A cylindrical lens is positioned between and a polygon mirror and a second
slit plate through which light beams from two light beam emitting units
pass, and the cylindrical lens has a thin portion where the thickness
between the entrance plane and the emission plane is reduced by forming
the cylindrical lens in a shape created by cutting off a surface top part
of the entrance plane having a convex cross section. The light beams
passed through the second slit plate pass through light converging
portions provided on both sides of the thin portion of the cylindrical
lens in a sub-scanning direction, and are converged on a focal point on a
deflecting plane of the polygon mirror.