Patent ID: 6166843
Filing Date: 2000-12-26
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A scanning optical system comprising:a light deflector that rotates about a rotational axis transverse to a main scanning direction;a light emitter that emits a beam of light which scans a scanning surface along the main scanning direction, said beam of light emitted by said emitter being incident onto said light deflector; andan optical element that refracts and reflects said beam of light, deflected by said light deflector, said optical element having a first surface onto which said beam of light from said light deflector is incident and a second surface provided with a reflective surface, said reflective surface reflecting said beam of light after said beam of light is transmitted through said optical element, said beam of light again being transmitted through said optical element after being reflected by said reflected surface to be emitted from said optical element at said first surface, at least said second surface comprising a surface which has no rotational axis and which is not rotationally symmetrical about an optical axis of said scanning optical system, an optical axis of said optical element forming an oblique angle with respect to the rotational axis of said light deflector.