four basic colors enters one scanning optical system of the five scanning optical systems. The one scanning optical system includes a dichroic mirror that transmits a light beam in a second waveband different from the first waveband. An angle θb formed between a normal to the incidence plane of the dichroic mirror and orthogonal projection to an assumed plane orthogonal to the main scanning corresponding direction of the incident path of the light beam to the incidence plane of the dichroic mirror is set at an angle of 0° or more and an angle of 45° or less.

Claims

1. An optical scanning device that scans a plurality of scanned surfaces in a main-scanning direction with a plurality of light beams, the optical scanning device comprising:

a light source device including at least one light source and configured to emit a plurality of light beams including a plurality of light beams corresponding to at least process colors;

a deflector configured to deflect the plurality of light beams emitted from the light source device; and

a plurality of scanning optical systems configured to guide the plurality of light beams deflected at the deflector to the plurality of corresponding scanned surfaces, wherein

one light beam in a first waveband of the plurality of light beams corresponding to the process colors enters one scanning optical system of the plurality of scanning optical systems,

the one scanning optical system includes an optical member configured to reflect the one light beam and transmit a light beam in a second waveband different from the first waveband, and

an angle formed between a normal to an incidence plane of the optical member and orthogonal projection to an assumed plane orthogonal to a direction corresponding to the main-scanning direction of an incident path of the light beam to the incidence plane of the optical member is an angle of 0°

or more and an angle of 45°

or less.

2. The optical scanning device according to claim 1,

wherein

the scanning optical systems of the plurality of scanning optical systems except the one scanning optical system include a reflecting mirror to reflect the corresponding light beam, and

the angle is smaller than an angle formed between a normal to a reflecting surface of the reflecting mirror and orthogonal projection to an assumed plane of an incident path of the corresponding light beam to the reflecting surface of the reflecting mirror.

3. The optical scanning device according to claim 2,

wherein the optical member is shorter in a dimension in a direction corresponding to the main-scanning direction than in the reflecting mirror.

4. The optical scanning device according to claim 2,

wherein an optical path length of the one light beam between the deflector and the optical member is shorter than an optical path length of the corresponding light beam between the deflector and the reflecting mirror.

5. The optical scanning device according to claim 1,

wherein a light quantity of a light beam reflected at the optical member in the light beam in the second waveband is smaller than a light quantity of a light beam transmitted through the optical member in the light beam in the first waveband.

6. The optical scanning device according to claim 1,

wherein the light beam corresponding to a lightest color in the process colors enters the one scanning optical system.

7. The optical scanning device according to claim 1,

wherein the second waveband is on a long wave length side of the first waveband.

8. The optical scanning device according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of light beams includes a different light beam in the second waveband in addition to the plurality of light beams corresponding to the process color,

the different light beam enters the one scanning optical system together with the one light beam, and

an optical path length of the different light beam between the deflector and the scanned surface corresponding to the different light beam is longer than optical path lengths of the plurality of light beams corresponding to the process colors between the deflector and the scanned surfaces corresponding to the plurality of light beams corresponding to the process colors.

9. The optical scanning device according to claim 1, wherein

the light beam in the first waveband passes through a cylindrical lens provided between the deflector and a light source emitting the light beam in the first waveband, and

the light beam in the second waveband passes through the cylindrical lens.

10. The optical scanning device according to claim 1, wherein

an angle formed between orthogonal projection of a incident light beam in the first waveband to a plane perpendicular to the deflector and orthogonal projection of a incident light beam in the second waveband to the deflector is an angle of 0°

or more.

11. The optical scanning device according to claim 1, wherein

the light beam in the second waveband corresponds to a transparent color.

12. The optical scanning device according to claim 1, wherein

the light beam in the second waveband corresponds to a light color.

13. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a plurality of image carriers including a plurality of image carriers corresponding to at least process colors; and

an optical scanning device that scans a plurality of image carriers in a main-scanning direction with a plurality of light beams, wherein

the optical scanning device comprises;

a light source device including at least one light source and configured to emit a plurality of light beams including a plurality of light beams corresponding to at least process colors,

a deflector configured to deflect the plurality of light beams emitted from the light source device, and

a plurality of scanning optical systems configured to guide the plurality of light beams deflected at the deflector to the plurality of corresponding image carriers, and wherein

one light beam in a first waveband of the plurality of light beams corresponding to the process colors enters one scanning optical system of the plurality of scanning optical systems,

the one scanning optical system includes an optical member configured to reflect the one light beam and transmit a light beam in a second waveband different from the first waveband,

an angle formed between a normal to an incidence plane of the optical member and orthogonal projection to an assumed plane orthogonal to a direction corresponding to the main-scanning direction of an incident path of the light beam to the incidence plane of the optical member is an angle of 0°

or more and an angle of 45°

or less, and

the optical scanning device scans one image carrier of the plurality of image carriers corresponding to the process colors with the one light beam.

14. The image forming apparatus accruing to claim 13, wherein a sensitivity of the one image carrier to the light beam in the second waveband is lower than a sensitivity to

the light beam in the first waveband.