Adjustment apparatus for light source unit and adjustment method therefor

1. An adjustment apparatus for a light source unit to be installed on an optical scanning apparatus including a deflector, the light source unit including a laser light source and a condensing optical element for condensing a light beam emitted from the laser light source, and leading the condensed light beam to the deflector, the adjustment apparatus comprising:

a dividing element for dividing the light beam emitted from the light source unit into a plurality of light beams in at least one of a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction;

an imaging optical element for forming a plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of light beams divided by the dividing element on a light receiving element; and

an adjustment mechanism for adjusting, based on a relative position between the plurality of images and positions of the plurality of images with respect to the optical axis, a relative position between the condensing optical element and the laser light source along a direction of an optical axis of the condensing optical element, and two relative positions between the condensing optical element and the laser light source along the respective directions orthogonal to each other and orthogonal to the optical axis of the condensing optical element.

2. An adjustment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the dividing element divides the light beam, which has passed through a first stop disposed at a position optically equivalent to a second stop provided between the laser light source and the deflector in the optical scanning apparatus, into a plurality of light beams both in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction.

3. An adjustment apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the adjustment apparatus can adjust the relative position between the condensing optical element and the laser light source in the direction of the optical axis of the condensing optical element, a relative position between the condensing optical element and the laser light source in the main scanning direction, and a relative position between the condensing optical element and the laser light source in the sub-scanning direction.

4. An adjustment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the dividing element comprises a prism-array in which prisms are arranged so that either an incident surface or an exit surface is one flat surface, and the other of the incident surface and the exit surface is constructed by a plurality of flat surfaces which are not parallel with each other, and are not parallel with the one flat surface.

5. An adjustment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein an arrangement direction of the prisms of the prism-array coincides with a direction of a maximum diameter of a pupil of the light beam which enters the prism-array.

6. An adjustment apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the following expression is satisfied:

P×Fj+Sp> 2 ×Fj×X max× H /(4 ×F 2 ),

where P (rad) is a relative angle between two light beams emitted from the exit surface of the prism-array which are obtained in case where the light beam emitted from the light source unit having a designed configuration and is divided into two light beams in a direction of the maximum diameter of the pupil by the prism-array and then the two light beams are emitted from the exit surface of the prism-array, H is a width in the direction of the maximum diameter of the pupil of the light beam, F is a focal length of the condensing optical element, Fj is a focal length of the imaging optical element, Sp is a spot diameter of the light beam on the light receiving element, and Xmax is an absolute value of a maximum shift amount in the direction of the optical axis between the laser light source and the condensing optical element.

7. An adjustment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the dividing element comprises a lens array in which at least either an incident surface or an exit surface is constructed by arranging a plurality of curved surfaces having the same curvature.

8. An adjustment apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein an arrangement direction of the curved surfaces of the lens array coincides at least with a direction of a maximum diameter of a pupil of the light beam which enters the lens array.

9. An adjustment method for a light source unit to be installed on an optical scanning apparatus including a deflector, the light source unit including a laser light source and a condensing optical element for condensing a light beam emitted from the laser light source, and leading the condensed light beam to the deflector, the adjustment method comprising:

dividing the light beam emitted from the light source unit into a plurality of light beams in at least one of a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction;

forming a plurality of images corresponding to the divided light beams on a light receiving element; and

adjusting, based on a relative position between the plurality of images and positions of the plurality of images with respect to the optical axis, a relative position between the condensing optical element and the laser light source along a direction of an optical axis of the condensing optical element, and two relative positions between the condensing optical element and the laser light source along the respective directions orthogonal to each other and orthogonal to the optical axis of the condensing optical element.

10. A manufacturing method for a light source unit to be installed on an optical scanning apparatus including a deflector, the light source unit including a laser light source and a condensing optical element for condensing a light beam emitted from the laser light source, and leading the condensed light beam to the deflector, the manufacturing method comprising:

dividing the light beam emitted from the light source unit into a plurality of light beams in at least one of a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction;

forming a plurality of images corresponding to the divided a plurality of light beams on a light receiving element;

adjusting, based on a relative position between the plurality of and positions of the plurality of images with respect to the optical axis, a relative position between the condensing optical element and the laser light source along a direction of an optical axis of the condensing optical element, and two relative positions between the condensing optical element and the laser light source along the respective directions orthogonal to each other and orthogonal to the optical axis of the condensing optical element; and

then determining at least one of a position of the condensing optical element and a position of the laser light source.