Patent ID: 7123396
Filing Date: 2006-10-17
Classification: G02B,H04N

Abstract:
1. An optical scanning apparatus in which a light beam scans on a surface-to-be-scanned in a main scanning direction, comprising: a deflector which comprises a movable member which has a deflection mirror surface which reflects an incident light beam toward the surface-to-be-scanned, first adjacent portions which are fixedly disposed adjacent to said movable member over a first distance from said movable member on the both sides of said movable member in a direction of a pivot axis which is approximately orthogonal to the main scanning direction, second adjacent portions which are fixedly disposed adjacent to said movable member over a second distance from said movable member in the main scanning direction, and beams which elongate in the direction of the pivot axis and link said movable member to said first adjacent portions to thereby hold said movable member such that said movable member freely pivots about the pivot axis, said deflector making said movable member pivot about the pivot axis, thereby deflecting the incident light beam in the main scanning direction; a light source which emits the light beam; and a first optical system which makes the light beam from said light source impinge upon said deflection mirror surface, wherein the first distance is longer than the second distance, and the light beam, by means of said first optical system, is incident upon said deflection mirror surface from a front side of said deflection mirror surface in such a direction: that a beam plane includes the pivot axis and is orthogonal to the main scanning direction, the beam plane being a plane which is formed by an optical axis of said first optical system and a surface normal, which passes the pivot axis, to said deflection mirror surface when a pivot angle about the pivot axis of said movable member is zero; and that the optical axis is at an acute angle with respect to the surface normal to said deflection mirror surface.