← Back to Patent Explorer
US5270850A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Laser scanner

Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems Ltd
•
Filing: 1992-08-07
•
Granted: 1993-12-14
•
Expires: 2012-08-07
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A laser scanner which includes a rotary polyhedral mirror for scanning a light beam from a laser light source, and an F theta lens system which includes first and second lenses through which the light beam is radiated onto a scanning plane. The first lens of the F theta lens system is provided on the rotary polyhedral mirror side and is constructed with a joined lens, to increase the degree of design of the first lens. This design freedom for the F theta lens system improves the F theta characteristic (i.e., characteristic of displacement on a scanning plane), the field curvature characteristic (i.e., characteristic of image defocusing on the scanning plane) and similar problems.

Inventors

  • 👤 Takeshi Mochizuki
  • 👤 Susumu Saito
  • 👤 Akira Arimoto

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 15:49
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B26/00; G02B26/08; G02B26/10; G02B26/12; G02B26/125; G02B13/00; G02B13/0005

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 125 words
A laser scanner, comprising: a laser light source for emitting a laser light beam into a scanning plane; a mirror for moving said light beam along said scanning plane; and an Fθ lens system including first and second lenses through which said light beam is radiated onto said scanning plane, said first lens including a joined lens, and wherein said joined lens includes first and second lens components, each of which has first and second surfaces, the first surface of the first lens component being joined with the first surface of the second lens component, and wherein said second surface of said first lens component is concave toward the mirror and said second surface of said second lens component is concave toward the scanning plane.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 125 words
A laser scanner, comprising: a laser light source for emitting a laser light beam into a scanning plane; a mirror for moving said light beam along said scanning plane; and an Fθ lens system including first and second lenses through which said light beam is radiated onto said scanning plane, said first lens including a joined lens, and wherein said joined lens includes first and second lens components, each of which has first and second surfaces, the first surface of the first lens component being joined with the first surface of the second lens component, and wherein said second surface of said first lens component is concave toward the mirror and said second surface of said second lens component is concave toward the scanning plane.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 20 words
A laser scanner, according to claim 1, wherein said first lens is positioned between said mirror and said scanning plane.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 15 words
A laser scanner, according to claim 1, wherein said mirror is a rotary polyhedral mirror.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 64 words
A laser scanner, according to claim 1, wherein said second lens is positioned between said mirror and said scanning plane, said second lens consisting of a single lens having an aspherical surface, said aspherical surface on said single lens having a radius of curvature in a main scanning direction and a radius of curvature in a sub-scanning direction which are different from each other.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 26 words
A laser scanner, according to claim 4, wherein said radius of curvature in the sub-scanning direction of the aspherical surface of said second lens changes continuously.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 64 words
A laser scanner, according to claim 1, wherein said second lens is positioned between said mirror and said scanning plane, said second lens comprising of a single lens having an aspherical surface, said aspherical surface on said single lens having a radius of curvature in a main scanning direction and a radius of curvature in a sub-scanning direction which are different from each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 26 words
A laser scanner, according to claim 6, wherein said radius of curvature in the sub-scanning direction of the aspherical surface of said second lens changes continuously.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 25 words
A laser scanner, according to claim 1, wherein the first and second lenses correct for aberrations of distortion up to fifth-order and for field curvature.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 131 words
A laser scanner, comprising: a laser light source for emitting a laser light beam onto a scanning plane; a mirror for moving said light beam along said scanning plane; and an Fθ lens system including first and second lenses through which said light beam is radiated onto said scanning plane, said first lens including a joined lens, wherein said joined lens includes fir st and second lens components, each of which has first and second surfaces, the first surface of the first lens component being joined with the first surface of the second lens component, and wherein each of said first and second surfaces of said first and second lens components has a radius of curvature in a main scanning direction that equals a radius of curvature in a subscanning direction.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 131 words
A laser scanner, comprising: a laser light source for emitting a laser light beam onto a scanning plane; a mirror for moving said light beam along said scanning plane; and an Fθ lens system including first and second lenses through which said light beam is radiated onto said scanning plane, said first lens including a joined lens, wherein said joined lens includes fir st and second lens components, each of which has first and second surfaces, the first surface of the first lens component being joined with the first surface of the second lens component, and wherein each of said first and second surfaces of said first and second lens components has a radius of curvature in a main scanning direction that equals a radius of curvature in a subscanning direction.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 20 words
A laser scanner, according to claim 9, wherein said first lens is positioned between said mirror and said scanning plane.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 15 words
A laser scanner, according to claim 9, wherein said mirror is a rotary polyhedral mirror.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 64 words
A laser scanner, according to claim 9, wherein said second lens is positioned between said mirror and said scanning plane, said second lens consisting of a single lens having an aspherical surface, said aspherical surface on said single lens having a radius of curvature in a main scanning direction and a radius of curvature in a sub-scanning direction which are different from each other.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 26 words
A laser scanner, according to claim 12, wherein said radius of curvature in the sub-scanning direction of the aspherical surface of said second lens changes continuously.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 63 words
A laser scanner, according to claim 9, wherein said second lens is positioned between said mirror and said scanning plane, said second lens comprising a single lens having an aspherical surface, said aspherical surface on said single lens having a radius of curvature in a main scanning direction and a radius of curvature in a sub-scanning direction which are different from each other.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 26 words
A laser scanner, according to claim 14, wherein said radius of curvature in the sub-scanning direction of the aspherical surface of said second lens changes continuously.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 25 words
A laser scanner, according to claim 9, wherein said first and second lenses correct for aberrations of distortion up to fifth-order and for field curvature.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4179183A Cited
JPS54126051A Cited
JPS62265615A Cited
JPS6415046A Cited
US4963900A Cited
US5086350A Cited
US5111325A Cited
JPH03191316A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1996-12-13 1997-06-14 1997-12-14 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2000-12-13 2001-06-14 2001-12-14 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2004-12-13 2005-06-14 2005-12-14 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag