JPH1096873A - Deflection scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a deflection scanner capable of widely applying an optical box of the same design to information recorders in which the scanning beam is in a reverse direction depending on a model or in which the height of attaching a rotary drum for example is different. SOLUTION: The assembly of an optical box 7 with a built-in rotary polygon mirror 3 or scanning lens 4 is performed by screwing down a supporting member 9 projecting outside the box on the supporting part 10a of the body frame 10 of an information recorder. Each supporting member 9 is provided with two seats 9a, 9b having vertically reversed reference surfaces; if a reversed direction is desired for the scanning direction of the beam L1 of the rotary polygon mirror 3, the optical box 7 is inverted upside down and assembled into the body frame 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a deflection scanning device used for an information recording device such as a laser printer and a laser facsimile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A deflection scanning device used in an information recording device such as a laser printer or a laser facsimile condenses a laser beam generated from a light source unit 101 into a linear light beam by a cylindrical lens 102, as shown in FIG. Then, a predetermined scanning direction (Y
(Deflection scanning in the axial direction), and forms an image on the photoconductor on the rotating drum 105 via the scanning lens 104. The light beam that forms an image on the photoreceptor forms an electrostatic latent image with the main scanning by the rotation of the rotating polygon mirror 103 and the sub-scanning by the rotation of the rotating drum 105.

The scanning light L ₀ from the rotary polygon mirror 103 is separated at one end of the scanning surface by a BD mirror 106 a below the scanning surface and introduced into a BD sensor 106 b, converted into a scanning start signal, and converted into a scanning start signal. To the semiconductor laser. The semiconductor laser starts writing modulation after receiving the scanning start signal.

A light source unit 101, a cylindrical lens 102, a rotary polygon mirror 103, and a drive motor 10
3a, scanning lens 104, BD mirror 106a and B
The D sensor 106b is attached to the side wall 107a and the bottom wall of the optical box 107. The rotating drum 105 is disposed outside the optical box 107, and as shown in FIG.
A window 108 for taking out the scanning light L ₀ from the optical box 107 toward the rotating drum 105 is provided on the side wall 107 a of 7. The upper opening of the optical box 107 is closed by a lid member (not shown).

The side wall 107a of the optical box 107 has four support members 109 protruding outside thereof. As shown in FIG. 9, each support member 109 includes a pedestal 109a having a downward reference surface that is in contact with the support portion 110a of the main body frame 110 of the information recording apparatus, and a through hole 10 penetrating therethrough.
9b (see FIG. 7), and each support member 109 is fixed to the main body frame 110 by a screw 111 passing through the through hole 109b.
The optical box 107 is attached to the main body frame 110 by screwing to the supporting portion 110a.

[0006]

However, according to the above-mentioned prior art, the amount of light emitted from the semiconductor laser of the light source unit incorporated in the optical box and the number of rotations of the rotary polygon mirror are the same. Even if the specifications are almost equal,
When the mounting height of the rotating drum disposed outside the optical box is different, or when manufacturing a deflection scanning device of a type that scans the scanning light in the reverse direction, the optical box of the same design can not be used, Optical boxes with different support member placement heights,
An optical box or the like designed to mount the scanning lens in the opposite direction must be manufactured for each model.

However, it is often required to change only the mounting height of the rotary drum and the scanning direction of the scanning light for the convenience of designing the entire information recording apparatus. In such a case, each model is supported. If an optical box having only a different member height and a different scanning lens mounting portion is manufactured, the manufacturing cost of the deflection scanning apparatus is significantly increased.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned unsolved problems of the prior art, and has been made in the case where the scanning direction of the scanning light is opposite, or the model in which the mounting height of the rotating drum is different. Another object of the present invention is to provide a deflection scanning device to which an optical box having the same design can be widely applied.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a deflection scanning apparatus according to the present invention comprises a scanning means, an imaging means for forming an image of the scanning light on a photosensitive member, the scanning means and the imaging means. An optical box for housing the optical box, and supporting means for supporting the optical box, wherein the supporting means has at least two reference surfaces that can alternately contact a predetermined portion of a housing for assembling the optical box. It is characterized by having.

[0010] It is preferable that the two reference surfaces of the supporting means are arranged at an equal distance from the optical axis of the scanning light.

Preferably, the optical box and the supporting means are relatively rotatable about a predetermined axis.

[0012]

An at least two reference surfaces are provided on a support means for assembling a scanning means such as a rotary polygon mirror or an optical box accommodating a scanning lens to a housing such as a main body frame of an information recording apparatus such as a laser printer. When the box is used for a model in which the scanning direction of the scanning light is opposite, the entire optical box is assembled to the housing in the opposite direction.

If the two reference surfaces of the support means are arranged at the same distance from the optical axis of the scanning light, the height of the optical axis of the scanning light is the same even if the entire optical box is assembled in the opposite direction. is there. That is, only the scanning direction of the scanning light can be changed.

If the optical box and the support means are relatively rotatable around a predetermined axis, the
The optical axis of the scanning light can be inclined. That is, even when the height of the photoconductor is different, it is possible to cope with a wide range only by inclining the entire optical box.

As described above, by applying the optical box of the same design to a wide range of deflection scanning devices having different scanning directions of scanning light or different types of photosensitive members,
The manufacturing cost of the deflection scanning device can be greatly reduced.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a deflection scanning device E ₁ according to the first embodiment.
This is a plan view showing a laser beam emitted from a light source 1 is condensed into a linear light beam by a cylindrical lens 2, and is scanned in a predetermined scanning direction (Y-axis direction) by a rotary polygon mirror 3 as scanning means. ) To form an image on the photoreceptor on the rotating drum 5 via the scanning lens 4 which is an image forming means. The scanning light L ₁ formed on the photoreceptor forms an electrostatic latent image with the main scanning by the rotation of the rotating polygon mirror 3 and the sub-scanning by the rotation of the rotating drum 5.

The scanning light L ₁ of the rotating polygon mirror 3, which reaches one end of the scanning surface, is reflected by the BD mirror 6 a and introduced into the BD sensor 6 b, converted into a scanning start signal and transmitted to the light source 1. Is done. The light source 1 starts the write modulation after receiving the scanning start signal.

The light source 1, the rotary polygon mirror 3, its driving motor 3a, the scanning lens 4 and the like are attached to the side wall 7a and the bottom wall of the optical box 7 made of synthetic resin, and the upper opening of the optical box 7 is covered by a lid (not shown). Closed. Note that a window 8 for extracting the scanning light L ₁ from the optical box 7 toward the rotating drum 5 is provided on the side wall 7 a of the optical box 7.

The side wall 7a of the optical box 7 has four support members 9 as support means protruding outside thereof. As shown in FIG. 2, each support member 9 includes a first pedestal 9 a having a downward reference surface that is in contact with a support portion 10 a of a main body frame 10 of an information recording device, which is a housing, and an opposite side thereof. A second pedestal 9b having an upward reference surface, and a through hole 9c passing therethrough. Screws 11 passing through the through hole 9c screw each support member 9 to the support portion 10a of the main body frame 10. By doing so, the optical box 7 with respect to the main body frame 10
Is assembled.

As shown in FIG. 1, by rotating the rotary polygon mirror 3 in a counterclockwise direction, in the model for scanning the scanning light L ₁ on the rotary drum 5 in the Y-axis direction shown upward, as shown in FIG. 2 Then, the first pedestal 9a of each support member 9 is brought into contact with the support portion 10a of the main body frame 10, and the optical box 7 is assembled.

[0022] For the restriction or the like on the overall design of the information recording apparatus equipped with the deflection scanning device E _1, the rotary polygon mirror 3 is rotated in the clockwise direction, it is necessary to scan the scanning beam L ₁ in the opposite direction When this occurs, as shown in FIG. 3, the optical box 7 containing the rotary polygon mirror 3 and the scanning lens 4 is mounted upside down on the support 20a of the main body frame 20 of the information recording apparatus. At this time, the second pedestal 9b of the support member 9 of the optical box 7 faces downward, and
0a, and is screwed by a screw 21 passing through the through hole 9c.

The height of the support portion 20a of the main body frame 20 is set according to the mounting position of the rotary drum 15.

According to the present embodiment, by mounting the optical box upside down, the same optical box can be mounted on a model in which the scanning direction of the scanning light is reversed. In this way, by expanding the applicable range of the optical box having the same specification, the manufacturing cost of the information recording apparatus can be significantly reduced.

FIG. 4 shows a modification of the first embodiment. This is because both pedestals 39a, 39b of the support member 39 of the optical box 37
But, which is constituted so as to be located equidistant from the optical axis of the scanning light L ₂ of the rotary polygon mirror in the optical box 37. Optical box 3
7 is turned upside down, the scanning light L ₂
The advantage that the height of the optical axis does not change is added.

FIG. 5 shows a deflection scanning device E ₂ according to the second embodiment.
Is shown. This is because a pair of pins 47b is formed outside a pair of opposing side walls 47a of the optical box 47 similar to the optical box 7 of the first embodiment.
And a support plate 49, which is a support means, is pivotally connected to each pin 47b. At both ends of the support plate 49, a pair of upper and lower pedestals 49a, 49b and through holes penetrating therethrough are provided. A screw hole for mounting the lock screw 52 is provided at a predetermined distance from the pivotal portion of the support plate 49. In addition, both pins 47b of the optical box 47
Is disposed at the same height as the optical axis of the scanning light L ₃ of the rotary polygon mirror (not shown) incorporated in the optical box 47.

As shown in (a) of FIG. 5, the image forming position of the scanning light L ₃ (rotating drum) is, the optical axis of the scanning light L ₃ when the optical box 47 mounted horizontally to the body frame (not shown) If the height is the same as the position, as in the first embodiment, the support plate 4
9 are screwed to the body frame at both ends, and the lock screw 52 is tightened and fixed with the optical box 47 kept horizontal.

[0028] When you want to scan direction of the scanning light L ₃ Conversely, the entire optical box 47 as in the first embodiment upside down, performs the assembly similar to that described above.

Further, when it is desired to change the height of the rotary drum 45 from the overall structure of the information recording apparatus, FIG.
As shown in the figure, after fixing both ends of the support plate 49 to the support portion 50a of the main body frame 50 with screws 51,
The optical box 47 is rotated around the pin 47b, and the lock screw 52 is tightened and fixed at a predetermined inclined position.

According to the present embodiment, since the optical box can be fixed to the main body frame by arbitrarily inclining, the optical box can be inverted to reverse the scanning direction of the scanning light. It has a remarkable advantage that the height of the scanning light imaging position can be adjusted steplessly. As a result, the optical box having the same specification can be used for an extremely wide range of models, and the manufacturing cost of the information recording apparatus can be greatly reduced.

FIG. 6 shows a deflection scanning device E ₃ according to the third embodiment.
Is shown. This is an optical box 6 similar to the optical box 7 of the first embodiment.
A pair of pins 67b are projected outside each of the pair of opposing side walls 67a (see FIG. 6B).
b, a support member 69 having upper and lower pedestals 69a and 69b and a through hole 69c passing therethrough is pivotally mounted. As shown in FIG. 6 (a), when there is the image formation position on the optical axis of the scanning light L ₄ in a state of Level the optical box 67, the same height provided in the main body frame (not shown) A downward pedestal 69a of each support member 69 is brought into contact with the support portion and screwed. Also, it screwed similarly upside down the optical box 67 when it is desired to scan direction of the scanning light L ₄ in the opposite direction.

As shown in FIG. 6C, the rotating drum 65
When the heights are different, support portions 70a having different heights are provided on the main body frame 70, and the respective support members 69 are brought into contact with the support portions 70a and screwed with screws 71. Since a total of four support members 69 are screwed into each two pairs, there is an advantage that the optical box 67 can be firmly fixed in an inclined state.

According to this embodiment, the optical box is turned upside down in accordance with the scanning direction of the scanning light and the height of the rotating drum,
It can be assembled at an angle. Therefore, the same optical box can be diverted to a wide range, which can greatly contribute to a reduction in the price of the information recording device.

[0034]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained.

The optical box having the same design can be applied to a wide range of models having different scanning directions of scanning light and different mounting heights of the rotary drum. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the deflection scanning device can be greatly reduced, and the cost of the information recording device can be greatly reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a deflection scanning device according to a first embodiment.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show the apparatus of FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 2A is a side view thereof, and FIG. 2B is a view for explaining a scanning direction of scanning light on a rotating drum.

3A and 3B show a state in which the apparatus of FIG. 1 is assembled upside down, wherein FIG. 3A is a side view thereof, and FIG. 3B is a view for explaining a scanning direction of scanning light on a rotating drum.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows a deflection scanning device according to a second embodiment,
(A) is a side view thereof, and (b) is a side view showing a state where (a) is assembled at an angle.

FIG. 6 shows a deflection scanning device according to a third embodiment.
(A) is a side view thereof, (b) is a perspective view showing a support member separated from the optical box, and (c) is a side view showing a case where the optical box of (a) is assembled with an inclination.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing a deflection scanning device according to a conventional example.

8 is a schematic sectional view of the device of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of the apparatus of FIG. 7;

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 light source 3 rotating polygon mirror 4 scanning lens 5, 15, 45, 65 rotating drum 7, 37, 47, 67 optical box 8 window 9, 39, 69 supporting members 9a, 9b, 39a, 39b, 49a, 49b, 69
a, 69b Base 10, 20, 50, 70 Body frame 11, 21, 51, 71 Screw 49 Support plate

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a scanning unit; an imaging unit configured to form an image of the scanning light on a photosensitive member; an optical box that houses the scanning unit and the imaging unit; and a support unit that supports the optical box. A deflection scanning device, wherein the support means has at least two reference surfaces which can alternately contact a predetermined portion of a housing in which the optical box is assembled. 2. The deflection scanning device according to claim 1, wherein the two reference surfaces of the supporting means are disposed at an equal distance from an optical axis of the scanning light. 3. The deflection scanning device according to claim 1, wherein the optical box and the supporting means are relatively rotatable about a predetermined axis.