JPS61132923A - Image forming element - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To set the width of a slit-shaped image forming area to a large value by arranging an arrayed lens and a half mirror in accordance with an arrayed mirror member where many reflecting mirrors of a retroreflection system are arranged. CONSTITUTION:An image forming element consists of an arrayed mirror member 10, where many reflecting mirrors of the retroreflection system each of which is formed by combining three reflecting mirrors orthogonally to one another are arranged, and an arrayed lens member 12 and a half mirror 14 which are arranged in accordance with said member 10. The light from an object OR is reflected on the half mirror 14 and is transmitted through the lens member 12 and is retro retroreflected on the mirror member 10 to form an image IM. In such a case, an erect unmagnification image is formed in the direction orthogonal to the retroreflection system as well as in the arrangement direction. Thus, these image forming area is set to a large value.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Technical field) The present invention relates to an imaging element.

(Prior Art) A roof mirror lens array is known as an imaging element that forms an image of a slit-shaped portion of a document in connection with slit exposure of a photoreceptor in an electronic copying machine and document reading in a facsimile.

A roof mirror lens array uses a combination of a lens and a roof mirror as one imaging system unit, and this unit imaging system is one
It has 7 rays arranged in a row, but if we consider the array arrangement direction of the unit imaging system (hereinafter referred to as the array direction) and the direction perpendicular to this (hereinafter referred to as the orthogonal direction), the roof mirror lens The imaging function of the array is a royal imaging function in the array direction, but an inverted imaging function in the orthogonal direction.

Therefore, by arranging multiple arrays of unit imaging systems,
The width of the slit-shaped imaging area (the length in the direction corresponding to the above-mentioned orthogonal direction) is increased. I can't say that.

(Purpose) The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel imaging element in which the width of a slit-shaped imaging area can be easily set to a large width.

(composition) The present invention will be explained below.

The imaging element of the present invention includes an array-shaped mirror member, an array-shaped lens member, and an optical path separating means.

The array mirror member is formed by arranging a large number (N) of retroreflection systems in a plurality of rows.

A retroreflection system is a reflection optical system in which three planar reflection surfaces are combined orthogonally to each other. A well-known specific example of such a retroreflective system is a corner cube prism.

The arrayed lens member is an array of N lenses, the same number as the number of retroreflection systems that constitute the arrayed mirror member. Each lens in this array-shaped lens member corresponds one-to-one to each retroreflection system in the array-shaped mirror member, and the array arrangement of the lenses is as follows:
This corresponds to the array arrangement of the retroreflective system.

Thus, the lens and the corresponding retroreflective system are
It forms one unit of imaging system.

The optical path separation means separates the optical path of light from the object side that enters the array of the imaging system, that is, the object side optical path.

It is for separating the optical path of the image-side light from the array, that is, the image-side optical path, and has a half mirror surface,
Regarding the array-shaped lens member, it is provided on the opposite side to the array-shaped mirror member.

The array-shaped mirror member and the array-shaped lens member can also be integrally processed with each other. In particular, when the array mirror member is a prism array, the prism surface and the lens surface of the array lens member may be integrated.

Further, the half mirror surface in the optical path separating means can also be a prism surface.

Hereinafter, description will be given based on specific examples.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, reference numeral 1O indicates an array-shaped mirror member, reference numeral 12 indicates an array-shaped lens member, reference numeral 14 indicates a half mirror as optical path separation means, and reference numeral 16 indicates a housing.

As shown in FIG. 2, the array mirror member 10 is a retroreflection system in which three planar reflective surfaces R1, R2, and R3 are combined orthogonally to each other, as shown in FIG. 3(I).
They are arranged in two rows and are integrally molded in this embodiment. The left-right direction in FIG. 3 is referred to as the arrangement direction of the retroreflective system.

The arrayed lens member 12 is made up of a large number of lenses L arranged in two rows and integrated as shown in FIG. . The arrangement of the lenses L in this arrayed lens member corresponds to the arrangement of the retroreflection system in the arrayed mirror member 10, and the optical axis of each lens L is
The positional relationship is determined so that it passes through the ridge points of the reflecting surfaces R1, R1, and R3 in the corresponding retroreflective system.6 Figure 1 shows the imaging element viewed from the arrangement direction of the retroreflective system. The half mirror 14 has a longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to one drawing, and extends along the arrayed lens member 12 over the length of the retroreflection system. These are the array-shaped mirror member 10.7, the array-shaped lens member 12. Half mirror 1
4 is incorporated into the housing 16 in a predetermined position. The light emitted from the object OR is reflected by the half mirror 14, passes through the array lens member 12, is recursively reflected by the array mirror member 10, and passes through the array lens member 12 and the half mirror 14.

The image is formed as an image IM spanning the arrangement direction.

■-I of the array mirror member 10 in FIG. 3(I)
The end face shape of the cross section taken along the V line is shown in Fig. 4, and Fig. 3 (II
) is shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the imaging function of the imaging element of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. For ease of explanation, the half mirror 14 is shown with the half mirror 14 removed. Sign OR
indicates an object, and the code 1 indicates an image. The imaging magnification is equal to
FIG. 6 CI) shows the imaging state in the direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the retroreflection system (hereinafter simply referred to as the orthogonal direction).
Figure (II) shows the imaging state in the arrangement direction (hereinafter simply referred to as arrangement direction) of the retroreflection system.

The imaging function of this imaging element is a function of a retroreflection system, so
The function is to form a royal life-size image both in the array direction and in the orthogonal direction.

Hereinafter, another embodiment will be described. In order to avoid complexity, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings for parts that are considered to have no risk of confusion.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is an example in which the optical path separation means is composed of a half mirror and a flat illumination 14A. Code 16A
indicates housing.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the optical path separating means is a prism 14.
This is an example configured with a mirror 14A and a plane mirror 14A. prism 14
The slope B functions as a half mirror.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is an example in which retroreflection systems and corresponding lenses are arranged in multiple rows (five rows in the figure) in a direction perpendicular to the drawing. Code 14C is half mirror 1 code 16
B indicates the housing. In this way, by increasing the number of retroreflective lenses arrayed, the width of the imaging area corresponding to the orthogonal direction can be set large.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, corner cube prisms LOP are used as the retroreflection system, and these are arranged in two rows in a direction perpendicular to the drawing to form an array-like mirror member.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 11 is an example in which a corner cube prism 10P1 is used as a retroreflection system, and a lens 12L is integrally formed on the entrance/exit surface of the corner cube prism 10P1. In this way, by forming the arrayed mirror member and the arrayed lens member in a certain manner, assembly of the imaging element is facilitated.
Manufacturing is also easier.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show two examples in which a drum-shaped photoconductive photoreceptor 20 is subjected to slit exposure using an imaging element according to the present invention. In FIG. 12, reference numeral O denotes a document, which is irradiated by a lamp 18 in the form of a long slit in a direction perpendicular to the drawing, and is conveyed in the direction of the arrow. An image of the area illuminated by the lamp 18.

An imaging element 100 (
(the type shown in FIG. 1), images are projected in a slit shape whose longitudinal direction is the arrangement direction (direction perpendicular to the drawing). As a result, the photoreceptor 20 is exposed to slit light, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the document 0 is formed.

In the example shown in FIG. 13, the imaging element 100 forms an image of the LED array 22 whose arrangement direction is perpendicular to one drawing on the photoreceptor 20.
By blinking 2 with one image signal, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image signal is formed on the photoreceptor 20.

The electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor 20 is shown in FIGS.
In the case shown in the figure, the visible image obtained on the photoreceptor 20 by the @ image is transferred to transfer paper and fixed on the transfer paper.

(effect) According to the present invention, a novel imaging element can be provided.

In this imaging element, the unit imaging system is a Royal equal-magnification imaging system, so it can be arranged in multiple rows, and the width of the slit-shaped imaging area can be set large. Become. Furthermore, it is possible to superimpose images in orthogonal directions, so Figure 1 in the width direction of the imaging area is a diagram for explaining one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a diagram for explaining the retroreflection system. .

3(I) is a diagram for explaining the arrayed mirror member of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3(II) is a diagram for explaining the arrayed lens member, and FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the arrayed lens member. Figure 3 (I) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV, Figure 5 is Figure 3 (II)
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the imaging function of the imaging element of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the present invention. .

A diagram for explaining another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 10 is a diagram showing only the main part of yet another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing only the main parts of still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are diagrams showing how the imaging element according to the present invention is used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Array-shaped mirror member, 12... Array-shaped lens member, I4... Half mirror as an optical path separation means 116... Housing.

Ink G diagram 97 cause

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An arrayed mirror member comprising a large number of retroreflection systems in which three planar reflective surfaces are combined orthogonally to each other and arranged in a plurality of rows; an array-like lens member formed by arranging lenses in an array, each corresponding to a retroreflection system; and a half-mirror surface, which is provided on the opposite side of the array-like mirror member with respect to the array-like lens member, and is arranged to form an object. An imaging element comprising: an optical path separating means for separating a side optical path and an image side optical path.