Patent ID: 8681405

Claim:
An optical scanning apparatus comprising: a light source that emits a laser light; a lens through which the laser light emitted from the light source is passed; a support member directly supporting the lens; and a deflect device that deflects the laser light and scans an image bearing member with the laser light, wherein the support member includes a protruding portion projecting to the downstream side in a laser light emitting direction with respect to a laser light emitting surface of the lens, wherein as viewed in the laser light emitting direction, the protruding portion surrounds a whole of the lens, wherein as viewed in the laser light emitting direction, an area surrounded by the protruding portion is a quadrilateral, and wherein the protruding portion includes four corner portions, the four corner portions correspond to portions at each of which two of four side surfaces of a quadrangular prism cross with each other, and the four side surfaces of the quadrangular prism surround the whole of the lens.