Patent ID: 7012723
Filing Date: 2006-03-14
Classification: G02B,G06K,H04N

Abstract:
1. An optical scanning device, comprising: a plurality of light sources; a single optical deflector that scans light beams emitted respectively from the plurality of light sources; a first image forming optical system that is disposed between the optical deflector and the plurality of light sources and allows linear images of the light beams to be formed on a common deflecting surface of the optical deflector; and a second image forming optical system that is disposed between the optical deflector and a plurality of surfaces to be scanned corresponding to the plurality of light sources and has a plurality of curved surface mirrors that are in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of surfaces to be scanned, wherein the plurality of light sources, the optical deflector, and the second image forming optical system are disposed at different positions in a sub-scanning direction so that light beams from the first image forming optical system are incident respectively on the deflecting surface obliquely with respect to a plane that includes a normal line at a center of the deflecting surface of the optical deflector and is parallel to a main scanning direction (hereinafter, referred to as a “main scanning plane”), and so that light beams from the optical deflector are incident respectively on the plurality of curved surface mirrors obliquely with respect to a plane that includes each of normal lines at vertices of the plurality of curved surface mirrors and is parallel to the main scanning direction, the plurality of curved surface mirrors are disposed on the same side with respect to the main scanning plane, and curved surfaces of the plurality of curved surface mirrors vary in shape.