The present application discloses a deflector including a substrate portion, a movable portion, a reflective portion, a support portion, and a moving mechanism. The movable portion is supported by a first end of the support portion. A second end of the support portion is supported by the substrate portion. An end of the movable portion is capable of coming into contact with the substrate portion. The reflective portion is formed on the movable portion. The moving mechanism is capable of driving the movable portion so as to bring the movable portion into at least any one of a first state, a second state, a third state, and a fourth state.

The present application discloses a deflector including a substrate portion, a movable portion, a reflective portion, a support portion, and a moving mechanism. The movable portion is supported by a first end of the support portion. A second end of the support portion is supported by the substrate portion. An end of the movable portion is capable of coming into contact with the substrate portion. The reflective portion is formed on the movable portion. The moving mechanism is capable of driving the movable portion so as to bring the movable portion into at least any one of a first state, a second state, a third state, and a fourth state.

An image forming apparatus has a light scanning apparatus which is capable of aligning a lens with a plurality of light-emitting devices and forming a high-quality image while suppressing generation of moiré. In a first image formation mode, light-emitting devices outputting light beams exposing both ends of the photosensitive member in a rotational direction and at least a part of light-emitting devices exposing an area between exposure positions of the light-emitting devices outputting the light beams exposing the both ends are used to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member. In a second image formation mode, the light-emitting devices outputting the light beams exposing both ends are not used, and at least a part of light-emitting devices exposing an area between exposure positions of the light-emitting devices outputting the light beams exposing both ends are used to form the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member.

An image forming apparatus has a light scanning apparatus which is capable of aligning a lens with a plurality of light-emitting devices and forming a high-quality image while suppressing generation of moiré. In a first image formation mode, light-emitting devices outputting light beams exposing both ends of the photosensitive member in a rotational direction and at least a part of light-emitting devices exposing an area between exposure positions of the light-emitting devices outputting the light beams exposing the both ends are used to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member. In a second image formation mode, the light-emitting devices outputting the light beams exposing both ends are not used, and at least a part of light-emitting devices exposing an area between exposure positions of the light-emitting devices outputting the light beams exposing both ends are used to form the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member.

An optical scanning device includes a rotary polygon mirror, a plurality of light sources, a light detecting portion, an obtainment processing portion, an a switching processing portion. The rotary polygon mirror has a reflection surface that reflects incident light, and scans, in a scanning cycle, the light reflected on the reflection surface. The light sources emit, toward the reflection surface, a plurality of light beams. The light detecting portion detects a light amount of each light beam reflected on the reflection surface. The obtainment processing portion obtains a switching timing to switch a light emission amount of each of the light sources in the scanning cycle, based on light amounts of the light beams detected by the light detecting portion. The switching processing portion switches the light emission amount of each of the light sources based on the switching timing obtained by the obtainment processing portion.

An optical scanning device (12) includes cleaning holders (511, 512), light transmitting members (52), a linear member (54), a winding motor (55), and stoppers (56a, 56b). The two cleaning holders (511, 512) are coupled to the linear member (54). The linear member 54 is driven to circulate by the winding motor (55), whereby the two cleaning holders (511, 512) move and each cleaning member slides on a corresponding one of the light transmitting members (52). When the cleaning holders (511, 512) come into contact with the respective stoppers (56a, 56b), the stoppers (56a, 56b) restrict movement of the respective cleaning holders (511, 512) in one of directions of extension of the light transmitting members (52). A contact determining section (913) determines, based on a current value of the winding motor (55), that the cleaning holder (511, 512) has come into contact with the stopper (56a, 56h).

A scanning optical system, includes a mirror unit equipped with a first mirror surface and a second mirror surface each of which inclines to a rotation axis; and a light projecting system which includes at least one light source to emit a light flux toward the first mirror surface. A light flux emitted from the light source is reflected on the first mirror surface of the mirror unit, thereafter, reflected on the second mirror surface, and then, projected so as to scan in a main scanning direction onto an object in accordance with rotation of the mirror unit, and the light flux reflected on the second mirror surface is polarized in a range within an angle of ±30 degrees to a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction on the object side.

A scanning optical system, includes a mirror unit equipped with a first mirror surface and a second mirror surface each of which inclines to a rotation axis; and a light projecting system which includes at least one light source to emit a light flux toward the first mirror surface. A light flux emitted from the light source is reflected on the first mirror surface of the mirror unit, thereafter, reflected on the second mirror surface, and then, projected so as to scan in a main scanning direction onto an object in accordance with rotation of the mirror unit, and the light flux reflected on the second mirror surface is polarized in a range within an angle of ±30 degrees to a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction on the object side.

An image projection apparatus (1) joins a plurality of display images displayed by scanning a plurality of light beams, as if there is no seam between them, thereby displaying a large-sized high-quality image. The image projection apparatus (1) includes a MEMS mirror device (11), a MEMS mirror control unit (13), and a laser beam detector (19). The MEMS mirror control unit (13) makes the laser beam detector (19) irradiated with a first light beam (L1), and at this time adjusts a position of a first display image (18a) on the basis of a difference between a detection signal output from a first light sensor (191) and a detection signal output from a second light sensor (192); the MEMS mirror control unit (13) makes a first light reception surface and a second light reception surface irradiated with a second light beam (L2), and at this time adjusts a position of a second display image (18b) on the basis of a difference between a detection signal output from the first light sensor (191) and a detection signal output from the second light sensor (192).

An image projection apparatus (1) joins a plurality of display images displayed by scanning a plurality of light beams, as if there is no seam between them, thereby displaying a large-sized high-quality image. The image projection apparatus (1) includes a MEMS mirror device (11), a MEMS mirror control unit (13), and a laser beam detector (19). The MEMS mirror control unit (13) makes the laser beam detector (19) irradiated with a first light beam (L1), and at this time adjusts a position of a first display image (18a) on the basis of a difference between a detection signal output from a first light sensor (191) and a detection signal output from a second light sensor (192); the MEMS mirror control unit (13) makes a first light reception surface and a second light reception surface irradiated with a second light beam (L2), and at this time adjusts a position of a second display image (18b) on the basis of a difference between a detection signal output from the first light sensor (191) and a detection signal output from the second light sensor (192).