Scanning optical system

摘要

A scanning optical system for use in a light scanner including a light deflector for deflecting a light beam to scan a surface is disposed between the light deflector and the scanned surface. The scanning optical system focuses the defelcted light beam onto the scanned surface and keeps the scanned surface and a light beam deflecting point in substantially conjugate relationship in an auxiliary scanning direction for thereby correcting facet errors of the light deflector. The scanning optical system has a saddle-shaped convex toroidal surface having a radius of curvature in a cross section along the auxiliary scanning direction, the radius of curvature being progressively greater in a direction away from the optical axis of the scanning optical system. The scanning optical system satisfies the following condition: d/fM>0.6 where fM is the focal length of the scanning optical system in a main scanning plane and d is the distance on the optical axis between the saddle-shaped toroidal surface and the scanned surface.