Patent ID: 8018637
Filing Date: 2011-09-13
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. An optical scanning apparatus, comprising: a deflector that deflects to scan beams from a light source in a main scanning direction; a scanning optical system that includes at least one optical element having a refracting power in a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and that images the beams on a surface to be scanned; and an optical element-deforming unit that deforms the at least one optical element so that a position of a center of curvature of the at least one optical element in the sub-scanning direction changes in a direction substantially parallel to the sub-scanning direction; wherein a function Cs(y) of a curvature in the sub-scanning direction in a main scanning coordinate y on a generatrix of the scanning optical system on at least one surface, of optical surfaces included in the at least one optical element, is set to have only one extreme value within a mirror surface region of the at least one optical element.