JPS6073504A - Imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a compact light signal producing device low in cost and high in stability by composing a spot light source-linear light source conversion optical system obtained by arranging a plurality of optical fibers in a line and bundling the ends at one side, and a shutter array. CONSTITUTION:A halogen lamp 301 is used as a spot light source, a band pass filter 302 is used to form a monochromatic light, a spot light source-linear light source conversion optical system 303 using a large number of optical fibers is used to form a linear light source, and an optical guide 304 is used to average uneven light intensity, and to transmit light energy to a micro light shutter array 305. The shutter array 305 is composed of a glass base united with a common electrode and another glass base provided with plural signal electrodes opposed to said first base, and a liquid crystal panel located between them. A latent image is formed on a photosensitive body by using said light signal generating device to realize high speed imaging. The halogen lamp 301 has fast rise time, and it can stabilize aging characteristics, and therefore, it has advantages of requiring no feedback system, such as brightness controller.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates more particularly to an optical system for transmitting optical energy in an optical printer than a printing device.

In recent years, as the price of CPUs, FtAJ ROMs, etc. has been reduced, and personal computers and word processors have become widespread, the printers that output them are required to have high resolution and high-speed printing performance to output kanji and graphics. ing. For this reason, we used a liquid crystal micro-shutter and a L OS printer (% 176713
) has been filed.

Furthermore, a printing device (Japanese Patent Application No. 57-979851 has been filed) that uses a light guide to eliminate the need for an optical axis evaluation process and improves productivity.

By the way, conventional LOS printers use aperture-type fluorescent lamps as light sources, but fluorescent lamps have poor start-up characteristics immediately after turning on, and also have poor aging performance. , fans, etc. were required and expensive. Furthermore, since the luminance decreases at the ends of the fluorescent lamp, it is necessary to use a fluorescent lamp that is longer than the printing width, which increases the width of the entire device. FIG. 1 shows the general structure of a conventional optical signal generator using a fluorescent lamp.

The present invention eliminates such drawbacks, is inexpensive, has good stability,
This provides a compact optical signal generator, and will be described in detail below.

In recent years, the price of industrial plastic/I-optic fiber has fallen and the supply is stable, making it easy to use. FIG. 2 shows a point light source-line light source conversion optical system according to the present invention. It has a structure in which optical fibers are lined up and fixed, and one end is converged into a cylinder. By using the point light source-line light source conversion optical system (hereinafter referred to as the conversion optical system), it has become possible to use a point light source such as a Norogen lamp as a line light source.By the way, the line light source obtained by conversion is Because it is a circular array of optical fibers, the view is uneven. Therefore, it is necessary to create a structure in which the aperture angle of the convergent optical fiber array is negative when viewed through the micro optical shutter, and the optical fibers of the plurality of conversion optical systems can be seen. For this purpose, the diameter of the optical fiber of the conversion optical system can be reduced, but handling becomes difficult and costs increase. Also, it would be better to increase the distance between the micro optical shutter array and the conversion optical system, but since it becomes necessary to increase the press-fitting of the conversion optical system, the point light source side also becomes larger, making it difficult to condense light and reducing the energy density. .

Therefore, by using a light guide made of a transparent column between the conversion optical system and the micro optical shutter array,
We were able to increase the distance to the optical shutter array without increasing the pressure of the conversion optical system.

This will be explained below using examples.

FIG. 3 shows substantially the entire configuration of an optical signal generating section in an embodiment of the present invention.

A 50 watt halogen lamp 301 is used as a point light source, which is converted into monochromatic light by a band pass filter 302 with a main wavelength of 550 um, and a line light source is converted into a line light source by a point light source-line light source conversion optical system 303 using 220 Blastylik optical fibers with a diameter of 1 μ. .

0.8ms+X 20mm x 2 behind the conversion optical system
Twenty acrylic light guides 304 are installed to average out light meter irregularities and transmit light energy to a micro optical shutter array 305. The micro-optical shutter array consists of a glass substrate with at least one common electrode and a glass substrate with a plurality of signal electrodes facing each other, and two panels on both sides of a liquid crystal panel with a liquid crystal composition sealed between them.
The above liquid crystal composition is made by adding an optically active substance to a nematic liquid crystal whose cross frequency (hereinafter abbreviated as fc) at which the dielectric anisotropy becomes zero is 100 KH2 or less at room temperature. A liquid crystal composition having a frequency higher than fc (hereinafter fh) is provided between the common electrode and the signal electrical contact.
It is configured to apply a signal with a frequency lower than fc (abbreviated as 1) and a signal with a frequency lower than fc (abbreviated as 1), which is different from conventional TN.
It achieves stable shutter operation at a repetition rate of 500 HE, which is several ten times faster than twisted nematic liquid crystal devices. Focusing optical fiber array 3
06 pieces, aperture angle of 20 degrees, and conjugate length of 17 degrees.

In addition, all six surfaces of the light guide 34 are finished with a mirror finish, and total reflection is utilized in the longitudinal direction to avoid unnecessary length.

By forming a latent image on the photoreceptor using the optical signal generated by the optical signal generating section described above and printing it using an electrostatic photographic process, it has a resolution of 10 lines per minute.
High-speed printing of sheets was achieved. Also, halogen lamps are 0.
It started up in 4 seconds, and the knee-jink characteristics were stable at 5 points over the lifespan, so there was no need for a brightness controller or other feedback system.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a transmission optical system that is inexpensive, stable, and free from light intensity deviation 2, and to obtain a printing device capable of high resolution and high-speed printing at a low cost.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows substantially the entire configuration of a conventional optical signal generator. FIG. 2 shows a point light source-line light source conversion optical system in the present invention. FIG. 3 shows substantially the entire configuration of the optical signal generating section in the present invention. 101...Aperture type fluorescent lamp 102.
...Light guide 103 ... Micro optical shutter array 104
...Focusing optical fiber 7 rays 105...
... Brightness sensor 106 ... Brightness controller 107 ...
... Temperature sensor 108 ... Heater 109 ... Fan 110 ... Temperature controller 111 ...
... Seal part 201 ... Optical fiber convergence part 202 ...
...Optical fibers 203 arranged in a line...
Optical fiber 301...Halogen lamp with microchroic mirror 302...Band pass filter 303.
... Point light source-line light source conversion optical system 304 ...
・Light guide 305...Micro optical shutter array 306
・・・・・・Focused optical fiber array and above Applicant Suwa Seikodai Co., Ltd. Representative Patent attorney Tsutomu Mogami Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) In a seal device having an optical signal generating section, the optical signal generating section includes a point light source-line light source conversion optical system and a micro optical shutter for converting a point light source into a line light source. array,
1. A printing device comprising a bundled optical fiber array, wherein the point light source-line light source conversion optical system has a structure in which a plurality of optical fibers are arranged in a line and one end is converged. 2) The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a light guide made of a translucent column between the point light source-line light source conversion optical system and the micro-optical shutter array.