An image forming apparatus includes an acquiring unit configured to acquire atmosphere pressure in the installation place of the image forming apparatus, photoconductors, light sources configured to radiate laser light, and a polygon mirror configured to be rotatable. The polygon mirror exposes the photoconductors by reflecting the laser light toward the photoconductors while rotating. The image forming apparatus further includes a control device configured to control rotation of the polygon mirror. The control device outputs an enable signal for allowing the image forming apparatus to perform printing, if rotation of the polygon mirror is stabilized after start of the rotation, and advances the timing of outputting the enable signal as the atmosphere pressure increases.

An exposure device according to an embodiment includes: a substrate in which light-emitting elements are mounted; an optical system which converges light emitted from the light-emitting elements; a holding member includes a holding member body which holds the substrate and the optical system, and a cut fringe projected from the holding member body; and a support member provided at a predetermined position in the holding member between the substrate and the optical system. The support member is formed of a cured agent attached to a shear surface of the cut fringe of the holding member, and the support member includes a contact surface with which the substrate is in contact.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a frame member including a support surface and made of metal, an exposure unit disposed such that an emission direction in which the light is emitted to the image bearing member is inclined with respect to the support surface, a support member made of metal and configured to support the exposure unit that is in an inclined posture with respect to the support surface, and a positioning member made of resin and configured to be in contact with the exposure unit and position the exposure unit. The support surface of the frame member is in contact with at least one of the support member or the positioning member, and wherein the exposure unit is configured to be attached to the frame member via the support member and the positioning member.

The present invention relates to a technology for printing an image of a letter, a drawing, etc. on the surface of a metallic material and, specifically, to printing equipment and a printing method using same, which can stably print an image on the surface of a metallic material at high speed.

An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor drum, an exposure device, a development device, and a controller. The exposure device irradiates the photoconductor drum with a light beam and thereby forms an electrostatic latent image. The development device causes toner to adhere to the electrostatic latent image and thereby generates a toner image. The controller controls the exposure device. Further the exposure device includes a polygon mirror, a polygon motor, a mark detector, and an actuator. The polygon mirror is configured to scan the light beam. The polygon motor is configured to rotate the polygon mirror. The mark detector is configured to detect a mark attached to a motor axis of the polygon motor. The actuator is configured to be enabled to move the mark detector. Furthermore, the controller moves the mark detector to a position corresponding to an operation condition of the exposure device using the actuator.

An optical scanning device includes a housing, a transparent cover, a cleaning member, a holding member, and a movement mechanism. The cleaning member slidably contacts with the surface of the transparent cover to clean the surface. The holding member holds the cleaning member. The movement mechanism allows the holding member to reciprocally move along the transparent cover in the aforementioned predetermined direction. The aforementioned holding member has an inside/outside double structure including an inner boss member and an outer boss member. The inner boss member receives power from the movement mechanism. The outer boss member internally receives the inner boss member. The outer boss member is longer than the inner boss member. The outer boss member reaches a moving end and stops earlier than the inner boss member, and the aforementioned inner boss member moves in the outer boss member reaches the moving end and stops.

An optical scanning device includes a rotating polygon mirror, a light source that irradiates first and second light beams at one side of the rotating polygon mirror and irradiates third and fourth light beams at the other side thereof, a first optical element that reflects the first light beam and allows the second light beam to pass therethrough, a second optical element that reflects the second light beam, a third optical element that allows the third and fourth light beams to pass therethrough, and a fourth optical element that reflects the fourth light beam. The second light beam is a light beam corresponding to yellow, the first, the third, and the fourth light beams are light beams corresponding to three colors other than the yellow. Between the third and fourth optical elements, a scanning lens is arranged. Between the first and second optical elements, a scanning lens is not arranged.

An image forming apparatus includes an acquiring unit configured to acquire atmosphere pressure in the installation place of the image forming apparatus, photoconductors, light sources configured to radiate laser light, and a polygon mirror configured to be rotatable. The polygon mirror exposes the photoconductors by reflecting the laser light toward the photoconductors while rotating. The image forming apparatus further includes a control device configured to control rotation of the polygon mirror. The control device outputs an enable signal for allowing the image forming apparatus to perform printing, if rotation of the polygon mirror is stabilized after start of the rotation, and advances the timing of outputting the enable signal as the atmosphere pressure increases.

An upper cover attached to an optical box included in an optical scanning device includes a flow path in which a sealing member is injection-molded. The flow path includes a first bottom portion, a second bottom portion, and a step. The step is formed between the first bottom portion and the second bottom portion, and the area where the sealing member and the upper cover adhere to each other increases by an amount corresponding to the provided step so that adhesiveness between the sealing member and the upper cover is enhanced.

An image forming device employing an electrophotographic method that scans a surface of an image carrier with a multi-beam emitted from a plurality of light-emitting elements based on image data, including: a light quantity corrector that performs a light quantity correction so as to resolve a density level difference in an image, and sets a difference in a light quantity correction value of the plurality of light-emitting elements; and a controller that, when the image data is in a predetermined image mode such as text/CAD, controls the light quantity corrector so as to not set a difference in a set light quantity of the plurality of light-emitting elements.