JPH05164979A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a color image of stable quality by arranging the optical path of the light beam which has the highest visibility among plural kind of light beams in the center. CONSTITUTION:The image recorder 10 is constituted so that the light beam whose optical path can be adjusted with the highest precision among plural applied kind of light beams, i.e. the light beam having the highest visibility is arranged in center. In this case, the optical path of the light beam 16M which has the highest visibility and 670nm wavelength is set in the center of the image recording device 10, and a semiconductor laser (LD) 12M is arranged in the center. Namely, the light beam 16M which is arranged in the center has the most excellent visibility, so the positions, angles, etc., of optical elements such as the LD12M, a cylindrical lens 18M, an theta lens 24, and a cylindrical mirror 26 are visually adjustable and the optical path of the light beam 16M can easily be adjusted with high precision.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a color image recording apparatus for performing exposure by a plurality of light beams which are incident on an optical deflector at different angles and are imaged at different positions on a photosensitive material. The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus capable of easily and accurately adjusting the optical path and capable of performing excellent image recording with little field curvature.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A color image recording apparatus by so-called raster scanning, which exposes an object to be scanned which is relatively moved in a sub-scanning direction substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction by a plurality of light beams deflected in the main scanning direction. Has been put to practical use.

An image recording apparatus using raster scan is
For example, three kinds of light beams emitted from a light source such as a semiconductor laser (LD) and corresponding to the respective colors of cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) are emitted, and an optical deflector such as a polygon mirror is used. And is one-dimensionally deflected in the main scanning direction. The light beam deflected in the main scanning direction is f
It is adjusted by a θ lens so as to form an image with a predetermined beam diameter at a predetermined position, and is incident on a predetermined position on the photosensitive material.

Here, the photosensitive material is relatively moved in the sub-scanning direction substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction. Therefore, the light beam deflected in the main scanning direction scans the photosensitive material two-dimensionally as a result, whereby it becomes possible to scan the entire surface of the photosensitive material with the light beam to record an image.

In such an image recording apparatus, a plurality of light beams emitted from each light source are combined by a dichroic mirror or the like, and are incident on a light deflector as one light beam, and are deflected in the main scanning direction. A multiplexing optical system is known. Further, as an optical system of a cheaper and simpler structure, the light beams emitted from the respective light sources are made incident on the optical deflector at different angles, and are directed to different positions on the photosensitive material such as different positions on the main scanning line. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known an optical system for entering and forming an image (hereinafter, referred to as a different-angle incident optical system).

In the image recording apparatus to which the different-angle incidence optical system is applied, each light beam corresponding to the color development of C, M, and Y is formed by, for example, arranging the light sources at different angles in the main scanning direction. The light is made incident at substantially the same point on the reflecting surface of the optical deflector at different angles. The light beams deflected in the main scanning direction by the optical deflector form images at different positions on the main scanning line of the photosensitive material, and sequentially scan the main scanning line at predetermined time intervals to scan and expose the photosensitive material. To do. Therefore, each light beam travels in different optical paths and is incident on a predetermined position on the photosensitive material.

[0007]

In order to perform good image recording in an image recording apparatus to which a raster scan is applied, it is necessary that a light beam having a predetermined beam diameter be accurately incident on a predetermined position of a photosensitive material. Of course, it is necessary to make the optical path of the light beam as close to the design value as possible.

The irradiation position and the beam diameter of the light beam on the photosensitive material can be confirmed and adjusted by arranging a measuring device on the image forming surface of the light beam, so that relatively accurate adjustment is possible. However, even if the incident position of each light beam on the photosensitive material is accurate, if the optical path of the light beam deviates from the design value, the light beam will be greatly deviated from the design center of the optical system. The light enters an optical member such as a lens or a mirror at an angle or an optical path length different from. Therefore, field curvature occurs in the image formation of the light beam on the photosensitive material, and the image formed on the photosensitive material is distorted, so that good image recording cannot be performed.

As a method of adjusting the optical path of a light beam, optical adjustment of the optical path is usually performed by visual observation and, if necessary, visual observation using various measuring instruments. However, the light beam applied to color image recording is visible and / or infrared light, for example, 670 nm, 750 nm, and 8
When three types of 10 nm light beams are used, when the optical path of the light beam is visually adjusted, the luminosity varies depending on the wavelength of the light beam. Also, when adjusting a light beam that is invisible (difficult) like infrared light, the light beam is made to enter a plate coated with a phosphor, and the visible light emitted from this plate is visually checked for optical adjustment. However, since this adjustment method is indirect, highly accurate adjustment cannot be performed.

Therefore, although a light beam having high visibility can be adjusted with high accuracy, it is difficult to adjust light beam with low visibility or invisible, with high accuracy. Moreover, in an apparatus that does not combine light beams, such as a different-angle incidence optical system, the adjustment accuracy varies depending on the luminosity of the light beams, which causes a difference in the quality of each light beam. A difference occurs in the coloring state of each color of Y.

Further, in the different-angle incidence optical system, since the respective light beams pass through different optical paths and are incident on different positions of the fθ lens and the reflection mirror, the light beams on the both sides of the central light beam are imaged. If the deviation of the optical path of the light beam occurs here, the surface curvature becomes large, which becomes a larger problem.

It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, in which plural kinds of light beams are made incident on the optical deflector at different angles and are made incident on different positions of the photosensitive material.
An image recording apparatus to which a different-angle incidence optical system for forming an image is applied, wherein the optical path of each light beam can be easily and accurately adjusted, and a color image of stable quality can be formed. To provide.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a plurality of types of light beams having different narrow band wavelengths emitted from three or more different light sources, which are emitted at different angles. An image recording apparatus which enters a deflector, forms an image at different positions on a photosensitive material, and sequentially scans the image to record an image on the photosensitive material. The image recording apparatus has the highest visibility among the plurality of types of light beams. Provided is an image recording device characterized in that an optical path of a light beam is arranged in the center.

Further, it is preferable that the plural kinds of light beams are incident on substantially the same scanning line on the photosensitive material.

Further, it is preferable that the light source of the light beam disposed at the center of the optical path is controlled by the information of the red signal or the green signal of the image to be recorded.

[0016]

The present invention is a color image recording apparatus by raster scanning, in which a plurality of types of light beams emitted from three or more light sources are made incident on the optical deflector at different angles and are sequentially scanned to expose the light. An image recording apparatus applying a different-angle incidence optical system for scanning and exposing a material to record an image,
A light beam having the highest adjustment accuracy, that is, a light beam having the highest luminosity is arranged in the center of the plurality of types of light beams.

In order to obtain a high quality color image in an image recording apparatus to which a raster scan is applied, it is needless to say that the light beam is incident on a predetermined position on the photosensitive material. The optical path must also be adjusted to the design value. If the optical path of the light beam is misaligned, field curvature will occur, making it impossible to perform good image recording.

Here, the light beam applied to color image recording is visible and / or infrared light, for example, 67
When three types of light beams of 0 nm, 750 nm, and 810 nm are used, 670 n with relatively good visibility is used when visually adjusting the optical path of each light beam.
Regardless of the m light beam, it is difficult to adjust the 750 nm and 810 nm light beams that have poor visibility or are invisible. Therefore, not only is it difficult to perform highly accurate adjustment, but also the adjustment accuracy varies depending on the visibility of the light beam.

Particularly, in the image recording apparatus using the different-angle incidence optical system, if there is a difference in the adjustment accuracy of each light beam, not only the problem of field curvature but also a difference in the quality of the light beam occurs. It becomes impossible to obtain a good color image in which the color materials of C, C, M and Y are uniformly developed.

On the other hand, the image recording apparatus of the present invention is an image recording apparatus to which different-angle incident optical systems of a plurality of types of light beams emitted from three or more different light sources are applied, and the central light beam is used. A light beam that can achieve the highest adjustment accuracy as a beam, that is, 670 nm for the above-mentioned three types of light beams.
The light beam having the highest luminosity is arranged like the above-mentioned light beam. Therefore, the optical adjustment of the optical path of the central light beam is made the most accurate close to the design value, and
The light beams arranged on both sides can be relatively easily and precisely adjusted to the central light beam adjusted with high precision, and the field curvature is small and C, M and Y are small. It is possible to record a good color image in which the color is uniform.

Preferably, the central light beam is controlled by the information of the R signal or the G signal, that is, the central light beam having the highest adjustment accuracy develops the C or M color material having high visibility. With this configuration, even if field curvature occurs in the light beams on both sides, the light beam with high adjustment accuracy in the center accurately produces a color with high luminosity. It is possible to form a good color image with no noticeable change in color tone.

[0022]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The image recording apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 conceptually shows a perspective view of an example of the image recording apparatus of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image recording apparatus 10 of the present invention has C (cyan), Y (yellow) and M, respectively.
Semiconductor lasers (LD) 12C, 12 for emitting light having a wavelength and an optical output for developing (magenta) color
Y, 12M and collimator lenses 14C, 14Y, 14M along the traveling directions of the light beams 16C, 16Y, 16M emitted from these LDs 12C, 12Y, 12M.
And the cylindrical lenses 18C, 18Y, 18M,
A 3LD light different-angle incident optical system having a reflection mirror 20, a polygon mirror 22, an fθ lens 24, and a cylindrical mirror 26, a sub-scanning conveyance unit for sub-scanning the photosensitive material A (not shown), and a control circuit 28. , LD12C, 12Y, 12M modulation circuit 32C, 32
It is composed of an electric control system having Y, 32M and drive circuits 34C, 34Y, 34M of the LDs 12C, 12Y, 12M.

In such an image recording apparatus 10, a light beam deflected in the main scanning direction indicated by the arrow a while conveying the photosensitive material A in the sub scanning direction indicated by the arrow b in the figure by the sub-scanning conveying means. By scanning with 16C, 16Y, and 16M, the photosensitive material A is eventually scanned by 2
Imagewise exposure is performed by scanning dimensionally.

In the image recording apparatus 10, the 3LD light different-angle incidence optical system serves as a light source that emits light of a predetermined narrow band wavelength, and three semiconductor lasers that enter the reflecting surface 22a of the polygon mirror 22 at slightly different angles ( Hereinafter, referred to as LD) 12C, 12Y, 12M. For example, the LD12C for developing the C dye on the photosensitive material A has a wavelength of 7
The LD12Y for emitting the light of 50 nm, which emits the Y dye of the photosensitive material A, emits the light of the wavelength of 810 nm, and the LD12M for emitting the M dye of the photosensitive material A, the light of the 670 nm wavelength. Ejection is applied. These LD12C, 12Y, 12M are
It is controlled by an electric control system described later.

Here, in the image recording apparatus 10 of the present invention, among the plurality of types of light beams to be applied, the light path capable of adjusting the light path with the highest accuracy, that is, the light path of the light beam with the highest visibility is selected. It has a configuration arranged in the center. Therefore, the image recording apparatus 10 of the illustrated example has a configuration in which the optical path of the light beam 16M having a wavelength of 670 nm having the highest luminosity is set in the center and the LD 12M is arranged in the center. This point will be described in detail later.

The light beams emitted from the LDs 12C, 12Y and 12M then enter the collimator lens.
The collimator lenses 14C, 14Y and 14M are the LD 12
Light beams 16C, 1 emitted from C, 12Y, 12M
6Y and 16M are shaped into parallel lights. Cylindrical lens 18C, 1 arranged next
The 8Y and 18M, the fθ lens 24, and the cylindrical mirror 26 form a plane tilt correction optical system, and corrects the plane tilt of the polygon mirror 22.

Here, the light beams 16C, 16Y, 16M emitted from the LDs 12C, 12Y, 12M enter the reflecting surface 22a of the polygon mirror 22 at slightly different angles, and are reflected by the reflecting surface 22a to be reflected by the photosensitive material A. The LD 12 is formed so that images are formed on the same main scanning line SL above at different angles, and are scanned on the same main scanning line SL at time intervals.
C, 12Y and 12M are arranged. Therefore, the reflection mirror 20 changes the optical paths of the light beams 16C, 16Y, and 16M so that the reflection surfaces 22 of the polygon mirror 22 are changed.
The light is made incident at a position close to the same line of a or at the same point.

The fθ lens 24 is connected to each of the light beams 16C, 1
6Y and 16M are for correctly forming an image at any position of the main scanning line SL. It should be noted that the fθ lens 24 is corrected so that chromatic aberration falls within an allowable range for light having wavelengths of 670, 750, and 810 nm.
The cylindrical mirror 26 is a cylindrical lens 1.
8C, 18Y, 18M and the fθ lens 24 together form a surface tilt correction optical system, and each light beam 16C, 16Y, 1
The photosensitive material A is sub-scanned and conveyed by lowering all 6M.
The light is incident on the photosensitive material A toward a main scanning line SL that is substantially orthogonal to the upper sub-scanning direction.

Since the photosensitive material A is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-scanning conveying means (not shown), the light beams 16C, 16Y, 16M deflected in the main scanning direction.
Results in two-dimensional scanning of the photosensitive material A and image exposure.

The image recording apparatus of the illustrated example has a configuration in which the respective light beams are made incident on different positions on the main scanning line SL and sequentially scanned with a time difference, but the present invention is not limited to this and, for example, Various modes can be applied as long as each light beam is incident on a predetermined position of the photosensitive material, such as one in which light beams are linearly arranged in the sub-scanning direction and are incident on different positions of the photosensitive material to sequentially scan. ..

Basically, the image recording apparatus 10 of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration has a configuration in which the optical path of the light beam capable of adjusting the optical path with the highest accuracy, that is, the optical path of the highest visibility is disposed in the center. Therefore, in the illustrated example, a light beam 1 having a wavelength of 670 nm having the highest visibility is provided.
The 6M optical path is set in the center.

As described above, in the color image recording apparatus to which the raster scan is applied, in order to perform good image recording without conspicuousness such as color misregistration or change in tint, each light beam is directed onto the main scanning line SL. Needless to say, it is necessary to make the light incident on the predetermined position accurately, but it is also necessary to adjust the optical path of each light beam to the design value as accurately as possible. Here, when visually adjusting the optical path of the light beam,
Light beams with poor visibility are not only difficult to adjust with high precision, but there are differences in adjustment accuracy depending on the visibility of the light beam, resulting in a noticeable image such as color misregistration or tint change. I will end up.

On the other hand, in the image recording apparatus of the present invention, of the light beams to be applied, a light beam with high visibility capable of adjusting the optical path with the highest accuracy, in the illustrated example, a light beam 16M having a wavelength of 670 nm is used. By arranging in the center, good image recording can be performed in a state where the three types of light beam optical paths accurately match design values.

That is, the light beam 16M arranged at the center
Has the best visibility, so LD12
The optical path of the light beam 16M can be easily adjusted with high accuracy by adjusting the position, angle, etc. of the optical elements such as M, the cylindrical lens 18M, the fθ lens 24, and the cylindrical mirror 26. On the other hand, this light beam 16
The optical paths of the light beams 16M and 16Y, which are arranged on both sides of M and have poor visibility, can be adjusted in accordance with the highly accurate optical path of the light beam 16M and optical element adjustment. Therefore, the light beams 16M and 16Y
Despite the poor visibility, the optical path adjustment accuracy can be increased relatively easily.

Therefore, according to the image recording apparatus of the present invention,
Image recording can be performed in a state in which the optical paths of a plurality of light beams are adjusted almost uniformly and with high accuracy, and there is no color deviation or tint change due to field curvature or quality difference of each light beam and high image quality. Color image recording can be performed.

In the image recording apparatus of the present invention,
The light beam used is not limited to the three light beams of three kinds in the illustrated example, and may have a light beam corresponding to B (black) color development, or one light beam having no exposure power. The color material may be configured to be colored by light beams emitted from a plurality of light sources.

Such light beams 16C, 16Y, 16
Image exposure control by M, that is, LD 12C, 12
The emission of the light beam by Y and 12M is performed by the control circuit 28, the modulation circuits 32C, 32Y and 32M, and the drive circuit 34.
Controlled by C, 34Y, 34M.

The control circuit 28 receives image information from an image signal source such as an image processing device, an image reading device, a computer, a video device, an optical disk device, that is, an R (red) signal, a G signal.
The information of the (green) signal and the B (blue) signal is received, and various exposure amount corrections and signal processes are performed according to the image information signal to calculate the exposure amount of each pixel for one line for each color. , The exposure amount of each pixel for one line is determined for each LD 12C, 12Y, 12M. here,
In the image recording apparatus of the present invention, the light source of the light beam having the highest visibility in the center, that is, the LD 12M for emitting the light beam 16M of 670 nm in the illustrated example is controlled by the R signal or the G signal. Preferably, the image recording apparatus 10 of the illustrated example is controlled by the information of the G signal.

In the image recording apparatus 10, the photosensitive material A
Light beam 16C (750nm) that develops the above C dye
Light beam 1 that emits LD12C and Y pigment that emits
Image recording is performed by using three types of LDs, that is, an LD 12Y that emits 6Y (810 nm) and an LD 12M that emits a light beam 16M (670 nm) that develops the M pigment as a light beam light source.

In the image recording apparatus, the image information is given by the R signal, G signal and B signal obtained by decomposing the recorded image into the three primary colors of the additive method, while the image recording is carried out by the C dye and M dye contained in the photosensitive material. , And Y dyes of the three primary colors of the subtractive color method are developed by light beams respectively corresponding thereto. Therefore, the control of the LD (light source) for coloring each dye is performed by controlling the color information having a complementary color relationship with each dye, that is, the LD 12C corresponding to the C dye, Y according to the R signal.
The LD12Y corresponding to the dye further receives the M signal according to the B signal.
The LD 12M corresponding to the dye is controlled according to the G signal.

Here, each of the colors C, M, and Y has a difference in visual sensitivity, that is, the strength that humans perceive when developing a color, and C and M have higher visual sensitivity than Y. Therefore, when C and M are color-shifted, the image becomes more noticeable than when Y is color-shifted.

In a preferred embodiment of the image recording apparatus 10 of the present invention, the central light beam 16M having the highest adjustment accuracy is used to develop the M or C color material having high visibility, that is, the central light beam 16M. By configuring the LD 12M, which is the light source of the above, to be controlled by the information of the R signal or the G signal, even if the field curvature occurs on the light beams on both sides, the light beam with high adjustment accuracy in the center is used for viewing. Since a highly sensitive color is accurately developed, it is possible to obtain a good color image with no noticeable color misregistration or change in tint.

Further, more preferably, by controlling the LD 12Y which emits the light beam having the lowest luminosity, that is, the light beam 16Y of 810 nm, by the B signal, the luminosity is the lowest and the adjustment accuracy is high. Low light beam 1
6Y causes the Y dye to develop a color, and it is possible to record a good color image with less noticeable color misregistration and change in tint.

The modulation circuits 32C, 32Y, and 32M have a predetermined repetition cycle set in advance, for example, according to the exposure amount of each pixel of one line determined by the control circuit 28.
LD12C, 1 in exposure time and pixel period per time
The light emission of 2Y and 12M is pulse width modulated. In the pulse width modulation in this image exposure method, the light output of the LD (12C, 12Y, 12M), which is the light source, is set to a constant value, and the LD 12 is set within one pixel cycle for each pixel.
C, 12Y, and 12M are made to continuously emit light, that is, one (one pixel) continuous exposure time is set to drive circuit 34C, respectively.
Output to 34Y and 34M.

The drive circuits 34C, 34Y and 34M are LDs.
A drive circuit for driving the 12C, 12Y, and 12M, and in the case of pulse width modulation, the drive current for the light output preset for each LD is set to the LD 12C, 12Y for a time set for each pixel. , 12M. As a result, each of the LDs 12C, 12Y, and 12M emits light with a preset light output for each LD, for a time determined according to the i pixel for each LD. This is performed over one line, and the LDs 12C, 12Y, and 12M perform one-line exposure.

The drive circuits 34C, 34Y and 34M are connected to the image signal source 28. The image signal source 28 controls the input timing of the image information signal for one line to the drive circuits 34C, 34Y, 34M, the light emission timing (pixel clock timing) of each LD 12C, 12Y, 12M, or the like, or outputs various signals. In response to this, various controls necessary for the image exposure apparatus are performed.

Although the image exposure apparatus of the present invention has been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various improvements and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Of course.

[0050]

As described above in detail, according to the image recording apparatus of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus applying the different-angle incidence optical system in which a plurality of light beams are incident on the optical deflector at different angles. Thus, it is possible to realize an image recording apparatus capable of easily and accurately adjusting the optical path of each light beam, and capable of forming a color image with stable quality without color misregistration or tint change.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of an image exposure apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Image Exposure Device 12C, 12Y, 12M Semiconductor Laser (LD) 14C, 14Y, 14M Collimator Lens 16C, 16Y, 16M Light Beam 18C, 18Y, 18M Cylindrical Lens 20 Mirror 22 Polygon Mirror 24 fθ Lens 26 Cylindrical Mirror 28 Control Circuit 32C , 32Y, 32M modulation circuit 34C, 34Y, 34M drive circuit

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] May 1, 1992

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0043

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

Here, each of the colors C, M, and Y has a difference in sensitivity to color misregistration, a change in tint, and the like, that is, the strength perceived by humans when a color is developed, and C and M are Y. Higher sensitivity to color shifts and changes in tint compared to. Therefore, when C and M are color-shifted, the image becomes more noticeable than when Y is color-shifted.

[Procedure Amendment 2]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Name of item to be corrected] Figure 1

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 1]

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location G03B 27/32 Z 9017-2K G03G 15/01 112 A 7818-2H H04N 1/04 104 A 7251- 5C 1/23 103C 9186-5C

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of types of light beams having different narrow band wavelengths emitted from three or more different light sources are made incident on an optical deflector at different angles to form images at different positions on a photosensitive material. An image recording apparatus for performing image recording on the light-sensitive material by sequentially scanning the light-sensitive material, wherein the optical path of the light beam having the highest visibility among the plurality of types of light beams is arranged in the center. Recording device. 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plural kinds of light beams are incident on substantially the same scanning line on the photosensitive material. 3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source of the light beam disposed at the center of the optical path is controlled by information of a red signal or a green signal of an image to be recorded.