JPH09197236A - Lens height adjusting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to adjust the height of a lens with a small number of parts and easy assembly by fixing a lens holding means adjusted in the height to a substrate by an energizing means for energizing the lens holding means in the direction of parting the means from the substrate and screw means for adjusting the energizing force and height of the energizing means. SOLUTION: Respective springs 8 are positioned and arranged between an end holder 4 and the base substrate 6 by grooves 21, 62. The respective screws 43 for adjustment are passed through the centers of the springs 8 from mounting holes 41 and are guided into screw holes 61 for adjustment of the base substrate 6. The tightening of the respective screws 43 for adjustment is executed. The lens holding means 2 is energized upward by the springs 8 but is restricted by the head parts of the screws 43 for adjustment and, therefore, the height of the lens 1 is exactly adjusted by the tightening quantity of the screws 43. The height adjustment of the lens is executed by a pair of the adjusting screws 43 positioned in the same direction as the central line of the lens 1 and arranged to hold the lens 1 and, therefore, the transverse inclination of the lens 1 is prevented.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lens height adjustment for adjusting the height of a long lens such as a selfoc lens array (hereinafter referred to as SLA) used for an optical printer head, an image sensor or the like. Regarding the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Long-distance lenses, such as SLA, arranged in the optical path of a light-emitting element or a light-receiving element are slightly different in their characteristics depending on their types, but adjustment in the depth of focus direction is very important. The printing quality and the reading quality are determined by this adjustment accuracy. Conventionally, when fixing this lens, the lens is fixed to a lens holder so as to be in an optimal position set in advance, and the lens holder is attached to the upper surface of an aluminum substrate or a circuit board on this substrate with an adhesive or the like. The method of fixing by using is used. However, in this method, it is necessary to secure a relatively large area for disposing the lens holder on the surface of the substrate.
It is becoming difficult to apply to high-resolution products in which the number of lens holders is very large and the area for arranging the lens holder is small. Further, since high-resolution products require higher-precision height adjustment, it has become necessary to provide a height adjustment mechanism instead of the above-described fixed type. JP 6
Although an example of a height adjusting mechanism is shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-265664 (FIG. 2 thereof), according to this example, height adjustment and fixing of the SLA are performed by an eccentric screw located on a side surface portion of the SLA. Since the configuration is performed, there remains a problem in that it is not possible to sufficiently achieve high precision in height adjustment. Further, since the SLA is directly fixed by the eccentric screw, the SLA itself is apt to be deformed and the accuracy is deteriorated, and the problem remains.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The main object of the present invention is to provide a lens height adjusting device capable of accurately adjusting the lens height. Another object is to provide a lens height adjusting device having a small number of parts and easy to assemble.

[0004]

According to the present invention, a lens having a long size, a lens holding means for holding the lens, a substrate for fixing the lens holding means, and a height of the lens are adjusted. The lens holding means and an adjusting means for adjusting the distance between the substrates are provided, and the adjusting means includes a pair of mounting members provided on the lens holding means so as to be located at both ends of the lens, and a longitudinal direction of the lens. A pair of screw mounting holes formed in each of the pair of mounting members corresponding to the center line, and a pair of height adjusting screw holes formed in the substrate corresponding to the pair of screw mounting holes, Height adjusting screw means mounted in the height adjusting screw hole through the screw mounting hole, urging means for urging the lens holding means in a direction of separating from the substrate, and the urging means. For urging force and height adjustment Characterized in that it has a fixing means for fixing the lens holding means is adjusted height by di means to the substrate.

[0005]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below by taking an optical printer head as an example. 1 is a plan view of the optical printer head, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1, and FIG.
It is a II-III sectional view. In these drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a long-sized lens, which is composed of, for example, an SLA that is an assembly of minute lenses that guide light in the vertical direction. Reference numeral 2 denotes a rigid member for holding the lens 1, preferably lens holding means made of aluminum or the like.
The lens 1 is provided with a pair of side holders 3 and 3 having the same length, and a pair of end holders 4 and 4 located at both ends of the lens 1 and functioning as mounting members.

The side holders 3 and 3 are fixed to the side surface of the lens 1 with an adhesive or the like so as to sandwich the lens 1, and the end holders 4 and 4 are attached to the side holder 3 by a plurality of mounting screws 5 and 5. , 3 fixed to the end. A plurality of screw holes 31, 31 penetrate through the side holders 3, 3 in the longitudinal center and at symmetrical positions about the center in the vertical direction (the same direction as the height adjusting direction of the lens 1). The screw holes 31, 31 are provided for height correction screws 32,
32 is attached.

Two mounting holes 4 are provided in each of the end holders 4 and 4 so as to be positioned in the same direction as the center line 11 of the lens 1.
1, 42 are provided penetrating in the vertical direction, and a height adjusting screw 43 is inserted into one of the mounting holes 41. The remaining mounting holes 42 are prepared as spare holes. One mounting hole 4
Fixing screw holes 44, 44 are provided so as to symmetrically sandwich 1 so as to sandwich it in the up-down direction, and fixing screws 45, 45 are mounted in these holes, respectively. Incidentally, in order to simplify the configuration, instead of providing the fixing screw holes 44, 44, a screw hole may be formed in the remaining mounting hole 42 and this may be used as the fixing screw hole 44. .

Reference numeral 6 is a flat rectangular base substrate of aluminum or the like having a good heat dissipation property, and a plurality of heat dissipation fins (not shown) are integrally formed on the back surface thereof, and the front surface thereof is formed as shown in FIG. The circuit board 7 made of ceramic, glass epoxy or the like is fixed by an adhesive or the like. On the upper surface of the circuit board 7, for example, a plurality of light emitting diode arrays 71 are arranged so as to form a linear light source along the center line 11, and a driving IC 72 is sandwiched between the light emitting diode arrays 71. There are multiple arrangements. The lens holding means 2 is fixedly arranged on the base substrate 6 such that the center line 11 of the lens 1 and the arrangement direction of the light emitting diode array 71 coincide with each other.

The light emitting diode array 71 is formed on the surface of the base substrate 6 so as to correspond to the pair of mounting holes 41.
A pair of height adjusting screw holes 61 (61) are provided penetrating in the vertical direction on the extension line of the arrangement direction. A biasing unit that biases the lens holding unit 2 upward, that is, in a direction of separating the lens holding unit 2 from the substrate 6, is arranged between the base substrate 6 and the lens holding unit 2. This urging means can be composed of a coil spring, a leaf spring, an elastic body such as rubber, and in this example, a pair of coil springs 8 is used.
(8) is used. The springs 8 are preferably provided near both ends of the holding means 2 so as to bias the both ends of the lens 1 respectively. In this example, the lens center line 1 is provided.
It is arranged on the back side of the end holder 4 so as to bias the extension line portion of 1. In order to position each spring 8, it is preferable to provide a groove for accommodating and positioning the end of the spring 8 in at least one of the lens holding means 2 and the substrate 6. In this example, the lens holding means 2 and the substrate 6 are provided. Positioning grooves 21 and 62 are formed in both of them.
The positioning grooves 21 and 62 are provided with the adjusting screw 43.
Are formed in the lower part of the mounting hole 41 of the end holder 4 and in the upper part of the height adjusting screw hole 61 of the substrate 6 so that they pass through the center.

One end of a flexible board 73 is connected to a part of both sides of the circuit board 7, and a pressing plate 74 is provided so as to press this connecting portion.

The height adjustment of the lens 1 having the above structure will be described. Here, it is assumed that the lens holding means 2 and the lens 1 are integrated and fixed to the base substrate 6 in which the light emitting diode array 71, the driving IC 72, and other peripheral components are already incorporated. First, each spring 8 is positioned and arranged between the end holder 4 and the base substrate 6 by the grooves 21 and 62, and each adjusting screw 43 is passed through the center of the spring 8 from the mounting hole 41 so as to pass through the base substrate. 6
The adjusting screws 43 are guided to the adjusting screw holes 61, and the adjusting screws 43 are tightened. The lens holding means 2 is biased upward by the spring 8, but is regulated by the head of the adjusting screw 43, so that the height of the lens 1 is accurately adjusted by the tightening amount of the screw 43. Then, a pair of adjusting screws 4 arranged so as to sandwich the lens 1 for adjusting the height of the lens are located in the same direction as the center line 11 of the lens 1.
Since it is performed by 3, 43, it is possible to prevent the lens 1 from tilting in the width direction (left and right with respect to the center line 11), and it is possible to perform accurate height adjustment.

When the height adjustment of the lens is completed, the fixing screw 45 temporarily attached to the fixing screw hole 44 is tightened. When the fixing screw 45 is tightened, the tip of the fixing screw 45 gradually descends to hit the pressing plate 74 provided on the upper surface of the substrate, and thereafter, the lens holding means 2 is biased more strongly than the spring 8. Functions as a biasing means. Here, since the lens holding means 2 screwed to the substrate 6 by the adjusting screw 43 is in a state where there is no play in the adjusting screw 43 due to the upward bias of the spring 8, the fixing screw 45 causes the spring 8 to move.
Even if the same upward force is applied, its height does not change. Fixing screws 45, 4 are placed at symmetrical positions of the adjusting screw 43.
By providing 5, it is possible to prevent the lens holding means 2 from moving in the left-right direction. Further, since the lens height adjusting screw 43 and the fixing screw 45 are arranged so that they can be rotated from the same direction, the workability of adjusting and fixing the lens height can be improved.

Although the lens holding hand 2 can be fixed in this way, the lens holding means 2 is long like the lens 1, and there is a possibility that the lens holding means 2 is bent downward due to its own weight. To correct or prevent this bending, a correction screw 32 is attached to the side surface of the lens holding means 2, in this example, a plurality of screw holes 31 provided in the side holder 3, and the tip of this screw 32 is attached to the substrate 6 By applying the pressing plate 74 or the like on the upper surface and adjusting the degree of tightening of the screw 32, the height of the side surface of the lens holding means 2, that is, the height of the lens 1 can be adjusted appropriately.

The above embodiment shows the case where the side holder 3 and the end holder 4 are used as the lens holding means 2 by being fixed with the screws 5, but the number of parts is reduced, the height adjustment is made highly accurate, and the assembly is performed. For the sake of simplicity, as shown in FIG. 4, the lens holder 22 in which the side holder 3 and the end holder 4 are integrated by aluminum die casting or the like can be used as the lens holding means. The basic structure of the lens holder 22 is the same as the combination of the side holder 3 and the end holder 4, but there are some differences in the fixing structure of the lens 1, so that FIG. It will be described with reference to FIG.

The holder 22 is provided with a lens placement groove 12 having a width slightly larger than the width of the lens 1, and the side holder 3 is provided to fix the lens 1 placed in the groove 12 with a screw. On one side, a plurality of screw holes 23 are horizontally formed so as to penetrate therethrough. Then, the screws 24 temporarily attached to the screw holes 23 are tightened, the tip of the screw is applied to one side surface of the lens 1, and the other side surface of the lens 1 is strongly pressed against the inner surface of the groove of the lens holder 22. Is fixed. Here, an adhesive is applied in advance to the contact portion between the lens 1 and the holder 22,
Adhesive fixing can also be used simultaneously. The lens holder 22 having the lens 1 thus fixed can be fixed to the substrate 6 and adjusted in the same manner as in the above case.

In each of the above embodiments, the adjusting screw 43
Although the fixing after the adjustment is performed by using the pair of fixing screws 45, the fixing can be performed by an adhesive instead of the fixing screw 45 in order to simplify the configuration.
That is, after adjusting the height with each adjustment screw 43,
For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the lens holding means 2 can be fixed by filling an adhesive 9 between the peripheral portion of the end holder 4 near the adjusting screw 43 and the substrate 6. Here, as the adhesive 9, various commercially available adhesives can be used, but it is preferable to use an adhesive that has less volume fluctuation before and after curing in order to maintain the adjustment accuracy,
For example, an adhesive made of silicon rubber can be used.
The adhesive 9 can be filled not only in the peripheral part of the end holder 4 but also in the entire peripheral part on the back side of the lens holding means 2. If the adhesive 9 is provided on the entire circumference of the lens holding means 2 as described above, the lens holding means 2 can be fixed more reliably and dust can be prevented from entering from the outside.

In each of the above-described embodiments, in order to keep the space S in which the circuit board 7 is arranged airtight, a space between the space S and the outside is filled with a sealant as necessary, and the space S is filled. It is also possible to adopt a structure that prevents dust from entering the space.

Further, although the above embodiment has been described by taking the optical printer head using the light emitting element as an example, it can be applied to an image sensor using a light receiving element.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a lens height adjusting device capable of accurately adjusting the lens height. Further, it is possible to provide a lens height adjusting device having a small number of parts and easy to assemble.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of an optical printer head to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a modified example of a lens holding unit.

5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment (corresponding to the sectional view of FIG. 2).
It is sectional drawing.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 lens 11 center line 12 lens locating groove 2 lens holding means 21 positioning groove 22 lens holder 23 screw hole 24 screw 3 side holder 31 screw hole 32 correcting screw 4 end holder 41 mounting hole 43 height adjusting screw 44 Fixing screw hole 45 Fixing screw 6 Base substrate 61 Height adjusting screw hole 62 Positioning groove 7 Circuit board 71 Light emitting diode array 72 Driving IC 8 Spring 9 Adhesive

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A lens having a long size, a lens holding means for holding the lens, a substrate for fixing the lens holding means, and a lens holding means and a substrate for adjusting the height of the lens. Adjusting means for adjusting the distance, wherein the adjusting means comprises a pair of mounting members provided on the lens holding means so as to be located at both ends of the lens, and the pair of mounting members corresponding to a longitudinal centerline of the lens. Through a pair of screw mounting holes formed in each of the mounting members, a pair of height adjusting screw holes formed in the substrate corresponding to the pair of screw mounting holes, and the screw mounting hole. Height adjusting screw means mounted in the height adjusting screw hole, biasing means for biasing the lens holding means in a direction of separating the lens holding means from the substrate, and biasing force of the biasing means and the height adjustment. Height adjustment by screw means A lens height adjusting device, comprising fixing means for fixing the lens holding means to the substrate. 2. The fixing means includes fixing screw holes formed in the pair of mounting members in the vicinity of the screw mounting holes, and the fixing screw holes are the same as the height adjusting screw means. 2. The lens height adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the lens height adjusting device is constituted by fixing screw means which is mounted in a direction and applies a force in the same direction as the biasing means. 3. The lens height adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing means is constituted by an adhesive agent that adheres the lens holding means and the substrate. 4. The lens height adjustment according to claim 1, wherein the urging means is formed of a spring, and a groove for positioning the urging means is formed in at least one of the lens holding means and the substrate. apparatus. 5. The spring and its positioning groove are
5. The lens height adjusting device according to claim 4, wherein the center is arranged so that the height adjusting screw means passes therethrough. 6. A screw hole for correcting bending due to its own weight of the lens holding means, and a correction screw mounted in the screw hole, on a side surface portion of the lens holding means positioned corresponding to a side surface of the lens. The lens height adjusting device according to claim 1, further comprising means. 7. The lens height adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the lens holding means is formed by integrally forming the mounting member.