JP7183801B2 - Optical device, image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to optical devices and image forming apparatuses.

The light-emitting element substrate provided in the exposure apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is obtained by fixing a light-emitting element to an assembly printed wiring board in which a plurality of printed wiring boards are connected by a plurality of connecting pieces, and cutting the plurality of connecting pieces. Alternatively, it is obtained by cutting a plurality of connecting pieces in an assembly printed wiring board in which a plurality of printed wiring boards are connected by a plurality of connecting pieces, and fixing a light emitting element.

JP 2011-143617 A

Conventionally, an optical device includes a substrate extending in one direction and having an optical element mounted thereon, and a housing to which the substrate is attached. The housing is provided with a positioning surface that contacts the surface of the substrate in the thickness direction of the substrate to determine the position of the substrate in the thickness direction.

Here, the board has burrs protruding in the board thickness direction at the edges in the width direction. If the tip of this burr comes into contact with the positioning surface of the housing, the substrate will be lifted from the positioning surface.

An object of the present invention is to improve the positioning accuracy of a substrate with respect to a housing in the thickness direction of the substrate as compared with the case where a burr projecting in the thickness direction contacts the positioning surface of the housing.

An optical device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises: a substrate extending in one direction, an optical element mounted thereon, and a burr protruding in the thickness direction at the edges in the width direction; and a plate of the substrate in the thickness direction. a housing having a positioning surface that determines the position of the substrate in the plate thickness direction by coming into contact with the surface, and a housing to which the substrate is attached; and avoiding means for avoiding contact between the burr and the positioning surface. , is provided.

An optical device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the optical device according to the first aspect, wherein the burr protrudes toward the positioning surface, and the avoidance means is arranged on the positioning surface in the plate thickness direction. It is characterized by being a recess formed in a portion facing the burr.

An optical device according to a third aspect of the present invention is the optical device according to the second aspect, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the recess when the housing is cut in a direction orthogonal to the one direction is the width direction. It is characterized by a triangular shape with the outer edge of the vertices.

An optical device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the optical device according to the second aspect or the third aspect, wherein the housing has a pair of opposing surfaces facing the outer end surfaces in the width direction of the substrate. The end face on one side in the width direction of the substrate and the opposing face on one side in the width direction of the housing are in contact with each other, and the other side of the substrate in the width direction is in contact with The end face is separated from the facing surface on the other side in the width direction of the housing, and the width of the recess on the one side in the width direction is equal to the width of the recess on the other side in the width direction. It is characterized by being narrow.

An optical device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the optical device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the burr protrudes at a plurality of locations spaced apart in the one direction, and the avoidance The means is characterized in that it is formed only in the range where the burr protrudes in the one direction.

An optical device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the optical device according to the fifth aspect, a plurality of the avoiding means are formed spaced apart in the one direction.

An optical device according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the optical device according to the first aspect, wherein the avoiding means uses the surface of the substrate opposite to the surface on which the burr protrudes as the positioning surface. Contact between the burr and the positioning surface is avoided by bringing them into contact with each other.

An image forming apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present invention comprises the optical device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and a transfer unit for transferring an image formed using the optical device onto a recording medium. , is provided.

According to the optical device of the first aspect of the present invention, the positioning accuracy of the substrate with respect to the housing can be improved in the thickness direction of the substrate compared to the case where the burr projecting in the thickness direction contacts the positioning surface of the housing. can be improved.

According to the optical device of the second aspect of the present invention, compared with the case where the width of the housing is narrowed with respect to the substrate to avoid contact between the burr and the positioning surface, the bending rigidity in the width direction of the housing is can be suppressed.

According to the optical device of the third aspect of the present invention, the cross-sectional shape of the concave portion is a rectangular shape in which the length of one side is the height of the triangle and the length of the other side is the base of the triangle. , the cross-sectional area of the recess can be reduced.

According to the optical device of the fourth aspect of the present invention, compared with the case where the width of the concave portion on one side is the same as the width of the concave portion on the other side, it is possible to suppress a decrease in bending rigidity in the width direction of the housing. can.

According to the optical device of the fifth aspect of the present invention, the length of the avoidance means in one direction can be shortened compared to the case where the avoidance means is formed beyond the range in which the burr protrudes in one direction. can be done.

According to the optical device of the sixth aspect of the present invention, the total length of the avoidance means in one direction can be shortened compared to the case where the avoidance means are connected in one direction.

According to the optical device of the seventh aspect of the present invention, compared with the case where contact between the burr and the positioning surface is avoided by providing the concave portion on the positioning surface, a decrease in bending rigidity in the width direction of the housing is suppressed. be able to.

According to the image forming apparatus of the eighth aspect of the present invention, deterioration in quality of output images can be suppressed as compared with the case of using an optical device in which the burr formed on the substrate contacts the positioning surface of the housing. .

1 is a cross-sectional view showing an exposure apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an exposure apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an exposure apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4A to 4C are process diagrams showing the steps of manufacturing the light emitting substrate of the exposure apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 4A to 4C are process diagrams showing the steps of manufacturing the light emitting substrate of the exposure apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 4A to 4C are process diagrams showing the steps of manufacturing the light emitting substrate of the exposure apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 3A and 3B are process diagrams showing processes for manufacturing a light emitting substrate of the exposure apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4A to 4C are process diagrams showing the steps of manufacturing the light emitting substrate of the exposure apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an exposure apparatus according to a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an exposure apparatus according to a comparative form with respect to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an exposure apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention; (A) and (B) are process diagrams showing steps of manufacturing a light-emitting substrate of an exposure apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an exposure apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an exposure apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

An example of an optical device and an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. FIG. An arrow H shown in the drawing indicates the vertical direction of the device, an arrow W indicates the width direction of the device (horizontal direction), and an arrow D indicates the depth direction of the device (horizontal direction).

(overall structure)
As shown in FIG. 9, an apparatus body 10a of the image forming apparatus 10 includes a transfer unit 32, which is stretched around a plurality of rollers 12 and conveyed in the direction of arrow A by driving a motor (not shown). An endless belt-like intermediate belt 14 is provided.

The image forming apparatus 10 is capable of forming color images, and is an image forming unit that forms toner images corresponding to four colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). 28Y, 28M, 28C, and 28K are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the intermediate belt 14 and detachably supported by the apparatus main body 10a.

Note that the members provided in each color are indicated by adding an alphabet indicating each color at the end of the reference numerals. .

[Image forming unit 28]
The image forming unit 28 includes a photoreceptor drum 16 as an example of an image carrier that rotates clockwise by driving means consisting of a motor and gears (not shown). Further, a charging roller 18 that uniformly charges the surface of the photoreceptor drum 16 to a predetermined potential is arranged on the peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum 16 .

Further, on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 16 downstream of the charging roller 18 in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 16, an LED exposure device 20 (hereinafter simply referred to as “exposure device 20”) that irradiates light onto the photosensitive drum 16 to form an electrostatic latent image is provided. device 20 ”) extends axially of the photoreceptor drum 16 . The exposure device 20 forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 16 by irradiating the photosensitive drum 16 with a light beam according to image data. Details of the exposure device 20 will be described later.

Further, an electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor drum 16 of a predetermined color (yellow/magenta/cyan/black) is formed on the circumferential surface of each photoreceptor drum 16 on the downstream side of the exposure device 20 in the rotation direction. A developing device 22 is arranged for developing with toner to form a toner image.

The developing device 22 has a rotatably cylindrical developing roller 24 which is arranged close to the photosensitive drum 16 . A developing bias is applied to the developing roller 24 so that the toner loaded in the developing device 22 adheres to the developing roller 24 . Further, the toner adhering to the developing roller 24 is conveyed to the surface of the photosensitive drum 16 by the rotation of the developing roller 24, and the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 16 is developed as a donor image. ing.

A cleaning blade 26 for collecting residual toner on the photosensitive drum 16 is arranged on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 16 downstream of a transfer roller 30 (to be described later) in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 16 .

[Transfer unit 32]
A transfer roller 30 constituting a transfer unit 32 is arranged on the peripheral surface of each photosensitive drum 16 on the downstream side of the developing device 22 in the rotational direction of the photosensitive drum 16 on the opposite side of the photosensitive drum 16 with the intermediate belt 14 interposed therebetween. there is

Further, a transfer device 34 including two rollers 34a and 34b facing each other is arranged downstream of the photosensitive drums 16 of each color in the conveying direction of the intermediate belt 14. As shown in FIG. Then, the toner image formed on the intermediate belt 14 is transferred to the sheet member P which is taken out from the sheet tray 36 provided at the bottom of the image forming apparatus 10 and conveyed between the rollers 34a and 34b. It has become so.

[Fixing unit 38]
Further, a fixing unit 38 is provided in the transport path of the sheet member P to which the toner image has been transferred. The fixing unit 38 includes a fixing device 40 including a heating roller 40a and a pressure roller 40b. The sheet member P conveyed to the fixing device 40 is nipped and conveyed by the heating roller 40a and the pressure roller 40b. It has become established in

(Action of Overall Configuration)
The image forming apparatus 10 forms an image as follows.

First, the charging roller 18 uniformly negatively charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 16 with a predetermined potential of the charging section. Further, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 16 by performing exposure with the exposing device 20 so that the image portion on the charged photosensitive drum 16 has a predetermined exposure portion potential.

Then, when the electrostatic latent image on the rotating photosensitive drum 16 passes through a developing roller 24 provided in a developing device 22, the toner of the developer adheres to the electrostatic latent image, and the electrostatic latent image becomes a toner image. be visualized.

The visualized toner images of each color are sequentially transferred to the intermediate belt 14 by the electrostatic force of the transfer roller 30 , and the final color toner image is formed on the intermediate belt 14 .

This final toner image is fed between rollers 34a and 34b provided in the transfer device 34. As shown in FIG. Then, this final toner image is transferred to the sheet member P that has been taken out from the paper tray 36 and conveyed between the rollers 34a and 34b.

Further, the toner image transferred to the sheet member P is fixed on the sheet member P by the fixing device 40, and the sheet member P is discharged outside the apparatus.

(main part configuration)
Next, the exposure device 20 will be described.

The exposure device 20 extends in the depth direction of the device, and is arranged below the photosensitive drum 16 while being attached to the device main body 10a, as shown in FIG.

The exposure apparatus 20 includes a light emitting substrate 70, a housing 60, and a lens array 46, as shown in FIGS. When describing directions in the following description, the directions are described when the exposure apparatus 20 is attached to the apparatus main body 10a. The exposure device 20 is an example of an optical device, and the light emitting substrate 70 is an example of a substrate.

[Light emitting substrate 70]
-Structure of Light Emitting Substrate 70-
As shown in FIG. 2, the light emitting substrate 70 includes a unit substrate 72 extending in the depth direction of the device and having a plate surface facing the vertical direction, and a plurality of LED arrays 74 mounted on a surface 72a of the unit substrate 72. is composed of A wiring pattern 76 extending in the depth direction of the device is formed on the unit substrate 72 , and long holes 78 extending in the width direction of the device are formed at both ends of the unit substrate 72 in the longitudinal direction. Here, the device depth direction is an example of one direction.

Each LED array 74 has a long shape extending in the depth of the device, and is arranged in a zigzag pattern along the longitudinal direction of the unit substrate 72 . Furthermore, each LED array 74 has a plurality of LEDs 74a (=Light Emitting Diodes) arranged in its longitudinal direction.

It should be noted that mounting means attaching to an object in order to realize some function. In this embodiment, the LED array 74 is attached to the unit board 72 in order to make the LED array 74 ready to emit light.

-Method for Manufacturing Light-Emitting Substrate 70-
Next, a method for manufacturing the light emitting substrate 70 will be described. 4 to 7, arrow X indicates the longitudinal direction of the light emitting substrate 70, arrow Y indicates the width direction of the light emitting substrate 70, and arrow Z indicates the direction of light emission. The thickness direction of the substrate 70 is shown.

First, the collective substrate 90 on which a plurality of unit substrates 72 are formed will be described, and then the manufacturing method of the light emitting substrate 70 for manufacturing the light emitting substrate 70 from the collective substrate 90 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 4, the collective substrate 90 has a rectangular shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the substrate when viewed from the plate thickness direction. The collective substrate 90 has a plurality of slits 92 defining the outer shape of each unit substrate 72, wiring patterns 76 formed in each unit substrate 72, and LED arrays 74 when mounting the unit substrate 72. A long hole 78 serving as a reference is formed. Further, the portion surrounding the plurality of unit substrates 72 in the peripheral portion of the collective substrate 90 is a waste substrate 96 .

Further, in the discarded substrate 96 of the collective substrate 90, a circular hole 98 is formed in a portion on one side in the longitudinal direction of the substrate (=left side in the figure) on both sides in the width direction of the substrate.

The slits 92 are divided into slits 92a extending in the substrate longitudinal direction defining the width direction of the unit substrate 72 and slits 92b extending in the substrate width direction defining the longitudinal direction of the unit substrate 72 .

A plurality of slits 92a are formed at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the substrate. Furthermore, a plurality of slits 92a are formed at intervals in the substrate width direction. The slit 92b is formed between a pair of slits 92a defining one side of the unit board 72 in the longitudinal direction. Between each slit 92 is a connecting piece 94 that connects the adjacent unit substrates 72 or connects the unit substrate 72 and the waste substrate 96 .

The wiring patterns 76 are formed on the unit substrates 72 and extend in the longitudinal direction of the substrate.

Two long holes 78 are formed in each unit board 72 so as to sandwich each wiring pattern 76 in the longitudinal direction of the board.

Next, a method for manufacturing the light emitting substrate 70 (see FIG. 8) from the collective substrate 90 will be described. The light emitting substrate 70 is manufactured through a mounting process and a dividing process.

In the mounting process, a plurality of LED arrays 74 are mounted on each of the N unit substrates 72 formed on the assembly substrate 90, as shown in FIG. Specifically, the LED arrays 74 are mounted on the respective unit substrates 72 based on the elongated holes 78 formed in the respective unit substrates 72 .

In the dividing step, the connecting piece 94 is punched out by a so-called punching method, and the N light emitting substrates 70 (see FIG. 8) are cut out from the collective substrate 90 . Thus, N light-emitting substrates 70 are manufactured from one collective substrate 90 .

Here, when punching out the connecting pieces 94, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, a support die 110 for supporting the unit substrates 72 formed on the collective substrate 90 from below and a punch die for punching out the connecting pieces 94 are used. 114 are used.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7A, the unit substrate 72 is supported by the support dies 110 by bringing the surface 72a of the unit substrate 72 into contact with a pair of support dies 110 spaced apart in the width direction of the substrate. In this state, the connecting piece 94 to be punched is arranged above the gap 112 formed between the pair of support dies 110 . Also, the punch die 114 is arranged above the connecting piece 94 to be punched.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the punch die 114 is moved downward to punch out the connecting pieces 94 and cut out N light emitting substrates 70 from the collective substrate 90 . Thus, N light-emitting substrates 70 are manufactured from one collective substrate 90 .

In addition, by punching out the connecting piece 94 and manufacturing the light emitting substrate 70 , the burr 102 protrudes in the plate thickness direction at the portion of the light emitting substrate 70 where the connecting piece 94 is punched out.

Specifically, the burr 102 protrudes from the edge 70a of the light emitting substrate 70 on which the LED array 74 is mounted. As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, the burrs 102 are formed at four locations on the pair of edges 70a in the width direction of the light emitting substrate 70, respectively. In other words, the four burrs 102 are formed on the edge 70a of the light emitting substrate 70 so as to be separated from each other in the longitudinal direction of the substrate. In this embodiment, a burr is a projection having a height of 0.01 mm or more from the surface 72a of the light emitting substrate 70. As shown in FIG.

[Lens array 46]
As shown in FIG. 1, the lens array 46 is arranged between the light emitting substrate 70 and the photosensitive drum 16 and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the depth direction of the device. The lens array 46 includes a plurality of rod lenses (not shown) extending in the vertical direction of the device. The lens array 46 is an example of an optical member.

[Casing 60]
As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 60 has a trapezoidal shape when viewed in the depth direction of the device and extends in the depth direction of the device. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing 60 is formed with a through hole 62 that penetrates in the vertical direction of the device and extends in the depth direction of the device. The lens array 46 is sandwiched in the width direction of the device by the portion of the through hole 62 on the photosensitive drum 16 side, and the lens array 46 is attached to the through hole 62 of the housing 60 using an adhesive.

Further, a recessed groove 64 with an open bottom is formed in a portion of the housing 60 opposite to the photosensitive drum 16, as shown in FIG. The groove portion 64 is formed including a pair of opposing surfaces 64a and 64b that face each other in the device width direction, and a downward surface 64c that faces downward. Specifically, the facing surface 64a is formed on one side in the width direction of the device (left side in the figure), and the facing surface 64b is formed on the other side in the width direction of the device (right side in the figure). Further, a through-hole 62 is opened in a central portion of the downward surface 64c in the device width direction. Note that the downward surface 64c is a surface that is arranged between the opposing surfaces 64a and 64b in the device width direction and has a downward component. The downward surface 64c is an example of a positioning surface that contacts the surface 72a of the light emitting substrate 70 in the thickness direction and determines the position of the light emitting substrate 70 in the thickness direction.

In this configuration, the end surface 72b on one side in the device width direction of the light emitting substrate 70 is in contact with the facing surface 64a, and the end surface 72c on the other side of the light emitting substrate 70 is separated from the facing surface 64b. It is attached to the groove 64 of the housing 60 using an adhesive.

With the lens array 46 and the light emitting substrate 70 attached to the housing 60, the lens array 46 and the LED array 74 mounted on the light emitting substrate 70 face each other vertically.

-Recesses 66a, 66b-
Here, as described above, the burrs 102 protrude at four locations on the edge 70a of the light emitting substrate 70 in the width direction. To avoid contact between the burr 102 and the downward surface 64c, recesses 66a and 66b are formed in portions of the downward surface 64c facing the burr 102 in the plate thickness direction.

Specifically, the recessed portion 66a extends in the depth direction of the device, and is formed in a portion of the downward surface 64c on the side of the opposing surface 64a. The recessed portion 66b extends in the depth direction of the device and is formed in the portion of the downward surface 64c on the opposite surface 64b side. The concave portions 66a and 66b are formed to avoid contact between the burr 102 and the downward surface 64c, as described above. That is, the depth of the concave portions 66a and 66b must be greater than the height of the burr 102. FIG. In other words, the depth of the recesses 66a, 66b must be greater than or equal to the maximum height of the burr 102. Also, the width of the recesses 66a and 66b must be greater than or equal to the maximum width of the burr 102. FIG. Thus, the recesses 66a and 66b function as contact avoidance means to avoid contact between the burr 102 and the downward surface 64c.

Furthermore, the concave portions 66a and 66b are formed only in the range where the burr 102 protrudes in the device depth direction. More specifically, the recesses 66a are formed at four locations spaced apart in the depth direction of the device, and the recesses 66a are formed at four locations spaced apart in the depth direction of the device.

The cross-sectional shape of the concave portions 66a and 66b is a triangular shape whose vertex is the outer end portion in the device width direction of the downward surface 64c. That is, when viewed from the device depth direction, one side of the recess 66a extends upward from the upper end of the opposing surface 64a, and one side of the recess 66b extends upward from the upper end of the opposing surface 64b. By inserting the burr 102 into the concave portions 66a and 66b, the surface 72a (=plate surface) of the light emitting substrate 70 and the downward surface 64c are brought into contact with each other. Thereby, the position of the light emitting substrate 70 with respect to the housing 60 is determined in the plate thickness direction of the light emitting substrate 70 . In this manner, the recesses 66a and 66b function as contact permitting means that permit contact between the surface 72a of the light emitting substrate 70 and the downward surface 64c.

Further, as described above, the light emitting substrate 70 is attached to the housing 60 using an adhesive with the end surface 72b on one side in the device width direction of the light emitting substrate 70 in contact with the opposing surface 64a. In other words, the position of the light emitting substrate 70 in the device width direction with respect to the housing 60 is based on the facing surface 64a. Therefore, the positional variation of the light emitting substrate 70 with respect to the facing surface 64b in the device width direction becomes larger than the positional variation of the light emitting substrate 70 with respect to the facing surface 64a.

In this embodiment, the width of the recess 66b (the width W01 shown in FIG. 1) is wider than the width of the recess 66a (the width W02 shown in FIG. 1). In other words, the width W02 of the recess 66a is narrower than the width W01 of the recess 66b.

(action)
Next, the action of the exposure device 20 will be described in comparison with the exposure device 520 according to the comparative embodiment. First, the configuration of an exposure device 520 according to a comparative example will be described.

[Exposure device 520]
The exposure device 520 includes a light emitting substrate 70, a housing 560, and a lens array 46, as shown in FIG. Further, no concave portion is formed in the downward surface 64c of the housing 560. As shown in FIG.

[Actions of exposure devices 20 and 520]
No concave portion is formed in the downward surface 64c of the housing 560 of the exposure device 520 . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, the burr 102 formed on the light emitting substrate 70 contacts the downward surface 64c. Then, the tip of the burr 102 of the light emitting substrate 70 contacts the downward surface 64c, so that the light emitting substrate 70 floats with respect to the downward surface 64c.

On the other hand, concave portions 66a and 66b are formed in the downward surface 64c of the housing 60 of the exposure device 20, as shown in FIG. Therefore, by inserting the burrs 102 formed on the light-emitting substrate 70 into the concave portions 66a and 66b, the surface 72a and the downward surface 64c of the light-emitting substrate 70 are vertically aligned (=thickness direction of the light-emitting substrate 70). come into contact with.

(summary)
As described above, in the exposure device 20, the surface 72a and the downward surface 64c of the light emitting substrate 70 are in contact with each other. Therefore, compared to the exposure apparatus 520 in which the burr 102 formed on the light emitting substrate 70 contacts the downward surface 64c, the positioning accuracy of the light emitting substrate 70 with respect to the housing 60 is improved in the plate thickness direction of the light emitting substrate 70. . Further, in the exposure apparatus 20, deviation of the focal length from the design target value is suppressed.

Also, in the exposure device 520 , the burr 102 formed on the light emitting substrate 70 may break and enter between the lens array 46 and the light emitting substrate 70 when the burr 102 contacts the downward surface 64 c. On the other hand, in the exposure device 20, the burr 102 is inserted into the concave portions 66a and 66b. Therefore, as compared with the exposure apparatus 520 in which the burr 102 formed on the light emitting substrate 70 is in contact with the downward surface 64c, burr fragments are prevented from entering between the lens array 46 and the light emitting substrate 70. be.

Further, in the exposure device 20, concave portions 66a and 66b are formed to avoid contact between the burr 102 and the downward surface 64c. Compared to the exposure apparatus 120 shown in FIG. 10, which is a modification of the exposure apparatus 20, the width of the housing 160 is narrowed relative to the light emitting substrate 70 to avoid contact between the burr 102 and the downward surface 64c. As a result, a decrease in bending rigidity of the housing in the device width direction is suppressed.

Further, in the exposure apparatus 20, the cross-sectional shape of the concave portions 66a and 66b is a triangular shape whose vertex is the outer end portion in the width direction of the apparatus on the downward surface 64c. The cross-sectional shape of the recess is smaller than in the case where the cross-sectional shape of the recess is a rectangle in which the length of one side is the height of the triangle and the length of the other side is the base of the triangle. Furthermore, the reduction in the bending rigidity of the housing in the device width direction is suppressed by reducing the cross section of the recess.

In the exposure apparatus 20, the position of the light emitting substrate 70 in the apparatus width direction with respect to the housing 60 is based on the facing surface 64a. The width of the recess 66a is narrower than the width of the recess 66b, unlike the case where the substrate is arranged without being positioned between the pair of opposing surfaces in the width direction of the substrate. As a result, compared to the case where the width of the recess 66a is the same as the width of the recess 66b, a decrease in bending rigidity of the housing in the device width direction is suppressed.

Further, in the exposure apparatus 20, the burrs 102 protrude at a plurality of locations spaced apart in the depth direction of the apparatus, and the recesses 66a and 66b are formed only in areas where the burrs 102 protrude in the depth direction of the apparatus. The range of the recess in the device depth direction is shorter than when the recess is formed beyond the range where the burr 102 protrudes. By shortening the range of the recess, a decrease in bending rigidity of the housing in the device width direction is suppressed.

Further, in the exposure apparatus 20 , the concave portions 66 a and 66 b are formed on the downward surface 64 c of the light emitting substrate 70 at the portion corresponding to the burr 102 . That is, the recessed portions 66a are formed at four locations spaced apart in the device depth direction, and the recessed portions 66b are formed at four locations spaced apart in the device depth direction. Therefore, the total length of the concave portions 66a and 66b in the depth direction of the apparatus is shorter than when the concave portions 66a and 66b are connected two by two. Furthermore, the total length of the concave portions 66a and 66b in the device depth direction is further shortened compared to the case where all four portions are connected. By shortening the length of the recess, a decrease in bending rigidity of the housing in the device width direction is suppressed.

In addition, in the image forming apparatus 10, compared with the case where the exposure device 520 is used, deviation of the focal length from the design target value is suppressed, thereby suppressing deterioration in the quality of the output image.

<Second embodiment>
An example of an optical device and an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. In addition, about 2nd Embodiment, a different part with respect to 1st Embodiment is mainly demonstrated.

(Constitution)
-Exposure device 220-
An exposure apparatus 220 according to the second embodiment includes a light emitting substrate 270, a housing 260, and a lens array 46, as shown in FIG. The exposure device 220 is an example of an optical device, and the light emitting substrate 270 is an example of a substrate.

The light-emitting substrate 270 includes a unit substrate 272 extending in the depth direction of the device and having a plate surface facing the vertical direction, and a plurality of LED arrays 74 mounted on a surface 272a of the unit substrate 272. . Further, the downward surface 64c of the housing 260 is not formed with a recess.

-Method for Manufacturing Light-Emitting Substrate 270-
As for the manufacturing method of the light emitting substrate 270, a dividing step of punching out the connecting pieces 94 and cutting out the N light emitting substrates 270 from the collective substrate 90 by a punching method will be described. In the dividing step, as shown in FIG. 13A, a pair of supporting dies 110 spaced apart in the substrate width direction are brought into contact with the front surface 272a and the opposite rear surface 272b of the light emitting substrate 270 on which the LED array 74 is mounted. , and the light emitting substrate 270 is supported by the support die 110 .

Next, by moving the punch die 114 downward, the connection piece 94 is punched out, and N light emitting substrates 270 are cut out from the collective substrate 90 . In this way, N light emitting substrates 270 are manufactured from one collective substrate 90 . Further, by punching out the connecting pieces 94 to manufacture the light emitting substrate 270, burrs 102 are formed in the plate thickness direction in the portions of the light emitting substrate 270 where the connecting pieces 94 are punched out, as shown in FIG. 13(B). Protruding. Specifically, the burr 102 protrudes on the side opposite to the side on which the LED array 74 is mounted.

(action, summary)
In the light emitting substrate 270 of the exposure device 220, the burrs 102 protrude to the side opposite to the side on which the LED array 74 is mounted. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the surface 272a of the light emitting substrate 270 and the downward surface 64c are in contact with each other in the vertical direction of the device (=the thickness direction of the light emitting substrate 270). In other words, the avoidance means 276 according to the second embodiment brings the surface of the light emitting substrate 270 opposite to the surface on which the burr 102 protrudes into contact with the downward surface 64c so that the burr 102 and the downward surface 64c are separated. avoiding contact with

As a result, compared with the case where contact between the burr 102 and the downward surface 64c is avoided by providing a concave portion in the downward surface 64c, a decrease in bending rigidity in the width direction of the housing 260 is suppressed.

The operation of the exposure apparatus 220 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the exposure apparatus 20 according to the first embodiment, except that the concave portions 66a and 66b are formed.

<Third Embodiment>
An example of an optical device and an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. In addition, about 3rd Embodiment, a different part with respect to 1st Embodiment is mainly demonstrated.

(Constitution)
An exposure apparatus 320 according to the third embodiment includes a light emitting substrate 70, a housing 360, and a lens array 46, as shown in FIG. Exposure device 320 is an example of an optical device.

Further, concave portions 366a and 366b are formed in the downward surface 64c of the housing 360 to avoid contact between the burr 102 and the downward surface 64c. The concave portion 366a is formed in a portion of the downward surface 64c on the side of the facing surface 64a. Further, the recess 366b is formed in a portion of the downward surface 64c on the opposite surface 64b side.

The concave portions 366a and 366b are formed across the downward surface 64c in the device width direction within the range where the burrs 102 formed on the light emitting substrate 70 are formed in the device depth direction.

As shown in FIG. 15, the surface 72a and the downward surface 64c of the light emitting substrate 70 are in contact with each other in the range in which the concave portions 366a and 366b are not formed in the device depth direction.

As described above, in the exposure apparatus 320, the positioning accuracy of the light emitting substrate 70 with respect to the housing 360 in the plate thickness direction of the light emitting substrate 70 is higher than in the case where the burr 102 of the light emitting substrate contacts the downward surface 64c of the housing. improves.

Also, the operation of the exposure device 320 according to the third embodiment is the same as the operation of the exposure device 20 according to the first embodiment, except that the concave portions 66a and 66b are formed.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with respect to particular embodiments, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention. It is clear to those skilled in the art. For example, although the concave portions 66a and 66b are triangular in the first embodiment, they may be rectangular or the like. However, in this case, the effect of the triangular shape of the concave portion is not exhibited.

Also, in the first embodiment, the width of the recess 66a is narrower than the width of the recess 66b, but the width of the recess 66a may be the same as the width of the recess 66b. However, in this case, the effect of narrowing the width of the recess 66a relative to the width of the recess 66b is not achieved.

Further, in the above-described first embodiment, the plurality of recesses 66a and 66b are spaced apart in the device depth direction, but the recesses may be connected in the device depth direction. However, in this case, the effect of forming a plurality of recesses spaced apart in the device depth direction is not achieved.

Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which the optical device is used as the exposure device 20 has been described, but the optical device may be used as the reading device.

Further, although not specifically described in the above embodiment, by providing a protrusion that partially protrudes from the downward surface 64c toward the light emitting substrate side and bringing the tip of the protrusion into contact with the surface of the light emitting substrate, the light emitting substrate can be displaced. may be positioned.

10 Image forming device 20 Exposure device (an example of an optical device)
32 Transfer unit 60 Housing 64a Opposing surface 64b Opposing surface 64c Downward surface (an example of a positioning surface)
66a recess 66b recess 70 light emitting substrate (an example of a substrate)
70a Edge 72b End face 72c End face 74 LED array (an example of an optical element)
102 burr 120 exposure device (an example of an optical device)
160 housing 220 exposure device (an example of an optical device)
260 housing 270 light emitting board (an example of a board)
276 Avoidance means 320 Exposure device (an example of an optical device)
360 housing 366a recess 366b recess

Claims (3)

a substrate extending in one direction, on which an optical element is mounted, and having burrs protruding in the plate thickness direction at the edges in the width direction;
a housing having a positioning surface that contacts the plate surface of the substrate in the plate thickness direction to determine the position of the substrate in the plate thickness direction, and to which the substrate is attached;
a recess formed in a portion of the positioning surface facing the burr in the plate thickness direction to avoid contact between the burr and the positioning surface;
with
An optical device, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the recess when the housing is cut in a direction orthogonal to the one direction is a triangular shape with the outer edge in the width direction as a vertex. The housing is formed with a pair of opposing surfaces facing the outer end surfaces in the width direction of the substrate,
The end face on one side in the width direction of the substrate and the opposing face on one side in the width direction of the housing are in contact,
The end face on the other side in the width direction of the substrate and the facing face on the other side in the width direction of the housing are separated from each other, and
2. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the width of the recess on one side in the width direction is narrower than the width of the recess on the other side in the width direction. An optical device according to claim 1 or 2 ;
a transfer unit that transfers an image formed using the optical device onto a recording medium;
An image forming apparatus comprising:

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