A device and a method for deflecting a beam of light. The device is developed together with: an adjustable deflection device; a closed-loop control unit, which is designed to generate an actuating signal by which the deflection device is controlled in a periodic movement for scanning a solid angle region with the aid of a beam of light deflected by the deflection device; and a detector device, which is designed to detect an impingement or a missing impingement of the scanning beam of light on the detector device, and to generate a measuring signal based thereon; the closed-loop control unit furthermore being designed to adapt the actuating signal based on at least the measuring signal.

An image reading device has a motor, an optical sensor (a light emitting portion, a light receiving portion), a carriage, a motor, a moving portion for rotating a belt, a pulse generating gear provided with a plurality of light shielding teeth along its circumference, and a control portion. The light shielding teeth of the pulse generating gear pass through a gap between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion. First and second widths are set such that the movement amount of the pulse generating gear resulting from the motor rotating one step is equal to or larger than both the width of each of the light shielding teeth (first width) and the width of the interval between adjacent light shielding teeth (second width). The control portion recognizes when, during standby of the carriage, the level of an output signal changes.

An image reading device has a motor, an optical sensor (a light emitting portion, a light receiving portion), a carriage, a motor, a moving portion for rotating a belt, a pulse generating gear provided with a plurality of light shielding teeth along its circumference, and a control portion. The light shielding teeth of the pulse generating gear pass through a gap between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion. First and second widths are set such that the movement amount of the pulse generating gear resulting from the motor rotating one step is equal to or larger than both the width of each of the light shielding teeth (first width) and the width of the interval between adjacent light shielding teeth (second width). The control portion recognizes when, during standby of the carriage, the level of an output signal changes.

An anamorphic optical element and an adjustment mechanism for selectively rotating the optical element either around an axis substantially in a vertical direction, an axis substantially in an optical axis direction, an axis substantially in a plane formed by the vertical direction and the optical axis direction, or combination of axes thereof is used to vary a vertical separation between two or more spots.

An anamorphic optical element and an adjustment mechanism for selectively rotating the optical element either around an axis substantially in a vertical direction, an axis substantially in an optical axis direction, an axis substantially in a plane formed by the vertical direction and the optical axis direction, or combination of axes thereof is used to vary a vertical separation between two or more spots.

In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a sensor and a controller. The sensor detects a Light for scanning a scanning area to synchronize a main scanning direction in the scanning area. The controller corrects a deviation amount of the main scanning direction by setting a print termination position of the light in the main scanning direction as a reference position based on a detection result of the sensor.

In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a sensor and a controller. The sensor detects a Light for scanning a scanning area to synchronize a main scanning direction in the scanning area. The controller corrects a deviation amount of the main scanning direction by setting a print termination position of the light in the main scanning direction as a reference position based on a detection result of the sensor.

A light scanning device includes: a first semiconductor laser 44a that emits a light beam L1; a polygonal mirror 42 that deflects the light beam L1; a reflective mirror 64a that reflects the light beam L1 deflected by the polygonal mirror 42 and causes the light beam L1 to enter a photosensitive drum 13; and a BD sensor 72 that detects the light beam L1 deflected by the polygonal mirror 42. The light scanning device scans the photosensitive drum 13 with the light beam L1 and set scanning timing of the photosensitive drum 13 using the light beam L1 based on detection timing of the light beam L1 using the BD sensor 72. The BD sensor 72 is arranged in the position farther from the polygonal mirror 42 than the last reflective mirror 64a that reflects the light beam L1 immediately before entering the photosensitive drum 13 and arranged inside a scanning angle range of the light beam L1 corresponding to an effective scan area of the photosensitive drum 13.

A light scanning device includes: a first semiconductor laser 44a that emits a light beam L1; a polygonal mirror 42 that deflects the light beam L1; a reflective mirror 64a that reflects the light beam L1 deflected by the polygonal mirror 42 and causes the light beam L1 to enter a photosensitive drum 13; and a BD sensor 72 that detects the light beam L1 deflected by the polygonal mirror 42. The light scanning device scans the photosensitive drum 13 with the light beam L1 and set scanning timing of the photosensitive drum 13 using the light beam L1 based on detection timing of the light beam L1 using the BD sensor 72. The BD sensor 72 is arranged in the position farther from the polygonal mirror 42 than the last reflective mirror 64a that reflects the light beam L1 immediately before entering the photosensitive drum 13 and arranged inside a scanning angle range of the light beam L1 corresponding to an effective scan area of the photosensitive drum 13.

An image reader including a document table having a reference point, a first region of a sheet having a predetermined size when a vertex of the sheet is positioned on the reference point, and a second region, a changing mechanism changing a reading position in a sub scanning direction, and a controller configured to control the changing mechanism to change the reading position to a first position such that a distance in the sub scanning direction between the reference point and the first position corresponds to a length of the predetermined sheet size in the sub scanning direction, acquire specific digital data of the second region through image reading in the first position with a light source turned off, compare a particular value of the specific digital data with a criterion value within the second region, and determine a state of a document cover based on the comparison.