Patent ID: 7355774

Claim:
An optical deflector comprising: a vibration system including a first oscillatory moving element, a second oscillatory moving element, a first torsion spring arranged to couple the first and second oscillatory moving elements and to support the first oscillatory moving element in an oscillating relation to the second oscillatory moving element, a support, and a second torsion spring arranged to couple the support and the second oscillatory moving element and to support the second oscillatory moving element in an oscillating relation to the support coaxially with an oscillation axis of the first oscillatory moving element; and a driver arranged to drive the vibration system, wherein at least one of the first and second oscillatory moving elements has a light deflecting element, the vibration system has at least two natural oscillation modes with different frequencies about the oscillation axis, at least one of the first torsion spring and the second torsion spring has a plurality of torsion leaf portions which are torsionally deformed about respective torsion axes parallel to the oscillation axis, one of the ends of each torsion leaf portion is coupled to an end of another torsion leaf portion through a connecting portion, and the other end of each torsion leaf portion is coupled directly, or through a connecting portion, to at least one of another torsion leaf portion, the first oscillatory moving element, the second oscillatory moving element, and the support.