Patent ID: 7149016
Filing Date: 2006-12-12
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A scanning optical system comprising: light source means for emitting light beams; deflection means for deflecting the light beams emitted from said light source means; and imaging optical means for imaging the light beams deflected by said deflecting means onto a surface to be scanned, wherein said imaging optical means includes a molded lens integrally configured with a substrate having an optical surface on which a microstructure grating is formed, and wherein at least one of a grating pitch, a grating depth, and a grating constant of the microstructure grating is changed in accordance with an incident angle so as to satisfy the following condition in an entire scanning range: where Rmax represents a maximum value of a reflectance at each angle of view of the optical surface on which the microstructure grating is formed and the angle of view is defined as an angle formed by a principal ray of the light beam incident on the optical surface on which the microstructure grating is formed and an optical axis of the scanning optical system in a main scanning section.