JPH07232453A - Wide-track end light emitter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a membrane EL edge emitter assembly becoming a composite continuous light source for a light receiving surface and suitable for the printing of a wide track. CONSTITUTION: The elongated rod-like element 12 arranged above a light receiving surface 16 has two oblique bottom surfaces 18, 20. A plurality of edge emitter units 22 are arranged on the rod-like element so that the adjacent units are provided on the mutually opposing bottom surfaces and the edge of each unit is overlapped with that of the adjacent unit. By this constitution, the emitting end surface of the light emitting pixel of each of the edge emitter units forms a focal point on the same line of the light receiving surface and the light emitting pixels of a plurality of the edge emitter units constitute a composite array of light emitting pixels having desired total length.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to high resolution light source devices formed by thin film EL edge emitting devices, and more particularly to wide track edge emitting devices suitable for wider than standard applications.

[0002]

It is well known to construct an electronically controlled high resolution light source device using an EL device in general, and a thin film EL edge emitting device in general. An application of this kind is assigned to the applicant by US Pat. No. 4,535,341 (inventor: K
un et al. ) As described in the specification.

This patent discloses a common electrode, a first dielectric layer formed thereon, and a second dielectric layer spaced from the first dielectric layer.
Thin-film EL line array type edge emission including a dielectric layer, a phosphor layer interposed between the first and second dielectric layers, and an excitation or top electrode formed on the second dielectric layer. The structure is disclosed. At least one electrode, eg the excitation or top electrode, is split to form a plurality of independent control electrodes. A combination of the plurality of independent control electrodes and the remaining structure forms a plurality of light emitting pixels.

Another example of a device using an EL light emitting device as a light source is described in US Pat. No. 4,734,723. This patent discloses an electrophotographic printer having an optical head composed of a plurality of EL devices formed along one edge of a substrate. A plurality of light guide strips are formed on the base body in cooperation with the EL device, and the light guide strips are provided on the other edge of the base body in which the light from the EL device is in face-to-face relationship with the photoreceptor of the printer. Functions to transmit light to the part.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-91998 discloses an EL edge emitting array in which the upper side of a metal electrode covers the periphery of the reflective end surface of the light emitting layer. Each EL element of this array is surrounded by an insulating film whose refractive index is lower than that of the EL layer. The array also has a discharge prevention region between the bottom electrode and the reflective end of the metallic top electrode.

US Pat. No. 4,951,064 discloses a thin film EL edge emitting device in which mounting means surrounds at least a portion of the edge emitting structure to confine a linear array of light emitting pixels in a pollution free environment. Disclosure. The wall of the mounting means adjacent the light emitting pixel array is formed of a translucent material so that light energy from a given light emitting pixel of the array within the mounting means can pass through the wall of the mounting means. In one embodiment of this device, shown in FIG. 7, a series of edge emitting units are provided in the same mounting means to allow printing of wide tracks. In this embodiment, the end portions of adjacent end light emitting units overlap each other. However, thanks to this semitransparent material, the light emitting edge portions of the adjacent edge light emitting units are displaced. As a result, the focal points of adjacent edge emitting units do not converge on the photoreceptor.
Therefore, it is not possible to obtain a continuous line with this edge light emitting device.

[0007]

Thus, there is a need for a thin film EL edge emitting device that provides a composite continuous light source for the light receiving surface and is suitable for printing wide tracks.

The present invention provides a thin film EL composite light source device that directs light onto a light receiving surface or a light receiving body. An elongated rod-shaped body is arranged above the light receiving surface, and the rod-shaped body has two oblique bottom surfaces extending in the axial direction.

A plurality of end light emitting units are axially arranged on the rod-shaped body. Each edge emitting unit has a thin film EL edge emitting structure formed on the base layer. Each edge emitting structure is configured to define a linear array of spaced emitting pixels. Each luminescent pixel has a first surface formed on and associated with the substrate layer. There is a second surface spaced from the first surface and a light emitting end surface extending between the first surface and the second surface.

The plurality of end light emitting units are arranged on the rod in such a relationship that each device is located on the bottom surface opposite to its adjacent device. With this configuration,
The light emitting end surface of the light emitting pixel of each end light emitting unit is focused on the same line of the light receiving surface. The end of each end light emitting unit overlaps the end of the adjacent end light emitting unit. This allows the light emitting pixels of the plurality of edge light emitting units to form a composite array of light emitting pixels having a desired overall length.

It is possible to provide lens means in the optical path from each end light emitting unit on the rod-shaped body to the light receiving surface. The lens means is configured to direct light from the edge light emitting unit onto a desired line on the light receiving surface and focus it there.

The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The wide track edge light emitting device of the present invention has two
The design is such that two or more edge emitting units are attached to a central rod to allow pages larger than 1.59 cm (8.5 inches) to be fully exposed to the device. The standard edge light emitting device is 21.59 cm (8.5
Approximately 25.4 cm (10 inches) of space is required to expose an inch. Therefore, when using two or more end light emitting units, it is necessary to overlap or overlap the respective effective portions so that the printing is performed at the same time but the overlapping portions are not overlapped to avoid double exposure. Two or more portions of the line being exposed can be physically focused on the photoreceptor or paper.
Another mounting method is to physically shift the edge-emitting units and control the time delay between the information arrival times at each part of the device by the electronic device.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a wide track edge light emitting device 10. The edge light emitting device 10 preferably includes a central rod 12 having a generally triangular cross section. This rod 1
The end light emitting device 10 can be fixed so as to be located above the light receiving surface 16 by the two bases 14. Rod 12
Also has diagonally intersecting bottoms or sides 18, 20 on which a plurality of end light emitting units 22 are mounted. A lens 24 may be attached below each end light emitting unit 22 on each bottom surface 18, 20. The light from the edge emitting unit 22 focused by the lens 24 is directed to a single focal point 26 on the light receiving surface 16. The edge light emitting device 10 is arranged at an appropriate height above the light receiving surface 16 so that the focal points 26 of the light emitted from the edge light emitting units 22 on the bottom surfaces 18 and 20 are at the same point.

The end light emitting units 22 mounted on the bottom surfaces 18 and 20 are axially displaced from each other as shown in FIG. This alternating overlapping configuration is known in the art as "stitching." The axially offset mounting of these edge emitting units 22 on opposite bottom surfaces 18, 20 forms a continuous composite array of light emitting pixels of desired length. By electrically interconnecting the edge light emitting units 22, it is possible to continuously print one line on the light receiving surface 16.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a groove 28 is formed in each bottom surface 18, 20 of the rod-shaped body 12. These grooves 28 cooperate with a tongue portion 30 provided on each end light emitting unit 22 to enable adjustment of the axial position of the end light emitting unit 22 in the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped body 12. Therefore, each end light emitting unit 22 can be accurately positioned with respect to the adjacent unit 22. In addition, each end light emitting unit 22 is configured to be adjustable even in the transverse direction of the longitudinal axis of the rod-shaped body 12.

3 and 4 show a wide track edge light emitting device 1
0 shows another embodiment. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the edge light emitting units 22 shown in FIG. 2 are alternately overlapped. Wide track edge light emitting device 3 of FIG.
The wide track end light-emitting device 34 of FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 merely uses the rod-shaped body 12 having a different configuration. The wide track edge light emitting device 32 of FIG. 3 has a smaller lateral spread in the transverse direction but a larger vertical spread than the wide track edge light emitting device 10 of FIG. The wide track edge light-emitting device 34 of FIG. 4 has a larger horizontal extent in the cross section and a smaller vertical extent than the wide track edge light-emitting device 10 of FIG. Wide track end light emitting device 10 rod-shaped body 1
Which configuration is selected as 2 only depends on the space provided to the wide track edge light emitting device 10.

The angle between the oblique bottom surfaces 18 and 20 of the rod 12 is such that the light from the end light emitting units on each bottom of the rod is converged along the line to be printed on the light receiving surface 16. To choose.

One of the advantages of the wide track edge light emitting device 10 of the present invention is that it is easy to electrically connect. Rod 1
Each end light emitting unit 22 can be interconnected by a single conduit provided at 2. The electrical connection of each end light emitting unit 22 can be made on the upper end of the device so that the electrical connection can be easily arranged. Such an electrical connection method is highly desirable for printing lines continuously and sequentially by the combination of the edge light emitting units 22.

In the prior art face-to-face edge emitting device,
The protective coating formed on the face of the edge light emitting device prevents focusing on the same line on the photoreceptor. In addition, in this face-to-face arrangement, the electrical connections are very difficult because the connectors are on opposite sides of the busbar and cannot be electrically connected to the busbar.

Each lens 24 of the rod-shaped body 12 is formed by the rod-shaped body 1.
It is firmly fixed to 2. All lenses focus on the same line. Aligning each end light emitting unit 22 up or down along its respective bottom surface 18 or 20 can be focused on the correct point 26 on the light receiving surface 16.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments, it should be understood that the present invention can be embodied in other configurations within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents.

[0023]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic end view of a presently preferred first embodiment of a wide track edge emitting device of the present invention.

2 is a schematic bottom view of the wide track edge light emitting device of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic end view of a presently preferred second embodiment of a wide track edge emitting device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic end view of a presently preferred third embodiment of a wide track edge emitting device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 32, 34 Wide track end light emitting device 12 Rod-like body 14 Base 16 Light receiving surface 18, 20 Obliquely intersecting bottom surface 22 End light emitting unit 24 Lens 28 Groove 30 Tongue

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display location H05B 33/00

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A thin-film EL composite light source device for directing light to a light-receiving surface, comprising: an elongated rod-shaped body having two oblique bottom surfaces extending in an axial direction and arranged above the light-receiving surface; and an axis above the rod-shaped body. Direction end light emitting units, each of the plurality of end light emitting units has a thin film EL end light emitting structure formed on a base layer, and each end light emitting structure is separated. Are configured to define a linear array of light emitting pixels, each light emitting pixel of the edge emitting structure having a first surface disposed on a substrate layer and a second surface spaced apart from the first surface. And a light emitting end surface extending between the first and second surfaces, and the plurality of end light emitting units are arranged on the rod so that each device is located on the bottom surface opposite to the adjacent device. The light emitting end surface of the light emitting pixel of each end light emitting unit is the same as the light receiving surface. It is configured to focus on a line,
A light source device, wherein the adjacent ends of each edge emitting unit overlap each other so that the emitting pixels of the plurality of edge emitting units form a composite array of emitting pixels having a desired overall length. 2. A plurality of lens means are disposed on the rod-shaped body, and each lens means is adjacent to one of the plurality of end light emitting units and is on one of the two oblique bottom surfaces of the rod-shaped body. 2. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein the lens means is arranged so as to focus the light from the end light emitting unit on the light receiving surface. 3. The light source device according to claim 2, wherein each end light emitting unit is axially positionally adjustable on the rod-shaped body. 4. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein each end light emitting unit is axially positionally adjustable on the rod-shaped body. 5. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein each end light emitting unit is positionally adjustable in a transverse direction on the rod-shaped body. 6. The rod-shaped body has a substantially triangular cross-section, the cross-section has a base and two sides, and each end light emitting unit is one of the sides of the cross-section. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein the light source device is disposed in the. 7. A groove is provided on each side of the cross section,
7. The light source device according to claim 6, wherein the groove enables the axial position adjustment of each end light emitting unit on the rod-shaped body in correspondence with the tongue provided on each end light emitting unit.