Importance

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Abstract

Provided are a light emitting element array that can perform a time-division driving operation with a small number of driving ICs and a small-sized light emitting device employing the light emitting element array and an image forming apparatus having the light emitting device. A light emitting element array chip (1) includes n pieces of switch thyristors (S) (n is an integer of 2 or more), n pieces of horizontal gate lines (GH) respectively connected to N gate electrodes of the n pieces of switch thyristors (S), a plurality of light emitting thyristors (T) whose N gate electrodes (b) each is connected to any one of the n horizontal gate lines (GH). One ends of CS resistors (RCS) are connected to the N gate electrodes (d) of the n pieces of switch thyristors (S), and the another ends of the CS resistors (RCS) are connected to a common selection signal input terminal (CS). It is possible to realize time-division driving operation in which a light emission signal and a gate signal are shared between the plurality of light emitting element arrays by allowing only the light emitting element array to which a low level selection signal is inputted and which is in a selected state to emit light.

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First Claim