Optical scanning system

Claim 2

An optical scanning system comprising: a light source means for emitting a light flux; a coupling lens means for coupling said light flux emitted from said light source means; a deflection means for deflecting said light flux from said coupling lens means in a main scanning direction; an optical scanning lens means for converging said deflected light flux so as to scan a surface with an approximately constant velocity in the main scanning direction; and a correcting lens means, cooperating with said optical scanning lens means, for further converging, on said scanned surface, said light flux from said optical scanning lens means in the main scanning direction and approximately coupling said deflection means and said scanned surface with a conjugate relationship in view of geometrical optics, said correcting lens means having an optical axis, said correcting lens means including a barrel toroidal surface in which the radius of curvature thereof measured in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction decreases with an increased distance from said optical axis of said correcting lens means in a direction parallel to the main scanning direction.

Claim 3

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coupling lens means is a collimating lens for collimating said light flux emitted from said light source means, and said optical scanning lens means is a doublet fθ lens.

Claim 4

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coupling lens means is a collimating lens for collimating said light flux emitted from said light source means, and said optical scanning lens means is a singlet fθ lens.

Claim 5

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coupling lens means is a converging lens for converging said light flux emitted from said light source means, and said optical scanning lens means is a singlet fθ lens.

Claim 6

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coupling lens means is a converging lens for converging said light flux emitted from said light source means, and said optical scanning lens means is a doublet fθ lens.

Claim 7

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said barrel toroidal surface faces said optical scanning lens means.

Claim 8

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said barrel toroidal surface faces said scanned surface.

Claim 9

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said correcting lens means is a barrel toroidal lens having said barrel toroidal surface.

Claim 10

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said coupling lens means is a collimating lens for collimating said light flux emitted from said light source means, and said optical scanning lens means is a doublet fθ lens, said correcting lens means is a barrel toroidal lens having said barrel toroidal surface and an opposed surface opposite thereto, and 0.8>d/f M >0.1 is satisfied, where f M is the combined focal length in the main scanning direction of said optical scanning lens means and said correcting lens means, and d is the distance between said scanned surface and the surface of said barrel toroidal lens which is opposite to said scanned surface.

Claim 11

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said opposed surface is a normal toroidal surface.

Claim 12

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said coupling lens means is a collimating lens for collimating said light flux emitted from said light source means, and said optical scanning lens means is a singlet fθ lens, said correcting lens means is a barrel toroidal lens having said barrel toroidal surface and an opposed surface opposite thereto, and 0.8>d/f M >0.1 is satisfied, where f M is the combined focal length in the main scanning direction of said optical scanning lens means and said correcting lens means, and d is the distance between said scanned surface the surface of said barrel toroidal lens which is opposite to said scanned surface.

Claim 13

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said opposed surface is a normal toroidal surface.

Claim 14

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said coupling lens means is a converging lens for converging said light flux emitted from said light source means, and said optical scanning lens means is a singlet fθ lens, said correcting lens means is a barrel toroidal lens having said barrel toroidal surface and an opposed surface opposite thereto, and 0.8>d/f M >0.1 is satisfied, where f M is the combined focal length in the main scanning direction of said optical scanning lens means and said correcting lens means, and d is the distance between said scanned surface and the surface of said barrel toroidal lens which is opposite to said scanned surface.

Claim 15

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said opposed surface is a normal toroidal surface.

Claim 16

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said coupling lens means is a converging lens for converging said light flux emitted from said light source means, and said optical scanning lens means is a doublet fθ lens, said correcting lens means is a barrel toroidal lens having said barrel toroidal surface and an opposed surface opposite thereto, and 0.6>d/f M >0.1 is satisfied, where f M is the combined focal length in the main scanning direction of said optical scanning lens means and said correcting lens means, and d is the distance between said scanned surface and the surface of said barrel toroidal lens which is opposite to said scanned surface.

Claim 17

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said opposed surface is a normal toroidal surface.

Claim 18

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said correcting lens means is a barrel toroidal lens having said barrel toroidal surface and an opposed surface opposite thereto, and wherein said barrel toroidal lens is formed of resin.

Claim 19

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said correcting lens means is a barrel toroidal lens having said barrel toroidal surface and an opposed surface opposite thereto, and said opposed surface is a convex lens surface.

Claim 20

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said deflection means includes a deflection surface to be coupled with said scanned surface by said conjugate relationship in view of geometrical optics.

Claim 21

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a beam shaping lens means for shaping said light flux from said coupling lens means.

Claim 22

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 20, wherein said beam shaping lens means is a cylindrical lens.

Claim 23

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light source means includes a semiconductor laser diode.

Claim 24

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said deflection means includes a rotary polygonal mirror.

Claim 25

An optical scanning system comprising; a light source means for emitting a light flux; a coupling lens means for coupling said light flux emitted from said light source means; a deflection means for deflecting sad light flux from said coupling lens means in a main scanning direction; an optical scanning lens means of converging said deflected light flux so as to scan a surface with an approximately constant velocity in the main scanning direction; and a correcting lens means, cooperating with said optical scanning lens means, for further converging, on said scanned surface, said light flux from said optical scanning lens means in the main scanning direction and approximately coupling said deflection means and said scanned surface with a conjugate relationship in view of geometrical optics, said correcting lens means having an optical axis, said correcting lens means including a normal barrel toroidal surface and a barrel toroidal surface in which the radius of curvature thereof measured in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction decreases with an increased distance form said optical axis of said correcting lens means in a direction parallel to the main scanning direction, said barrel toroidal surface being formed by rotating an arc about an axis parallel to the main scanning direction, and said barrel toroidal surface and said normal toroidal surface being arranged substantially parallel respectively.

Claim 26

An optical scanning system comprising; a light source means for emitting a light flux; a coupling lens means for coupling said light flux emitted from said light source means; a deflection means for deflecting sad light flux from said coupling lens means in a main scanning direction; an optical scanning lens means of converging said deflected light flux so as to scan a surface with an approximately constant velocity in the main scanning direction; and a correcting lens means, cooperating with said optical scanning lens means, for further converging, on said scanned surface, said light flux from said optical scanning lens means in the main scanning direction and approximately coupling said deflection means and said scanned surface with a conjugate relationship in view of geometrical optics, said correcting lens means having an optical axis, said correcting lens means including a normal barrel toroidal surface and a barrel toroidal surface in which the radius of curvature thereof measured in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction decreases with an increased distance form said optical axis of said correcting lens means in a direction parallel to the main scanning direction, said barrel toroidal surface being formed by rotating an arc about an axis parallel to the main scanning direction, and said barrel toroidal surface and said normal toroidal surface being arranged substantially parallel respectively.

Claim 27

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 24, wherein said barrel toroidal surface faces said optical scanning lens means.

Claim 28

An optical scanning system as claimed in claim 24, wherein said barrel toroidal surface faces said scanned surface.