Importance

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Abstract

A scanning optical system including a light deflector rotating about a rotational axis perpendicular to a main scanning direction, a laser beam emitter for emitting a laser beam which scans a scanning surface along the main scanning direction and for making the laser beam incident upon the light deflector with a first angle with respect to a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction, a curved mirror having a curvature at least along the main scanning direction for reflecting a laser beam deflected by the light deflector with a second angle with respect to an incident laser beam upon the curved mirror, and an anamorphic lens disposed between the curved mirror and the scanning surface. The anamorphic lens has a first surface having a first aspherical surface along the main scanning direction, and a second surface having a second aspherical surface which is not rotationally symmetrical about an optical axis of the anamorphic lens. A radius of curvature of the second aspherical surface along the sub-scanning direction away from the optical axis is independent of the shape of the second aspherical surface along the main scanning direction. The laser beam emitter emits the laser beam towards the rotational axis such that the laser beam emitted from the laser beam emitter incident upon the light deflector is formed on a sub-scanning plane which extends in the sub-scanning direction and includes the optical axis of the anamorphic lens. The first and second angles are measured on the sub-scanning plane.

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First Claim