Patent ID: 7535625

Claim:
An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium by irradiation of light, comprising: a light source; a spatial light modulator having a plurality of light modulator elements of diffraction grating type for reflecting light from said light source; a projection optical system for guiding zeroth order light from said plurality of light modulator elements to a recording medium and projecting an image of said spatial light modulator onto said recording medium; and a scanning mechanism for scanning said recording medium with an irradiation of said zeroth order light, wherein said projection optical system comprises a lens barrel which said zeroth order light and all of first order diffracted light from said plurality of light modulator elements enter; a light blocking part for blocking said first order diffracted light in said lens barrel; a plurality of lenses arranged in said lens barrel for guiding said zeroth order light to said recording medium and guiding said first order diffracted light to said light blocking part; and a heat removing part for removing heat generated by light blocking performed by said light blocking part; said light blocking part is an aperture plate located at a position among said plurality of lenses; and a lens group, which is adjacent to said aperture plate and between said aperture plate and said spatial light modulator, has negative power.