Optical scanning system

Claim 2

Scanning apparatus comprising concave spherically-curved reflector means having a concave spherically-curved equivalent focal surface, said surface having a radius of curvature F, a light-sensitive film strip mounted a distance K from the center of curvature of said equivalent focal surface on the opposite side of said center from said reflector means and having a substantially straight-line portion to be scanned, and scanning means for directing light onto said spherically curved reflector means from a point in space, said spherically curved reflector means reflecting a scanning beam onto said substantially straight-line portion of said film strip, said scanning means moving said point in space along a curved path defined with respect to said center substantially by the formula P F (X/X + cos theta ) , where P is the distance between said point in space and the center of curvature of said equivalent focal surface, X K/F and theta is the scan angle formed by said scanning beam with a line normal to said substantially straight-line portion of said film strip, said scanning beam being in focus at all points along the line scanned on said film strip.

Claim 3

Scanning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said scanning means comprises a rotating reflecting prism.

Claim 4

Scanning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said spherically curved reflector means comprises a Mangin mirror.

Claim 5

Scanning apparatus comprising a source of electromagnetic radiation, optical means for forming a converging beam of electromagnetic radiation from said source, scanning reflector means mounted to intercept said converging beam and reflect it to form in space a first real image of said source, concave spherically curved reflector means mounted to reflect said first real image along a scanning beam path to form a second real image, and motive means for rotating said scanning reflector means, said concave reflector means having a spherically curved equivalent focal surface and said scanning reflector means having a reflecting surface near the center of curvature of said focal surface so that, upon rotation of said scanning reflector means, said first real image traverses a limacon curve, said scanning reflector means being mounted with respect to said concave reflector means so that said limacon curve lies between said focal surface and the center of curvature of said focal surface, said second real image simultaneously traversing a substantially straight line as said first real image traverses said limacon curve and moving along said substantially straight line with a speed directly Proportional to the tangent of the angle formed by said scanning beam with a line normal to said substantially straight line, further comprising a record medium having a record surface containing said substantially straight line.

Claim 6

Scanning apparatus comprising a source of electromagnetic radiation, optical means for forming a converging beam of electromagnetic radiation from said source, scanning reflector means mounted to intercept said converging beam and reflect it to form in space a first real image of said source, concave spherically curved reflector means mounted to reflect said first real image along a scanning beam path to form a second real image, and motive means for rotating said scanning reflector means, said concave reflector means having a spherically curved equivalent focal surface and said scanning reflector means having a reflecting surface near the center of curvature of said focal surface so that, upon rotation of said scanning reflector means, said first real image traverses a limacon curve, said scanning reflector means being mounted with respect to said concave reflector means so that said limacon curve lies between said focal surface and the center of curvature of said focal surface, said second real image simultaneously traversing a substantially straight line as said first real image traverses said limacon curve and moving along said substantially straight line with a speed directly Proportional to the tangent of the angle formed by said scanning beam with a line normal to said substantially straight line, further comprising a record medium having a record surface containing said substantially straight line.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 5 comprising the step of modulating said scanning beam so that said light-sensitive film strip makes a photographic record.