JP2001147333A - Multibeam optical recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical fiber array which is improved in the arraying accuracy of an array. SOLUTION: This optical fiber array is obtained by fixing optical fibers (3) to a glass plate (5) independently piece by piece, by a UV-curing resin or laser welding.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber array.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A so-called multi-beam system using a plurality of laser beams is effective and important technology for realizing a high printing speed of a laser printer. FIG. 6 shows an example of an optical system of a laser printer using a plurality of semiconductor lasers.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 1 denotes a semiconductor laser module. The semiconductor laser module 1 includes a semiconductor laser 2 serving as a light source and a lens 4 for guiding laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser 2 to an optical fiber 3. Is housed. The tips of the plurality of optical fibers 3 are arranged and fixed in a line on the glass plate 5 to form an optical fiber array.

A plurality of laser beams emitted from the optical fiber array pass through a lens L1, a lens L2, a lens L3, and a lens LC1, enter a rotary polygon mirror 6 serving as a deflection unit, and are scanned by the rotary polygon mirror 6. The surface of the photosensitive drum 8 serving as a body is scanned simultaneously and collectively. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 7 denotes a scanning lens for narrowing the laser beam deflected by the rotary polygon mirror 6 as a minute spot on the photosensitive drum 8. Reference numeral 9 denotes a photodetector for generating a synchronization signal.

[0005]

As shown in FIG. 8, the optical fiber 3 has a portion called a cladding 3a having an outer diameter of 125 .mu.m and a core having an outer diameter of 4 .mu.m at the center of the optical fiber 3 where light propagates. 3b.
Assuming that the optical fibers 3 are arranged at intervals of 150 μm on the surface of the glass plate 5 and the diameter of the laser beam propagating through the core 3 b of the optical fiber is 5 μm, the interval between the multi-beams emitted from the glass plate 5 is 30 in diameter
It will be twice as big. Since this ratio is also preserved on the photosensitive drum 8, in order to form a continuous optical scanning line, the multi-beam is optically scanned obliquely on the photosensitive drum 8 as shown by reference numeral 10 in FIG. If the multi-beams are arranged in a line and at equal intervals with high precision, high-precision optical scanning lines with equal intervals are formed on the photosensitive drum as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7B, an error occurs between the optical scanning lines. The error in the interval between the optical scanning lines greatly deteriorates the print quality.

Therefore, conventionally, in order to realize a high-precision array arrangement, as shown in FIG. 8, 12 V is formed on V-grooves formed at an interval of 150 μm by anisotropic etching of silicon crystal 11.
The optical fibers 3 having an outer diameter of 5 μm were arranged, pressed with a glass plate 12, and adhered with an ultraviolet curing resin 13.

However, in the optical fiber array having the above configuration, there is a limit in realizing a high-precision array arrangement due to variations in the outer diameter of the optical fiber itself, eccentricity of the core 3b, and the like. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to obtain high print quality due to the causes described in (1).

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber array with improved array arrangement accuracy.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor laser module having a plurality of optical fibers, mounted on one end of each optical fiber, and guiding laser light emitted from a semiconductor laser to the optical fibers. In an optical fiber array having a glass plate that supports the other end of each optical fiber in an array, the fixing of the optical fiber to the glass plate is performed one by one by ultraviolet curing resin or laser welding. Is achieved.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (Embodiment 1) A method of manufacturing an array arrangement portion of an optical fiber array will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 2, the optical fiber 3 has Pb-Sn, Ag, Sn,
A metal film 14 made of Cu, Fe, or the like is provided by plating or vapor deposition.

The metal film 14 serves as a holding portion for being held by a holder 15 which will be described later, and is provided so that the fixing operation to the glass plate 5 can be performed efficiently.

The holder 15 is coated with solder, and is connected to a power supply 16 so that the holder 1 is turned on when the power is turned on.
5 is heated so that the holder 15 can be cooled when the power is turned off. When the holder 15 coated with the solder is heated and brought into contact with the metal film 14 of the optical fiber and then cooled, the optical fiber 3 is held by the holder 15. When the holder 15 is removed from the optical fiber 3, the holder 15 is heated to melt the adhered solder.

The holder 15 is movable in the direction of arrow A, and moves the optical fiber 3 to a predetermined position on a glass plate (in this embodiment, quartz glass is used) 5. Next, an ultraviolet curable resin is dropped from the nozzle 17. on the other hand,
A laser light source 1 for generating ultraviolet light from the other end of the optical fiber 3
The laser beam from 8 enters and propagates through the optical fiber 3 to cure the ultraviolet curable resin between the glass plate 5 and the optical fiber 3 and bond the two. This operation is performed one optical fiber at a time to produce an optical fiber array.

Reference numeral 19 denotes a monitor laser light source (He-Ne laser light source) for monitoring the bonding position of the optical fiber 3 to the glass plate 5, and has a red wavelength.
Since it does not contribute to the curing of the ultraviolet curing resin, it is used for monitoring the position of an optical fiber. That is, the positioning of the optical fiber 3 is performed by capturing the position of the monitor laser beam emitted from the optical fiber by the video camera 21 and moving the holder 15 while observing the monitor 22 with the monitor 22. Further, a lamp light source that generates ultraviolet light may be used instead of the laser light source 18 that generates ultraviolet light. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 23 denotes a semi-transparent mirror, and reference numerals 20, 24 denote lenses. (Embodiment 2) Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG.
In FIG. 3, light from a laser light source that generates ultraviolet light is propagated into the optical fiber. However, as shown in FIG. The ultraviolet curing resin between the plate 5 and the optical fiber 3 may be cured. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 25 denotes a lens. (Embodiment 3) As a further embodiment, the configuration shown in FIG. 4 can be considered.

In FIG. 4, the optical fiber 3 is held by a holder 15 as in the above-described embodiment. By allowing the light of the lamp 26 to propagate through the optical fiber 3 and allowing the light emitted from the optical fiber to be observed by the video camera 21, accurate positioning of the optical fiber is performed. The optical fiber whose positioning is completed is partially melted and fixed together with the glass plate 5 by the irradiation of the infrared laser light 27 from the carbon dioxide gas laser.

The optical fiber arrays manufactured according to the first to third embodiments are preferably mounted on an optical system of a printer after reinforcing the structural strength of the optical fibers as shown in FIG. That is, the plurality of optical fibers 3 bonded to the glass plate 5
In order to reinforce the structural strength of the optical fiber 3, a glass plate 28 is laid under the optical fiber 3.
The gap with the lower surface of the optical fiber 3 is filled, and the whole is covered with the resin 29. A base member 30 receives the lower end of the glass plate 5 and the lower surface of the glass plate 28.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of optical fibers and a semiconductor laser module mounted on one end of each optical fiber and guiding laser light emitted from a semiconductor laser to the optical fiber. And an optical fiber array having a glass plate that supports the other end of each of the optical fibers in an array, wherein the fixing of the optical fibers to the glass plate is performed one by one by ultraviolet curing resin or laser welding. Since they are performed independently, it is possible to provide an optical fiber array with improved array arrangement accuracy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a state of manufacturing an optical fiber array of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an optical fiber.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram when the optical fiber array of the present invention is mounted.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of an optical recording apparatus using an optical fiber array.

FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating a case where multi-beams are scanned at equal intervals, and FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating a case where an error occurs in an array arrangement.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a conventional optical fiber array.

[Explanation of symbols]

3 ... optical fiber, 5 ... glass plate, 14 ... metal film, 15 ...
Holder, 16 power supply, 17 nozzle, 18 laser light source, 19 monitor laser light source, 20, 24 lens, 2
1: Video camera, 22: Monitor, 23: Semi-transparent mirror.

Claims (2)

[Claims] A plurality of optical fibers, a semiconductor laser module mounted on one end of each optical fiber, for guiding laser light emitted from a semiconductor laser to the optical fiber, and an other end of each optical fiber in an array. In the optical fiber array having a glass plate arranged and supported in a shape, the fixing of the optical fiber to the glass plate is performed independently one by one by ultraviolet curing resin or laser welding. Optical fiber array. 2. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein a metal film is provided on an outer peripheral portion of the optical fiber so as to hold the optical fiber to the glass plate.