Light beam scanning system

Abstract: A light beam scanning system two-dimensionally scans a recording medium (5) with a light beam to record image information on or read out recorded image information from a recording medium such as a stimulable phosphor sheet. The light beam scanning system includes a main scanning light deflector (3) for deflecting a light beam in a main scanning direction, an auxiliary scanning light deflector (10) angularly movable about an axis for deflecting the light beam in an auxiliary scanning direction normal to the main scanning direction, and an image-forming lens (4) disposed between the main (3) and auxiliary (10) scanning light deflectors. The recording medium (5) is supported by a recording medium support (11) and scanned with the light beam deflected by the main and auxiliary scanning light deflectors. The recording medium support includes an arcuate support surface (11a) having a center of curvature substantially aligned with the axis of angular movement of the auxiliary scanning light deflector (10).The recording medium support is also provided with shifter means (23,28,30) for shifting said recording medium (5) in said main scanning direction on said support surface.

Description: The present invention relates to a light beam scanning system according to the pre-characterizing part of claim 1. There have been proposed various light beam scanning systems for use in image information recording and reading apparatus. In the image recording apparatus, a light beam such as a laser beam emitted from a light beam source is modulated by image information to be recorded, and a recording medium is two-dimensionally scanned by the modulated light beam to record the image information on the recording medium. In the apparatus for reading out image information, a light beam such as a laser beam two-dimensionally scans a recording medium storing image information to enable the recording medium to reflect, pass, or emit light representative of the stored image information. The light from the recording medium is then detected by a light detector such as a photomultiplier to produce an image signal indicating the stored image information. The apparatus for reading out image information is used, for example, in a scanner in the graphics arts field, a computer or facsimile input device, or a system for recording and reproducing radiation image information using a stimulable phosphor sheet, as proposed by the applicant in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 55(1980)-12429, 56(1981)-11395, and 56(1981)-11397, for example. The image recording apparatus may preferably be connected to an apparatus for reading out radiation image information in such a system. The apparatus for reading out radiation image information operates by scanning a stimulable phosphor sheet that stores radiation image information with a stimulating light beam and photoelectrically reading light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet to produce an image signal. The image signal is applied to the image recording apparatus to produce a hard copy of good image quality for better image observation. In the light beam scanning system, the light beam from the light beam source is deflected by a light beam deflector to scan the recording medium in a main scanning direction while the recording medium is being moved in an auxiliary scanning direction transverse to the main scanning direction, so that the recording medium can be scanned two-dimensionally by the light beam. However, conventional light beam scanning systems are disadvantageous in that they are large in size because of means required for moving the recording medium in the auxiliary scanning direction and they require a complex and expensive optical system. One prior optical scanning system incorporated in an image recording apparatus will be described with reference to Figure 29 of the accompanying drawings. A light beam 202 emitted from a light beam source 201 is applied to and modulated by a light modulator 203 which is driven by a modulator driver 204 based on an image signal from an image signal generator 205. The modulated light beam 202 is then applied to a light deflector 206 such as a rotating polygonal mirror by which the light beam 202 is cyclically reflected and deflected as the polygonal mirror 206 is rotated about its own axis in the direction of the arrow A. The light beam 202 reflected by the polygonal mirror 206 passes through an image-forming lens 207 such as an f lens to scan a sheet-like recording medium 208 in a main scanning direction indicated by the arrow B. The recording medium 208 is sandwiched between a drum 209 and a pair of pinch rollers 210A, 210B on the drum 209. As the drum 209 rotates in the direction of the arrow C, the recording medium 208 is moved in an auxiliary scanning direction indicated by the arrow D which is normal to the main scanning direction. The light beam 202 therefore scans the recording medium 208 repeatedly in the main scanning direction of the arrow B while the recording medium 208 is being moved in the auxiliary scanning direction of the arrow D. Thus, the recording medium 208 is two-dimensionally scanned to record image information on the recording medium 208 substantially over its entire surface. The drum 209 is rotated in the direction of the arrow C by a motor 213 coupled thereto. To minimize any variations in the load on the motor 213 during movement of the recording medium 208 in the auxiliary scanning direction for eliminating irregularities in the image quality, the recording medium 208 is supported on support tables 211, 212 lying forwardly and rearwardly of the position where the recording medium 208 is scanned by the light beam 202. The support tables 211, 212 should be wide enough to support recording mediums, respectively, thereon. Therefore, the light beam scanning system must have a space to accommodate the support tables 211, 212 therein, and hence is large in size in the auxiliary scanning direction. The drum 209 has a width larger than that of the recording medium 208 for stably delivering the recording medium 208. Since the motor 213 is disposed in the axial direction of the drum 209, the light beam scanning system is also large in size in the main scanning direction. To record desired image information highly accurately on the recording medium 208 while the latter is being transferred, the motor 213 must be controlled so that the recording medium 208 can be delivered at a constant speed with high accuracy. Inasmuch as the motor 213 that is controllable with high accuracy is expensive, the overall cost of the light beam scanning system is high. The rollers 210A, 210B required for stably feeding the recording medium 208 prevent any image from being recorded on the leading and trailing ends of the recording medium 208 in the auxiliary scanning direction. Consequently, the leading and trailing ends of the recording medium 208 cannot be processed into black edges, for example. Figure 30 shows another conventional light beam scanning system capable of scanning the recording medium in the auxiliary scanning direction without moving the recording medium. The light beam scanning system of Figure 63 additionally includes an auxiliary scanning galvanometer mirror 220 angularly movable at a low speed in the direction of the arrow C for deflecting the light beam 202 to move the main scanning line in the direction of the arrow D over a sheet-like recording medium 219 which is fixed in position, while at the same time the light beam 202 is being deflected by the main scanning mirror 206 in the main scanning direction. The auxiliary scanning galvanometer mirror 220 completes its one angular movement in the direction of the arrow C normal to the main scanning direction while image information is being recorded on the recording medium 219. The recording medium 219 is thus two-dimensionally scanned with the light beam 202 by the main scanning mirror 206 and the auxiliary scanning galvanometer mirror 220. When the recording of image information on the recording medium 219 is finished, the auxiliary scanning galvanometer mirror 220 returns to its original position in readiness for a next cycle of recording image information. An image-forming lens 223 comprising an f lens is disposed between the auxiliary scanning galvanometer mirror 220 and the recording medium 219. The image-forming lens 223 serves to cause the light beam 202 which is reflected and deflected by the main and auxiliary mirrors 206, 220 at a constant angular velocity to linearly scan the flat recording medium 219 at a constant speed. A relay lens 221 is disposed between the main and auxiliary scanning mirrors 206, 220 for enabling the path of the light beam 202 that has been spread by the main scanning mirror 206 to be converged onto the reflecting surface of the relatively small auxiliary scanning galvanometer mirror 220 and then for enabling the converged path of the light beam 202 to be spread from the auxiliary scanning galvanometer mirror 220. The auxiliary scanning galvanometer mirror 220 is positioned where the path of the light beam 202 is converged by the relay lens 221. Therefore, the light beam 202 is fully applied by the relay lens 221 to the auxiliary scanning galvanometer mirror 220 by which it is deflected. After the light beam 202 has been reflected and deflected by the auxiliary scanning galvanometer mirror 220, its path is spread thereby to the extent commensurate with the beam deflecting angle of the main scanning mirror 206, so that a main scanning line of required length can be formed on the recording medium 219. With the light beam scanning system shown in Figure 63, however, the optical system is complex making the entire scanning system large in size since the relay lens 221 is required in addition to the image-forming lens 223. Addition of the relay lens 221 increases the number of parts of the optical system and the cost thereof. The f lens 223 should be two-dimensionally improved in its characteristics inasmuch as the light beam 202 deflected by the main and auxiliary scanning mirrors 206, 220 is applied thereto over its substantially entire surface. The f lens 223 is therefore costly to manufacture, thus adding to the cost of the light beam scanning system. Figure 31 shows one conventional optical scanning system incorporated in an apparatus for reading out radiation image information. A stimulating light beam 302 of constant intensity emitted from a light beam source 301 is applied to a light deflector 303 comprising a galvanometer mirror and reflected and deflected thereby as it is angularly moved in the direction of the arrow A. The stimulating light beam 302 deflectd by the galvanometer mirror 303 then passes through an image-forming lens 104 comprising an f lens to scan a stimulable phosphor sheet 305 in a main scanning direction indicated by the arrow B. At the same time, the stimulable phosphor sheet 305 placed on an endless belt conveyor 306 is fed in the direction of the arrow D substantially normal to the main scanning direction. Therefore, the stimulable phosphor sheet 305 is two-dimensionally scanned over its entire surface by the stimulating light beam 302. When exposed to the stimulating light beam 302, the stimulable phosphor sheet 305 emits light representing image information stored thereon, and the emitted light enters a transparent light guide 307 through an inlet end 307a extending parallel to the main scanning line closely to the stimulable phosphor sheet 305. The light guide 307 has a flat front end portion 307b positioned near the stimulable phosphor sheet 305 and progressively narrowed into a cylindrical rear end portion 307c which is coupled to a photomultiplier 308. Therefore, the light that has entered the light guide 307 is applied through the rear end portion 307c to the photomultiplier 308, which includes a filter for rejecting extraneous light other than the light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet 305. The applied light is photoelectrically converted by the photomultiplier 308 to an electric signal that is processed by an image information reading circuit 309. The processed signal is displayed as a visible image on a CRT 310, recorded on a magnetic tape 111, or recorded on a photographic photosensitive sheet to produce a hard copy. Since the stimulable phosphor sheet 305 is moved for auxiliary scanning, the endless belt conveyor 306 must be of such a size as to allow at least two stimulable phosphor sheets to be placed thereon forwardly and rearwardly of the scanning position. The endless belt conveyor 306 thus has a length corresponding to at least two stimulable phosphor sheets in the auxiliary scanning direction, making the optical beam scanning system large in size. Prior to reading out the stored radiation image information (main reading mode) for image display or recording purpose, the stored radiation image information may roughly be read out (preliminary reading mode) to determine read-out conditions based on which the main reading mode will be carried out. According to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 58(1983)-67240, such a preliminary reading mode is effected by scanning the stimulable phosphor sheet with stimulating light of a lower energy than that of stimulating light used in the main reading mode, and photoelectrically reading light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet upon exposure to the lower-energy stimulating light. For effecting the main and preliminary reading modes successively, the stimulable phosphor sheet 305 is fed in the direction of the arrow D in the preliminary reading mode, and then the endless belt conveyor 306 is reversed to deliver the stimulable phosphor sheet 305 backwards in the direction of the arrow D'. Thereafter, the stimulable phosphor sheeet 305 is fed again in the direction of the arrow D in the main reading mode. Alternatively, after the stimulable phosphor sheet 305 is fed in the direction of the arrow D in the preliminary reading mode, it is moved back in the direction of the arrow D' while the main reading mode is being carried out, followed by discharging the stimulable phosphor sheet 305 in the direction of the arrow D. However, inasmuch as the stimulable phosphor sheet 305 is required to be fed back and forth in the main and preliminary reading modes, and hence a time required for the main and preliminary reading modes is long, failing to achieve an efficient reading process. Figure 32 shows a proposed apparatus for reading out radiation image information, which has a light source 301A energizable for the preliminary reading mode and another light source 302A energizable for the main reading mode. The main and prelimiary reading modes can successively be effected by delivering a stimulable phosphor sheet in the direction of the arrows E by a series of endless belt conveyors 309A, 309B, 309C, 309D, 309E without moving back the stimulable phosphor sheet. The conveyor system however requires a length corresponding to at least three stimulable phosphor sheets in the auxiliary scanning direction, with the result that the entire apparatus is larger in size. For reading out radition image information highly accurately, a motor or motors for the endless belt conveyors must be controlled so that the stimulable phosphor sheet can be delivered at a constant speed with high accuracy even if subjected to load variations. Such a motor or motors are expensive, and the overall cost of the light beam scanning is high. US-A-4,329,012 discloses a light beam scanning system according to the pre-characterizing part of claim 1 which is similar to that shown in Fig. 29. The flat support surface is tilted during scanning around an axis in synchronism with rotation of the auxiliary deflector. EP-A-0 086 932 discloses an intermittent film feeding system of a film printing apparatus in which a film support surface has an arcuate shape for guiding a film to be scanned. It is an object of the present invention to provide a light beam scanning system which is small in size and can be manufactured at a low cost. According to the present invention, there is provided a light beam scanning system having the features of claim 1. The support surface has an arcuate shape having a center of curvature substantially aligned with the axis of angular movement of the auxiliary scanning light deflector. The axis of angular movement of the auxiliary scanning light deflector lies on a line of intersection between a plane including a path of the light beam having passed through the image-forming lens or a plane parallel to the first-mentioned plane and a plane lying perpendicularly to an optical axis of the image-forming lens. The auxiliary scanning light deflector comprises an elongate plane mirror having a longitudinal axis about which the elongate plane mirror is angularly movable. The shifter means shift the recording medium until one side edge thereof is in a predetermined position thereby allowing the light beam to exactly scan the medium. The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a light beam scanning system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a light beam scanning system according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figures 3A through 3E are schematic side elevational views showing the manner in which the light beam scanning system of Figure 2 operates; Figures 4A and 4B are plan views showing the manner in which a recording medium is positioned in an auxiliary scanning direction in the light beam scanning system of Figure 2; Figures 5A through 5C are schematic side elevational views illustrating the manner in which a light detector of the light beam scanning system of Figure 2 operates; Figure 6 is a plan view showing a light detector in a different position; Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of another shifter arm; Figures 8A and 8B are fragmentary perspective views of modified guide plates; Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view of a modified light beam scanning system; Figures 10A through 10B are schematic side elevational views illustrating the manner in which a light detector of the light beam scanning system of Figure 9 operates; Figure 11 is a schematic perspective view of a light beam scanning system according to still another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 is a plan view of a recording medium support of the light beam scanning system of Figure 11; Figures 13A through 13E are schematic side elevational views showing the manner in which the light beam scanning system of Figure 11 operates; Figure 14 is a schematic perspective view of a light beam scanning system according to a still further embodiment of the present invention; Figure 15 is a plan view of a recording medium support of the light beam scanning system of Figure 14; Figures 16A through 16E are schematic side elevational views showing the manner in which the light beam scanning system of Figure 14 operates; Figure 17 is a schematic perspective view of a light beam scanning system according to a yet still further embodiment of the present invention; Figures 18A through 18F are schematic side elevational views showing the manner in which the light scanning system of Figure 17 operates; Figures 19A and 19B are plan views showing the manner in which a recording medium is positioned in an auxiliary scanning direction in the light beam scanning system of Figure 17; Figure 20 is a plan view of a recording medium support of a modified light beam scanning system; Figures 21A through 21F are schematic side elevational views showing the manner in which the light scanning system of Figure 20 operates; Figure 22 is a schematic perspective view of a light beam scanning system according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figures 23A through 23E are schematic side elevational views showing the manner in which the light scanning system of Figure 22 operates; Figures 24A through 24D are plan views showing the manner in which the light scanning system of Figure 22 operates; Figure 25 is a schematic perspective view of a recording medium support of a modified light beam scanning system; Figures 26, 27, 28A and 28B are plan views of recording medium supports according to other modifications; Figures 29 through 32 are views showing conventional light beam scanning systems. Like or corresponding parts are denoted by like or corresponding reference characters throughout several views. Figure 1 shows a light beam scanning system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the light beam scanning system being incorporated in an image recording apparatus. The light beam scanning system includes a laser beam source 1 for emitting a laser light beam 2 that is applied to and modulated by a light modulator 6 driven by a modulator driver 7 in response to an image signal generated by an image signal generator 8. The modulated light beam 2 is then applied to a main scanning light beam deflector 3 such as a rotatable polygonal mirror which rotates about its own axis in the direction of the arrow A for deflecting the light beam 2 in a main scanning direction. The light beam source 1 may comprise an He-Ne laser, an Ar laser, or a combination of a semiconductor laser and a beam shaper optical system. Where the light beam source 1 comprises a semiconductor laser or the like which can directly modulate the generated light beam, no light modulator 6 may be disposed in the path of the light beam 2, but the light beam source 1 may directly be controlled for modulating the light beam 2. The main scanning light beam deflector 3 may instead comprise a galvanometer mirror or an acoustooptic deflector (AOD). The light beam 2 deflected by the polygonal mirror 6 then passes through a main scanning image-forming lens 4 such as an f lens and is thereafter applied to and reflected by a reflecting surface 10a of an auxiliary scanning light beam deflector 10 comprising a plane reflecting mirror which is elongate in the main scanning direction and is angularly moved at a low speed about its longitudinal axis in the direction of the arrow C by a motor 9 coupled to the reflecting mirror 10. A sheet-like recording medium 5 such as photographic film or paper or a stimulable phosphor sheet is placed below the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 in the optical path of the light beam reflected by the mirror 10. The recording sheet 5 is supported as a partly cylindrical shape on an arcuate upper support surface 11a of a recording medium support 11. The recording medium support 11 may be in the form of a curved plate or a unitary block molded of synthetic resin and having an arcuately concave surface. The partly cylindrical shape given by the arcuate support surface 11a has a center of curvature which is substantially aligned with the axis of angular movement of the auxiliary scanning mirror 10. The recording medium support 11 has a pair of spaced grooves 11b defined at one end thereof. The recording medium 5 supported on the support 11 is scanned in a main scanning mode in the direction of the arrow B by the light beam 2 deflected by the rotating polygonal mirror 3. The image-forming lens 4 serves to converge the light beam 2 on the recording medium 5 and also to scan or sweep the light beam 2 at a constant speed on the recording medium 5 that extends straight in the main scanning direction, the light beam 2 having been deflected by the rotating polygonal mirror 3 at a constant angular velocity. The axis of angular movement of the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 is substantially aligned with a line of intersection between a plane including the path of the light beam that has passed through the lens 4 or a plane parallel to such a plane and a plane normal to the optical axis of the lens 4. Preferably, the position where the light beam 2 is reflected by the reflecting surface 10a is aligned with the axis of angular movement of the auxiliary scanning mirror 10. However, the axis of angular movement of the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 may be deviated from the beam reflecting position on the reflecting surface 10a within a small allowable range which imposes no problem on the beam scanning accuracy. For example, the axis of angular movement of the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 may be aligned with the geometrically longitudinal central axis of the mirror 10 which is slightly spaced from the beam reflecting position on the reflecting surface 10a in the transverse direction of the mirror 10. The auxiliary scanning mirror 10 is angularly moved in the direction of the arrow C through an angle which is large enough to allow the light beam 2 to scan the entire upper surface of the recording medium 5 while recording desired image information on the recording medium 5. As the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 is angularly moved in this manner, the main scanning line formed by the light beam 2 on the recording medium 5 is progressively moved in the direction of the arrow D to scan the recording medium 5 in an auxiliary scanning mode. Therefore, the entire surface of the recording medium 5 is two-dimensionally scanned with the light beam 2 by the rotating polygonal mirror 3 and the auxiliary scanning mirror 10. After the desired image information has been recorded on the recording medium 5 over its entire surface through the angular movement of the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 at a prescribed speed and through a given angle, the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 is then angularly moved backwards or continuously angularly moved to make a full revolution, until the mirror 10 reaches its initial position in readiness for a next recording cycle. A light detector 12 is mounted on the recording medium support 11 for detecting the light beam 2 to determine the position to start scanning the recording medium 5 for image recording. More specifically, the light detector 12 detects the light beam as it reaches a leading end of the recording medium 5 on scanning movement from its initial position in the direction of the arrow D when the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 is angularly moved in the direction of the arrow C. At this time, the light modulator 6 is energized by an image signal to modulate the light beam 2 therewith for starting to record a desired image on the recording medium 5. The recording medium 5 is fixed in place while it is being scanned in the auxiliary scanning mode by the light beam 2 which is swept by angular movement of the auxiliary scanning mirror 10. Therefore, the light beam scanning system is small in size in the auxiliary scanning direction. The size of the image recording apparatus in the auxiliary scanning direction may be reduced to about half of that of image recording apparatus in which recording mediums are moved in the auxiliary direction for auxiliary scanning. The auxiliary scanning mirror 10 which is elongate in the main scanning direction may of only a length required in the main scanning direction to allow the light beam 2 being deflected to be applied thereto. The length of the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 is sufficiently smaller than that of the main scanning lines on the recording medium 5. The combined length of the motor 9 and the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 may be smaller than the dimension of the recording medium support 11 in the main scanning direction. Therefore, the light beam scanning system and hence the image recording apparatus are small in size in the main scanning direction. Where the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 is positioned sufficiently closely to the main scanning light beam deflector 3, the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 may not necessarily be elongate and may be of any shape insofar as it can be angularly moved about its own axis and allows the light beam 2 to be fully applied thereto. The motor 9 for driving the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 may be a motor which is relatively inexpensive, small in size, and of a low torque since it is not subject to load variations. The opposite ends of the recording medium 5 on the recording medium support 11 may have black edges inasmuch as the entire surface thereof can be scanned with the light beam from the leading end to the trailing end thereof. Because of the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 sized to permit the light beam 2 to be fully applied thereto, any relay lens for adjusting the path of the light beam 2 is not required, and hence the optical arrangement of the light beam scanning system is simple. Accordingly, the light beam scanning system and the image recording apparatus are relatively small in size and can be manufactured at a relativley low cost. Furthermore, since the recording medium 5 is supported in an arcuate plane, the image-forming lens 4 is disposed between the main scanning light beam deflector 3 and the auxiliary scanning light beam deflector 10. This arrangement also contributes to a size reduction which has not been achieved by conventional light beam scanning systems in which an image-forming lens is disposed between an auxiliary scanning mirror and a recording medium. The recording medium 5 is manually placed onto and removed from the recording medium support 11. The recording medium 5 on the recording medium support 11 can be positioned in the auxiliary scanning direction by means of a pair of feeder arms 19 attached to a shaft 18 rotatably mounted in the recording medium support 11 at one end thereof. The shaft 18 can be turned about its own axis by a motor 17 operatively coupled thereto by a pair of meshing gears. When the feeder arms 19 are angularly moved with the shaft 18 in the direction of the arrow E into the grooves 11b, respectively, the feeder arms 19 engage one end of the recording medium 5 and push it in the auxiliary scanning direction on the arcuate upper support surface 11a of the recording medium support 11. A detector 20 such as a reflection-type photointerrupter or a limit switch is mounted on the recording medium support 11 at its rear end remote from the feeder arms 19 for detecting the leading end of the recording medium 5. By de-energizing the motor 17 in response to generation of a signal from the detector 20 upon detection of the leading end of the recording medium 5, the recording medium 5 can accurately and easily be positioned in the main scanning direction on the recording medium support 11. The recording medium 5 on the recording medium support 11 can also be positioned in the main scanning direction by means of a shifter arm 23 coupled to an actuator 24 such as a motor or a rotary solenoid and disposed on one side of the recording medium support 11 substantially centrally in the longitudinal direction thereof. A vertical guide plate 22 is attached to the other side of the recording medium support 11. When the actuator 24 is energized, the shifter arm 23 is lifted in the direction of the arrow G1 and engages a side edge of the recording medium 5. The shifter arm 23 is further turned into a first position (indicated by the solid lines) to push the recording medium 5 until its opposite side edge is held against the vertical guide plate 22, whereupon the recording medium 5 is accurately and reliably positioned in the main scanning direction. When the recording medium 5 is to be removed from the recording medium support 11, the shifter arm 23 is retracted to a second position (indicated by the dotted lines) out of engagement with the recording medium 5. Figures 2 and 3A through 3E illustrate a light beam scanning system according to another embodiment of the present invention. The light beam scanning system of Figure 2 differs from that of Figure 1 in that it has an automatic recording medium loader for reliably and accurately introducing and positioning recording mediums and an automatic recording medium unloader for reliably discharging recording mediums. The automatic recording medium loader comprises a pair of parallel elongate inlet rollers 13A, 13B positioned at one end of the recording medium support 11 near the feeder arms 19, and the automatic recording medium unloader comprises a pair of parallel elongate outlet rollers 21A, 21B positioned at the opposite end of the recording medium support 11. As shown in Figure 3A, a stack of recording mediums 5 is stored in a magazine 14, and picked up, one at a time, by a suction means 16. The recording medium 5 picked up by the suction means 16 is then dropped through a guide 15 and gripped by the inlet rollers 13A, 13B which are rotated about their own axes in the directions of the arrows to feed the recording medium 5 onto the arcuate support surface 11a of the recording medium support 11 in the direction of the arrow F1, until the recording medium 5 reaches a position, as shown in Figure 3B, upstream of a desired recording position on the arcuate support surface 11a. While the recording medium 5 is being fed by the inlet rollers 13A, 13B, the feeder arms 19 are retracted away from the arcuate support surface 11a, as shown in Figure 3A. Then, the motor 17 is energized to turn the feeder arms 19 in the direction of the arrow E1 (Figure 3B) into engagement with the trailing end of the recording medium 5. The feeder arms 19 are continuously turned in the direction of the arrow E2 (Figure 3C) into the grooves 11b to push the recording medium 5 to the desired recording position on the arcuate support surface 11a in the direction of the arrow F2. Up to this time, the shifter arm 23 remains in the second position out of engagement with the recording medium 5, as shown in Figure 4A. When the detector 20 detects the leading end of the recording medium 5, it generates a signal which is applied to the motor 17 to de-energize the same, thus locating the recording medium 5 in the desired recording position on the support surface 11a. The actuator 24 is now energized to turn the shifter arm 23 upwardly in the direction of the arrow G1 (Figure 4B) into the first position to push one side of the recording medium 5 toward the guide plate 22. The recording medium 5 is shifted by the shifter arm 23 until the other side thereof abuts against the guide plate 22. The recording medium 5 is now positioned in the main and auxiliary scanning directions. Thereafter, the motor 17 is reversed to retract the feeder arms 19 in the direction of the arrow E3 (Figure 3D) out of engagement with the trailing end of the recording medium 5. The light beam 2 which is being deflected by the rotating polygonal mirror 3 and the angularly moving mirror 10 is applied to the recording medium 5 for two-dimensionally scanning the same to record desired image information thereon. The position in which the recording medium 5 is scanned by the light beam 2 varies dependent on the direction in which the reflecting surface 10a of the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 faces. As shown in Figure 5A, the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 is initialized such that the light beam 2 starts its scanning cycle from a position outside of the leading edge of the recording medium 5 that is fixed in the desired recording position. Upon rotation of the main and auxiliary scanning mirrors 3, 9, the light beam 2 which is not yet modulated by the light modulator 6 is moved by the auxiliary scanning mirror 10 in the auxiliary scanning direction toward the leading end of the recording medium 5 while at the same time scanning the support surface 11a in the main scanning direction. When the light beam 2 hits the light detector 12, the light detector 12 generates a starting signal S (Figure 5B) which is applied to the video signal generator 8 that begins to apply an image signal to the modulator driver 7. Therefore, substantially at the same time that the light beam 2 reaches the leading end of the recording medium 5, the light beam 2 starts being modulated with the image signal by the light modulator 6 driven by the modulator driver 7. As a result, the desired image starts to be recorded by the modulated light beam 2 on the recording medium 5 substantially from its leading end and the recording medium 5 is subsequently two-dimensionally scanned by the light beam 2, as shown in Figure 5C. Alternatively, the image signal generator 8 may be arranged such that it will be energized with a time delay after the light beam 2 is detected by the light detector 12. This allows the unmodulated light beam 2 to scan the leading end of the recording medium 5 for thereby forming an image-free edge thereon, which is followed by a desired image recorded by the subsequently modulated light beam 2. The light detector 12 may be positioned in front of the detector 20 in the auxiliary scanning direction, as shown in Figure 6, so that the light detector 12 can detect the light beam 2 before it reaches the recording medium 5 in the auxiliary scanning direction. With the modification of Figure 6, the time required for the light beam 2 to arrive at the leading end of the recording medium 5 after the light beam 2 has been detected by the light detector 12 is measured in advance, and the light beam 2 starts to be modulated by the light modulator 6 upon elapse of such measured time after detection of the light beam 2 by the light detector 12. According to another process of starting to record a desired image on the recording medium 5, the unmodulated light beam 2 may be deflected and detected by the light detector 12 before the recording medium 5 is delivered onto the recording medium support 11. When the light beam 2 is thus detected by the light detector 12, a signal is applied to a control circuit for the motor 9 to de-energize the motor 9, thus stopping the auxiliary scanning mirror 10, whereupon emission of the light beam 2 is cut off. Thereafter, the recording medium 5 is introduced and positioned on the recording medium support 11, and then the light beam source 1 and the image signal generator 8 are simultaneously energized to scan the recording medium 5 with the modulated light beam 2. At any rate, any desired image can be recorded efficiently and positionally accurately on the recording medium 5 since the image recording can be started from any desired position with high accuracy. After the recording medium 5 has been fully scanned by the light beam 2, the motor 17 is energized again to turn the feeder arms 19 in the direction of the arrow E4 (Figure 3E) to engage and push the trailing end of the recording medium 5 for causing the leading end thereof to be gripped by the outlet rollers 21A, 21B. The outlet rollers 21A, 21B are then rotated about their own axes in the directions of the arrows to move the recording medium 5 in the direction of the arrow F3 out of the image recording apparatus. The recording medium 5 thus discharged from the image recording apparatus may be introduced into an automatic developing machine or a receiver magazine, and the outlet rollers 21A, 21B may double as inlet rollers of such an automatic developing machine. After the recording medium 5 has been discharged, the feeder arms 19 are angularly moved back again in the direction of the arrow E5 (Figure 3E) to the position of Figure 3A to allow a next recording medium 5 to be introduced onto the support surface 11a. Figure 7 shows a modification in which the shifter arm 23 can be linearly displaced in the direction of the arrow G2 by a linear solenoid 24' for positioning the recording medium 5 in the main scanning direction. The shifter arm 23 may be of a length and a shape which can be selected dependent on the size of the recording medium 5 used. While the single shifter arm 23 is shown and described, two or more shifter arms may be employed. Figure 8A illustrates a modified guide plate 22' having an upper edge curved along the arcuate support surface 11a of the recording medium support 11. According to another modification shown in Figure 8B, a pair of spaced guide plates 22'' is attached to the other side of the recording medium support 11. The detector 20 may be located at the trailing end of a recording medium as it is held in the desired recording position on the support surface 11a, so that the detector 20 can detect the trailing end of the recording medium 5 for stopping the feeder arms 19. Where the recording medium 5 may be located less accurately on the support surface 11a, the detector 20 may be dispensed with, and the motor 17 may be energized for a predetermined period of time to enable the feeder arms 19 to push the recording medium 5 onto the support surface 11a during such a predetermined period of time. The motor 17 may easily be controlled if it is a stepping motor. Alternatively, a stop plate may be attached to the support surface 11a of the recording medium support 11 for forcibly stopping the recording medium 5 in the desired recording position. Figures 9 and 10A through 10B are illustrative of a modified light scanning system which is substantially the same as the light scanning system shown in Figure 2, except that the support surface 11a is made of a material having a reflectivity different from that of the recording medium 5, and the light detector 12 is positioned above the support surface 11a at the leading end of the recording medium 5 for detecting light reflected from the support surface 11a. While the light beam 2 does not reach the leading end of the recording medium 5 and is scanning the support surface 11a as shown in Figure 10A, light of a constant level is reflected from the support surface 11a and applied to the light detector 12. As the light beam 2 hits the leading end of the recording medium 5, a different level of light is reflected and applied to the light detector 12, which then generates a starting signal S that is fed to the image signal generator 8 for enabling the same to produce an image signal for recording the image in the same manner as described above. The light detector 12 may be located in any position above the leading end of the recording medium 5 insofar as it can detect a change in the reflected light beam 2. The successive recording mediums 5 may be held in slightly different positions on the support surface 11a within a range in which the light detector 12 can detect a change in the reflected light when the light beam 2 hits the leading ends of the recording mediums 5. Figures 11, 12, and 13A through 13E illustrate a light beam scanning system according to still another embodiment of the present invention. The light beam scanning system of Figure 11 differs from that of Figure 2 in that the motor 17, the shaft 18, and the feeder arms 19 are dispensed with, and a feeder roller 25 is mounted in the recording medium support 11. The feeder roller 25 is of an elongate shape extending in the main scanning direction and positioned in an elongate opening or recess 26 defined in the support surface 11a, the feeder roller 25 being exposed upwardly through the opening 26. The feeder roller 25 is vertically movable by a suitable driver between a first upper position in which the feeder roller 25 has its upper peripheral surface located above the support surface 11a and a second lower position in which the upper peripheral surface of the feeder roller 25 is retracted downwardly from the support surface 11a. As shown in Figure 13A, while the recording medium 5 is being fed in the direction of the arrow F1 onto the support surface 11a by the inlet rollers 13A, 13B, the upper peripheral surface of the feeder roller 25 is lowered in the second position below the support surface 11a. When the recording medium 5 is delivered to a position just upstream of the desired recording position on the support surface 11a and released from the inlet rollers 13A, 13B, the feeder roller 25 is moved upwardly to the first position in which it contacts the lower surface of the recording medium 5, as shown in Figure 13B. The feeder roller 25 is then rotated about its own axis by a suitable motor in the direction of the arrow H (Figure 13C) to move the recording medium 5 in the direction of the arrow F2 to the desired recording position. Although the feeder roller 25 is shown as having its peripheral surface held against the recording medium 5 fully transversely, the feeder roller 25 may be shaped to have its opposite ends or central portion in contact with the recording medium 5. The motor which rotates the feeder roller 25 is de-energized in response to a signal from the detector 20 which detects the leading end of the recording medium 5 that reaches the desired recording position. Upon arrival of the recording medium 5 at the desired recording position, the shifter arm 23 is turned upwardly as shown in Figure 13D to displace the recording medium 5 in the main scanning direction until it is held edgewise against the guide plate 22. Then, the feeder roller 25 is moved downwardly to the second position, and the recording medium 5 is two-dimensionally scanned with the light beam 2, as shown in Figure 13D. After the recording medium 5 has been scanned, the feeder roller 25 is raised again to the first position and rotated in the direction of the arrow H (Figure 13E) to deliver the recording medium 5 until the leading end of the recording medium 5 is gripped by the outlet rollers 21A, 21B. Then, the outlet rollers 21A, 21B are rotated to move the recording medium 5 in the direction of the arrow F3 so that it can be discharged out of the image recording apparatus. After the recording medium 5 has been discharged, the feeder roller 25 returns downwardly to the second position to allow a next recording medium 5 to be introduced onto the support surface 11a. The detector 20 is disposed in an opening or recess 27 defined in the support surface 11a and is exposed upwardly, as shown in Figure 12. Where the recording medium 5 may be located less accurately on the support surface 11a, the detector 20 may be dispensed with, and the motor for rotating the feeder roller 25 may be energized for a predetermined period of time to enable the feeder roller 25 to move the recording medium 5 on the support surface 11a during such a predetermined period of time. The motor for rotating the feeder roller 25 may easily be controlled if it is a stepping motor. Figures 14, 15, and 16A through 16E show a light beam scanning system according to a still further embodiment of the present invention. The light beam scanning system of Figure 14 differs from that of Figure 11 in that the outlet rollers 21A, 21B are dispensed with, and the rollers 13A, 13B disposed at one end of the recording medium support 11 comprise delivery rollers which can rotate selectively in opposite directions about their own axes, and that the guide 15 is tiltable and the feeder roller 25 is reversible. One of the recording mediums 5 is picked up from the magazine 14 by the suction means 16 and then gravity-fed through the guide 15 in an erected position toward the delivery rollers 13A, 13B. The recording medium 5 is then fed in the direction of the arrow F1 (Figure 16A) by the delivery rollers 13A, 13B which rotate in the directions of the arrows E1 about their own axes. During this time, the feeder roller 25 is retracted to the second position. The recording medium 5 is delivered by the delivery rollers 13A, 13B until it is released from the delivery rollers 13A, 13B whereupon the recording medium 5 is positioned just short of the desired recording position on the support surface 11a, as shown in Figure 16B. The feeder roller 25 is lifted to the first position and rotated about its own axis in the direction of the arrow Ga (Figure 16C) to move the recording medium 5 in the direction of the arrow F2 into the desired recording position. When the recording medium 5 reaches the desired recording position, the feeder roller 25 is stopped in response to a signal from the detector 20 and then lowered to the second position. The recording medium 5 is now two-dimensionally scanned by the light beam 2, as shown in Figure 16D. Upon completion of the two-dimensional scanning of the recording medium 5, the feeder roller 25 is raised to the first position and rotated in the direction of the arrow Gb (Figure 16E) to move the recording medium 5 backwards to the delivery rollers 13A, 13B. The delivery rollers 13A, 13B are rotated in the directions of the arrows E2 to grip and deliver the recording medium 5 in the direction of the arrow F3 out of the image recording apparatus through the guide 15, which is now tilted to a lowered position (indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 16A and the solid lines in Figure 16E) for directing the recording medium 5 below the magazine 14 for easy introduction into the automatic developing machine or receiver magazine. After the recording medium 5 has been discharged, the feeder roller 25 is lowered to the second position in readiness for the feeding of a new recording medium. The magazine 14 may be replaced with a cassette containing a single recording medium. The recording medium is first taken from the cassette onto the recording medium support 11 and then a desired image is recorded on the recording medium. Thereafter the recording medium is fed back into the empty cassette, which is removed for processing. With this arrangement, therefore, the guide 15 is not required to be tilted as shown in Figure 16E. A light beam scanning system according to a yet still further embodiment is illustrated in Figures 17, 18A through 18F, 19A and 19B. This light beam scanning system is different from that of Figure 2 in that the shifter arm 23 and its actuator 24 are dispensed with, and a pair of rotatable shifter rollers 28 is disposed in the recording medium support 11 for positioning the recording medium 5 in the main scanning direction. The shifter rollers 28 are disposed in respective opening or recesses 29 defined in the support surface 11a of the recording medium support 11, and are spaced from each other in the auxiliary scanning direction. The shifter rollers 28 have their axes oriented in the auxiliary scanning direction and are exposed upwardly in the openings 29. Each of the shifter rollers 28 is vertically movable between a first upper position in which the shifter roller 28 has its upper peripheral surface projecting beyond the support surface 11a and a second lower position in which the upper peripheral surface of the shifter roller 28 is retracted downwardly from the support surface 11a. In operation, the shifter rollers 28 remain in the second lower position until the recording medium 5 is delivered by the inlet rollers 13A, 13B and the feeder arms 19 into the desired recording position on the support surface 11 in the auxiliary scanning direction, as shown in Figures 18A, 18B, and 18C. When the recording medium 5 is located in the desired recording position, the shifter rollers 28 are moved upwardly into the first upper position in which the shifter rollers 28 contact the lower surface of the recording medium 5, as shown in Figure 18D. Then, the shifter rollers 28 are rotated about their axes in the directions of the arrows G3 to displace the recording medium 5 from the position of Figure 19A to the position of Figure 19B until the recording medium 5 is held edgewise against the guide plate 22. The recording medium 5 is now positioned in the main scanning direction. Thereafter, the shifter rollers 28 are lowered into the second position out of engagement with the recording medium 5. The recording medium 5 is then two-dimensionally scanned by the light beam 2 as shown in Figure 18E, and thereafter discharged by the feeder arms 19 and the outlet rollers 21A, 21B out of the image recording apparatus, as illustrated in Figure 18F. The number, length, and position of the shifter rollers 28 may be selected as desired to meet the type and size of the recording mediums 5 employed. Figures 20 and 21A through 21F show a modified light beam scanning system that is similar to that of Figure 11, except that the pair of feeder rollers 28 disposed in the recording medium support 11 is employed, rather than the shifter arm 23 and its actuator 24, for positioning the recording medium 5 in the main scanning direction. As shown in Figures 21A through 21C, the feeder rollers 28 are retracted in the second lower position until the recording medium 5 is introduced and positioned by the inlet rollers 13A, 13B and the feeder roller 25 in the auxiliary scanning direction on the recording medium support 11. With the recording medium 5 positioned in the auxiliary scanning direction on the recording medium support 11, the shifter rollers 28 are moved upwardly into engagement with the recording medium 5 and then rotated about their own axes in the directions of the arrows G3, as shown in Figure 21D, to position the recording medium 5 in the main scanning direction. Then, the shifter rollers 28 are lowered into the second position, and the recording medium 5 is two-dimensionally scanned by the light beam 2, as shown in Figure 21E, followed by discharging the recording medium 5 with the feeder roller 25 and the outlet rollers 21A, 21B, as shown in Figure 21F. Figures 22, 23A through 23E, and 24A through 24D show another embodiment in which a light beam scanning system has a skewed feeder/shifter roller 30 mounted in the recording medium support 11. The skewed feeder/shifter roller 30 is of an elongate shape extending obliquely to the main and auxiliary scanning directions and positioned in a skewed elongate opening or recess 31 defined in the support surface 11a, the feeder/shifter roller 30 being exposed upwardly through the opening 31. The feeder/shifter roller 30 is vertically movable by a suitable driver between a first upper position in which the feeder/shifter roller 30 has its upper peripheral surface located above the support surface 11a and a second lower position in which the upper peripheral surface of the feeder/shifter roller 30 is retracted downwardly from the support surface 11a. As shown in Figure 23A, while the recording medium 5 is being fed in the direction of the arrow F1 onto the support surface 11a by the inlet rollers 13A, 13B, the upper peripheral surface of the feeder/shifter roller 30 is lowered in the second position below the support surface 11a. When the recording medium 5 is delivered to a position just upstream of the desired recording position on the support surface 11a and released from the inlet rollers 13A, 13B, the feeder/shifter roller 30 is moved upwardly to the first position in which it contacts the lower surface of the recording medium 5, as shown in Figures 23B and 24A. Upon arrival of the recording medium 5 at the position of Figures 23B and 24A, the skewed feeder/shifter roller 30 is rotated about its own axis in the direction of the arrow G4 (Figure 24B) to move the recording medium 5 in the direction of the arrow F2 toward the guide plate 22 and the detector 20. The angle  at which the skewed feeder/shifter roller 30 is inclined to the main scanning direction is selected such that the side edge of the recording medium 5 will be brought into abutting engagement with the guide plate 22 before the leading end of the recording medium 5 reaches the detector 20. Therefore, as the feeder/shifter roller 30 rotates, the recording medium 5 first abuts against the guide plate 22 and hence is positioned in the main scanning direction. Continued rotation of the feeder/shifter roller 30 causes the recording medium 5 to move in the auxiliary scanning direction indicated by the arrow F3 (Figure 24C) while the recording medium 5 is being held edgewise against the guide plate 22, until the recording medium 5 reaches the desired recording position in which the leading end thereof is detected by the detector 20. The detector 20 now generates a signal which is applied to the driver of the feeder/shifter roller 30 to stop the rotation of the feeder/shifter roller 30, which is then lowered from the first position (Figure 23C) to the second position (Figure 23D). The recording medium 5 which is positioned in the main and auxiliary scanning directions is then two-dimensionally scanned by the light beam 2, as shown in Figure 23D. After the recording medium 5 has been scanned by the light beam 2, the feeder/shifter roller 30 is moved upwardly to the first position as shown in Figure 23E and rotated about its own axis in the direction of the arrow G4 to feed the recording medium 5 in the direction of the arrow F4 (Figures 23E and 24D). The leading end of the recording medium 5 is gripped by the outlet rollers 21A, 21B which now discharges the recording medium 5 out of the image recording apparatus. After the recording medium 5 has been discharged, the feeder/shifter roller 30 is lowered to the second position to allow a next recording medium to be introduced onto the support surface 11a. As illustrated in Figure 25, a recording medium stop plate 32 may be employed instead of the detector 20 for stopping the recording medium 5 in the auxiliary scanning direction. More specifically, the stop plate 32 is disposed at the rear end of the recording medium support 11 and normally directed vertically and perpendicularly to the guide plate 22, the stop plate 32 being angularly movable between such a vertical position and a substantially horizontal position by an actuator 33 such as a rotary solenoid or a motor. While the recording medium 5 is being positioned by the skewed feeder/shifter roller 30, the stop plate 32 is in the vertical position and projects upwardly from the support surface 11a, as indicated by the solid lines, so that the leading end of the recording medium 5 abuts against the stop plate 5 to stop the recording medium 5 in the desired recording position in the auxiliary scanning direction. After the recording medium 5 has been positioned in the main and auxiliary scanning directions and scanned by the light beam 2, the stop plate 32 is angularly moved by the actuator 33 into the horizontal position in the direction of the arrow H, thus allowing the recording medium 5 to be removed from the support surface 11a. Where the stop plate 32 is employed, the feeder/shifter roller 30 may be angularly oriented such that it will first bring the recording medium 5 into engagement with the stop plate 32 to position it in the auxiliary scanning direction before the recording medium 5 abuts against the guide plate 22. According to another modification, the outlet rollers 21A, 21B may be dispensed with, and the recording medium 5 after it has been scanned may be discharged by rotating the feeder/shifter roller 30 in a direction opposite to the direction of the arrow G4 to move the recording medium 5 toward the inlet rollers 13A, 13B, which may be reversed to grip the trailing end of the recording medium 5 and to discharge the recording medium 5. In this modification, the stop plate 32 may be fixed in the vertical position projecting upwardly from the support surface 11a. In case the recording medium 5 is positioned in the auxiliary scanning direction by the stop plate 32 (Figure 25), the recording medium 5 may be positioned in the main scanning direction by means of a detector placed in the vicinity of a side edge of the support surface 11a, rather than the guide plate 22. With this arrangement, the skewed feeder/shifter roller 33 should be directed such that the leading end of the recording medium 5 will engage the stop plate 32 prior to detection by the detector of the side edge of the recording medium 5. Figure 26 shows a modification in which a pair of relatively short skewed feeder/shifter rollers 30A, 30B is disposed in the support surface lla, the feeder/shifter rollers 30A, 30B being coaxial with each other. According to another modification shown in Figure 27, a pair of relatively short skewed feeder/shifter rollers 30A', 30B' is disposed in the support surface lla, with their axes parallel to each other. Figures 28A and 28B illustrate still another modification in which a pair of parallel feeder/shifter endless belts 30' is disposed in the support surface lla. Each of the feeder/shifter endless belts 30' comprises a belt 30c mounted on a pair of spaced rollers 30a, 30b rotatably mounted in the recording medium support 11.

Claims: A light beam scanning system for two-dimensionally scanning a recording medium (5) with a light beam, comprising: i) a light beam source (1) for emitting the light beam; ii) a main scanning light deflector (3) for deflecting the light beam from said light beam source in a main scanning direction (B); iii) an auxiliary scanning light deflector (10) angularly movable about an axis for deflecting the light beam in an auxiliary scanning direction (D) which is substantially perpendicular to said main scanning direction; iv) an image-forming lens (4) disposed between said main and auxiliary scanning light deflectors (3, 10) for passage therethrough of the light beam traveling from said main scanning light deflector to said auxiliary scanning light deflector; and v) a recording medium support (11) having a support surface (11a) for supporting the recording medium (5) thereon to cause the recording medium (5) to be scanned with the light beam deflected by said main and auxiliary scanning light deflectors (3, 10), characterized in that the support surface (11a) has an arcuate shape having its center of curvature substantially aligned with said axis of angular movement of said auxiliary scanning light deflector (10), and that shifter means (23; 28; 30; 30A; 30B; 30') are provided on said recording medium support (11) for shifting said recording medium (5) in said main scanning direction (B) on said support surface. A light beam scanning system according to claim 1, wherein said shifter means comprises a shifter arm (23) angularly movably disposed at one side of said recording medium support (11), said shifter arm (23) being angularly movable between a first position in which it engages and pushes a side edge of said recording medium (5) on said support surface (11a) and a second position in which it is retracted from said side edge of the recording medium (5). A light beam scanning system according to claim 1, wherein said shifter means comprises at least one shifter roller (28, 30) rotatably disposed in said recording medium support (11), said shifter roller (28, 30) being movable between a first position in which it has an upper peripheral surface lying above said support surface (11a) and a second position in which said peripheral surface is retracted from said support surface (11a), said shifter roller (28, 30) shifting said recording medium when it is in said first position. A light beam scanning system according to claim 1, further including a guide plate (22, 22', 22") mounted on a side of said recording medium support (11) for engaging that side edge of said recording medium (5) opposite to the side which is pushed by said shifter means (23, 28, 30) when shifting the recording medium. A light beam scanning system according to claim 4, wherein said guide plate (22) has a straight upper edge. A light beam scanning system according to claim 4, wherein said guide plate (22') has an arcuate upper edge. A light beam scanning system according to claim 4, wherein said guide plate comprises a pair of spaced guide plates (22").

Inventors: KONNO MASAAKI, KUSHIMA HIROSHI, OHARA YUJI, SHOJI TAKASHI, YAMAGISHI KENICHI, KONNO, MASAAKI, KUSHIMA, HIROSHI, OHARA, YUJI, SHOJI, TAKASHI, YAMAGISHI,KENICHI, Konno, Masaaki, c/o Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., Kushima, Hiroshi, c/o Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., Ohara, Yuji, c/o Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., SHOJI, TAKASHI, C/O FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD., YAMAGISHI,KENICHI,C/O FUJI PHOTO FILM CO.LTD.
Applicants: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO LTD, FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: G02B26
IPC codes: H04N1, B41B21, G06K15