Patent ID: 7995087
Filing Date: 2011-08-09
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An optical scanner for forming an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive member by scanning the photosensitive member with a light beam, the optical scanner comprising: an incident optical system including: a light beam emission device configured to emit a light beam; and a cylindrical lens configured to condense the light beam emitted from the light beam emission device, and a scanning optical system including: a light deflecting device configured to reflect the light beam having passed through the cylindrical lens to deflect the light beam in a main scanning direction for scanning the photosensitive member; and a scanning lens configured to focus the light beam deflected by the light deflecting device on the photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; the incident optical system further including: a plurality of the light beam emission devices, wherein the incident optical system and the scanning optical system are divided by a light shielding wall having an optical aperture through which the incident optical system is in communication with the scanning optical system, wherein the light shielding wall allows transmission of the light beam only through the optical aperture, wherein a plurality of optical apertures are formed in the light shielding wall, wherein the optical scanner further including: a casing for accommodating therein the incident optical system and the scanning optical system, and the casing having a plurality of openings which are configured to allow a plurality of light beams emitted from the incident optical system to the scanning optical system to pass through the openings to an outside of the casing so that each of the plurality of light beams is directed to different photosensitive members, and wherein the light beam emission device includes a light emitter element for emitting a laser light, and a coupling lens for converting the laser light emitted from the light emitting element into a light beam, and wherein a passage from the light emitting element to the coupling lens is open.