Patent ID: 6088146
Filing Date: 2000-07-11
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A scanning optical system in which a plurality of light beams emitted from a plurality of light sources are, after being formed into beams converging in a predetermined manner, deflected by a single deflector and are then shone, through scanning lens systems provided one for each light beam, onto a scanned surface so that the scanned surface is scanned by the light beams for image formation,wherein all of the plurality of light beams incident on said scanning lens systems are converging light beams, andwherein at least one of said scanning lens systems satisfies the following condition:0<-{(L-HH')+k}/k.ltoreq.0.2,whereL represents a distance from a point of deflection of the light beam to the scanned surface,HH' represents a distance from a front-side principal point to a rear-side principal point of the scanning lens system, andk (k<0) represents a constant of proportionality defined by the following formula:y'=k.theta.,wherey' represents an image height on the scanned surface in a main scanning direction, and.theta. represents an angle of deflection, that is, an angle that the light beam, after being deflected by the deflector, forms with respect to an optical axis of the scanning lens system.