Patent ID: 6326992
Filing Date: 2001-12-04
Classification: B41J,G02B,G06K,H04N

Abstract:
In an image forming apparatus, comprising:an image bearing member having a surface for forming a static latent image thereon; andmeans comprising a laser beam scanning unit for scanning said surface of said image bearing member with a plurality of laser beams to form said static latent image;the improvement wherein said laser beam scanning unit comprises:an array of light emitting portions of one semiconductor substrate for emitting said laser beams from a surface of said semiconductor substrate and means for controlling lighting and amount of light emission of each of said light emitting portions individually,a collimator lens having a focal length fc for collimating said laser beam; andmeans comprising a deflecting unit for deflecting said collimated laser beams to said surface of said image bearing member;wherein said light emitting portions are disposed two-dimensionally on said surface of said semiconductor substrate, whereby said laser beams provide respective spots that are disposed two-dimensionally on said surface of said image bearing member and run along respective scanning lines; andwherein a distance between a most spaced two of said plurality of light emitting portions is .delta. max, fc/.delta. max being 25 or more.