Optical scanning apparatus and image forming device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9925798-B2
Application number	US-201715440907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2017
Priority date	Dec 19, 2011
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

An optical scanning apparatus includes a light source, an optical deflector having a rotary polygon mirror to deflect a light beam from the light source, a scanning optical system configured to focus the light beam deflected by the optical deflector on a target surface, a sync detecting sensor configured to determine a write start timing on the target surface, and a processing unit configured to correct detection data of the sync detecting sensor based on a measured value of a time needed for one revolution of the rotary polygon mirror.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming device including a processing unit to control the image forming device, the processing unit comprising:
a first sync signal generating part configured to detect scanning timing of a first photoconductor and generate a first sync signal;
a first counter configured to receive the first sync signal and a first pixel clock and measure a rotational period of a rotary polygon mirror;
a first pixel clock generating part configured to adjust a frequency of the first pixel clock to make the rotational period measured by the first counter equal to a predetermined value; and
a false sync signal generating part configured to generate a false sync signal for measuring timing of scanning of a second photoconductor, based on the first sync signal and the first pixel clock.

2. The image forming device according to claim 1 , wherein the first pixel clock generating part outputs the first pixel clock and a frequency correction value which is a difference between the frequency of the first pixel clock and a predetermined frequency, and
wherein the processing unit further comprises:
a second pixel clock generating part configured to output a second pixel clock that is in sync with the first sync signal, at a frequency corrected by the frequency correction value; and
a third pixel clock generating part configured to output a third pixel clock that is in sync with the false sync signal, at the frequency corrected by the frequency correction value.

3. The image forming device according to claim 1 , wherein the first counter is configured to measure an input interval of the first sync signal for each of the faces of the polygon mirror and output an average of the intervals of the first sync signal measured for a number of the faces of the polygon mirror.

4. The image forming device according to claim 2 , wherein an initial value of the frequency of the second pixel clock and an initial value of the frequency of the third pixel clock are predetermined individually.

5. The image forming device according to claim 4 , wherein the processing unit further comprises:
a fourth pixel clock generating part configured to generate a fourth pixel clock which is oscillated in sync with the first sync signal at a frequency obtained from a first initial frequency setting value corrected by the frequency correction value, or oscillated in sync with the false sync signal at a frequency obtained from a second initial frequency setting value corrected by the frequency correction value.

6. The image forming device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit further comprises:
a second sync signal generating part configured to detect a timing of scanning of a third photoconductor by a third light beam deflected by the polygon mirror and generate a second sync signal; and
a second false sync signal generating part configured to generate a second false sync signal which measures timing of scanning of a fourth photoconductor by a fourth light beam deflected by the polygon mirror, using the first pixel clock.

7. The image forming device according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a fifth pixel clock generating part configured to output a fifth pixel clock that is in sync with the second sync signal at a frequency corrected by the frequency correction value; and
a sixth pixel clock generating part configured to output a sixth pixel clock that is in sync with the second false sync signal at the frequency corrected by the frequency correction value.

8. The image forming device according to claim 7 , wherein an initial value of the frequency of the second pixel clock, an initial value of a frequency of a third pixel clock, an initial value of the frequency of the fifth pixel clock, and an initial value of the frequency of the sixth pixel clock are predetermined individually.

9. The image forming device according to claim 8 , wherein the processing unit further comprises:
a seventh pixel clock generating part configured generate a seventh pixel clock which is oscillated in sync with the second sync signal at a frequency obtained from a third initial frequency setting value corrected by the frequency correction value, or oscillated in sync with the second false sync signal at a frequency obtained from a fourth initial frequency setting value corrected by the frequency correction value.

Assignees

• Watanabe Naoto
• Tokita Toshiaki
• Sakai Kohji
• Kubo Nobuaki
• Muranaka Masayuki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Watanabe Naoto
• Tokita Toshiaki
• Sakai Kohji
• Kubo Nobuaki
• Muranaka Masayuki

Classifications

• G02B26/123

  Multibeam scanners, e.g. using multiple light sources or beam splitters · CPC title

• B41J2/471

  using dot sequential main scanning by means of a light deflector, e.g. a rotating polygonal mirror · CPC title

• G02B26/129

  Systems in which the scanning light beam is repeatedly reflected from the polygonal mirror · CPC title

• G03G15/043

  with means for controlling illumination or exposure (G03G15/041 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41J2/473 Primary

  using multiple light beams, wavelengths or colours · CPC title