JP2001056425A - Optical parts holding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To downsize a device and to shorten an optical path by forming an elastic member which energizes a lens holder toward an contact part of an adjusting member as a conical coil spring. SOLUTION: One end of the adjusting member 5 is constituted as the contact part 5b abutting on one end of the lens holder 3. A space formed of the other end of the lens holder 3 and a hollow part 1a of a holder 1 is provided with the coil spring 8 of a conical shape as an elastic member for energizing the lens holder 3 toward the part 5b of the adjusting member 5. When the beam diameter of a laser beam 7 emitted from a semiconductor laser 2 is adjusted to an optimum value, the lens holder 3 is moved laterally by adjusting the adjusting member 5, by which fine adjustment is carried out. The conical coil spring 8 is used in the manner described above, by which the distance (w) between the inner wall surface of the holder 1 holding the semiconductor laser 2 and the end face of the lens holder 3 may be made to w<d.n, where (d) is the wire diameter of the spring 8 and (n) is the number of turns of the spring 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical component holding device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The prior art will be described with reference to FIG. FIG.
In the figures, 1 is a holder formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, 2 is a semiconductor laser provided at one end of the holder 1, and 3 is a holder 1
Is a lens holder housed and held in the hollow portion 1a. The lens holder 3 is also formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and has a lens 4 mounted therein. Here, the lens holder 3 is provided slidably with respect to the holder 1.

A female screw (not shown) is formed on the inner peripheral surface 1b of the other end of the holder 1, and the outer peripheral surface 5a of the adjusting member 5 is formed.
Is formed so as to be screwable with a male screw (not shown) formed in the above. One end of the adjustment member 5 is configured as a contact portion 5b that contacts one end of the lens holder 3.

In a space formed by the other end of the lens holder 3 and the hollow portion 1a of the holder 1, a coil spring 6 as an elastic member for urging the lens holder 3 toward the contact portion 5b of the adjusting member 5 is provided. Is provided.

When the beam diameter of the laser beam 7 emitted from the semiconductor laser 2 is adjusted to an optimum value in the prior art, the lens holder 3 is moved in the horizontal direction in FIG. Moved and fine-tuned.

[0006]

However, in the case of the above configuration, the distance W between the inner wall surface of the holder 1 holding the semiconductor laser 2 and the end face of the lens holder 3 is set as the coil spring 6.
When the wire diameter is d and the number of turns is n, W ≧ dn is required, and it is difficult to further reduce the size of the device and shorten the optical path.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical component holding device which is advantageous for reducing the size of the device and shortening the optical path.

[0008]

An object of the present invention is to provide a holder formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, a semiconductor laser provided at one end of the holder, and a holder housed and held in a hollow portion of the holder. A lens holder slidably provided, an adjusting member which is attached to the other end of the holder by screwing, and has an abutting portion which abuts one end of the lens holder; and the other end of the lens holder And an elastic member housed in a space defined by the hollow portion of the holder and the elastic member for urging the lens holder toward the abutting portion of the adjusting member. This is achieved by using a shaped coil spring.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, the configuration of the optical component holding device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a holder formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, reference numeral 2 denotes a semiconductor laser provided at one end of the holder 1, and reference numeral 3 denotes a lens holder housed and held in a hollow portion 1a of the holder 1. The lens holder 3 is also formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and has a lens 4 mounted therein. Here, the lens holder 3 is provided slidably with respect to the holder 1. Inner peripheral surface 1 at the other end of holder 1
Although not shown, a female screw (not shown) is formed on b, and it is configured to be screwable with a male screw (not shown) formed on the outer peripheral surface 5 a of the adjusting member 5. One end of the adjustment member 5 is configured as a contact portion 5b that contacts one end of the lens holder 3.

In a space formed by the other end of the lens holder 3 and the hollow portion 1a of the holder 1, a conical coil spring as an elastic member for urging the lens holder 3 toward the contact portion 5b of the adjusting member 5 is provided. 8 are provided.

With the above configuration, when adjusting the beam diameter of the laser beam 7 emitted from the semiconductor laser 2 to an optimum value, the lens holder 3 is moved in the left-right direction in FIG. Fine adjustments are made.

By using the conical coil spring 8 as described above, the distance w between the inner wall surface of the holder 1 holding the semiconductor laser 2 and the end surface of the lens holder 3 is set to w <dn (where d is the spring 8). (The wire diameter, n is the number of turns of the spring 8), thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the device and shorten the optical path.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing an example in which the optical component holding device of FIG. 1 is applied to a scanning device mounted on a laser printer, a copying machine, or the like.

In FIG. 1, a laser beam 7 emitted from a semiconductor laser 2 (in this embodiment, a structure in which two laser beams are emitted) is converted into a parallel beam by a lens (collimator lens) 4 and a cylinder lens group 9 The vertical and horizontal diameters are narrowed down, and an image is formed on the rotary polygon mirror 10 once, and then scanned. The laser beam 7 scanned by the rotating polygon mirror 10 passes through the fθ lens 11 and the return mirror 12, and is further narrowed down only by the longitudinal diameter of the laser beam by the long cylinder lens 13, and is scanned on the photoreceptor 14 serving as the surface to be scanned. Then, an electrostatic latent image is recorded and formed on the photoconductor 14.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, a holder formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, a semiconductor laser provided at one end of the holder, and a holder housed and held in a hollow portion of the holder, A lens holder provided slidably with respect to, and attached by screwing to the other end of the holder,
An adjusting member having an abutting portion abutting on one end of the lens holder; and an adjusting member accommodated in a space formed by the other end of the lens holder and the hollow portion of the holder, and In an optical component holding device having an elastic member biasing toward a contact portion, since the elastic member is a conical coil spring, an optical component holding device advantageous for miniaturizing the device and shortening the optical path is provided. Can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an optical component holding device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a scanning device.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional optical component holding device.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Holder, 2 ... Semiconductor laser, 3 ... Lens holder, 4
... Lens, 5 ... Adjustment member, 8 ... Conical coil spring.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A holder formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, a semiconductor laser provided at one end of the holder, and a lens holder housed and held in a hollow portion of the holder and slidably provided with respect to the holder. And an adjusting member that is screwed to the other end of the holder and has a contact portion that contacts one end of the lens holder, and is formed by the other end of the lens holder and a hollow portion of the holder. Housed in the space
An optical component holding device comprising: an elastic member for urging the lens holder toward a contact portion of the adjusting member; wherein the elastic member is a conical coil spring.