Method of controlling a laser marking matrix system, the matrix system comprising an N×M matrix of lasers to produce the laser marking, the method comprising the sequential transformation of at least two images to be marked into a series of marking commands according to an N×M matrix of dots, which comprises the following phases: division of a first image into a fixed portion and a variable portion, transformation of the fixed portion into a fixed matrix and the variable portion into a variable matrix, combination of said fixed and variable matrices, laser marking of the first image, processing of a second image, obtaining a new variable matrix which is added to the previous fixed matrix, producing a complete new matrix, laser marking of the second image.

Apparatus and method for using a line laser (LL) to quickly mark a substrate or media by utilizing a laser additive on/within the substrate/media, which greatly reduces the power requirement for marking the substrate/media. The combination of the LL wide swath (>305 mm) and the improved media/surface sensitivity to laser wavelength allows the LL marking system to achieve faster marking than other systems. The LL is mounted over a transport which transports the sensitized substrate/media past the LL for marking. The desired image is projected from the LL line by line in synch with the moving media and once the media passes the beam path of the LL, marking is complete. In this case, the media has been physically-altered via the heat generated by the LL interacting with the photosensitized media and is permanent. A second method would use a photosensitizing agent coated on top of the media to be marked.

A peripheral with a pivotal turn-over guiding mechanism includes: a transporting mechanism; first to third passages; an image processing unit disposed on the first passage, wherein after the image processing unit performs a first image process on a first side of a medium, the transporting mechanism transports the medium into, partially out of and back into the second passage, into the third passage, and then into the first passage, and the image processing unit performs a second image process on a second side of the medium; and a guide member, which is rotatably disposed at a connection portion of the third passage, the second passage and the first passage, normally closes a forward path from the first passage to the second passage, and normally opens a reverse path from the second passage to the third passage.

To perform appropriate printing on a workpiece moving along a three-dimensional movement path. A laser marking apparatus includes: a laser light output section; a laser light scanning section; a print data generation section; a marking control section; and a print pattern correction section that corrects a print pattern received by an input interface based on movement path information related to a movement path of a workpiece moving with a change in a posture in a three-dimensional space. The print data generation section generates print data based on the print pattern corrected by the print pattern correction section.

An optical scanning unit includes a rotatable multi-faceted mirror having a plurality of faces reflecting light flux emitted from a light source to scan a scanning area in a main scanning direction. A width of the light flux striking the rotatable multi-faceted mirror is smaller than a length of a face of the rotatable multi-faceted mirror. The entire of light flux striking the rotatable multi-faceted mirror is reflected at a first face when the light flux reflected by the rotatable multi-faceted mirror is directed to the center portion of the scanning area. A part of the light flux striking the rotatable multi-faceted mirror is reflected at the first face while the remaining of the light flux is reflected at a second face when the light flux reflected by the rotatable multi-faceted mirror is directed to a least one of the two end portions of the scanning area.

A light deflector and an image forming apparatus including the light deflector are provided. The light deflector includes a polygon mirror made of plastic and a motor including a rotor. The rotor supports the polygon mirror and includes a base and a first protrusion protruding from the base toward the polygon mirror in an axial direction. The polygon mirror includes a main body having a plurality of reflecting surfaces, and a second protrusion protruding from the main body toward the base. The second protrusion has an end face and an inner face. The end face is in contact with the base in the axial direction, and the inner face is in contact with the first protrusion in a radial direction.

A controller which causes a light emitting element to continuously perform minute emission for a plurality of dots in a level in which toner is not attached to a non-image section on an image bearing member is provided. The controller controls a first driving current for an image section and controls a second driving current used to perform the minute emission by the light emitting element in the non-image section several times in one job. In the image section, a driving current obtained by adding the first driving current to the second driving current is supplied so that the light emitting element emits light.

A scanning unit includes a light source controllable to emit a light beam; a scanning mirror having a plurality of reflective surfaces, the scanning mirror receiving the light beam from the light source and deflecting at least portions of the light beam along a scan direction; and a collimator lens disposed between the light source and the scanning mirror, the collimator lens having a light incident surface that is spherical and a light exit surface that is aspheric such that the light beam, after passing through the collimator lens, is diverged by the collimator lens so as to be incident on at least two reflective surfaces of the scanning mirror.

In order to provide a polygon mirror which can reduce a light amount difference among respective image heights on a scanned surface with suppressing an increase in size in a light scanning apparatus, the polygon mirror according to the present invention includes a plurality of rectangular reflecting surfaces in which the following condition is satisfied:

0.02<|1−B/A|<0.10

where A represents a reflectivity at a center of the reflecting surface with respect to a light flux which is incident at a predetermined incident angle, and B represents the reflectivity at a predetermined point between the center and an end in the longitudinal direction of the reflecting surface with respect to the light flux which is incident at the predetermined incident angle.

A device for applying at least a first energy to a substrate includes a conversion material application unit configured to apply a conversion material for converting a second energy to the first energy to the substrate and an energy application unit configured to apply the second energy to the conversion material applied to the substrate, wherein the second energy corresponds to an amount of heat not less than heat of evaporation of the conversion material.