US 12,174,369 B2
Optical scanning device for an image forming device
Yasushi Kuribayashi, Mishima Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Sep. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/463,722.
Prior Publication US 2023/0063080 A1, Mar. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. G02B 26/12 (2006.01); H04N 1/03 (2006.01); G03G 15/04 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 26/127 (2013.01) [H04N 1/03 (2013.01); G02B 26/129 (2013.01); G03G 15/04072 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical scanning device that is provided in an image forming device and is used for deflecting light in a main scanning direction along a rotation axis of a photoconductor, the device comprising:
a light source configured to emit laser light;
a photodetector configured to detect a beam formed with the laser light;
an optical element group configured to guide the beam to the photodetector; and
a polygon mirror configured to perform deflection scanning on the beam, which deflects the beam from a first end in one direction of the main scanning direction to a second end on a side opposite to the first end in the main scanning direction,
wherein the beam is incident on the same side of the photodetector when the beam is deflected toward the first end and the second end by the polygon mirror,
wherein the optical element group includes a plurality of bending mirrors configured to reflect the beam the same number of times, in terms of oddness or evenness, when the beam is deflected toward the first end as when the beam is deflected toward the second end.