Patent ID: 7057782
Filing Date: 2006-06-06
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. An optical scanner comprising: a plurality of scanning units, each having a scanning optical system which forms a flux, emitted from a light source means, into spots on a surface to be scanned, a deflecting means having a plurality of deflection surfaces, wherein two or more scanning units from among said plurality of scanning units commonly use said deflecting means, and said two or more scanning units use fluxes reflection-deflected on different ones of said deflection surfaces of said deflecting means; and a single write position detecting means, wherein an image write start time of a first scanning unit in the main scanning direction onto the surface to be scanned and an image write start time of a second scanning unit in the main scanning direction onto the surface to be scanned are each determined by detecting a flux from a different deflection surface of said deflecting means by said single write position detecting means, and by using a write position detection signal from said single write position detecting means, wherein the time from the detection of the write position detection signal before the starting of image writing to the surface to be scanned differs as between said first scanning unit and said second scanning unit, and wherein, in said first scanning unit and said second scanning unit, the fluxes reflection-deflected on respective deflection surfaces of said deflecting means reach said single write position detecting means, respectively, by passing through an optical element which is located independently from said scanning optical system and without passing through said scanning optical system.