JPH02214674A - Selfoc lens cleaning mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automatically clean the surface of a SELFOC lens by providing an elastic member with a cleaner having a cleaner unit moving in close contact with the surface of the lens to be retreated and return means for returning the lens to its original position. CONSTITUTION:A SELFOC lens 3 is always pressed to a photosensitive drum 1 through a gap roll 2 by a spring 9, and an electromagnet 10 of retreating means is operated upon reception of a retreating command to retreat the lens 3 from the drum 1. In this case, a cleaner part attached to the end of an elastic member 7 with a cleaner is brought into contact with the surface of the lens 3 by the elastic force of shape reset of rubber as the lens 3 moves to move in close contact therewith. In the. retreating step, contaminants of the surface of the lens 3 can be automatically wiped OFF. Since the cleaner part is returned in contact with the surface of the lens 3 even when a LED head array 4 is again returned to a predetermined position by closing the switch of the electro magnet 10, it can be similarly cleaned.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] Regarding a SELFOC lens cleaning mechanism used in an optical scanning unit of an electronic printer device, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a cleaning mechanism that automatically cleans the SELFOC lens surface, and a photosensitive drum. a cleaning mechanism for SELFOC lenses arranged opposite to each other with a gap therebetween, and means for receiving a retreat instruction and retracting the SELFOC lens from the photosensitive drum;
The selfoc lens is configured to include an elastic member with a cleaner having a cleaner portion that moves in contact with and in close contact with the surface of the Selfoc lens that is retracted by the retracting means, and a return means that returns the retracted Selfoc lens to its original position.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a SELFOC lens cleaning mechanism used in an optical scanning section of an electronic printer device.

For example, in an electronic printer device using a semiconductor laser, a laser beam from a light source is reflected by a polyhedral mirror and scanned onto a photoreceptor through an imaging lens to form a latent image on the photoreceptor. Since such optical units are very expensive, solid-state scanning LED arrays have recently been used.

This solid-state scanning is performed by using a cylindrical imaging lens to form an image of the light emitted by the LED array onto the scanning line of the fluorescent object, but after long-term use, the imaging lens surface becomes dirty and reduces the transmission of light. It was necessary to clean the lens surface.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a printer using a conventional LED head array.

In Fig. 4, l is a photosensitive drum, 2 is a gap roller,
Reference numeral 3 denotes a SELFOC lens, which is arranged on the LED array 4a and constitutes the LED head array 4. An LED array 4 having a length equal to the width of the printing paper is supported by a leaf spring 5 fixed to a frame 13. By abutting the gap rollers 2 against the photosensitive drum 1 at both ends of the LED head array 4, 717144 is applied to the photosensitive drum 1 and the LEDs.
It has a mechanism that keeps the distance between them constant. The configuration is such that the light emitted from the LEDs of the LED head array 4 is imaged onto the photosensitive drum 1 by a cylindrical SELFOC lens 3. The SELFOC lens 3 has a large number of cylindrical lenses 3a arranged as shown in FIG. 5, and the end surfaces of the lenses are exposed on the surface. The printer forms a latent image on the pre-charged photosensitive drum 1 by optical scanning of the LED head array 4, forms a toner image with a developing device (not shown), and transfers the toner image onto paper with a transfer device. It is outputting.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Conventionally, the upper surface of the SELFOC lens 3 faces the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. In order to create a latent image on the photosensitive drum 1, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is charged by a charger (not shown). This charger is a corona charger, and due to the high pressure generated, ozone is generated, which combines with nitrogen and water in the air to form nitrate ions.These nitrate ions The nitrates of KNO3 and NaN0i combine with potassium and sodium, which are the components of the Fock lens 3, and adhere to the SELFOC lens 3, deteriorating the light transmittance.The nitrates can be easily removed by wiping. No special protective measures are taken, as the user wipes them after a certain number of sheets or after a certain period of time.

However, depending on the ozone concentration and environmental conditions, it is expected that the light transmittance will decrease considerably even after 6,000 sheets are printed, and that this will affect the print quality.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning mechanism that automatically cleans the surface of a SELFOC lens.

[Means to solve the problem]

As shown in FIG.
A cleaning mechanism for SELFOC lenses 3 which are arranged opposite to each other with a gap between them, comprising a means 10 for retracting the SELFOC lens 3 from the photosensitive drum 1 upon receiving a retraction instruction, and a cell retracted by the retracting means 10. Contact with the Fock lens 3 surface
Elastic member 7 with a cleaner having a cleaner part that moves closely
This problem is solved by the Selfoc lens cleaning mechanism of the present invention, which includes a return means 9 for returning the retreated Selfoc lens 3 to its original position.

[Effect]

Normally, the Selfoc lens 3 is pressed against the photosensitive drum 1 by a spring 9 via the gap roller 2, but upon receiving a retreat instruction, an electromagnet 10 serving as a retreating means is activated to push the Selfoc lens 3 onto the photosensitive drum 1. Evacuate from 1. At this time, the cleaner part attached to the tip of the elastic member with cleaner (hereinafter referred to as rubber with cleaner) 7 comes into contact with the surface of the Selfoc lens 3 due to the elastic force of the rubber returning to its shape as the Selfoc lens 3 moves. Move closely.

During this evacuation process, dirt (nitrates) on the surface of the self-cleaning lens 3 can be automatically wiped off. Further, even when the LED head array 4 is returned to the predetermined position by switching off the electromagnet 10, the cleaner portion comes into contact with the surface of the SELFOC lens 3 and returns, so cleaning can be performed in the same manner as described above.

〔Example〕

Figures 1 (a) to (c) are explanatory diagrams of one embodiment of the present invention, in which Figure 1 (a) is a front view of the printer with the cleaning mechanism section omitted, and Figures 1 (b) and (c) are An operational diagram of the cleaning mechanism section is shown. FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the rubber part with cleaner of the present invention. In addition,
The same reference numerals indicate the same objects throughout the figures.

In FIG. 1(a), 1 is a photosensitive drum, 2 is a gap roller, 3 is a SELFOC lens, 4 is an LED array, 4a is an LED array, and 6 is a light amount sensor.

In this embodiment, dirt is detected by detecting fluctuations in the light transmittance of the SELFOC lens 3, and the SELFOC lens 3 is cleaned based on the detection.

1. Detection of light transmittance fluctuations Normally, about 2,500 LEDs are arranged in the LED array 4, and several dots at both ends are not used for printing. Therefore, in order to turn on the light at both ends at regular intervals, light amount sensors 6 are installed at both ends between the LED head array 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 as shown in FIG. (fixed to the frame 13 of the printer body).

This light amount sensor 6 monitors the amount of LED light that has passed through the SELFOC lens 3 to check for fluctuations from the initial value.

2. As shown in FIG. 1(b), the mechanism for cleaning dirt on the SELFOC lens includes a magnet 10a provided at the bottom of the LED head array 4, and an electromagnet (suction or The LED head array 4 moves on a guide 8 that regulates the direction of movement. Further, the LED head array 4 fixed to the magnet 10a is provided with a gap roller 2, and the gap roller 2 is pressed by a spring 9 and is in contact with the photosensitive drum 1. Thereby, the distance between the photosensitive drum 1 and the LED head array 4 is kept constant.

Further, a rubber cleaner 7 is attached to the printer body 14 in contact with the opposite side of the guide 8 of the LED head array 4. As shown in FIG. 2, this rubber with cleaner 7 is made by bending an elastic rubber H2 (about 10++ m+ thick in the example) into an acute-angled bevel shape, and attaching a cleaner (about 2 mm thick in the example) to the tip on the inside of the bend. felt) 11 is glued.

In the normal state shown in FIG. 1(b), the rubber with cleaner 7 is in a state where the tip of the cleaner 11 is compressed as shown in FIG. 3(a), and during cleaning, the electromagnet 10b fixed to the printer body 14 Activate the magnet (the magnet 10a is the magnet 10
The LED head array 4 is attracted and lowered to the state shown in FIG. 1 (c). At this time, the cleaner 11 portion of the rubber with cleaner 7 comes into close contact with the SELFOC lens 3 due to the shape restoring force of the elastic rubber 12, as shown in FIG. 3(B). You can expect a lot of cleaning during this process.

Furthermore, by turning off the electromagnet 10b, the return force of the spring 9 returns to the normal state shown in FIG. can.

As mentioned above, the light amount sensor 6 is installed to detect light up to the third dot from both ends between the photosensitive drum 1 and the LED head array 4, and is used for a certain operating time or for a certain number of sheets of printing (the number of sheets printed by the device). Each time the light amount sensor 6 is driven using the counter, the dots at both ends are lit, the light amount is measured, and compared with the initial value. For example, the slice level is set to the initial value of 70 to 80χ, and if the measured value falls below that level, it is determined to be dirty, and the cleaning mechanism (turns on the electromagnet) is activated automatically based on that signal. By leaving it on, you can clean the dirt.

In this way, as a result of automatically detecting dirt on the SELFOC lens 3 due to ozone, etc. and automatically cleaning the surface of the SELFOC lens 3, the deterioration of light intensity that would affect printing quality as in the past can be prevented in advance. can be prevented.

Furthermore, even when the above-mentioned detection mechanism is not used, for example, a retreat instruction output is issued from a control section (not shown), and the electromagnet 10b is driven when non-printing is performed.

By retracting the Radar array 4 and covering the SELFOC lens 3 with the cleaner 11 portion of the rubber with cleaner 7, it is effective to prevent contamination.

In this embodiment, the case where it is used in an electrophotographic printer has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is possible to apply it to any scanning system that uses a SELFOC lens. Not even.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, dirt on the SELFOC lens due to ozone, etc. is automatically detected, the surface is automatically cleaned, deterioration of light intensity due to dirt is prevented, and stable printing quality can be obtained. can.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 (a) to (c) are explanatory diagrams of one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a detailed view of the rubber part with a cleaner of the present invention, and Figures 3 (a) and (b) are illustrations of the cleaner of the present invention. Figure 4 shows a diagram of the movement state using a conventional LED array. 1 is a photosensitive drum, 2 is a gap roller, 3 is a selfoc lens, 4 is an LED head array, 4a is an LED array, 6 is a light amount sensor, 7 is the rubber with cleaner, 8 is the guide, 9 is the spring, 1O is the magnet (electromagnet), 13 is the frame, 2 Lee T-attached col (Yago←Mari (I) Ube Nizuki's cleaner with cleaner ゛ 4 letters 1 thin , $2 e book 'N' ``71 cp)7 ') -t ' +i!
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Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A cleaning mechanism for a Selfoc lens (3) which is arranged opposite to a photosensitive drum (1) with a gap therebetween, wherein upon receiving a retreat instruction, the Selfoc lens (3) is moved to the photosensitive drum (1).
), an elastic member with a cleaner (7) having a cleaner portion that moves in close contact with the surface of the SELFOC lens (3) that is retracted by the retracting means (10), and the retracted cell. A return means (9) for returning the Fock lens (3) to its original position.
) Selfoc lens cleaning mechanism.