Patent ID: 8248679

Claim:
A multibeam scanning device, comprising: a plurality of first optical systems, each of the plurality of optical systems including: a light source unit configured to emit a non-collimated light beam; and an optical element having a predetermined power and having an optical effect on the laser beam; a second optical system arranged on a downstream side of the plurality of first optical systems, including: a first deflector on which light beams emitted by the plurality of first optical systems are incident, the first deflector being to deflect the laser beams; and a common optical system configured to change degree of divergence of each of the plurality of light beams; and an optical path shifting system configured to translate an incident optical path of the light beam which is emitted by the light source unit and incident on the optical element in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the optical element in a plane perpendicular to a direction in which a deflector closest to a surface to be scanned deflects the light beam, wherein all the light beams incident on the first deflector are incident on the first deflector at substantially the same position, and wherein the optical elements are arranged such that optical axes of the optical elements intersect at a position spaced from the optical element by a distance equal to a focal length of the optical element.