JP5705262B2 - Spectral colorimeter and image forming apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine and an LBP, and in particular, a plurality of photoelectric conversions in which detected light beams dispersed using a diffraction grating are arranged in an array for identifying the color of a subject and measuring colors. The present invention relates to a spectrocolorimetric device that detects an element.

  In an image forming apparatus that forms a color image, there may be a shift in the color of the color image. In particular, in electrophotography, transfer efficiency varies depending on the drum sensitivity, toner charge capacity, and paper type due to changes in the usage environment and aging, and the color mixture ratio of toner deviates from the specified value, affecting the color tone. It is easy to give. In addition, such a phenomenon may change the color depending on the machine difference of the image forming apparatus. For this reason, there is a possibility that the color tone of the formed color image cannot be consistent. In order to solve such a problem, the color of the detected surface is measured using a color measuring device, and the image forming conditions of the image forming apparatus are controlled, so that the consistency of the color of the formed color image is improved. I am trying.

  Previously, the applicant has disclosed a color measuring device having the following configuration according to Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-110884. This color measuring device includes an illumination optical system that illuminates a surface to be examined, a light guide optical system that guides a reflected light beam from the test surface to a spectroscopic optical system, and a spectral intensity distribution that splits the guided light beam. This is a spectrocolorimetric apparatus having a spectroscopic optical system that acquires the above (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-11084

  In order to measure the color of the surface to be detected more accurately with such a spectrocolorimeter, the position and orientation of the optical member are adjusted, and the light beam reflected on the surface to be detected is accurately positioned. There is a need. The accuracy of the adjustment of the position and orientation of the optical member is required to be higher as the spectrocolorimeter is smaller. For example, when an illumination optical system, a light guide optical system, and a spectroscopic optical system are accommodated in one housing in order to reduce the size of the apparatus, other tools for electrical connection or multi-axis adjustment are used. The space for insertion so as not to contact the optical member is narrowly limited. For this reason, it is difficult to perform the work, and the productivity may be reduced.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a spectral colorimetric device that can be miniaturized while ensuring productivity, and an image forming apparatus having the spectral colorimetric device.

The present invention receives a concave diffraction grating that splits and collects an incident light beam, and a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in one direction to receive the light beam that is split and condensed by the concave diffraction grating. In the spectrocolorimetric apparatus, comprising: an array-type light receiving member that outputs an electrical signal corresponding to each of the conversion elements; and a box-shaped housing that supports the concave diffraction grating and the array-type light receiving member. The side wall of the light source is adjusted to be parallel to a tangent line in an opening portion through which the dispersed light beam passes and a portion outside the Roland circle of the concave diffraction grating in a region of the light beam received by the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements. A surface and a convex portion that is convex toward the outside of the housing, and the adjustment surface is formed between the array-type light receiving member and the center of the Roland circle in a normal direction of a tangent to the Roland circle. One distance The array-type light-receiving member is contacted to determine the position of the array-type light-receiving member so that the convex portion is within the region of the light flux received by the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements in the Roland circle of the concave diffraction grating. The array type light receiving member is disposed at a position facing the array type light receiving member with respect to the radial direction in the portion and the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged. The direction in which the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged is parallel to the tangent to the Roland circle, and the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are in contact with the adjustment surface so as to receive the light flux that has passed through the opening. It is fixed to the housing by an adhesive between a convex part and the array type light receiving member.
The present invention also includes a concave reflection type diffraction grating that splits an incident light beam, a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, a light receiving member that receives light separated by the diffraction grating by the photoelectric conversion elements, and the diffraction grating. And a housing for holding the light receiving member, wherein the side wall of the housing has an adjustment surface parallel to a tangent to a Roland circle and facing the outside of the housing. And the convex portion is disposed at a position facing the light receiving member with respect to a direction orthogonal to a radial direction and a tangential direction of the Roland circle of the diffraction grating. An adjustment step of determining a position of the light receiving member with respect to the diffraction grating by moving the member in a state of being abutted against the adjustment surface so that an arrangement direction of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements is parallel to the adjustment surface; the convex after the step It is characterized by having a fixation step for fixing the light receiving member to the housing by filled adhesive between the light receiving member as.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the apparatus while ensuring productivity in the spectrocolorimetric apparatus.

1 is a schematic diagram of a color image forming apparatus. (A) Schematic of internal structure of color sensor unit. (B) Schematic of the external configuration in a state where a lid is attached to the color sensor unit. The figure which looked at the color sensor unit of (a) from the upper surface. (B) Sectional drawing of the color sensor unit in the AA 'line of Fig.3 (a). (A) Sectional drawing when a line sensor is seen from a longitudinal direction. (B) The figure which shows a part of cross section in the B-B 'line | wire of FIG. 3 of the side wall in the state holding the line sensor. (A) The figure seen from back side diagonally upward in the state which decomposed | disassembled the line sensor attached to a housing virtually. (B) The figure which looked at the line sensor of the state attached to the housing from the back side diagonally downward. The figure explaining the outline of a movement of the X direction of the light receiving element of a line sensor. (A) The figure which looked at the color sensor unit at the time of line sensor adjustment from diagonally upward. (B) The figure which looked at the color sensor unit at the time of line sensor adjustment from diagonally upward. The graph which shows the output of the light receiving element with respect to the position of the Y-axis direction of the line sensor at the time of monochromator output. (A) The figure which shows the relationship between the light receiving element of a line sensor, and its output. (B) The graph which shows the output of the pixel of a light receiving element when a monochromator outputs predetermined single wavelength light. (C) The graph which shows the relationship between a wavelength and the pixel position of a line sensor. The figure which shows the outline | summary of holding | maintenance of the line sensor by a housing. (A) The figure which looked at the holding member of the state attached to the housing from diagonally upward. (B) The figure which looked at the holding member of the state attached to the housing from diagonally downward. Sectional drawing in the C-C 'line | wire of Fig.11 (a) of the side wall state in the state holding the line sensor and the holding member. The figure which looked at the color sensor unit at the time of line sensor adjustment from diagonally upward. The figure which shows the other structure of a holding member and a line sensor adjustment tool. The figure which shows the other structure of the adjustment surface vicinity of a side wall.

  Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, optical characteristics, and the like of the components described in this embodiment should be changed as appropriate according to the device to which the invention is applied and various conditions. It is not intended that the scope of the present invention be limited to the following embodiments.

<First Embodiment>
The first embodiment of the present invention will be described below. First, a color image forming apparatus equipped with the spectral colorimetric device of the first embodiment will be described, and then color calibration using the spectral colorimetric device will be described.

(Color image forming device)
First, image formation by a color image forming apparatus equipped with the spectral colorimetric apparatus of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a color image forming apparatus equipped with a spectral colorimetry device that is a detection means for detecting a color image of the present embodiment. Reference numeral 1000 denotes a spectrocolorimetric apparatus having a configuration described later. Reference numerals 1 (1C, 1M, 1Y, 1BK) denote photosensitive drums as image carriers, which rotate counterclockwise in the drawing. First, the surface of the photosensitive drums 1C, 1M, 1Y, 1BK is uniformly charged by the charger 2 (2C, 2M, 2Y, 2BK). Next, each light beam (laser beam) L (LC, LM, LY, LBK) light-modulated based on the image information is emitted from the scanning optical device 300, and the corresponding photosensitive drums 1C, 1M, 1Y, 1BK surfaces respectively. Irradiate the top to form an electrostatic latent image. The electrostatic latent images are visualized as cyan, magenta, yellow, and black toner images by the developing device 4 (4C, 4M, 4Y, 4BK), respectively. On the other hand, the sheet material P stacked on the sheet feeding tray 7 is sequentially fed out one by one by the sheet feeding roller 8 and is fed onto the transfer belt 10 by the registration roller 9 in synchronization with the image writing timing. Each of the toner images is transferred onto the sheet material P conveyed on the transfer belt 10 by the transfer roller 5 (5C, 5M, 5Y, 5BK), and a color image is formed. Finally, the sheet material P is pressed and heated by the fixing device 12 to obtain a color image fixed on the sheet material P. The sheet material P is conveyed by the discharge roller 13 and discharged outside the apparatus. . Residual toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 (1C, 1M, 1Y, 1BK) after the transfer is removed by the cleaner 6 (6C, 6M, 6Y, 6BK), and again to form the next color image. The charger 2 (2C, 2M, 2Y, 2BK) is uniformly charged. Here, the photosensitive drum 1, the charger 2, the scanning optical device 300, the developing device 4, the transfer roller 5, and the fixing device 12 are image forming means for forming an image on a sheet material.

(Color calibration using a spectrocolorimeter)
Next, color calibration using a spectrocolorimeter will be described. A spectrocolorimeter (hereinafter referred to as a color sensor unit) 1000 is installed on a paper conveyance path immediately after the fixing device 12 and is arranged so that illumination light is irradiated at an incident angle of about 45 ° with respect to the paper surface. Has been. The color sensor unit 1000 detects the color of each color patch on the paper on which a single color or mixed color patch is formed and fixed. Then, color calibration is performed by controlling the image forming conditions of the image forming unit based on the output of the color sensor unit. Here, the color measurement on the color patch on the paper surface after image fixing is performed in order to perform color calibration in consideration of a change in color due to the paper type and fixing. The detection result read by the color sensor is transferred to a printer controller (not shown), and the printer controller determines whether the color reproducibility of the output color patch is appropriate. If the color difference between the color tone of the output color patch and the color instructed by the print controller according to the image data is within a predetermined range, the color calibration is terminated. If the color difference is outside the predetermined range, the printer controller performs color calibration based on the color difference information until it falls within the predetermined color difference.

  As described above, by mounting the color sensor unit in the color image forming apparatus, the color of the color image formed on the paper surface is corrected by detecting the color of the color image formed on the paper surface. Can do. That is, when there is a difference between the color specified by the print controller and the color of the color image formed on the paper depending on the image data due to machine differences in the image forming apparatus, paper type, usage environment, usage frequency, etc. But it can reproduce a stable color. Therefore, more advanced color calibration can be realized.

(Spectro colorimetry device (color sensor unit))
Next, the spectral colorimetry apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of an internal configuration of the color sensor unit, and FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of an external configuration in a state where a lid is attached to the color sensor unit. FIG. 3A is a view of the color sensor unit in a state where the lid is removed, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the color sensor unit taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. . However, FIG. 3B shows a state where the color sensor unit is covered. Note that the posture of the unit 1000 in a state in which the color sensor unit 1000 performs detection by irradiating light on the horizontal detection surface 800 (FIG. 3B) from below is a reference posture that determines the vertical direction of the unit 1000. To do. That is, the upper side of FIG. 3B is the upper side of the color sensor unit 1000. However, this reference posture is set for convenience of explanation, and the posture that the color sensor unit 1000 detects is not limited to this reference posture.

  Hereinafter, each member constituting the color sensor unit 1000 will be described. The LED 110 is a white LED (light emitting diode) as a light source. The LED 110 is a TOPVIEW type light emitting diode that is mounted on a sensor unit control circuit board 120 described later and emits light in the vertical direction from the mounting surface. This LED 110 is a white LED because it corresponds to a colorimetric range of wavelengths of 350 nm to 750 nm. The sensor unit control circuit board 120 is a circuit board that performs light emission control of the LED 110 and signal processing control for converting an output detected by a line sensor 170 described later into an electrical signal. The illumination optical member 130 is a light guide optical member for irradiating the detected surface 800 (FIG. 3B) with the light beam L emitted from the LED 110. Specifically, it is a light guide formed of acrylic resin. The luminous flux L emitted from the LED 110 has a light distribution angle characteristic in which the light amount is maximum in the surface normal direction of the light emitting surface, and the light amount decreases as the distance from the surface normal direction is increased (tilted). For this reason, the illumination optical member 130 has a shape capable of efficiently guiding the light onto the detection surface.

  The light guide optical member 140 is an optical member for guiding reflected light from the surface to be detected to a slit 150 described later. The light guide optical member 140 is a light guide formed of acrylic resin, and has a function of folding a light beam from the detected surface 800 in a direction substantially parallel to the detected surface 800 and condensing it in a direction parallel to the spectral direction X. have. The spectral direction X is a direction in which a light beam is separated for each wavelength by a concave diffraction grating 160 described later. The slit 150 is a slit arranged so that the light beam guided by the light guide optical member 140 forms a desired spot shape on the line sensor 170 described later.

  The concave diffraction grating 160 is an optical member that reflects the light beam emitted from the slit 150 by the spectral reflection surface 161 and separates it. The concave diffraction grating 160 is a resin member manufactured by injection molding. The spectral reflection surface 161 has a shape in which fine blazed gratings are formed on the base surface at equal intervals. A Roland circle R is defined in the Roland type spectroscopic optical system using such a concave diffraction grating. If the direction orthogonal to the spectral direction X and the optical axis direction of the spectral luminous flux is defined as the Y direction, the Roland circle has a diameter having the same length as the radius of curvature of the spectral reflecting surface 161 and is a virtual contact with the central point of the spectral reflecting surface. Circle. The light separated by the concave diffraction grating 160 is collected on the Roland circle R. When the base surface of the spectral reflection surface 161 is spherical, the optical performance deteriorates because the imaging state differs between the spectral direction X and the direction Y. Therefore, the base surface has a curved surface with different curvatures in the spectral direction X and the direction Y, and sufficient imaging performance is obtained.

  The line sensor 170 is an optical member having a light receiving element 174 as an array type light receiving member in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements (pixels) such as Si photodiodes are arrayed in the spectral direction X. The spectral beam split by the concave diffraction grating 160 is received by the light receiving element 174, and an output corresponding to the amount of light received for each photoelectric conversion element is output. As will be described in detail later, the line sensor 170 is held on the housing 100 by an adhesive filled between the line sensor 170 and the convex portion 103 provided on the housing 100. The light receiving element 174 is connected to a flexible circuit board 175 electrically connected to the sensor unit control circuit board 120, and the output is output to the sensor unit control circuit board 120 via the flexible circuit board 175.

  The above-described optical member group and circuit board are accommodated or held in a housing 100 that is a box-shaped casing including a bottom surface and a side wall 101 surrounding the bottom surface. The line sensor 170 is supported on the outside of the housing 100 by the side wall 101. The sensor unit drive control circuit board 120 is fastened to the bottom surface of the housing 100 from below with screws 200 (FIG. 5A) and is held by the housing. Therefore, it is possible to secure a wider space around the line sensor 170 than to hold the sensor unit drive control circuit board 120 on the line sensor 170 itself. Further, even when contact energization is performed with a probe tool or the like to control the light emission of the LED 110 and the output of the line sensor 170, external stress is not directly applied to the line sensor 170, and various characteristics are not deteriorated. .

  The illumination optical member 130, the light guide optical member 140, and the concave diffraction grating 160 are each positioned at a positioning portion provided in the housing 100, and are bonded and fixed with an adhesive. The slit 150 and the line sensor 170 are adjusted in position so as to be positioned substantially on the circumference of the Roland circle R, and are fixed to the housing 100 by adhesion.

  A housing cover 190 is attached to the housing 100 in order to cover the inside, and is integrated into the color sensor unit 1000. In part of the housing cover 190, irradiation light that is irradiated onto the detection surface through the illumination optical member 130 and reflected light that is reflected on the detection surface and guided to the light guide optical member 140 pass. An open window is provided. A cover glass 190b is attached to the opening window so that dust, paper dust and the like do not enter the housing. Further, the housing cover 190 is formed with a line sensor cover portion 190 a that extends not only to cover the inside of the housing 100 but also to cover the back side of the line sensor 170 (the side that does not contact the side wall 101). Yes. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent and protect the line sensor 170 from being contacted during conveyance after assembling the unit or incorporation into the image forming apparatus. 2B shows a part of the outline of the side wall 101 of the housing 100 hidden behind the housing cover 190. The broken line in FIG.

(Color measurement method)
Next, a color patch colorimetry method using the color sensor unit 1000 integrated in this way will be described. As shown in FIG. 3B, the luminous flux (optical axis L3) emitted from the LED 110 passes through the illumination optical member 130 and the cover glass 190b, and illuminates the color patch 800 as the detection surface formed on the paper surface. . The light beam (optical axis L4) reflected by the color patch 800 passes through the cover glass 190b and the light guide optical member 140, is guided to the slit 150, and forms a substantially linear image on the slit 150. A light beam (optical axis L1) that passes through the slit 150 and is regulated to a predetermined shape enters the concave diffraction grating 160. Of the light beams reflected and diffracted by the concave diffraction grating 160, the light beam (optical axis L2) dispersed as the first-order diffracted light is imaged as a slit image for each wavelength on the line sensor 170. In FIG. 3A, the optical axis of a light beam having a wavelength of 550 nm is representatively shown as the optical axis L2. The line sensor 170 receives light of each wavelength by the light receiving element 174, and performs output according to the received light. This output is corrected by the sensor unit control circuit board 120 based on the spectral characteristics of the white LED 110 and the spectral sensitivity characteristics of the light receiving element, and the color tone of the light beam (optical axis L4) reflected by the color patch 800 is calculated. The calculated value is transmitted to a printer controller (not shown). In this way, color measurement of the color patch 800 is performed.

  The present invention is characterized in that the line sensor 170 is held. For this reason, the following describes the configuration of the line sensor 170 itself, the configuration of the side wall 101 that holds the line sensor 170, and the method of attaching and adjusting the line sensor 170.

(Configuration of line sensor)
First, the configuration of the line sensor 170 will be described in detail. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the line sensor 170 as viewed from the short side. The line sensor 170 is configured by a layer structure of a substrate portion 171 on which the light receiving element 174 is mounted, a sealing portion 172 that seals the light receiving element 174 with an adhesive, and a glass portion 173 that covers them. . The light receiving element 174 has a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements (pixels) arranged in one direction. Here, a light receiving surface S is a surface that receives light of the light receiving element 174. A deformable flexible circuit board 175 is bonded to the substrate portion 171 and is electrically connected to the substrate portion 171 with solder.

  FIG. 5A is a view of the line sensor 170 and the like attached to the housing 100 as viewed from obliquely upward on the back side in a virtually disassembled state. The illumination optical member 130 is not shown. FIG. 5B is a view of the line sensor 170 in a state attached to the housing 100 as viewed from the lower rear side. One end of the flexible circuit board 175 that is not connected to the board portion 171 of the line sensor 170 with the line sensor 170 attached is connected to the sensor unit control circuit board 120. A reinforcing member 176 made of a glass epoxy material that reinforces the connecting portion is bonded to the back side of the portion where the substrate portion 171 and the flexible circuit board 175 of the line sensor 170 are connected. The reinforcing member 176 is also a member for firmly supporting the line sensor 170 with a tool described later. Note that the flexible circuit board 175 and the reinforcing member 176 are adhered and covered only on the portion where the electrical connection on the back side of the board portion 171 of the line sensor 170 is performed. Other portions are shaped so that the substrate portion 171 is exposed. For this reason, the heat dissipation of the line sensor 170 is good. Further, the reinforcing member 176 is formed with a support portion (not shown) for facilitating support by being sandwiched between tools when the line sensor 170 is adjusted. The reinforcing member 176 has such a rigidity that the line sensor 170 is not deformed while the line sensor 170 is firmly supported by a tool. Since the shape of the reinforcing member 176 can be arbitrarily optimized according to the tool and process design, the degree of freedom in design is expanded.

(Housing supporting line sensor)
Next, the configuration of the side wall 101 of the housing 100 that supports the line sensor 170 will be described with reference to FIG. In a spectroscopic optical system using a concave diffraction grating, the light source arranged on the Roland circle R of the concave diffraction grating and the image have a conjugate relationship. That is, when the line sensor is arranged on the Roland circle, good optical performance can be obtained. Therefore, the portion of the side wall 101 where the line sensor 170 is disposed is provided substantially parallel to the tangent to the Roland circle R so that the line sensor 170 can be disposed on the Roland circle R of the concave diffraction grating 160. Further, L1 and L2 in FIG. 3A are optical axes of a light beam having a wavelength of 550 nm, and represent the light beam incident on the line sensor. An optical axis L1 that passes through the slit 150 and enters the concave reflection diffraction grating 160 and an optical axis L2 that is reflected by the concave diffraction grating 160 and enters the line sensor 170 are used. Here, better optical performance can be obtained when the angle formed by the optical axis L1 and the optical axis L2 is smaller. The same can be said for light of other wavelengths. For this reason, the portion of the side wall 101 where the line sensor 170 is disposed is provided at a position where the angle between the optical axis L1 and the optical axis L2 is as small as possible while ensuring a space where the position of the line sensor 170 can be adjusted. Yes.

  Next, the portion of the side wall 101 that holds the line sensor 170 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5 (a), 5 (b), and 4 (b). 4B is a view showing a part of a cross section taken along line BB ′ of FIG. 3 of the side wall 101 in a state where the line sensor 170 is held. The line sensor 170 shows a cross section seen from the longitudinal direction. Yes. An opening 102 is provided in the side wall 101, and a spectral beam from the concave diffraction grating 160 passes through the opening 102 and reaches the light receiving element 174 of the line sensor 170. Note that the shape of the opening 102 is a size that allows the first-order diffracted light (spectral light beam) of the diffracted light to pass through the light having a wavelength of 350 to 750 nm necessary for colorimetry and diffracted by the concave diffraction grating 160. An adjustment surface 104 that abuts the line sensor 170 from the outside of the housing 100 is provided around the opening 102 of the side wall 101. The line sensor 170 is fixed to the side wall 101 with the surface of the glass portion 173 in contact with the adjustment surface 104 and with the light receiving surface S facing the opening 102. The position adjustment of the line sensor 170 described later is performed by moving the line sensor 107 in the X direction and the Y direction with the line sensor 107 abutting against the adjustment surface 104. That is, the adjustment surface 104 functions as a surface (contact surface) for adjusting the line sensor 107 in contact. With the line sensor 170 attached to the sidewall 101, the opening 102 is blocked by the line sensor 170. Then, by fixing the adjustment surface 104 around the opening 102 and the glass portion 173 of the line sensor 170 in contact with each other, a gap in which outside air enters the housing 100 is filled. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of dirt due to the intrusion of dust such as paper dust.

  Next, the adjustment surface 104 will be described in detail. The adjustment surface 104 is provided substantially parallel to the spectral direction X and the direction Y orthogonal to the direction of the optical axis L2 of the spectral light beam. The adjustment surface 104 is provided so as to be substantially parallel to a tangent line in a portion in the region of the first-order diffracted light beam (spectral light beam) having a wavelength of 350 nm to 750 nm received by the line sensor 170 of the Roland circle R. The portion of the Roland circle R in the region of the first-order diffracted light beam having a wavelength of 350 nm to 750 nm is the first-order diffracted light beam of the Roland circle R having a wavelength of 350 nm to 750 nm as viewed from the direction Y as shown in FIG. This is the intersection. Here, the portion of the Roland circle R that intersects the first-order diffracted light beam with a wavelength of 350 nm to 750 nm is defined as an arc Ra. The position of the adjustment surface 104 in the radial direction of the Roland circle R is such that at least one point on the light receiving surface S is positioned on the arc Ra in a state where the line sensor 170 is in contact with the adjustment surface 104. The fact that at least one point on the light receiving surface S is located on the circular arc Ra takes into account the refractive indexes of the glass portion 173 and the sealing portion 172. However, the position of the adjustment surface 104 in the radial direction of the Roland circle R is preferably the above-described position, but it may not be strictly the above-mentioned position but may be a position near the position. This is because it is possible to adjust the spot shape of the light beam formed on the light receiving surface S by adjusting the position of a slit 150, which will be described later, so that the line sensor 170 can detect the spectral light beam with sufficient accuracy. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the movement of the light receiving element 174 of the line sensor 170 in the X direction, as viewed from the Y direction. The adjustment surface 104 (not shown) is provided so as to be substantially parallel to a tangent line Rt at a portion where the spectral light beam received by the line sensor 170 of the Roland circle R intersects. For this reason, when the line sensor 170 is moved in the X direction in contact with the adjustment surface 104, the light receiving surface S moves along the tangent line Rt. That is, the distance between the light receiving surface S and the center O of the Roland circle R in the normal direction of the light receiving surface S (the direction of the radius Rr at the contact point between the tangent Rt and the Roland circle R) is constant.

  In addition, the side wall 101 is devised to accurately bond and fix the line sensor 170. That is, the side wall 101 is provided with a convex portion 103 that is convex on the side (outside of the housing) on which the line sensor 170 abuts. The convex portion 103 is provided at a position facing both ends of the line sensor 170 that contacts the adjustment surface 104 in the Y direction and near the center of the light receiving element 174 of the line sensor 170 that contacts the adjustment surface 104 in the X direction. ing. An ultraviolet curable adhesive 201 is filled between the convex portion 103 and the line sensor 170, and after the position of the line sensor 170 is adjusted, ultraviolet rays are applied to cure the ultraviolet curable adhesive 201, and the line sensor 170 is applied to the side wall 101. Fix it.

(Outline of line sensor adjustment method)
Next, the outline of the adjustment method of the line sensor 170 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an outline of line sensor adjustment. FIG. 7A is a diagram of the color sensor unit when the line sensor is adjusted as viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 7B is a diagram of the color sensor unit when the line sensor is adjusted as seen obliquely from above. The position of the line sensor 170 is adjusted by adjusting the position in the direction of two axes parallel to a plane perpendicular to the normal line of the light receiving surface S of the light receiving element 174 and the posture around the normal line of the light receiving surface S. One of the two axes is the direction in which the light receiving elements 174 are arranged, that is, the axis (X axis) in the spectral direction X where the light beam incident on the concave diffraction grating is split and separated for each wavelength. The other axis is an axis (Y axis) in a direction Y perpendicular to the optical axis incident on the line sensor 170 and perpendicular to the spectral direction. After the position is determined, each pixel of the line sensor 170 is associated with the spectral light beam.

(Line sensor adjustment tool)
With reference to Fig.7 (a), the tool for adjustment is demonstrated first. Reference numeral 501 denotes an abutting tool that supports one end of the X axis of a reinforcing member that is integral with the line sensor. A clamp tool 502 supports the line sensor in the Y-axis direction up and down. A biasing tool 503 biases and supports the line sensor in the optical axis direction. Reference numeral 504 denotes a monochromator capable of outputting single wavelength light. The abutting tool 501, the clamp tool 502, and the urging tool 503 are integrated as a line sensor adjustment tool 500. In a state where the line sensor 170 is gripped, the line sensor adjustment tool 500 has two axes, that is, a line sensor 170 arrangement direction (X axis) and a direction orthogonal to the line sensor 170 arrangement direction (Y axis) by a moving device (not shown). It can move in the direction. Further, the line sensor 170 can be rotated around the normal line of the light receiving surface S. These tools are not shown in FIG. 7B.

  The reinforcing member 176 integral with the line sensor 170 abuts against the abutting tool 501 at one end of the side not connected to the sensor unit control circuit board 120 (the side where the flexible circuit board 175 does not come out). The position of the sensor 170 in the X-axis direction is determined. Further, the line sensor 170 is supported at four places by the clamp tool 502, thereby determining the position of the line sensor 170 in the Y-axis direction.

  In a state where the line sensor 170 is held by the clamp tool 502, it is desirable to satisfy the following conditions in order to maintain a stable holding state. When viewed from the direction orthogonal to the X-axis and Y-axis, the light-receiving elements 174 arranged in an array in a virtual quadrilateral formed by connecting four points contacting the clamp tool 502 of the line sensor 170 with straight lines. Of these, the center O, which is the position of the center light receiving element in the arrangement direction, is located. More preferably, the approximate center (intersection of diagonal lines) or the center of gravity of the above-described virtual quadrangle and the position of the center O substantially coincide. In the present embodiment, the approximate center of the virtual quadrangle coincides with the center O.

  The position of the line sensor 170 is adjusted while the line sensor 170 is held by the clamp tool 502 and abutted against the adjustment surface 104 and the position of the slit 150 is adjusted. The housing 100 to which optical components other than the line sensor 170 are bonded and fixed is attached to the reference position of the adjustment tool. The adjustment surface 104 (FIGS. 4B and 5A) of the side wall 101 of the housing 100 so that the glass portion 173 of the line sensor 170 is urged by the urging tool 503 in the normal direction of the light receiving surface. See). Here, the X-axis and Y-axis positions of the line sensor 170 and the posture of the light-receiving surface S around the normal direction are temporarily determined while being held by the clamp tool 502 and abutting the line sensor 170 against the adjustment surface 104. In this state, light having a wavelength of 350 nm to 750 nm is incident on at least the light receiving element 174. In this state, the positions of the X and Y axes of the line sensor 170 are provisional positions that are temporarily determined in order to perform slit adjustment. The final positioning of the X axis and the Y axis is performed after the position of the slit 150 is adjusted in this state.

  This temporary positioning in the present embodiment is completed by placing the clamp tool 502 at the initial position. In other words, the initial position of the clamp tool 502 is set with such an accuracy that light having a wavelength of 350 nm to 750 nm is incident on the light receiving element 174 with the line sensor 170 held by the clamp tool 502 and moved to the initial position. Has been. This temporary positioning may be performed while monitoring the output of the line sensor in a state where the concave diffraction grating is actually irradiated with light having a wavelength of 350 nm to 750 nm.

(Slit position adjustment)
Next, the position adjustment of the slit 150 will be described. The position adjustment of the slit 150 is performed in a state where the line sensor 170 is abutted against the adjustment surface 104 and light of a predetermined wavelength is output from the monochromator 504 (omitted in FIG. 7A, described in FIG. 7B). The slit 150 is moved in the direction S of the optical axis of the light beam passing through the slit 150. The light beam output from the monochromator 504 is irradiated from above the detected surface corresponding to the color patch surface toward the light guide optical member 140, passes through the slit 150, and enters the concave diffraction grating 160. After being reflected by the concave diffraction grating 160, it is received by the light receiving element 174 of the line sensor 170. While observing the spot shape formed on the light receiving element 174 of the line sensor 170, the slit 150 is moved to determine the position where the spot shape (the degree of image blur) becomes a desired shape. The spot shape is adjusted by a light source arranged on the circumference of the Roland circle R and a spot (image) formed by imaging the light beam incident on the concave diffraction grating 160 and reflected from the light source on the circumference. ) Is a conjugate relationship. The spot shape is adjusted with respect to light having three wavelengths 350 nm, 550 nm, and 750 nm output from the monochromator 504. Here, the reason for adjusting the light of the three wavelengths is that the light receiving element 174 of the line sensor 170 detects light in the wavelength region of 350 to 750 nm. The light of the three wavelengths is light that forms an image at substantially both ends and the center in the spectral direction X of the light receiving element 174 out of the spectral light flux detected by the line sensor 170. For this reason, if the spot shape is adjusted so as to have a desired shape with respect to the light of the above three wavelengths, the spot of the light beam of each wavelength can be obtained without adjusting the spot shape for all the light beams of each wavelength of 350 to 750 nm. It can be shaped. In addition, the optical axis L shown in FIG.7 (b) is an optical axis of the light beam with a wavelength of 550 nm.

(Position adjustment of the line sensor 170 in the Y-axis direction)
Next, position adjustment and final positioning of the line sensor 170 in the Y-axis direction will be described. For the Y-axis position adjustment, the monochromator 504 outputs a light beam having a wavelength of 550 nm, which is the center wavelength of the LED 110 having a wavelength region of 350 to 750 nm, while outputting the light beam by the monochromator 504. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the output of the light receiving element 174 with respect to the position of the line sensor 170 in the Y-axis direction when the monochromator 504 outputs light having a wavelength of 550 nm. The output from the light receiving element 174 is proportional to the amount of light received by the light receiving element 174. First, the line sensor adjustment tool 500 feeds the line sensor 170 for a predetermined distance in the Y-axis direction, and plots the envelope of the output of the light receiving element 174. Then, with respect to the maximum output value (Pmax), the line sensor 170 is moved to the center position of two positions where the output of the light receiving element 174 is 50% of the maximum output value (Pmax) (Psl).

(Adjusting the position of the line sensor 170 in the X-axis direction)
Next, position adjustment and final positioning of the line sensor 170 in the X-axis direction will be described. In this embodiment, positioning in the X-axis direction is performed after positioning in the Y-axis direction, but the order may be reversed. FIG. 9A is a diagram showing the relationship between the light receiving elements of the line sensor and their outputs. Specifically, the upper side schematically shows a state where the light receiving element 174 of the line sensor 170 is viewed from the direction orthogonal to the X axis and the Y axis, and the lower side shows the output of each pixel of the light receiving element 174. It is a thing. The spot A is a spot formed on the light receiving element 174 of the line sensor 170 by splitting the light having a wavelength of 550 nm output from the monochromator 504 by the concave diffraction grating 160. The line sensor 170 is moved in the X-axis direction so that light having a wavelength of 550 nm is input to the center pixel in the arrangement direction (X-axis direction) of the light receiving elements 174 arranged in an array. The positioning of the line sensor 170 is completed in the state where the movement in the X-axis and Y-axis directions is completed.

  As described above, the adjustment surface 104 is provided so as to be substantially parallel to a tangent at a portion where the spectral light beam received by the line sensor 170 of the Roland circle R intersects, whereby the position adjustment in the X-axis and Y-axis directions is as follows. There are such advantages. In other words, when the position is adjusted by moving the line sensor 170 while being in contact with the adjustment surface 104, the line sensor 170 does not move in the radial direction of the Roland circle R. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, even if the licensor 170 is moved in the X direction, the light receiving surface S moves along the tangent line Rt but does not move in the radius Rr direction. For this reason, when the licensor 170 moves in the X direction, the imaging state of the spectral light beam on the light receiving surface S is changed away from the Roland circle R, and the spot shape is not easily broken. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to adjust the position of the slit 150 again in order to correct the collapsed spot shape.

(Correspondence between each pixel of line sensor and spectral luminous flux)
Next, each pixel of the light receiving element 174 is associated with the spectral light flux. In this adjustment, in order to associate the spot position for each wavelength of the light beam, which is split by the concave reflection side diffraction grating 160 and imaged on the line sensor, with the position of the light receiving element 174 in the effective wavelength region of the LED 110 of 350 to 750 nm. belongs to. That is, it is an adjustment for taking correspondence between the spectral wavelength of the reflected light from the test object and each light receiving element of the line sensor 170, and specifically, recognizes the information of the pixel position of the light receiving element 174 for each wavelength. Is to do. Correspondence is performed with respect to single wavelength light serving as three references, that is, the center wavelength of 550 nm, the short wavelength side of 350 nm, and the long wavelength side of 750 nm with respect to the effective wavelength region of 350 to 750 nm of the LED 110. Each single wavelength light is output from the monochromator 504, irradiated from the upper surface to be detected corresponding to the color patch surface, and the spectral light beam is detected by the line sensor 170. FIG. 9B is a graph showing the output of the pixels of the light receiving element 174 when the monochromator outputs one single wavelength light among the above three single wavelength lights. At this time, the pixel (N) at the center position of the two pixels (N−1, N + 1) that outputs 50% output value (Psl) with respect to the maximum output value (Pmax) of the light receiving element 174. Are associated as one pixel of the single wavelength. This correspondence is performed for each of the three single wavelength lights.

Next, the correspondence of light having a wavelength other than the three single wavelengths will be described. FIG. 9C is a graph showing the relationship between the wavelength and the pixel position of the line sensor. Specifically, it is a diagram showing a correspondence between wavelengths (other wavelengths) other than the three predetermined single wavelength lights described above and pixel positions. The light having a wavelength other than the three predetermined single wavelengths is associated by being approximated by a quadratic function based on the pixel position information of the three predetermined single wavelengths. Specifically, assuming that the pixel position is Y and the wavelength is X, the relationship between the wavelength X and the pixel position Y in the line sensor 170 approximates the following quadratic function with a and b as coefficients and c as a constant. be able to.
Y = aX ² + bX + c (Formula 1)

  Since the relationship with the pixel position is specified for the above three predetermined single wavelengths, the values of a, b, and c are obtained by substituting those values into X and Y in Equation 1. As a result, since the relationship between the wavelength and the pixel position in the color sensor unit 1000 is known, it is possible to specify at which pixel position the dispersed light having a wavelength of 350 to 750 nm forms a spot. In this way, the light having an arbitrary wavelength of the light beam dispersed by the concave diffraction grating 160 is associated with the pixel position of the light receiving element 174.

  After performing these series of adjustment steps, as shown in FIG. 5C, an ultraviolet curable adhesive 201 is applied between the convex portion 103 of the side wall 101 and the line sensor 170, and ultraviolet rays are applied. Irradiate and bond. Note that adhesion may be performed before associating each pixel of the light receiving element 174 with the spectral light beam.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the periphery of the line sensor 170 can be opened by adhesively fixing the line sensor 170 to the side wall 101 of the housing 100 from the outside. For this reason, it is easy to ensure the space for irradiating light in order to harden the tool and photocurable adhesive used for an assembly process. Therefore, the degree of freedom in process design is widened and workability is improved. In particular, in the present embodiment, the adjustment surface 104 is provided on the side wall 101 substantially parallel to the tangent to the Roland circle of the concave diffraction grating, and the line sensor 170 is disposed outside the side wall 101 with the line sensor 170 in contact with the adjustment surface 104. Is fixed by bonding. By doing so, even if the apparatus is downsized, a sufficient space for the tool in the position adjustment process of the line sensor 170 can be secured. As a result, the line sensor 170 can be assembled with high accuracy without reducing workability and productivity.

  Here, the position of the line sensor 170 may be shifted due to shrinkage of the adhesive when the adhesive is cured when the line sensor 170 is bonded, or thermal expansion of the cured adhesive depending on the installation environment of the apparatus. There is sex. Here, in this embodiment, the convex part 103 for adhering the line sensor 170 is provided in the position which opposes the both ends of the line sensor 170 contact | abutted to the adjustment surface 104 regarding the Y direction. For this reason, the position of the line sensor 170 is more likely to shift in the Y direction than in the X direction due to the shrinkage or expansion of the adhesive. However, since the width of the light receiving element 174 in the Y direction has a certain margin with respect to the spectral light flux, the output from the light receiving element 174 hardly changes even if the line sensor 170 is displaced in the Y direction, and the influence on the colorimetric accuracy is not affected. Few. If the line sensor 170 is displaced in the X direction, light having a wavelength of 550 nm may not be input to the pixel in the center of the light receiving element 174 in the X direction.

  In the present embodiment, the convex portion 103 for adhering the line sensor 170 is provided at a position facing the vicinity of the center of the light receiving element 174 of the line sensor 170 that contacts the adjustment surface 104 in the X direction. That is, with respect to the X direction, the light receiving element 174 is bonded to the side wall 101 at one location near the center in the X direction. For this reason, when the environment changes and the line sensor 170 expands, the position of the center pixel in the X direction of the light receiving element 174 is difficult to shift, and the light receiving element 174 spreads on both sides in the X direction with the center pixel as the center. At this time, since the shift increases as the distance from the center pixel increases, the pixel at the end is displaced most greatly. On the other hand, if bonding is performed at a position facing the pixel at one end portion in the X direction, the pixel at the other end portion is displaced most greatly. Here, as in this embodiment, the absolute value of the displacement amount of the pixel that is shifted the most is larger when the pixel is bonded at the position facing the center pixel in the X direction than when the pixel is bonded at the position facing the pixel at one end in the X direction. Can be small. Therefore, the correspondence between each pixel and the wavelength of light to be received is unlikely to be distorted, and optical performance deterioration due to environmental changes can be reduced.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the same thing as 1st Embodiment, and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the first embodiment, since the line sensor 170 is held outside the housing 100, the line sensor 170 may be exposed to external light in some cases. When the line sensor 170 is exposed to external light, the external light is incident on the translucent glass portion 173 and the sealing portion 172, and the light receiving element 174 receives the external light, causing noise on the output, There is a risk of detection. In order to solve this, it is conceivable to perform a light shielding process on the outer surface of the glass part 173 and the sealing part 172 of the line sensor 170. However, if such a light shielding process is performed, the cost and time increase accordingly. Therefore, it is not desirable. Therefore, in the second embodiment, countermeasures against external light can be made easier and more reliably, and the configuration will be described below.

  FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an outline of holding of the line sensor 170 by the housing 100 in the present embodiment. 10A shows a state in which the line sensor 170, the flexible circuit board 175, and the holding member 180 are virtually disassembled in the order in which they are attached to the housing 100. FIG. FIG. 11A is a view of the holding member 180 attached to the housing 100 as viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 11B is a view of the holding member 180 attached to the housing 100 as viewed obliquely from below. The feature of this embodiment is that the line sensor 170 is held by a holding member 180 and the line sensor 170 is attached to the housing 100 by bonding the holding member 180 to the housing 100. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C ′ in FIG. 11A of the side wall 101 in a state where the line sensor 170 and the holding member 180 are held.

  First, the shape of the holding member 180 will be described. The holding member 180 that holds the line sensor 170 has a box shape having a back surface portion 180 a that covers the back surface of the line sensor 170 and a side surface portion 180 b that covers the side surface. The back surface of the line sensor 170 is a surface on the back side of the surface that contacts the adjustment surface 104, and the side surface is a side surface when the surface that contacts the adjustment surface 104 is viewed as the front surface. The side of the holding member 180 to which the line sensor 170 is attached has an opening, and the surface of the glass portion 173 slightly protrudes from the holding member 180 in a state where the line sensor 170 is held. Further, a concave portion 182 is provided in a part of the side surface portion 180a so that the flexible circuit board 175 extends outside the holding member 180 and can be connected to the sensor unit control circuit board while the line sensor 170 is held.

  In the present embodiment, the line sensor 170 is attached to the housing 100 by first attaching the line sensor 170 to the holding member 180 and then bonding the holding member 180 and the housing 100 together. The attachment of the line sensor 170 to the holding member 180 will be described. The holding member 180 is provided with a hole 183 for applying an adhesive 201 for bonding to the line sensor 170, and the adhesive 201 applied to the hole 183 is used to bond the back surface of the line sensor 170 to the holding member 180. To do. Here, the posture around the normal line of the light receiving surface S of the light receiving element 174 in the line sensor 170 varies. Therefore, the position of the light receiving element 174 is measured by an observation camera (not shown), and the posture of the line sensor 170 is adjusted with respect to the holding member 180 so that the posture of the light receiving element 174 with respect to the holding member 180 becomes a desired posture. After bonding.

  Next, the side wall 101 of the housing 100 to which the line sensor 170 is attached will be described. Similar to the first embodiment, the side wall 101 is provided with an opening 102 and an adjustment surface 104 for contacting the surface of the glass portion 173 of the line sensor 170. Further, the side wall 101 is provided with a convex portion 103 that is convex to the outside of the housing 100. The convex portion 103 is provided around the holding member 180 to be bonded, and at both ends of the holding member 180 with respect to the Y-axis direction and a portion overlapping the center of the light receiving element 174 with respect to the X-axis direction. An adhesive 201 is filled between the convex portion 103 and the holding member 180 to bond the holding member 180 and the housing 100 together.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the holding member 180 has a shape that covers most of the back surface and side surfaces of the line sensor 170. In a state where the surface of the glass portion 173 is in contact with the adjustment surface 104, the side surface portion 180b and the side wall 101 do not contact each other, and the side surface portion 180b does not completely cover the side surface of the line sensor 170. However, since the shape is such that external light is multiple-reflected and attenuated between the side wall 101 and the holding member 180, the possibility that the light receiving element 174 receives external light is reduced.

  In addition, by fixing the periphery of the opening portion 102 provided on the side wall of the housing 100 and the surface of the glass portion 173 in contact with each other, a gap in which the outside air enters into the housing 100 is filled. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of dirt due to the intrusion of dust such as paper dust.

  Next, a method for adjusting the position of the line sensor 170 held by the holding member 180 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram of the color sensor unit viewed from obliquely above when the line sensor 170 is adjusted. The position adjustment of the line sensor is performed by adjusting the X axis and the Y axis. A line sensor adjustment tool 600 shown in FIG. 8 is an integrated unit of a clamp tool 601 that grips the holding member 180 and a biasing tool 602 that biases and supports the holding member 180 in the optical axis direction. The line sensor adjusting tool 600 can be moved in the X and Y axis directions by a moving device (not shown) while holding the left and right V-shaped cutouts 184 of the holding member 180. Reference numeral 603 denotes a monochromator. The position of the line sensor 170 is adjusted by gripping the holding member 180 with the clamp tool 601 and adjusting the surface of the housing 100 where the glass portion 173 of the line sensor 170 protruding from the holding member 180 is formed by the biasing tool 602. 104 is abutted. At this time, the holding member 180 can be held in a stable state by substantially matching the approximate center connecting points supported by the clamp tool 601 and the center of gravity of the holding member 180 holding the line sensor 170. The position adjustment of the line sensor 170 is performed using the monochromator 603 as in the first embodiment. When the position adjustment of the line sensor 170 is completed, the dispenser 202 fills the holding member 180, the convex portion 103 provided on the side wall 101, and the holding member 180 with the ultraviolet curable adhesive 201 and irradiates the ultraviolet ray to cure. . In this way, the holding member 180 and the line sensor 170 are held on the side wall 101. Here, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the convex part 103 is provided with a concave part 103a. By providing the concave portion 103a in this manner, the UV curable adhesive 201 can be filled from the Y direction by the dispenser 202, so that the adjustment is difficult to interfere with the line sensor adjustment tool 600.

  In this embodiment, the line sensor 170 and the holding member 180 are bonded after adjusting the posture around the normal line of the light receiving surface S of the line sensor 170 with respect to the holding member 180. By adjusting the posture around the normal line of the light receiving surface S in this way, the position of the light receiving element 174 with respect to the spectral light beam from the concave diffraction grating 160 can be determined with higher accuracy. The posture around the normal line of the light receiving surface S can be adjusted by performing the same posture adjustment while holding the holding member 180 with the line sensor adjusting tool 600 after bonding the holding member 180 and the line sensor 170. However, the adjustment of the posture around the normal line of the light receiving surface S of the line sensor 170 is relatively adjusted in advance before adhering to the holding member 180, rather than being performed while being held by the line sensor adjustment tool 600. Simple. For this reason, the time of the whole assembly process can be shortened. Further, since the line sensor adjustment tool 600 does not need to have the function of adjusting the posture of the line sensor 170 around the normal line of the light receiving surface S, the tool can be simplified.

  FIG. 14 shows another configuration of the holding member and the line sensor adjusting tool. This holding member 185 is similar to the holding member 180 of the second embodiment in that it covers most of the back surface and side surfaces of the line sensor 170. However, the holding member 185 is composed of a composite member in which a steel frame 187 is bonded to a plastic frame 186. The holding member 185 can be detachably gripped by using an electromagnet for the clamp part 611 of the line sensor adjusting tool 610. The line sensor adjusting tool 610 is provided with two support columns 612 for positioning and supporting the holding member 185 with high accuracy, and is engaged with the holding member 185 with high accuracy in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. It is the composition to do. By configuring the holding member in this way, the configuration of the line sensor position adjusting tool 610 can be simplified.

  FIG. 15 shows another configuration in the vicinity of the adjustment surface 104 of the side wall 101, and is a view of the position where the line sensor 170 on the side wall 101 of the color sensor unit 1000 is attached as viewed from the outside. As described above, the adjustment surface 104 may be formed in the concave portion of the side wall 101. In this configuration, in a state where the line sensor 170 held by the holding member 180 is abutted against the adjustment surface 104, the wall surface is opposed to the holding member 180, faces around the side surface portion 180 b, and surrounds the side surface portion 180 b outside. 101a is formed. If the wall surface 101a is configured in this manner, the possibility that external light will enter the sealing portion 172 and the glass portion 173 can be further reduced. In addition, the same effect can be obtained by providing a rib or the like that does not contact the adjustment surface holding member 180 and surrounds the side surface portion 180b, or by forming the wall surface 101a. The wall surface 101 a is formed with a sufficient interval with respect to the holding member 180 so as not to contact the holding member 180 even if the line sensor 170 is adjusted in the X direction and the Y direction. Also, in the case of a configuration that does not have the holding member 180 as described in the first embodiment, a wall surface 101a that surrounds the line sensor 170 on the outside may be similarly formed. Also in this case, the wall surface 101a is formed with a sufficient interval with respect to the line sensor 170 so as not to contact the line sensor 170 even if the line sensor 170 is adjusted in the X direction and the Y direction. Even if comprised in this way, possibility that external light will inject into the sealing part 172 or the glass part 173 can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the holding member 180 that houses the line sensor 170 is bonded and fixed to the side wall of the housing 100. For this reason, even if the apparatus is downsized, a sufficient space for the tool in the position adjustment of the line sensor 170 can be secured. As a result, the line sensor 170 can be assembled with high accuracy without reducing workability and productivity.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, since most of the back surface and side surface of the line sensor 170 is covered by the holding member 180, external light is incident on the sealing portion 172 and the glass portion 173 of the line sensor 170 and is applied to the light receiving element 174. Reducing that. Therefore, noise can be placed on the output of the light receiving element 174, and erroneous detection can be reduced.

1000 Color sensor unit 100 Housing 101 Side wall 102 Opening portion 103 Convex portion 104 Adjustment surface 110 LED
120 sensor unit control circuit board 130 illumination optical member 140 light guide optical member 150 slit,
160 Concave diffraction grating 170 Line sensor 171 Substrate part (adhesion part)
180 holding member 190 housing cover 190b cover glass

Claims (10)

A concave diffraction grating for spectroscopic and condensing incident light flux;
An array-type light receiving member that receives the light beams that are spectrally and condensed by the concave diffraction grating by a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in one direction, and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements;
A box-shaped housing that supports the concave diffraction grating and the array-type light receiving member;
In a spectrocolorimetric device having
The side wall of the housing is
An opening through which the split luminous flux passes;
Outside, an adjustment surface parallel to a tangent line in a portion of the Roland circle of the concave diffraction grating in the region of the light beam received by the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements
A convex portion that is convex toward the outside of the housing,
The array type light receiving member is brought into contact with the adjustment surface so that a distance between the array type light receiving member and the center of the Rowland circle is constant in a normal direction of a tangent to the Rowland circle. Determine the position of
The convex portion has a radial direction in a portion in a region of a light beam received by the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements in a Roland circle of the concave diffraction grating and a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged. It is arranged at a position facing the array type light receiving member,
The array type light receiving member is configured such that a direction in which the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements of the array type light receiving member are arranged is parallel to a tangent to the Rowland circle, and the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements receive the light flux that has passed through the opening. The spectral colorimetric device is fixed to the casing with an adhesive between the convex portion and the array type light receiving member in a state of being in contact with the adjustment surface.   The array-type light receiving member is held by a holding member including a back surface portion that covers a back surface of the surface that contacts the adjustment surface of the array-type light receiving member and a side surface portion that covers a side surface of the array light-receiving member. The spectral colorimetric apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the member is fixed to the housing.   3. The spectral colorimetric device according to claim 1 and a fixing device for fixing the image by heating the sheet material onto which the toner image is transferred, wherein the spectral colorimetric device is downstream of the fixing device. An image forming apparatus, wherein the plurality of light receiving elements receive reflected light from a sheet material that is disposed on a sheet conveyance path on the side and passes through the fixing device. A concave reflection type diffraction grating that splits an incident light beam, a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, a light receiving member that receives light separated by the diffraction grating by the photoelectric conversion element, the diffraction grating, and the light receiving member, A method of manufacturing a spectrocolorimetric device having a housing for holding
The side wall of the housing is provided with an adjustment surface parallel to a tangent to the Roland circle and a convex portion that is convex toward the outside of the housing, and the convex portion is in the radial direction of the Roland circle of the diffraction grating. With respect to the direction perpendicular to the tangential direction, the light receiving member is disposed at a position facing the light receiving member,
An adjustment step of determining the position of the light receiving member with respect to the diffraction grating by moving the light receiving member in a state of being abutted against the adjustment surface so that the arrangement direction of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements is parallel to the adjustment surface; And a fixing step of fixing the light receiving member to the housing with an adhesive filled between the convex portion and the light receiving member after the adjusting step. .   5. The method of manufacturing a spectral colorimetry apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, in the adjustment step, the light receiving member is moved in a tangential direction of the Roland circle in a state of abutting against the adjustment surface.   6. The spectroscopic measurement according to claim 4, wherein, in the adjustment step, the light receiving member is moved in a direction orthogonal to a radial direction and a tangential direction of the Roland circle in a state where the light receiving member is abutted against the adjustment surface. A method for manufacturing a color device.   The said housing | casing is a box shape provided with the side wall surrounding the bottom face and the said bottom face, The said adjustment surface is provided in the outer surface of the said side wall, The Claim 4 thru | or 6 characterized by the above-mentioned. A method for manufacturing a spectrocolorimeter.   The method for manufacturing a spectrocolorimetric apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the diffraction grating is arranged in a portion surrounded by the side wall of the casing.   The method for manufacturing a spectrocolorimetric apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein, in the fixing step, the light receiving member is fixed to the housing by an adhesive. The spectrocolorimeter is provided in an image forming apparatus having a fixing device that heats a sheet material on which a toner image is transferred to fix the image, and reflects the sheet material after passing through the fixing device. method for manufacturing a spectral colorimetric apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that for receiving the light by the plurality of light receiving elements.

Images