JPH0490366A - Optical recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable light emitting dot patterns to be efficiently formed on a sensitive body as a latent image by a method wherein the light emitting dot patterns from a scan recording element are taken out from a base plate glass side and the base plate glass and the sensitive body are brought into contact to make an exposure on the sensitive body. CONSTITUTION:Upon application of voltage to a scan recording element 1, since radiant energy is sent into a fluorescent dot array 4 while the electron emitted from a cathode filament 5 reaches a transparent electrode array 3, the fluorescent dot array 4 starts to emit fluorescence. This fluorescence is transmitted from the transparent electrode array 3 through a transparent base plate glass 2 to form a latent image on a sensitive body 7. At this time, the fluorescent dot array 4 is formed on the transparent base plate glass 2 and a light emitting luminous flux is taken in from the side with no fluorescent dot array 4 formed and, in order to give a desired clearance of about several tens of microns to the thickness DELTAG of the transparent base plate glass 2, the base plate glass and the sensitive body 7 are brought into close contact, thereby making constant a space between a light emitting segment and the sensitive body 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention Technical Field The present invention relates to an optical recording device, and more particularly, to a self-scanning optical recording device that efficiently forms a latent image on a photoreceptor with a light-emitting dot pattern emitted from a scanning recording element. Regarding printers.

q[1] A self-scanning electrophotographic recording device is an optical recording device that has features such as a simple and compact mechanism for forming image information as an optical pattern.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a conventional example of a self-scanning electrophotographic recording device, in which 21 is a photoreceptor, 22 is a charger, 2
3 is a minute light emitting segment array, 24 is an imaging element, 25
2 is a developing device, 26 is a transfer charger, 27 is a separation charger, 28 is a cleaning device, 29 is a static elimination lamp, 3
0 is a transfer paper, and 31 is a fixing device. The charger 22, the micro light emitting segment array 23. Imaging element 24
, the developing device 25, the transfer charger 26, the separation charger 27, the cleaning device 28, and the neutralizing lamp 29 are arranged around the photoreceptor 21 in this order.

The self-scanning electrophotographic recording device having the above configuration forms an image on the surface of the photoreceptor 21 via the imaging element 24 by generating light that is selected based on image information in the minute light emitting segment array 23 and emitted in pixel units. An electrostatic latent image is formed, this electrostatic latent image is visualized by the developing device 25, and this is formed into paper at a predetermined timing. That is, the image is transferred to the transfer paper 30 by the action of the transfer charger 26, and the fixing group W3
1 is used for fixing processing. Here, one light emitting diode (LED) is used as the minute light emitting segment array 23.
) array, liquid crystal shutter (LSC) array, phosphor dot array, etc., and as the imaging element 24, a SELFOC lens array, a roof mirror lens array, etc. are used. Note that the above-mentioned recording method exposes a portion of the surface of the negatively charged photoreceptor 21 corresponding to an image area,
This is a negative-positive recording method based on the principle that development is carried out by attaching toner or the like to a portion of the photoreceptor 21 whose surface potential has been reduced by this exposure.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an optical recording head using a conventional solid-state light emitting device. In the figure, 32 is a roof mirror lens array (RMLA) as an imaging element, 33 is a mirror, and 34 is an aperture mechanism (diaphragm plate). , 35 is a lens array (LA), 36 is a mirror, 37 is a phosphor dot array (FLDA) as a minute light emitting segment array, 38 is a light emitting point of the phosphor dot array (FLDA) 37, 39 is an opening, and 40 is a housing. The member 41 is a photoreceptor. A phosphor dot array (FLDA) 37 is attached to the bottom of the housing 40 and is fixed to the bottom of the housing 40 by a rigid base via an elastic member (not shown) from below. on the other hand,
The roof mirror lens array (RMLA) 32 is inserted into a groove formed in the upper part of the housing 40 in the longitudinal direction in parallel with the phosphor dot array (FLDA) 37, and is inserted later by a leaf spring or the like (not shown). Further, the opening 39 is
It allows the light generated from the light emitting points 38 to pass through and also serves to prevent stray light, and is opened in the array direction of the housing 40. In the above, the light generated from the light emitting point 38 passes through the aperture 39 and is reflected by the mirrors 36 and 33, passes through the diaphragm mechanism 34 and the lens array (LA) 35, and forms an image at the position F on the photoreceptor 41. Note that a roof mirror lens array (RMLA) is provided at the front end of the housing 40.
) 32 (to prevent stray light), a dustproof cover member (not shown) having a slit (to prevent stray light), such as a glass member or a transparent plastic member, is provided.

In the optical recording head using the conventional solid-state light emitting device described above, a roof mirror lens array (RMLA) is used as an imaging element.
) 32, Lot: Lens array (not shown), and other equal-magnification imaging elements are used, but the light utilization efficiency of these equal-magnification imaging elements is only a few percent at most, so it is difficult to Only a small portion of the emitted light energy is used as the light energy for forming a latent image. In other words,
The light energy necessary to form a latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor 41 was not efficiently transmitted spatially. Furthermore, since the imaging element has a finite size, it becomes large as an optical printer head, and the self-scanning optical recording device itself, which is characterized by its tJX type, must also be large. Ta.

Examples of known documents describing the prior art related to the present invention include JP-A-58-223242 and JP-A-58-2.
There are publications such as No. 23243. The "recording devices" described in these publications all use a phosphor dot array (FLDA) as a scanning recording element and a roof mirror lens array (RMLA) as an imaging element. Examples are given below.

Here, too, a latent image pattern is formed by spatially transmitting the light-emitting dot pattern via the imaging optical system and forming an image on the photoreceptor. Since the light energy can be captured only at an efficiency level, that is, a few percent or less, it has not been possible to effectively capture the light emission energy of the micro light emitting segment array as energy for forming a latent image. Furthermore, since an imaging system is used, it is necessary to adjust the position by combining component parts, and the space occupied by the imaging system is also necessary, so there is a natural limit to miniaturization.

fi-The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances,
The purpose of this invention is to effectively form a latent image on a photoreceptor using the light emitted energy of the micro light emitting segment array, and to provide an optical recording device that is compatible with higher quality.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides: (1) an electrode array in which single minute electrodes are arranged in an array in the main scanning direction; A scanning recording element comprising a phosphor forming a light-emitting dot pattern, a cathode filament stretched in the main scanning direction, a substrate glass on which the electrode array and the phosphor are provided, and a face glass covering the substrate glass. , a drive circuit for driving each electrode of the electrode array of the scanning recording element; an optical writing head configured to output optical information corresponding to an electrical signal of the driving circuit; The light-emitting dot pattern is taken out from the substrate glass side, and the substrate glass and the photoconductor are brought into close contact with each other. exposing the light-emitting dot pattern onto the photoconductor; (2) in (1) above, recording the transparent substrate of the scanning recording element and the photoconductor while maintaining a constant interval; (3) the substrate glass and the photoconductor; , an electrode array having a single minute electrode arranged in an array in the main scanning direction on the substrate glass, and a light emitting diode having a light emitting dot pattern formed on the electrode array and arranged in the main scanning direction. a recording element, a drive circuit that applies a current to each of the light emitting diodes of the scanning recording element to drive the light emitting diode, an optical writing head configured to output optical information corresponding to an electrical signal of the active circuit; The light-emitting dot pattern is taken out from the substrate glass side, and the photoconductor has a charged potential that changes in response to the intensity of optical information from the optical writing head to form an electrostatic latent image. (4) In (3) above, recording is performed while maintaining a constant distance between the transparent substrate of the scanning recording element and the photoreceptor. That is. Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on examples.

FIG. 1 is a perspective cross-sectional view in the arrangement direction for explaining an embodiment of the optical recording device according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a scanning recording element, 2 is a smooth and transparent substrate glass, and 3 is a transparent electrode. The array, 4 is a phosphor tone array (FLDA) which is a minute light emitting segment array, 5 is a cathode filament, 6 is a face glass, and 7 is a photoreceptor. Further, the photoreceptor 7 is used to expose the light-emitting dot pattern emitted by the scanning recording element 1. In addition, phosphor dot array (FLDA) 4
is the back side of the transparent substrate glass, that is, the phosphor array 4
The structure is such that the photoreceptor 7 is brought into close contact with the side opposite to the side on which the photoreceptor 7 is formed. Note that the micro light emitting segment array is shown in a large size for the sake of explanation, and in practical terms, the size is several tens of microns, as will be explained later.

The scanning recording element 1 has a single minute electrode arranged in the main scanning direction (direction of the arrow A transparent electrode array 3 arranged in an array is disposed on a substrate glass 2, and a phosphor dot array 4 adjacent to the transparent electrode array 3 and forming a light emitting dot pattern in the main scanning direction; A cathode filament 5 is provided which extends in the main scanning direction at a distance from the cathode filament 4 and which emits electrons.

The above-described scanning recording element 1 generates electrons emitted from the cathode filament 5 by applying a voltage using the cathode filament 5 as a negative electrode and a selected transparent electrode array 3 as a positive electrode by a drive circuit (not shown). reaches the transparent electrode array 3, but during this time, radiant energy is injected into the phosphor dot array 4, so that the phosphor dot array 4
is converted into light energy and emits fluorescence, which is transmitted from the transparent electrode array 3 through the transparent substrate glass 2 to form a latent image on the photoreceptor 7. That is, the phosphor dot array 4
The energy of the light emitted from the substrate glass 2 is transmitted from the back side of the substrate glass 2 toward the photoreceptor 7 .

Here, from the light emitting position of the phosphor dot array 4 to the photoreceptor 7
The closer the distance to the photoreceptor 7, the more effectively the light energy emitted from the phosphor dot array 4 can be used. Conversely, the farther this distance is, the less light energy reaches the photoreceptor 7, and the more the fluorescent dot pattern Adjacent dot patterns overlap each other, and a dot-shaped latent image is no longer formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 7. That is, the resolution equivalent to that in the case where an optical system is present is reduced. For example, the dot density of the light emitting pattern is 8 dat/
In the case of mm, assuming that the pitch of one light emitting part is 125 μm and the light emitting characteristic is a diffusion characteristic, the interval between the light emitting dots from the photoreceptor 7 and the phosphor dot array 4 is set to several tens of microns (μm).
), it is possible to prevent a decrease in practical resolution. For this reason, one aspect of the present invention is a micro light emitting segment array (
A phosphor dot array) 4 is formed on a transparent substrate glass 2, and the luminous flux is taken in from the side where the minute light emitting segment array 4 is not formed, and the thickness Δ of the transparent substrate glass 2 is
By bringing the substrate glass 2 and the photoreceptor 7 into close contact with each other, it became possible to maintain a constant distance between the minute light-emitting segments and the photoreceptor 7 in order to maintain the desired thickness of G at a distance of approximately several tens of microns. .

FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are configuration diagrams for explaining another embodiment of the optical recording device according to the present invention. In the cross-sectional view, Figure (b) is a diagram showing the emission intensity. This is a case where the micro light emitting segment array is a light emitting diode (LED) array, and in the figure, 9 is a smooth and transparent substrate glass, and 1o is a light emitting diode (LED) array arranged on the substrate glass 9 in the main scanning direction (arrow X direction). light emitting diode (LED) chip, 1
1 is a bonding wire, and 12 is a photoreceptor.

When a drive circuit (not shown) applies a drive current to a selected LED chip P of light emitting diode (LED) chips arranged in the direction of the arrow X through the substrate glass 9, the LED chip P emits light. The light is emitted from the back surface of the substrate glass 9, passes through the substrate glass 9, and reaches the photoreceptor 12.
reach. In Figure (b), where the thickness of the substrate glass 9 is ΔG, the vertical axis is the luminous intensity transmitted through the substrate glass 9 in a direction perpendicular to the substrate glass 9, and the horizontal axis is the arrangement direction X. It shows the light emission intensity Ip of the LED chip P, and the waveform is a sharp curve in one axis direction. When forming a latent image on the photoreceptor 12 using light energy emitted from the back side of the substrate glass 9, the shorter the distance from the light emitting position of the micro light emitting segment array 10 to the photoreceptor, the more the emitted energy can be utilized; As the distance increases, adjacent dot patterns of the light emitting dot patterns overlap each other, and the problem that a dot-like latent image is not formed on the photoreceptor is solved.
Since the photoreceptor 12 and the photoreceptor 12 are in close contact with each other, the distance from the light emitting position 5 to the photoreceptor 12 can be set to a constant value determined by the thickness of the substrate glass 9.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing still another embodiment of the optical recording device according to the present invention. In the figure, 8 is a reinforcing member, 15 is a drive circuit, and other parts having the same functions as those in FIG. 1 have the same reference numbers. It is numbered. A reinforcing member 8 is disposed within the inner seal formed by the substrate glass 2 and the face glass 6. It is sealed so as not to interfere with the actions of the phosphor array 4 and the cathode filament 5, which emit light upward.

The reinforcing member 8 changes the contact position between the substrate glass 2 and the photoreceptor 7 when a latent image is formed on the photoreceptor 7 at a distance ΔG of the substrate glass 2 from the phosphor tone array 4 selected by the drive circuit 15. Therefore, when the substrate glass 2 is pressed, the substrate glass 2 with the thickness ΔG is attached to the cathode filament 5.
This is to reinforce the substrate glass to prevent it from bending in this direction.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view in the main scanning direction for explaining another embodiment of the optical recording apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. The operative parts are provided with the same reference numerals. The inner seal formed by the substrate glass 9 and the face glass 14 is sealed with a resin sealing member 13, and in the embodiment shown in FIG. When the substrate glass 9 is in close contact with the photoreceptor 12, the substrate glass 9 may bend toward the face glass 14, but by enclosing the sealing member 13,
This deflection can be removed.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing still another embodiment of the optical recording device of the present invention, in which the optical recording device of FIG. 1 is moved in the main scanning direction (arrow X direction).
1. In the figure, 15 is a drive circuit, and other reference numbers same as in FIG. 1 are attached. The scanning recording element 1 and the photoreceptor 7 are not brought into close contact with each other, and the outer surface of the substrate glass 2 and the photoreceptor 7 are
The gap ΔG is so small that the formation of a dot-like image on the photoreceptor 7 is not impaired.
This embodiment reduces the wear of the substrate glass 2 and the photoreceptor 7, and can also be applied to the case where the reinforcing member 8 shown in FIG. 3 is provided. Similarly, this can be applied to FIGS. 2 and 4 in which the micro light emitting segment array is an LED chip, in which the substrate glass 9 and the photoreceptor 12 are arranged with an extremely small gap ΔG2, Abrasion of the substrate glass 9 and the photoreceptor 12 is reduced.

As is clear from the above explanation, according to the present invention, the luminous energy emitted from the phosphor dot array or the minute light emitting segment array of the LED array formed on the back surface of the substrate glass of the scanning recording element is transferred to a transparent substrate. Since a latent image can be formed on the photoreceptor simply by transmitting through the substrate glass, the luminous energy that is generated when forming a latent image through an imaging element using a lens such as a conventional roof mirror lens array or selfoc lens array is eliminated. The loss of energy can be removed, and the latent image forming energy can be effectively captured.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective sectional view for explaining one embodiment of the optical recording device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment, and FIG. Diagram showing an example, No. 4
2 shows another embodiment of FIG. 2, FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 shows a conventional self-scanning electrophotographic recording device. , FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an optical recording head using a conventional solid-state light emitting device. 1... Scanning recording element, 2, 9... Substrate glass, 3.
... Transparent electrode array, 4 ... Phosphor dot array, ... Cathode filament, 6, 14 ... Face glass, 7゜12 ... Photoreceptor, 8 ... Reinforcement member, 1o River light emitting diode ( LED) chip, 15.16...drive circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An electrode array in which single minute electrodes are arranged in an array in the main scanning direction, a phosphor forming a light-emitting dot pattern in the main scanning direction adjacent to the electrode array, and a scanning recording element having a cathode filament stretched in the scanning direction, a substrate glass on which the electrode array and the phosphor are provided, and a face glass covering the substrate glass; and each of the electrode arrays of the scanning recording element. A drive circuit that drives the electrode, an optical writing head that outputs optical information corresponding to the electrical signal of the drive circuit, and a charging potential that corresponds to the light intensity of the optical information of the optical writing head. The luminescent dot pattern is taken out from the substrate glass side, the substrate glass and the photoconductor are brought into close contact, and the luminescent dot pattern is exposed onto the photoconductor. An optical recording device characterized by: 2. A substrate glass, an electrode array in which single minute electrodes are arranged in an array in the main scanning direction on the substrate glass, and a light emitting dot pattern formed on the electrode array and arranged in the main scanning direction. a scanning recording element having a diode;
A drive circuit that applies a current to each of the light emitting diodes of the scanning recording element to drive the light emitting diodes, an optical writing head that outputs optical information corresponding to an electric signal of the driving circuit, and the optical writing head. a photoreceptor whose charged potential changes in response to the light intensity of optical information to form an electrostatic latent image; the light-emitting dot pattern is taken out from the substrate glass side, and the substrate glass and the photoreceptor are brought into close contact with each other. An optical recording apparatus characterized in that the light-emitting dot pattern is exposed on a photoreceptor by exposing the light-emitting dot pattern to light.