JPS62198847A - Exposure optical device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To execute easily a skew adjustment by providing a rotating body for engaging, and extending and providing a timing belt in a shape of OMEGA on a carriage driving part, and providing a skew adjusting mechanism formed by driving to rotate this rotating body by a driving motor through a gear and a worm gear. CONSTITUTION:A holder 72 for constituting a belt extending and providing means 71 is fixed onto a carriage 32 of an optical unit, and an adjusting pulley 75 being a gear-shaped rotating body to which a timing belt 63 is engaged is fitted into a shaft supporting part 73 from the upper direction and supported axially. On the other hand, the timing belt 63 is engaged, and extended and provided in a shape of OMEGA to this adjusting pulley 75. The adjusting pulley 75 is rotated by engaging an adjusting worm gear 77 to an adjusting worm pulley 76, and also, driving to rotate this adjusting worm gear 77 by a driving motor 80 through a worm pulley 78 and a worm gear 79, and by a rotation of this adjusting pulley 75, the carriage 32 is made movable against the timing belt 63 and a skew adjustment is executed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Objective of the Invention] (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention is directed to scanning a document placed on a document placement surface trap in an image forming apparatus such as an electronic copying machine to detect an exposed area. The present invention relates to an improvement in an exposure optical device that forms an image on an image.

(Conventional, Prior Art) Generally, in an exposure optical device of an electronic copying machine with a fixed document table, as shown in FIG. The first optical unit (a) is scanned along the y-axis direction at a speed of vl, and the second optical unit (a) is equipped with a reflecting member that reflects the reflected light from the document placement surface in a predetermined direction. optical unit) bt
-y,==+ma1, the optical path is kept constant, and an image is formed on an exposed area (not shown) via a lens C to perform copying.

The drive means for the first and second optical units a and b described above is normally driven by a timing belt f [fixed However, it is driven by a drive system (not shown).

However, in such a driving means, if the first and second optical units a and b are not optically perpendicular to the traveling direction along the y-axis direction, the X-axis This means that the image A whose direction is tilted by θ is copied.

Even if the inclination of the copy image A is initially adjusted to θ=O, this phenomenon is likely to occur again over time due to elongation of the timing pel) f.

Therefore, in order to adjust the inclination θ of the copy image A described above, that is, to perform skinny adjustment, the belt fixing portion H of the first optical unit a) shown in FIG. 8 is moved by ±δ with respect to the timing bell f). This is done by letting

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the gap adjustment means in the conventional device described above, the carriage portion of the optical unit is clamped to the timing belt by a fixing metal fitting and fixed by screws or the like. Therefore, it is difficult to make fine adjustments, and it is necessary to disassemble the copying machine itself to make adjustments, which makes the adjustment work difficult.

The present invention has been made under the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an exposure optical device that allows skinny adjustment to be performed easily.

[Structure of the invention]

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is to irradiate light onto a document placed on a document placement surface and reflect the reflected light in a predetermined direction. A first optical unit that scans, a second optical unit that reflects the light image reflected from the first optical unit to the lens side while keeping the optical path constant and forms an image on the exposed part; An exposure optical device in which first and second optical units are connected to a timing belt and driven in the scanning direction, including a rotating body that engages and tensions the timing belt at the connecting portion of the first optical unit in an Ω shape. The belt tensioning means is provided with a belt tensioning means and a drive means for rotationally adjusting the rotating body of the belt tensioning means, and the drive means is configured to be driven by an external operation.

(Function) That is, by having the above configuration, the present invention has the following features:
The gear ridge drive section of the optical unit that is driven by a timing belt in the scanning direction is provided with a rotating body that engages and stretches the timing belt in an Ω shape, and this rotating body is rotationally driven by a drive motor via a gear and a worm gear. Since the skinny adjustment mechanism is provided, the reduction ratio of the worm gear can be increased.

Since the worm gear does not rotate automatically due to the movement of the optical unit, fine adjustment of the skinny can be easily made by rotating the worm gear with the drive motor.The drive motor can also be driven by operating the control panel. Therefore, there is no need to disassemble the copying machine itself for skew adjustment, and the adjustment work can be carried out easily.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

FIG. 1 shows the external appearance of a copying machine as an image forming apparatus equipped with an exposure optical device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional front view thereof, and numeral 1 in the figure is the main body of the copying machine. This copying machine main body 1 is placed on a mounting table 2, and within this mounting table 2, paper P (not shown) as an image recording medium ejected after copying is stacked or a screen image is formed as necessary. A direction changing and conveying device is built in to guide the material back into the copying machine main body 1 as soon as possible. Reference numeral 3 in the figure denotes a document feeding unit mounted on the upper surface of the copying machine main body 1, in which a conveying mechanism 4 for automatically supplying and discharging documents is provided.

Furthermore, numeral 5 in the figure is a control panel located on the outer upper edge of the copying machine main body 1, which is a numeric keypad.

Various operation buttons and display sections are arranged.

That is, in the copying machine main body 1, the document A, which is automatically fed in by the conveyance mechanism 4 of the document feed unit 3, is placed on the lath 6 as the document placement surface of the upper surface portion.
1st. Second. Paper P that is selectively fed from the third paper feed cassette 7.8.9 or the upper paper feed cassette 70 from the manual paper feed table 11 equipped on the cassette cover 10 is placed on the document placement glass 6. A drum-shaped photoreceptor 12, which is an image carrier, forms an image of the original document by an exposure optical device, which will be described later. Charging device 13, two color developing device 1
4, 15, a transfer device 16 transfers the image, and a peeling device 17 peels the paper P from the drum-shaped photoreceptor 12 and discharges it to a paper discharge section, which will be described later.
After the paper has been peeled off, the drum-shaped photoreceptor 2 is cleaned by a cleaning device 18, and then the afterimage erasing device 19 lowers the potential on the surface to a certain level or less, and the drum-shaped photoreceptor 2 is put on standby so that the next copying operation can be performed.

On the other hand, the paper P on which the image has been transferred as described above passes through the conveyance path 23 and passes through the fixing roller pair 24.2, which is a fixing device.
5, the image is fixed, and the paper is guided to the paper ejection roller pair 26.
The paper is discharged to a paper discharge section 28 via a paper discharge section 27.

The exposure optical device 30 includes a first optical unit 31 and a second optical unit 41 that are driven in the scanning direction along the document placement surface 6 by a drive system that will be described later. An exposure rung 34 is installed on the first carriage 32 as an exposure light source that irradiates light onto the document placement surface 6 whose back surface is surrounded by a reflector 33. The second optical unit 41 includes a first reflecting mirror 35 that reflects the reflected light from the first reflecting mirror 35 onto the second carriage 42. comprising second and third reflective mirrors 43 and 44,
The reflected light reflected by the second and third reflecting mirrors 43 and 44 passes through the optical image lens unit 50 to the fourth mirror.
, the light is reflected toward the drum-shaped photoreceptor 12 by the fifth and sixth reflecting mirrors 51, 52, and 53, and an optical image is formed on the drum-shaped photoreceptor 12.

Further, the first and second optical units 31°41 are
As shown in FIG. 3, a timing belt is passed between a driving pulley 61 and a driven pulley 62 that constitute a driving means 60 provided on both sides of the upper part of the front tunnel (not shown) of the main body 1 of the copying machine. 63, and both ends 63a, 63b of this timing bell 1630 are fixed as described above.
A first pulley 45 provided on the second carriage 42 of the second optical unit 41. Driven pulley 62° Drive pulley 61
A timing belt is passed between the drive pulley 61 and the second pulley 46, and the timing belt is passed between the drive pulley 61 and the second pulley 46 in order. By connecting and fixing the first carriage 32 of the first optical unit 31 in the middle of 63, the second optical unit 41 moves at a moving speed of E with respect to the moving speed of the first optical unit 31 in the scanning direction. It is possible to synchronize in the same direction.

Furthermore, the carriage 32 of the first optical unit 31
The drive unit is connected to the timing belt 53 via a skinny adjustment unit 70, and this skinny adjustment unit 70 has a structure as shown in FIGS. 4 to 7. That is, a holder 72 constituting the belt tensioning means 71 is fixed on the carriage 32 of the TSL literary unit 31, and a shaft support 73 cut out in the shape of a vertical groove in the holder 72 and a guide portion 74 for guiding the timing belt 63 are provided. 74, and the ability to insert and pivot from above the adjustment goo 975, which is a gear-shaped rotating body in which the timing belt 63 meshes with the shaft support 73 of the holder 72, and this adjustment date 97517 (the guide of the holder 72). Part 74.74
The timing belt 63 is meshed in an Ω shape and stretched. The adjustment boob 976fC is coaxially provided with an adjustment worm pulley 76, and an adjustment worm gear 77 is meshed with the adjustment worm shield 6, and the adjustment worm gear 27 is further driven via a worm pulley 78 and a worm gear 79. By rotationally driving the motor 8o, the adjustment goreif 5 is rotated, and the carriage 32 is moved relative to the timing belt 63 by rotating the adjustment goreif 50, thereby making it possible to perform the skew adjustment. The drive motor 8.degree. can be controlled by an external signal sent by operation on a control/4' channel 5 installed outside the main body 1 of the copying machine.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention provides a skew adjustment unit at the connection part with the timing belt that drives the carriage of the optical unit, and meshes and tensions the skinny adjustment unit timing belt in an Ω shape through a rotating body. In addition, this rotating body can be rotated by a drive motor that is controlled by external operation to perform skinny adjustment, so skew adjustment can be easily performed by external operation on the control panel without disassembling the main body of the device. This has the effect that it is possible to provide an exposure optical device that is possible.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus equipped with an exposure optical device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional front view showing the internal structure, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the skew adjustment unit installed in the carriage drive section of the optical unit of the exposure optical device; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the skew adjustment unit installed in the carriage drive section of the optical unit of the exposure optical device Similarly, Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken from the direction of the arrows v-v, Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view, and Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken from the direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 9 and 9 are explanatory diagrams of skinny adjustment. 30... Exposure optical device, 31... First optical unit, 32... First carriage, J 4-... Exposure rung, 4 J-...Second optical unit, 6o...
Drive means, 63... Timing belt, 71... Belt tensioning means, 75... Adjustment pulley (rotating body), 8°... Drive motor. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 1 Figure 3 Figure 4 ■ Figure 5 Figure 6

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A first optical unit that irradiates light onto a document placed on a document placement surface and reflects the reflected light in a predetermined direction for scanning, and an optical image reflected from the first optical unit. a second optical unit that reflects the light to the lens side and forms an image on the exposed area while keeping the optical path constant, and an exposure unit that connects these first and second optical units to a timing belt and drives them in the scanning direction. In the optical device, belt tensioning means includes a rotary body that meshes and tensions the timing belt of the connecting portion of the first optical unit in an Ω shape, and a drive means that rotationally adjusts the rotary body of the belt tensioning means. 1. An exposure optical device comprising: said driving means being driveable by external operation. (2) The exposure optical device according to claim 1, wherein the driving means is driven by an external signal sent by operating a control panel installed outside the device.