Light scanning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9720207-B2
Application number	US-201514741335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2015
Priority date	Jul 24, 2013
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A light scanning apparatus, including: a light source; a deflector having a rotary polygon mirror configured to deflect the light beam emitted from the light source, and a motor configured to rotate the polygon mirror; a plurality of reflecting mirrors configured to reflect the light beam to the photosensitive member; and an optical box on which the light source is mounted, wherein the optical box has an installation wall on which the deflector is installed and a support wall positioned on a side of the photosensitive member with respect to the polygon mirror, the support wall being provided with a support portion configured to support at least one reflecting mirror, a stepped portion having a plurality of steps is formed between the installation wall and the support wall, and a back surface of the stepped portion has a shape following an inside surface of the stepped portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light scanning apparatus, comprising:
a light source configured to emit a light beam;
a deflector including a rotary polygon mirror configured to deflect the light beam so that the light beam scans a photosensitive member, a motor configured to rotate the rotary polygon mirror, a driving unit configured to drive the motor, and a circuit board on which the motor and the driving unit are mounted;
a plurality of reflecting mirrors configured to reflect the light beam deflected by the deflector to guide the light beam deflected by the deflector onto the photosensitive member; and
an optical box on which the light source is mounted, the optical box being configured to contain the deflector and the plurality of reflecting mirrors,
wherein the optical box includes an installation portion on which the deflector is installed and a stepped portion including a plurality of steps disposed between the installation portion and a side wall of the optical box,
wherein the plurality of steps include a farther step and a nearer step of which the farther step is farther from the installation portion than the nearer step, and
wherein a height of the farther step is higher than a height of the nearer step.

2. A light scanning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the stepped portion includes a curved portion or a bent portion.

3. A light scanning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical box is made of a resin, and the stepped portion is formed integrally with the optical box.

4. A light scanning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a back surface of the stepped portion has a shape following a shape of the stepped portion inside the optical box.

5. A light scanning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the stepped portion is disposed on a side opposite to a side on which the light source is mounted with respect to the deflector.

6. A light scanning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a support portion for an optical member is formed on an uppermost step of the plurality of steps included in the stepped portion.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Otoguro Yasuaki
• Ishidate Takehiro

Classifications

• G03G2215/0132

  vertical medium transport path at the secondary transfer · CPC title

• G02B26/125

  Details of the optical system between the polygonal mirror and the image plane (G02B26/123, G02B26/127 take precedence; F-Theta lenses G02B13/0005) · CPC title

• G02B7/181 Primary

  with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation · CPC title

• G03G15/0435 Primary

  by introducing an optical element in the optical path, e.g. a filter · CPC title

• G02B26/121

  Mechanical drive devices for polygonal mirrors · CPC title