Patent ID: 6400512
Filing Date: 2002-06-04
Classification: B41J,G02B

Abstract:
A beam spacer for closely spacing four parallel light beams comprising:a first laser source for emitting a first light beam, a second laser source for emitting a second light beam, said second light beam and said first light beam being separated by a first spacing, a third laser source for emitting a third light beam, said third light beam and second light beam being separated by said first spacing, a fourth laser source for emitting a fourth light beam, said fourth light beam and said third light beam being separated by said first spacing; said first light beam, said second light beam, said third light beam and said fourth light beam being parallel, and an optical element having: a first incident surface for refracting said second light beam to a first exit surface which refracts said second light beam from said optical element to a scan line, said first incident surface being parallel to said first exit surface, said first incident surface and said first exit surface being at an angle to an optical axis, a second incident surface for refracting said third light beam to a second exit surface which refracts said third light beam from said optical element to said scan line, said second incident surface being parallel to said second exit surface, said second incident surface and said second exit surface being at said same angle as said first incident surface and said first exit surface to said optical axis, a first reflective surface for reflecting said first light beam from a first turn mirror to said scan line, and a second reflective surface for reflecting said fourth light beam from a second turn mirror to said scan line, whereby said reflected first light beam and said refracted second light beam are separated by a second spacing at said scan line, said refracted second light beam and said refracted third light beam are separated by said second spacing at said scan line, said refracted third light beam and said reflected fourth light beam are separated by said second spacing at said scan line, wherein said reflected first light beam, said refracted second light beam, said refracted third light beam and said reflected fourth light beam are parallel and said second spacing is less than said first spacing.