JPH08300732A - Image device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To accurately form a latent image having high image quality on a photosensitive body or generate a correct electric signal corresponding to outer image information in solid image pickup element arrays. CONSTITUTION: In an image device, a lens member 3 having a plurality of lenses 4 and a base plate 1 having a large number of image element arrays 2 are arranged fixedly such that each lens 4 and each image element array 2 correspond to each other one to one. The lens member 3 consists of a plurality of lenses 4 having tapered sections on upper and lower outer peripheries and two lens plates 5 having a plurality of holes 5a, wherein the diameter of each hole 5a is smaller than the largest diameter of each lens 4. The upper and lower tapered sections of each lens 4 are pressed and pinched at the periphery of the holes 5a of the two lens plates 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus used in an image forming apparatus such as an optical printer head or an image reading apparatus such as an image sensor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional image forming apparatus, for example, an image forming apparatus used in an image forming apparatus such as an optical printer head, usually has a lens made of a resin such as polycarbonate in which a plurality of lenses are linearly arranged and supported at predetermined intervals. The plate and the base plate made of aluminum oxide sintered body or glass in which a large number of light emitting diode element arrays are linearly mounted are arranged so that each lens and each light emitting diode element array have a one-to-one correspondence. It has a fixed structure, and each light emitting diode element of each light emitting diode element array is caused to selectively emit light in response to an external electrical signal, and the light emitted by the light emitting diode element is passed through a lens. An image is formed on an external photoconductor, and a latent image is formed on the photoconductor to function as an image forming apparatus.

A light-emitting diode element array linearly arranged and mounted on the base plate generally has 64 light-emitting diode elements linearly arranged therein, which is suitable for a B4 size image forming apparatus. When used, the 32 light emitting diode element arrays are mounted on the base plate so that each of the 32 light emitting diode element arrays has a one-to-one correspondence with each lens.

Further, when each lens supported by the lens plate and each light emitting diode element array mounted on the base plate are displaced from each other, bleeding, white lines, black lines, etc. are formed on the image formed on the surface of the photoconductor. Therefore, it is impossible to form a clear and accurate latent image due to the above-mentioned problem. Therefore, it is necessary to align each lens and each light-emitting diode element array with extremely high accuracy.

Further, in each lens, a plurality of holes are linearly formed in the lens plate, and the lenses are adhered and fixed with an adhesive made of epoxy resin or the like so as to close the holes. Are arranged in a straight line.

[0006]

However, in this conventional image device, the lens plate is generally flat, and when the lens is adhered and fixed to the lens plate via the adhesive agent made of epoxy resin, the adhesive agent is used. Since heat of 150 ° C. has to be applied for about 1 hour to heat cure the above, it takes a long time to bond and fix the lens. Therefore, when the lens is bonded and fixed to the lens plate, the lens fixing position is apt to be displaced, When the position shift occurs, it becomes impossible to properly form the light emitted by each light emitting diode element array on the external photoconductor through the lens, and it is impossible to form a clear and accurate latent image on the photoconductor surface. It had a drawback.

In the above-mentioned embodiments, the image device used in the image forming apparatus such as the optical printer head has been described as an example, but it is used in the image reading apparatus such as the image sensor using the solid-state image sensor array. Even in the image device described above, it becomes impossible to accurately irradiate the solid-state image sensor array with external image information due to the positional deviation of the lens,
It has a drawback that an accurate electric signal corresponding to external image information cannot be generated in the solid-state image sensor array.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been devised in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, and an object thereof is to irradiate the surface of a photoconductor with light emitted from a light emitting diode element through a lens to accurately form a latent image of high image quality on the photoconductor. Or an image device capable of accurately forming an external image information on a solid-state image sensor array via a lens and generating an accurate electric signal corresponding to the external image information on the solid-state image sensor array. To provide.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a lens member having a plurality of lenses and a base plate on which a large number of image element arrays are mounted have a one-to-one correspondence between each lens and each image element array. In the image device fixed together with the lens member, the lens member includes a plurality of lenses each having a tapered portion on the upper and lower outer peripheral portions, and two lens plates each having a plurality of holes each having a diameter smaller than the maximum diameter of the lenses. Consists of
It is characterized in that the upper and lower tapered portions of each lens are pressed and sandwiched by the peripheral portions of the holes of the two lens plates.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that a light shielding member is attached to the lens member, and the light shielding member is arranged between the image element arrays arranged and mounted on the base plate.

[0011]

According to the imaging apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of lenses having tapered portions on the upper and lower outer peripheral portions and two lens plates having a plurality of holes having a diameter smaller than the maximum diameter of the lenses are prepared. Since the lens member is formed by pressing and sandwiching the upper and lower tapered portions of each lens by the peripheral portions of the holes of the two lens plates, the position of each lens is regulated by the holes of the two lens plates and It is extremely accurately aligned with a predetermined position, and as a result, each lens extremely accurately faces each image element array, and when used as an image forming apparatus such as an optical printer head, the light emitting diode element emits light. It is possible to accurately irradiate light onto the surface of the photoconductor through the lens, and accurately form a latent image with high image quality on the photoconductor. If you to use, it can not be accurately formed on the solid-state imaging device array through the lens external image information, to generate a precise electric signal corresponding to the external image information on the solid-state imaging device array.

According to the image device of the present invention, when the light shielding member is attached to the lens member and the light shielding member is arranged between the image element arrays arranged and mounted on the base plate, the image element arrays between the adjacent image element arrays are arranged. Diffusion or leakage of light is effectively prevented by the light shielding member, and as a result, when used as an image forming apparatus such as an optical printer head, the light emitted from the light emitting diode element is accurately irradiated onto the surface of the photoreceptor through the lens, A latent image with high image quality can be accurately formed on the photoconductor, and when used as an image reading device, the external image information is accurately formed on the solid-state image sensor array through the lens, and the solid-state image sensor array is formed. An accurate electric signal corresponding to external image information can be generated.

[0013]

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 and 2 show an embodiment in which the image forming apparatus of the present invention is adopted in an optical printer head as an image forming apparatus, 1 is a base plate, 2 is a light emitting diode element array as an image element array, and 3 is a lens. It is a member.

The base plate 1 is made of an electrically insulating material such as a carbon fiber reinforced liquid crystal polymer, an aluminum oxide sintered material, crystallized glass, quartz, glass epoxy resin, and the like. It has been implemented in an array.

The base plate 1 acts as a supporting member for supporting the light emitting diode element array 2, and, for example,
When it is made of a carbon fiber reinforced liquid crystal polymer, it is formed into a predetermined shape by adopting an injection molding method.

The light emitting diode element array 2 arranged and mounted on the base plate 1 comprises a plurality of light emitting diode elements 2a, and the light emitting diode elements 2a individually and selectively emit light in response to an external electric signal. By irradiating the surface of the photoconductor P with the emitted light, a latent image for forming an image is formed on the photoconductor P.

The light emitting diode element 2a is a GaAsP type, Ga
P-based light-emitting diodes are used, for example, in the case of a GaAsP-based light-emitting diodes, as well as heating to a high temperature the GaAs substrate at furnace First AsH ₃ and (arsine) PH ₃ and (Hosuhin) Ga (gallium ) Is contacted with a gas to grow a single crystal of n-type semiconductor GaAsP (gallium-arsenic-phosphorus) on the substrate surface, and then Si ₃ is grown on the GaAsP single crystal surface.
A windowed film of N ₄ (silicon nitride) is deposited, and Zn (zinc) gas is exposed to the window to form an n-type semiconductor GaAsP.
Zn is diffused into a part of the single crystal to form a p-type semiconductor, and pn
It is formed by providing a bond.

In the case of a B4 size optical printer head, the number of the light emitting diode elements 2a is 2048 (8 per 1 mm).
Are arranged linearly, and specifically, a light emitting diode element array in which 64 light emitting diode elements 2a are one unit
32 light emitting diode elements 2a are linearly arranged, and thus 2048 light emitting diode elements 2a are arranged and mounted on the base plate 1.

Further, the base plate 1 on which the light emitting diode element array 2 is mounted in an array is provided with a lens member 3 above the base plate 1 at a constant distance.

The lens member 3 is composed of a plurality of lenses 4 each having a tapered portion on the upper and lower outer peripheral portions, and two lens plates having a plurality of holes 5a having a diameter smaller than the maximum diameter of the lenses 4.
And the upper and lower tapered portions of each lens 4 are pressed and sandwiched by the peripheral portions of the holes 5a of the two lens plates 5.

Two lens plates of the lens member 3
5 acts as a supporting member for supporting the plurality of lenses 4 at predetermined intervals, and the holes 5a fix the lenses 4 at predetermined positions, and at the same time, the light emitted by each light emitting diode element 2a of the light emitting diode element array 2 is reflected by the lens 4a. And the light incident on the lens 4 is applied to the external photoconductor P.

The lens plate 5 is formed of a material such as glass epoxy resin, and the hole 5a is formed by punching the glass epoxy resin with a drill or the like.

Each lens 4 supported between the two lens plates 5 has a function of irradiating the surface of the photoconductor P with light emitted from each light emitting diode element 2a, and is made of a transparent resin such as acrylic resin or polycarbonate resin. Alternatively, a lens formed of a transparent inorganic material such as glass is preferably used.

Further, when attaching the lens 4 between the two lens plates 5, the taper portions provided on the upper and lower outer peripheral portions of each lens 4 are pressed and sandwiched by the peripheral portions of the holes 5a of the two lens plates 5. In this case, each lens 4 is extremely accurately aligned with a predetermined position of the lens plate 5 by restricting its position by the holes 5a formed in the two lens plates 5, and as a result, each lens 4 is The light emitted from the light emitting diode element 2a, which exactly faces the light emitting diode element array 2, is accurately irradiated onto the outer surface of the photoconductor P through the lens 4, and a latent image with high image quality is accurately formed on the photoconductor P. It becomes possible to do.

The lens member 3 consisting of the lens 4 and the two lens plates 5 has a light shielding member 6 attached to the lower part thereof, and the light shielding member 6 is arranged between the respective light emitting diode element arrays 2. Then, even if the light emitted from the light emitting diode element 2a of each light emitting diode element array 2 tries to leak to the adjacent light emitting diode element array 2 side, the leakage is completely blocked by the light shielding member 6, and as a result, each light emitting diode The light emitted from the light emitting diode elements 2a of the element array 2 is irradiated onto the photoconductor P only through the lens 4 corresponding to it one by one, and the photoconductor P is completely free from bleeding due to unnecessary light irradiation. A clear latent image can be formed. Therefore, it is preferable that the light shielding member 6 is attached to the lower portion of the lens member 3 and the light shielding member 6 is disposed between the light emitting diode element arrays 2.

The light-shielding member 6 is made of a material such as glass epoxy resin that does not transmit light.

On the other hand, the light emitting diode element array
Base plate 1 with 2 mounted and multiple lenses 4
Each of the lens members 3 having the above is bonded to a pair of spacers 7, 7 made of glass epoxy resin or the like so that the respective light emitting diode element arrays 2 and the respective lenses 4 are in a one-to-one correspondence with a predetermined distance. It is annexed.

The pair of spacers 7 has a first alignment reference surface 7a on the top thereof and a second alignment reference surface 7b on the bottom thereof, and the first alignment reference surface 7a of the spacer 7 has the lens member 3 By fixing the lower surface of the light emitting diode element array 2 to each lens 4 by abutting and fixing the outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the base plate 1 to the second alignment reference surface 7b, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the light emitting diode element arrays 2 and the lenses 4 with a predetermined distance. It is like this.

Thus, according to the image device of the present invention, a predetermined power is applied to each light emitting diode element 2a arranged and mounted on the base plate 1 to cause each light emitting diode element 2a to selectively emit light individually. The light emitted from the light emitting diode element 2a forms an image on the surface of the external photoconductor P via the lens 4 to form a predetermined latent image on the photoconductor P, thereby functioning as an image forming apparatus.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the optical printer head, etc. However, the light emitting diode element array may be replaced with a solid-state image pickup element array to be used in an image reading apparatus such as an image sensor.

[0031]

According to the image device of the present invention, a plurality of lenses having tapered portions on the upper and lower outer peripheral portions and two lens plates having a plurality of holes having a diameter smaller than the maximum diameter of the lenses are prepared. In addition, since the lens member is formed by pressing and holding the upper and lower tapered portions of each lens in the peripheral portions of the holes of the two lens plates, the position of each lens is regulated by the holes of the two lens plates. It is extremely accurately aligned with a predetermined position of the plate, and as a result, each lens faces each image element array very accurately, and thus when used as an image forming apparatus such as an optical printer head, the light emitting diode element is used. Accurately irradiate the surface of the photoconductor with the light emitted from the photoconductor to form a latent image with high image quality on the photoconductor, and to read the image. When used as a device, it is possible to accurately formed on the solid-state imaging device array through the lens external image information, to generate a precise electric signal corresponding to the external image information on the solid-state imaging device array.

Further, according to the image device of the present invention, when the light blocking member is attached to the lens member and the light blocking member is arranged between the image element arrays arranged and mounted on the base plate, the image element arrays between the adjacent image element arrays are arranged. Diffusion or leakage of light is effectively prevented by the light shielding member, and as a result, when used as an image forming apparatus such as an optical printer head, the light emitted from the light emitting diode element is accurately irradiated onto the surface of the photoreceptor through the lens, A latent image with high image quality can be accurately formed on the photoconductor, and when used as an image reading device, the external image information is accurately formed on the solid-state image sensor array through the lens, and the solid-state image sensor array is formed. An accurate electric signal corresponding to external image information can be generated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment in which an image forming apparatus of the present invention is applied to an optical printer head as an image forming apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1. Base plate 2 Light emitting diode element array 2a Light emitting diode element 3・ ・ ・ Lens member 4 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Lens 5 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Lens plate 5a ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Hole 6 ・ ・ ・・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Light-shielding member P ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Photoconductor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image device in which a lens member having a plurality of lenses and a base plate on which a large number of image element arrays are mounted are fixed together so that each lens and each image element array have a one-to-one correspondence. And the lens member is
It is composed of a plurality of lenses each having a tapered portion on the upper and lower outer peripheral portions, and two lens plates having a plurality of holes each having a diameter smaller than the maximum diameter of the lens, and each lens has two upper and lower tapered portions. An image device characterized in that it is pressed and pinched in the peripheral portion of the hole. 2. The image device according to claim 1, wherein a light blocking member is attached to the lens member, and the light blocking member is arranged between image element arrays arrayed and mounted on a base plate.