Optical scanning apparatus and image forming apparatus

Abstract

This allows for more efficient suppression of the temperature rise of the optical elements in the optical scanning device. [Solution] In an optical scanning device (4) comprising a light source (41), a deflector (43) for deflecting and scanning light from the light source (41), and optical elements (44, 45) arranged on the optical path of the light, the device is provided with a housing having an intake opening (48a) and an exhaust opening (49), and is equipped with airflow guiding means (44, 45) that guide the air from the intake opening (48a) to flow along the deflector mounting wall surface, which is the inner wall surface of the housing to which the deflector (43) is attached.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical scanning device and an image forming apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an optical scanning device is known that includes a light source, a deflector that deflects and scans light from the light source, and an optical element disposed on the optical path of the light, and has a housing having an intake opening and an exhaust opening. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an optical scanning device in which an air flow mainly flows along a wall surface on the opposite side of a wall surface provided with a polygon scanner rather than the wall surface of a case where the deflector is provided, from an intake port of the housing.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] There is a demand for more efficiently suppressing the temperature rise of the optical element.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an optical scanning device including a light source, a deflector that deflects and scans light from the light source, and an optical element disposed on the optical path of the light, and having a housing having an intake opening and an exhaust opening, wherein airflow guiding means is provided for guiding air from the intake opening to flow along a deflector mounting wall surface that is an inner wall surface of the housing to which the deflector is attached.

Effects of the Invention

[0005] According to the present invention, the temperature rise of the optical element can be more efficiently suppressed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] A front view showing a schematic configuration of an internal structure of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 2]A schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the optical writing unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 4 is a plan view of the unit, Figure 5 is a schematic plan view showing the internal structure when the top cover is removed, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of XX in Figure 4. [Figure 4] A schematic plan view showing the internal structure of the unit with its top cover removed. [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view of XX in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Diagram illustrating a modified optical writing unit. [Figure 7] An explanatory diagram of an optical writing unit relating to other modifications. [Figure 8] Further diagram illustrating the optical writing unit in relation to other modified versions. [Figure 9] A front view showing the schematic configuration of the internal structure of an image forming apparatus according to a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] This document describes an embodiment of the present invention applied to an exposure apparatus as a light scanning device in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. First, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the internal structure of the image forming apparatus. In the following description, the image forming apparatus 1 will be described as a monochrome machine, but the present invention may also be applied to a color machine. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a process cartridge 2 for forming a K (black) toner image within a housing 1a. The process cartridge 2 has a charging means 21, a developing means 22, and a cleaning means 23 around a photoreceptor 3, and is detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0008] The image forming apparatus 1 also includes an optical writing unit 4, which is an optical scanning device. The optical writing unit 4 irradiates a photoreceptor 3, which has been charged by the charging means 21, with an illumination light such as an optical beam L to form an electrostatic latent image. The developing means 22 develops the electrostatic latent image with developing toner. Above the optical writing unit 4 is a toner bottle 5 containing the developing toner.

[0009] The image forming apparatus 1 also includes a transfer unit 6. The transfer unit 6 has a transfer roller 7. The transfer roller 7 and the photoreceptor 3 come into contact to form a transfer nip. In the transfer nip, a transfer bias is applied to the transfer roller 7 to form a transfer electric field, and the toner image on the photoreceptor 3 is transferred to a recording medium such as paper.

[0010] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a fixing unit 8 located above the transfer unit 6 in the figure, which fixes the toner image transferred onto the recording medium. The fixing unit 8 has a heating roller with a heating element inside. The recording medium, after the toner image has been transferred, is transported between the transfer unit 6 and the fixing unit 8 along the transport direction of the recording medium toward the fixing unit 8.

[0011] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a paper feeding unit 9 at the bottom of the housing 1a that feeds the recording medium to the transfer unit 6. In addition, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a paper discharge unit 10 to the left of the fixing unit 8 in the figure that discharges the recording medium that has passed through the fixing unit 8 toward the outside of the machine.

[0012] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the optical writing unit 4. Figure 3 is a plan view of the same unit, Figure 4 is a schematic plan view showing the internal structure with the top cover removed, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of XX in Figure 4. Figure 2 corresponds to the end view of the YY cross-section in Figure 4.

[0013] The optical writing unit 4 includes a light source 41, an incident optical system 42, a polygon scanner 43 as a deflector, a first scanning lens 44, a second scanning lens 45, a synchronization sensor 46, and the like (Figures 3 and 2). These are housed in a space consisting of a housing 47 and an upper cover member 48. The incident optical system 42 consists of a collimating lens that converts a divergent light beam into a parallel light beam, an aperture that shapes the light beam converted to parallel light, and a cylindrical lens that focuses the shaped light beam.

[0014] The housing 47 has a box-like shape with an open top, and the top surface is covered by a cover member 48 to prevent dust from entering the housing. An intake opening 48a is formed on one end of the cover member 48, and an exhaust opening 49 is formed between the other end of the cover member 48 and the opposite part of the housing 47, which is also used as an outlet for the light beam L.

[0015] The light beam emitted from the light source 41 passes through the incident optical system 42 and then enters the rotating polygon mirror 43a. The light beam L that enters the polygon mirror 43a is deflected in the main scanning direction (the direction corresponding to the axial direction on the surface of the photoreceptor) while being reflected by the reflector of the polygon mirror 43a. The light beam L, deflected in the main scanning direction at a constant angular velocity by the polygon mirror 43a, passes through the first scanning lens 44 and the second scanning lens 45, exits from the exhaust aperture 49 of the housing 47, and is scanned at a constant velocity on the surface of the photoreceptor 3.

[0016] Examples of materials for the housing 47 and cover member 48 are as follows. The housing 47 is made of PC / ABS reinforced with glass fiber, "PC+ABS-(MS+GF)40FR(40)", with a thickness of 1.8 mm. In contrast, the cover member 48 is made of polystyrene resin, "PS-FR(17)", a common material for resin parts, with a thickness of 1.6 mm. The difference in material and thickness was determined considering that the housing 47 requires greater strength. Metal can also be used as the material for the housing 47, where strength is required.

[0017] The polygon scanner 43 includes a polygon mirror 43a, which is a rotating polyhedron mirror made of a regular polygonal prism shape, and a polygon motor 43b that rotates the polygon mirror 43a, and is attached to the bottom wall 47a of the housing 47. For example, the polygon mirror 43a is attached to the rotation axis 43d of the polygon motor 43b, which is assembled on a motor board 43c on which a motor drive IC is provided. The rotation axis 43d of the polygon motor 43b is rotatably supported on the bottom wall 47a of the housing 47 by a bearing.

[0018] In this embodiment, the intake fan 100 is driven by the driving force from the same drive source as the polygon scanner 43. Specifically, the intake fan 100 is attached to the tip of the rotating shaft 43d of the polygon mirror 43a of the polygon motor 43b, beyond the polygon mirror 43a (FIG. 2). That is, the intake fan 100 has the same rotation axis as the polygon mirror 43a, which is a rotating polygon mirror. The intake opening 48a is formed at a location on the cover member 48 that faces the intake fan 100.

[0019] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, airflow guiding means is provided to guide the air from the intake opening 48a to flow along the inner surface of the bottom wall portion 47a, which is the deflector mounting wall surface. Specifically, by arranging the main first scanning lens 44 and the second scanning lens 45, which correspond to the optical elements on the optical path from the deflector, with an airflow interval 120 provided between them and the inner surface of the bottom wall portion 47a, the airflow guiding means is constituted (FIG. 5). The airflow flowing along the inner surface of the bottom wall portion 47a is indicated by white arrows in FIGS. 2 and 4, etc.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 5 for the first scanning lens 44 to show how the interval 120 is formed, lens receiving portions 110 protruding at locations corresponding to both ends of the lens on the inner surface of the bottom wall portion 47a are provided. The space between the lens receiving portions 110, which is lower than the lens receiving portions 110, is made concave when including the lens receiving portions 110. The same applies to the second scanning lens 45. Although it is preferable to realize the shape that creates a space with a case shape rather than with the shape of the lens, which is an optical element, in terms of cost, a space may also be created by the lens shape.

[0021] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a regulating wall portion 130 is provided to regulate the airflow from the intake opening from spreading outside both ends of the optical element in the scanning direction of the deflector. This regulating wall portion 130 is preferably extended from the polygon scanner 43 to the exhaust opening 49.

[0022] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5 for the location of the first scanning lens 44, it is preferable that at least one, preferably both, of the scanning lenses (44, 45) constituting the airflow guide means and the regulating wall portion 130 be in gapless contact with the inner surface of the cover member 48, which is the inner wall surface of the housing facing the deflector mounting wall surface.

[0023] According to this embodiment, the following specific problems can be solved. Specifically, when the polygon scanner 43 is in operation, the polygon mirror 43a rotates at high speed, and this high-speed rotation causes the bearing part of the polygon scanner 43 that supports the rotation axis 43d of the polygon mirror to heat up. Since there is no way for the heat generated when the polygon scanner 43 is in operation to escape, the temperature inside the housing 47 rises, causing the housing 47 and other components to expand due to thermal expansion. As a result, the orientation of optical elements such as the light source 41, the incident optical system 42, and the scanning lenses (44, 45) held inside the housing 47 changes. This change in orientation causes problems such as image defects due to a shift in the scanning position of the light beam L of the photoreceptor 3.

[0024] In this embodiment, an intake fan 100 having a common rotation axis with the rotation axis 43d of the polygon motor 43b is provided on top of the polygon motor 43b, and when the polygon motor 43b is rotated during exposure, the intake fan 100 also rotates in conjunction with it. The rotation of this intake fan 100 causes airflow to flow into the optical writing unit 4 from the intake opening 48a, pass near the polygon, pass through other parts of the optical writing unit 4, and is discharged outside the optical writing unit 4 from the exhaust opening 49.

[0025] Both the polygon motor 43b and the optical lenses are attached to the housing component of the optical writing unit 4 and share the same space within the optical writing unit 4. Therefore, there are two paths through which heat is transmitted from the heat source, the polygon motor 43b, to the optical lenses: transmission through the air and transmission through the housing.

[0026] The housing is generally made of resin or metal, both of which have a higher thermal conductivity than air. Therefore, providing a space 120 between the housing 47 and the optical lenses (44, 45) and flowing air through this space 120 provides a better cooling effect on the optical lenses (44, 45) against heat propagated through the housing than flowing air through other spaces (for example, the space between the optical lenses and the cover member 48). Thus, the optical lenses (44, 45) can be cooled efficiently. In the exposure apparatus of Patent Document 1, the airflow from the housing's intake port mainly flows along the wall opposite to the wall of the case where the polygon scanner is installed, rather than along the wall where this wall is located, resulting in lower cooling efficiency than in this embodiment.

[0027] As described above, this embodiment can resolve the above-mentioned problems better than Patent Document 1.

[0028] Furthermore, the specific configuration in this embodiment also has the following advantages. As shown in Figure 4, there are restricting wall portions 130 along both ends of the optical lenses (44, 45), and since the restricting wall portions 130 and the optical lenses (44, 45) are in close contact with the cover member 48, the airflow after passing near the polygon concentrates and passes through the space 120 between the optical lenses (44, 45) and the housing.

[0029] Therefore, the intake fan 100 is located near the polygon motor 43b, providing a high cooling effect. In addition, since the rotational drive shafts of the intake fan 100 and the polygon motor 43b are coaxial, the intake fan 100 is driven in conjunction with the polygon motor 43b. Unlike configurations that require a separate intake fan 100, no additional power is needed for driving it, thus suppressing an increase in power consumption.

[0030] Furthermore, dustproofing can be achieved without the need for dustproof components. This is for the following reason: Because the airflow passes through the inside of the optical writing unit 4 and is discharged outside the optical writing unit 4 through the exhaust opening 49, foreign matter such as toner can be prevented from entering the optical writing unit 4 without the need for dustproof components such as glass parts.

[0031] Furthermore, since the intake fan 100 does not operate when not printing, no airflow is generated, and there is a possibility that foreign matter such as toner may enter the optical writing unit 4 and adhere to the optical components. However, when the intake fan 100 is subsequently operated, the adhered foreign matter can be blown away and discharged outside the optical writing unit 4, so this does not pose a problem.

[0032] Toner is discharged from the process cartridge 2, but due to the configuration of the optical writing unit 4, the process cartridge 2 is located downstream of the exhaust opening 49. The intake fan 100 of the optical writing unit 4 is located far from the process cartridge 2, so the intake fan 100 does not draw in air containing toner.

[0033] To avoid the decrease in image quality caused by the increased moment generated during rotation due to the integration of the fan with the polygon motor 43b, it is preferable to take the following considerations: When driving the polygon motor 43b with the integrated fan, the torque must remain within the rated range of the polygon motor 43b. To this end, the design values ​​such as the installation position, center of gravity, and mass of the intake fan 100 should be set appropriately. For commonly used polygon motors, it is preferable to position the intake fan 100 close to the polygon mirror (e.g., with a gap of 1 mm to 10 mm), have its center of gravity roughly coincide with the axis, and use a fan with a small mass (e.g., 100 G or less).

[0034] Figures 6 to 8 show modified versions of this embodiment. The modification in Figure 6 involves installing a filter 140 on the upstream side of the airflow of the intake fan 100. This reliably prevents all foreign matter, including not only toner but also dust and other particles, from entering the exposure apparatus.

[0035] In the modified example shown in Figure 7, the intake fan 100 of the optical writing unit 4 is connected to the airflow path of the intake fan 160 provided on the main body of the image forming apparatus 1 via a hollow connecting pipe 150, which is a duct. A filter 170 is also provided above the airflow of the intake fan 160 of the main body. Since the optical writing unit 4 can benefit from the cooling effect of the filter 170 of the main body of the apparatus, there is no need to provide a filter on the optical writing unit 4.

[0036] In the modified example shown in Figure 8, the rotating shaft 101 of the intake fan 100 is gear-connected to the rotating shaft 43d of the polygon mirror 43a, and the rotation ratio is set to something other than 1 according to the gear ratio for speed control. This makes it easier to set the rotation speed of the intake fan 100 to a desired airflow rate that is different from the rotation speed of the polygon mirror 43a.

[0037] Furthermore, when stopping the drive shaft, the motor control circuit 180 shown in Figure 8 may be controlled to gradually reduce the rotational speed. This prevents temperature overshoot. This control is also effective in the above embodiment and variations other than those shown in Figure 8.

[0038] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention as described in the claims, unless otherwise specifically limited in the above description.

[0039] For example, in the optical writing unit 4 of this embodiment, two lenses, a first scanning lens 44 and a second scanning lens 45, are used, but one lens or three or more lenses may be used. Also, although the optical beam L that has passed through the lenses is directly emitted from the output port, a reflective mirror may be interposed to give an emission angle. In this case, it is preferable that the reflective mirror also constitutes an airflow guide means, similar to the lenses. Specifically, it is preferable that it be in contact with the housing cover without any gaps, and that there be a space between it and the inner surface of the housing.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the present invention can also be applied to multi-color optical writing units (4Y, 4M, 4C, 4K) mounted on full-color image forming apparatuses. In Figure 9, the same reference numerals are used for components corresponding to those in the image forming apparatus of Figure 1. Reference numeral 190 in Figure 9 is an intermediate transfer belt, and reference numeral 191 is a paper transport belt.

[0041] Furthermore, although this embodiment is applied to the optical writing unit of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the optical scanning apparatus of the present invention can be applied to optical scanning apparatuses for other applications.

[0042] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention provides specific effects for each of the following embodiments. In the description of the embodiments, the symbols in parentheses after the component names are examples of corresponding components and are not limited to these examples. (Aspect 1) In an optical scanning device (4) comprising a light source (41), a deflector (43) for deflecting and scanning light from the light source (41), and optical elements (44, 45) arranged on the optical path of the light, and a housing having an intake opening (48a) and an exhaust opening (49), airflow guiding means (44, 45) are provided to guide the air from the intake opening (48a) to flow along the deflector mounting wall surface, which is the inner wall surface of the housing to which the deflector (43) is attached. According to this method, the temperature rise of optical elements can be suppressed more efficiently.

[0043] (Aspect 2) In the optical scanning device (4) described in Embodiment 1, the airflow guiding means is configured by arranging optical elements (44, 45) on the optical path from the deflector (43) with an airflow gap (120) between them and the deflector mounting wall. According to this, there is no need to add any parts for the airflow guide mechanism configuration.

[0044] (Aspect 3) In the optical scanning device (4) described in embodiment 1 or 2, the exhaust aperture (49) is the exit port for scanning light from the deflector (43). According to this, a dustproof effect can be obtained without providing dustproof components. This is because, by discharging the airflow that has passed inside the optical scanning device (4) to the outside of the optical scanning device (4) through the outlet, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the optical scanning device (4) through the outlet without providing dustproof components such as glass parts at the outlet. It is preferable to place the deflector (43) on one end of the housing and provide an exhaust opening (49) on the other end of the housing. This reduces the operating noise of the deflector (43) that leaks from the exhaust opening (49) when the deflector (43) is operating, compared to a configuration where the exhaust opening (49) is located on one end of the housing where the deflector (43) is situated, thereby suppressing noise.

[0045] (Aspect 4) In the optical scanning device (4) according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3, a wall is provided that restricts the airflow from the intake opening (48a) from spreading outward beyond both ends of the optical elements (44, 45) in the scanning direction of the deflector (43). According to this, the cooling efficiency can be further improved by concentrating the airflow on the optical element in the scanning direction.

[0046] (Appendix 5) In the optical scanning device (4) described in Embodiment 4, the wall extends from the deflector (43) to the exhaust opening (49). According to this, the airflow in the scanning direction can be concentrated on the optical element all the way to the exhaust opening (49).

[0047] (Aspect 6) In the optical scanning device (4) described in Embodiment 1, the airflow guide means consists of optical elements (44, 45) arranged with an airflow gap (120) between them and the deflector mounting wall surface, and a wall is provided to restrict the airflow from the intake opening (48a) from spreading outward beyond both ends of the optical elements (44, 45) in the scanning direction of the deflector (43). The airflow gap (120) is formed between a pair of protrusions provided at the locations on the deflector mounting wall surface where both ends of the optical elements (44, 45) face each other in the scanning direction of the deflector (43), and the wall rises from the deflector mounting wall surface, and at least one of the optical elements (44, 45) and the wall is in gapless contact with the inner wall surface of the housing facing the deflector mounting wall surface. According to this method, the cooling effect can be further enhanced because the designated areas are in contact without any gaps.

[0048] (Aspect 7) In the optical scanning device (4) described in any one of embodiments 1 to 6, air can be drawn in from an intake opening (48a), and an intake fan 100 is provided on the side of the deflector mounting wall of the deflector (43), and the intake fan 100 is driven by a driving force from the same drive source as the deflector (43). According to this, the increase in intake fan drive energy can be suppressed.

[0049] (Pattern 8) In the optical scanning device (4) described in any one of embodiments 1 to 6, air can be drawn in from an intake opening (48a), and an intake fan (100) is provided on the opposite side of the deflector mounting wall of the deflector (43), and a filter (140) is provided upstream of the intake fan (100) in the airflow, or a duct (150) equipped with an intake fan (160) with a filter (170) is connected to the intake opening. According to this, the filter can remove dust and prevent it from entering the scanning device.

[0050] (Aspect 9) In an optical scanning device (4) that scans light with a rotating polyhedron (43a), the housing of the device (4) has a single opening from which an exposure beam is emitted from inside the optical scanning device (4) toward a photoreceptor, and an intake fan 100 is located above the rotating polyhedron (43a). The intake fan 100 either shares a common axis of rotation with the rotating polyhedron (43a), or its axis of rotation is gear-connected to the axis of rotation of the rotating polyhedron (43a), and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating polyhedron (43a). The housing has a concave shape, and below the optical lenses through which the exposure beam is transmitted after being reflected by the rotating polyhedron (43a), there is a space. The housing has a wall portion that is integrated with the housing along both ends of the optical lenses from the rotating polyhedron to the opening, and the housing cover and the optical lenses, and the housing cover and the wall portion are in contact without any gaps. The airflow generated by the intake fan 100 passes through the space and then through the opening and is discharged outside the optical scanning device (4). According to this, all the effects of embodiments 2 to 7 can be achieved. can.

[0051] (Aspect 10) In an image forming apparatus that forms an image by irradiating the surface of a latent image carrier (3) with light using an optical scanning means to form a latent image on the surface of the latent image carrier, and finally transferring the image obtained by developing the latent image onto a recording material, the optical scanning means is the optical scanning apparatus (4) described in any one of embodiments 1 to 9. According to this, it is possible to suppress image quality degradation caused by the temperature rise of the optical elements in the optical scanning device. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 1: Image forming apparatus 1a: Enclosure 2: Process cartridge 3: Photoreceptor 4: Optical writing unit 5: Toner bottle 6: Transfer Unit 7: Transfer Roller 8: Fuser Unit 9: Paper feed unit 10: Paper output unit 21: Charging means 22: Developing means 23:Cleaning means 41 :Light source 42:Incidence optical system 43: Polygon Scanner 43a: Polygon Mirror 43b: Polygon motor 43c: Motor board 43d: Rotation axis 44: First scanning lens 45: Second scanning lens 46: Synchronization Sensor 47: Housing 47a:Bottom wall part 48: Cover component 48a: Intake opening 49: Exhaust opening 100: Intake fan 101: Rotation axis 110: Lens receiver 120: Space 130: Regulatory wall section 140: Filter 150: Hollow connecting pipe 160: Intake fan 170: Filter 180: Motor control circuit L: Light beam [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0053] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-221033

Claims

1. An optical scanning device comprising a light source, a deflector for deflecting and scanning light from the light source, and an optical element arranged on the optical path of the light, and a housing having an intake opening and an exhaust opening, An optical scanning device characterized by being provided with an airflow guiding means that guides the air from the intake opening to flow along the deflector mounting wall surface, which is the inner wall surface of the housing to which the deflector is attached.

2. In the optical scanning apparatus according to claim 1, The optical scanning device is characterized in that the airflow guiding means is configured by arranging the optical element on the optical path from the deflector with an airflow gap between it and the wall surface on which the deflector is mounted.

3. In the optical scanning apparatus according to claim 1, The optical scanning apparatus is characterized in that the exhaust opening is the exit port for scanning light from the deflector.

4. In the optical scanning apparatus according to claim 1, An optical scanning device characterized by having a wall portion that restricts the airflow from the intake opening from spreading outward beyond both ends of the optical element in the scanning direction of the deflector.

5. In the optical scanning apparatus according to claim 4, The optical scanning device is characterized in that the wall portion extends from the deflector to the exhaust opening.

6. In the optical scanning apparatus according to claim 1, The airflow guiding means consists of the optical element, which is arranged with an airflow gap between it and the deflector mounting wall. A wall portion is provided to restrict the airflow from the intake opening from spreading outward beyond both ends of the optical element in the scanning direction of the deflector. The airflow spacing is formed between a pair of protrusions provided on the mounting wall surface of the deflector where both ends of the optical element face each other in the scanning direction of the deflector, and the ends of the optical element abut against each other. The aforementioned wall portion rises from the deflector mounting wall surface, An optical scanning device characterized in that at least one of the optical element and the wall portion is in gapless contact with the inner wall surface of the housing facing the deflector mounting wall surface.

7. In the optical scanning apparatus according to claim 1, Air can be drawn in from the aforementioned intake opening, and an intake fan is provided on the deflector at a location opposite to the deflector mounting wall. An optical scanning device characterized in that the intake fan is driven by the same drive force as the deflector.

8. In the optical scanning apparatus according to claim 1, Air can be drawn in from the aforementioned intake opening, and an intake fan is provided on the deflector at a location opposite to the deflector mounting wall. An optical scanning device characterized by either providing a filter upstream of the intake fan, or connecting a duct equipped with an intake fan with a filter to the intake opening.

9. In an optical scanning device that scans light with a rotating multifaceted mirror, The housing of the device has a single opening from which the exposure beam is emitted towards the photoreceptor from within the optical scanning device. The rotating multifaceted mirror has an intake fan at its upper part, The intake fan either shares a common axis of rotation with the rotating polyhedron mirror, or its axis of rotation is gear-connected to the axis of rotation of the rotating polyhedron mirror, and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating polyhedron mirror. The housing has a concave shape, which provides space below the optical lenses through which the exposure beam passes after being reflected by the rotating polyhedron mirror. The housing has walls that are integrated with the housing along both ends of the optical lenses from the rotating polyface mirror to the opening, The housing cover and the optical lenses, and the housing cover and the wall portion are in contact without any gaps. An optical scanning device characterized in that the airflow generated by the intake fan passes through the space and then through the opening to be discharged outside the optical scanning device.

10. In an image forming apparatus that forms an image by irradiating the surface of a latent image carrier with light using an optical scanning means to form a latent image on the surface of the latent image carrier, and then developing the latent image to transfer the resulting image onto a recording material, An image forming apparatus characterized in that, as the optical scanning means, it uses the optical scanning apparatus described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images