Patent ID: 6081346
Filing Date: 2000-06-27
Classification: B41J,G03B

Abstract:
A digital image forming apparatus comprising:a spatial modulation element in which a large number of pixels formed by a light controllable area that allows light modulation in accordance with digital image data and a light non-controllable area on which wiring is provided is arranged in a two-dimensional manner at a predetermined pixel pitch;a light source that allows light to be irradiated on said spatial modulation element; andbirefringent means which causes the light transmitted through the light controllable area of said spatial modulation element to be made birefringent into ordinary light whose optical axis directly advances and also into extraordinary light whose optical axes is refracted and which guides the ordinary light and the extraordinary light to a region on a photosensitive material corresponding to the light controllable area and a region on a photosensitive material corresponding to the light non-controllable area, respectively;wherein the extraordinary light irradiates the region on the photosensitive material corresponding to the light non-controllable area so as to overlap a region on the photosensitive material corresponding to the light controllable area,and further wherein said light source includes a plurality of light source elements respectively emitting light beams for irradiating the photosensitive material, and further wherein optical axes of the light beams are made to coincide with one another by respective dichroic mirrors.