Light scanning unit, and image forming apparatus using the same

Abstract

The invention is to provide a light scanning unit designed to suppress the quantity of torsion of a light beam caused by an inclination angle of a cylindrical lens disposed between a light source and an optical deflecting element so as to suppress increase in diameter of the beam imaged on a to-be-scanned surface. The object is achieved by the light scanning unit in which a collimator lens, an aperture, a cylindrical lens, a spherical lens, a rotary polygon mirror, an Fθ lens and a to-be-scanned surface are disposed in an optical path between the light source and the optical deflecting element in order of increasing distance from the light source. The light scanning unit is designed to satisfy an expression of Mt≦D/δ when δ designates a diameter of the aperture, D designates a diffraction diameter of each beam focused on the to-be-scanned surface and scanning the to-be-scanned surface, γ designates a rotation angle with a generatrix of the cylindrical lens, and Mt designates a conjugate magnification.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a light scanning unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view showing the relationship between the layout of optical elements and the paraxial rays of light beams 11 and 12 viewed on a main-scanning surface of the light scanning unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view showing the relationship between the layout of the optical elements and the paraxial ray of the light beam 11 viewed on the main-scanning surface of the light scanning unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view showing the relationship between the layout of the optical elements and the paraxial rays of the light beams 11 and 12 viewed on a sub-scanning surface of the light scanning unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view showing the relationship between the layout of the optical elements and the paraxial ray of the light beam 11 viewed on the sub-scanning surface of the light scanning unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6A-6C are views for explaining the relationship about the inclination of a generatrix of a cylindrical lens, FIG. 6A being a view from the light beam incoming side of the cylindrical lens, FIG. 6B being a view from above FIG. 6A, FIG. 6C being a view showing the relationship about an image focused on a plane 9;

FIGS. 7A-7C are views for explaining the relationship about the inclination of the generatrix of the cylindrical lens, FIG. 7A being a view from the light beam incoming side of the cylindrical lens, FIG. 7B being a view from above FIG. 7A, FIG. 7C being a view showing the relationship about an image focused on the plane 9;

FIG. 8 is a view showing the relationship about refraction of a paraxial ray in an outermost edge portion of a light beam within a scanning plane between the cylindrical lens and a to-be-scanned surface when a cylindrical lens having an inclined generatrix is used as the cylindrical lens;

FIG. 9 is a plan view where the cylindrical lens is attached to a pedestal; and

FIG. 10 is a view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A light scanning unit comprising: an optical deflecting element for deflecting a plurality of beams emitted from a light source having a plurality of light outgoing portions; anda scanning optics for focusing the plurality of deflected beams on a to-be-scanned surface and scanning the to-be-scanned surface with the plurality of deflected beams; wherein:the plurality of light outgoing portions belonging to the light source are arrayed substantially on one straight line, and the straight line is inclined with respect to a plane where the plurality of beams emitted from the plurality of light outgoing portions are deflected to scan;a coupling optics for forming the beams emitted from the light source into parallel beams, a cylindrical lens having a positive power and having a generatrix in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane where the beams are deflected to scan, and a spherical lens having a positive power are disposed in an optical path between the light source and the optical deflecting element in order of increasing distance from the light source;an aperture for limiting diameters of the beams is disposed in a posterior focal plane of the coupling optics;the cylindrical lens and the spherical lens form an afocal system in the plane where the beams are deflected to scan, and the aperture and the optical deflecting element are disposed in a conjugate relationship in the plane where the beams are deflected to scan;an anterior focal plane of the spherical lens and the to-be-scanned surface are disposed in a conjugate relationship in the plane where the beams are deflected to scan; andthe following expression is satisfied: Mt≦D/δγ  (1)

2. A light scanning unit according to claim 1, wherein: the cylindrical lens is not provided with any means for adjusting an angle of the generatrix but has a reference surface perpendicular to the generatrix and an optical axis thereof, so that the cylindrical lens can be attached to a fixed pedestal with the reference surface in contact with the fixed pedestal and without adjusting the angle of the generatrix.

3. An image forming apparatus comprising: a photoconductor;a charging unit for charging the photoconductor;a light scanning unit for optically scanning the photoconductor with light so as to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor in accordance with image information to be recorded;a developing unit for attaching toner to the electrostatic latent image so as to form a toner image;a transfer unit for transferring the toner image onto a recording medium; anda fixation unit for fixing the transferred toner image onto the recording medium;wherein the light scanning unit is a light scanning unit according to claim 1.

4. An image forming apparatus comprising: a photoconductor;a charging unit for charging the photoconductor;a light scanning unit for optically scanning the photoconductor with light so as to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor in accordance with image information to be recorded;a developing unit for attaching toner to the electrostatic latent image so as to form a toner image;a transfer unit for transferring the toner image onto a recording medium; anda fixation unit for fixing the transferred toner image onto the recording medium;wherein the light scanning unit is a light scanning unit according to claim 2.