JPS63197911A - Optical deflector for image signal - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To permit use of an optical deflector as an oscillator for high-speed scanning by forming a reflecting mirror, driving coil and ligaments by using the same insulating substrate as the optical deflector and constituting the reflecting mirror and the driving coil integrally on the front and rear sides. CONSTITUTION:The optical deflecting element 305 is integrally formed with an integral front and rear part 316 having a rectangular shape and a pair of ligaments (rotary supporting bars) 313 for mechanical supporting of said part. Since the integral front and rear part 316 is integrally formed with the reflecting mirror 312 and the driving coil 311 integrally on the front and rear sides, the entire part of the element 305 is reduced in weight and the inertia moment thereof is decreased. The stable oscillation system which obviates mirror shaking is constituted if the integral front and rear part 316 having the laterally and vertically symmetrical with the centroid thereof is used. The stable oscillating system adequate for highs-speed scanning in this obtd.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile machine, a copying machine, a printer, etc., in particular, to an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile machine, a copying machine, a printer, etc., in which writing is performed on a recording medium using an optical signal deflected by an optical deflector. The present invention relates to an image signal optical deflector suitable for application to an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

[Background of the Invention] Conventionally, there are image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, printers, and facsimile machines that have a writing system for a recording medium using a laser optical device that uses an optical signal, for example, a laser.

In such an image forming apparatus, a rotating polygon mirror, a mechanical vibrator, or the like is used as an optical deflector of a deflector that deflects and scans a laser beam.

Among these, rotary polygon mirrors have been used more frequently because of their superior durability and ease of mass production due to improved processing accuracy.

Figure 24 shows a laser beam scanning bag "gi" using a rotating polygon mirror.
30 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the image forming apparatus 30, which is an example used in an image forming apparatus.

In the figure, 11 is a drum-shaped recording medium (hereinafter referred to as
(described as an image forming body), on whose surface a photoconductive photoreceptor surface layer such as selenium is formed, and which has been cut off so that an electrostatic image (electrostatic latent image) corresponding to an optical image can be formed. .

The laser beam scanning device 30 includes a semiconductor laser 31, and the laser 31 is optically modulated based on a modulation signal obtained by binarizing image information.

The laser beam (optical signal) emitted from the laser 31 passes through a collimator lens 32 and a cylindrical lens 33 to a mirror scanner consisting of a rotating polygon mirror;
That is, it enters the deflector 34.

The laser beam is deflected by the deflector 34, and is irradiated onto the surface of the image forming body 11 through an f-theta lens 35 for crystallization and a cylindrical lens 36.

The laser beam is scanned by the deflector 34 over the surface of the image forming body 11 in a predetermined direction a, thereby performing image exposure.

In addition, 39 indicates a photosensor, and by receiving the laser beam reflected by the mirror 38, an index signal indicating the start of laser beam scanning is obtained, and one line of image data is written based on this index signal. It will be done.

As the deflector 34, in addition to a rotating polygon mirror as shown in the figure,
A mechanical vibrating mirror, such as a galvanometer mirror that has been used in galvanometers, can be used.

An example of scanning a laser beam while correcting its velocity using a mechanical vibrating mirror is disclosed in Reikai No. 54-60944, but this is related to a lens system, and as will be described later, it is not possible to use a mechanical This is a device that uses a type oscillator without solving its drawbacks.

FIG. 25 shows an example of a vibrator 50 of such a galvanomirror.

As is well known, the galvanometer mirror oscillator 50 is composed of a reflecting mirror 51, a driving coil 52, and a ligament (rotation support rod) 53 for mechanically connecting these. Drive coil 52 is placed within an external fixed DC magnetic field.

If a drive current of a predetermined frequency is supplied to the drive coil 52,
Since a predetermined electromagnetic force acts on this drive coil 52, the reflection mirror 51 vibrates.

Therefore, when the reflecting mirror 51 is irradiated with an optical signal modulated by the image signal described above, this optical signal is deflected and reaches the image forming body 11, so that the same optical scanning as described above is performed. .

When using a mechanical vibrating mirror as shown in FIG. 25 as a deflector, the reflecting mirror 51 and drive coil 52 are manufactured separately and then attached to the ligament 53, so each part is large. In addition to the above, the following shortcomings have been pointed out.

First, since the ligament is made of metal, it is difficult to swing the mirror over a wide angle.

Second, since the ligament is also made of metal, metal fatigue occurs during long-term use, making it impossible to obtain stable vibrations.

The above-mentioned drawbacks are a list of problems in terms of lifespan and reliability.To summarize, devices using rotating polygon mirrors have the following problems: 1. Larger size 2. High level noise 3. Vibration 4 , there are disadvantages such as bearing wear 56 and high cost in high-speed scanning.

For devices using mechanical vibrators, 1. wide-angle scanning is difficult; 2. Problems include low durability due to metal fatigue of the ligament.

On the other hand, let's change our perspective and consider image quality and performance, which is the number one performance requirement for facsimiles, printers, copiers, etc.

As an image forming device, the minimum @ 8 to 10 during high-speed scanning
dots / ++++a or more, usually 12-36
High image quality and resolution on the order of dots/ll1m are required.

On the other hand, in image forming apparatuses using rotating polygon mirrors, especially machined rotating polygon mirrors, the machining tool marks and uniform perpendicularity in each part of the scanned plane are required for the required machined surface accuracy. , due to variations in straightness, warpage, coating material or the finish of its treatment, etc., scattering of light on the reflecting surface of the laser beam causes uneven light when scanning the laser beam.

This results in a reduction in image contrast and resolution, which causes a significant impact on image quality.

On the other hand, with regard to mechanical vibrators, the materials and shapes of the members constituting the vibrator, such as ligaments, coils, and mirrors, are different, so the coefficients of linear expansion are different. Therefore, environmental conditions, particularly changes in ambient temperature and heat generated by energizing the coil, will cause differences in the expansion and contraction of each member.

Such expansion and contraction of the members appears as tension or loosening, especially in a portion of the mirror.

Roughly speaking, tension and loosening occur due to differences in linear expansion coefficients between the vibrator of the polarizer and the frame that supports it.

Such tension or loosening, especially loosening, causes tilting or blurring of the reflecting mirror, which results in the following effects.

Under conditions where the mirror deflection angle of the laser beam required in image forming devices such as facsimiles and printers is approximately 500 to 60 degrees or more and high-speed scanning is performed, the reflective surface of the deflection mirror may be tilted or blurred. This causes distortion of the scanning line and beam spot diameter, resulting in irregular writing positions on the recording medium during scanning, partial bends in straight lines, and irregularly spaced lines, dots, and rows. It may become a regular pattern, or blurring may occur due to blurring of the spot diameter.

All of these decrease resolution and contrast, causing deterioration in image quality.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned matters are also affected by the difference in mass of each member constituting the vibrator. Therefore, in the case of a relatively large mechanical vibrator, irregularities in the writing position are amplified due to differences in the balance of moments of inertia between the respective members during scanning. Therefore, the image quality deteriorates considerably.

It has been confirmed that even a small amount of light due to miscellaneous light or blur caused by the causes described above has a large effect on the development characteristics of the recording medium, and significantly impairs image quality as image fog.

As described above, conventional image forming apparatuses use rotating polygon mirrors or mechanical vibrating mirrors as deflectors, which are expensive and short-lived, resulting in lower reliability of the recording apparatus. In addition, it lacked stability in image quality, which is important for an image forming apparatus, and had a number of drawbacks, such as deterioration in image quality.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention 1] By the way, as the vibrator 50 in the above-mentioned optical scanning device, the reflection mirror 51 and the drive coil 52 are constructed separately in the vertical direction with respect to the pair of upper and lower ligaments 53. In this case, the weight of the vibrator 5Q itself increases, and its moment of inertia inevitably increases.

Further, it is relatively difficult to attach the reflecting mirror 51 and the drive coil 52 to the ligament 53 in a well-balanced manner.

Due to these drawbacks, the natural vibration frequency of the vibrator 50 itself cannot be stably increased, and furthermore, the vibration of the reflecting mirror 51 makes it impossible to use it as a vibrator for high-speed scanning.

Therefore, the present invention provides an optical deflector for image signals that solves these problems with a simple structure and can be configured as a stable vibration system.

Of course, the present invention can be applied as a light deflector for a compact, high-quality image forming apparatus that eliminates the drawbacks of the image forming apparatus described above.

[Technical means for solving the problem] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides an optical deflector that deflects an optical signal modulated by an image signal in a predetermined direction. This is characterized in that the reflecting mirror, the driving coil, and the ligament can be formed from the same insulating substrate, and the reflecting mirror and the driving coil are constructed as one body.

[Function] By configuring the reflecting mirror and the driving coil as two sides, the weight of the vibrator itself can be reduced, and the moment of inertia can be reduced.

If you use a front and back integrated part with a shape that is horizontally symmetrical and vertically symmetrical with respect to its center of gravity, a stable vibration system without mirror shake can be constructed. A stable vibration system can be provided.

[Embodiment] Next, a case in which an example of the image (31 signal light deflector) according to the present invention is applied to the above-mentioned image forming apparatus will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1 and subsequent figures.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a laser recording device and its control system to which the present invention is applied.

Color originals are separated into two colors, red and cyan, and CCD
The color original is inputted to a photoelectric conversion element, where it is photoelectrically converted, and this is converted into a digital signal with a predetermined number of bits, after which the colors are separated.

In this example, the signal is separated into three color signals: red, blue, and black.

Each color signal is separated using a semiconductor laser beam.
An electrostatic image is formed by being written on the image forming body 11 via the writing section B. Thereafter, a color toner image is formed by being developed by a developing device corresponding to this color signal.

By repeating such electrostatic image formation and development processes for each color signal, a monochrome toner image or a multicolor toner image in which toner images of each color are superimposed is formed on the image forming body 11. Such multicolor or monochrome toner images are transferred and fixed onto recording paper.

Now, by operating the copy button on the operation panel 56, the data is taken in to the CPUI used for controlling the main body via the operation section circuit 64, and the resulting document scanning start signal is sent to the CPUI and the serial number. The signal is sent to an optical drive CPU 2 connected via communication, and a document reading section A electrically connected to the CPU 2 is driven.

First, the original 82 on the original table 81 is optically scanned by an optical system.

This optical system is composed of a gear ridge 84 provided with fluorescent lamps 85, 86 and a reflecting mirror 87, and a movable mirror unit 88 provided with mirrors 89 and 89'.

The carriage 84 and the movable mirror unit 88 are caused to travel on the slide rail 83 at a predetermined speed and in a predetermined direction by a stepping motor 90, respectively.

Optical information (image information) obtained by irradiating the document 82 with fluorescent lamps 85 and 86 is reflected on the reflecting mirror 87 and the mirror 89 .
89' to an optical information conversion unit 100.

When optically scanning a color original, commercially available warm white fluorescent lamps can be used as the fluorescent lamps 85 and 86 to prevent optical emphasis or attenuation of specific colors, and to prevent flickering. These fluorescent lamps 85 and 86 are approximately 40
It is lit and driven by a kHz high frequency power source. In addition, in order to maintain a constant temperature of the tube wall or promote warm-up, the tube wall is kept warm by a heater using a positive temperature coefficient thermistor.

Standard white plates 97 are provided on the back side of both ends of the platen glass 81.
．． 98 are provided. This is a standard white board 97.9
This is because the image signal is normalized to a white signal by optically scanning 8.

The optical information conversion unit 100 includes a lens 101, a prism 102, a dichroic mirror 103, a CCD 104 on which a red color-separated image is projected, and a CCD 104 on which a cyan color-separated image is projected.

An optical signal obtained from the optical system is focused by a lens 101, and separated into red optical information and cyan optical information by a dichroic mirror 103 provided within a prism 102.

Each color separation image is formed on the light receiving surface of each CCD 104, 105, thereby obtaining an image signal converted into an electrical signal. After the image signal is processed by the processing means No. 43, each color signal is output to the writing section B.

Although not shown, the signal processing means includes signal processing circuits such as an A/D conversion means, an arithmetic processing means, a color separation means, and a binarization means.

As will be described later, the writing section B has a deflector 300 made of a vibrator using crystal or the like, and the laser beam modulated by the color signal is deflected and scanned by the deflector 300.

When deflection scanning is started, beam scanning is successfully detected by a laser beam index sensor (not shown), and beam modulation using a first color signal (for example, a blue signal) is started. The modulated beam is scanned over the image forming body 11 which is uniformly charged by a charger 121 to which a predetermined high voltage is supplied from a high voltage power source 69.

Here, an electrostatic image corresponding to the first color signal is formed on the image forming body 11 by the main scanning by the laser beam and the sub scanning by the rotation of the image forming body 11.

This electrostatic image is developed by a developer 123 containing blue toner. A predetermined bias voltage from the high voltage power supply 70 is applied to the developing device 123 . A blue toner pattern is formed by development.

It should be noted that toner replenishment of the developing device 123 is performed as necessary by controlling the toner replenishing means 66 based on a command signal from the CPU.

The blue toner is rotated with the cleaning blade 127 released, and an electrostatic image is formed based on the second color signal (for example, the red signal) in the same manner as in the case of the first color No. 43. By using a developer 124 containing toner, this is developed and a red toner image is formed.

Needless to say, a predetermined bias voltage is applied to the developing unit 124 from the high voltage power supply 70.

Similarly, an electrostatic image is formed based on the third color signal (Black No. 8), and is developed in the same manner as the previous time using the developing device 125 filled with black toner. As a result, the image forming body 1
1, a multicolor toner image is written on it.

Although the formation of a three-color multicolor toner image has been described here, it goes without saying that a two-color or single-color toner image can also be formed.

As described above, the development process is a so-called non-conventional process in which each toner is ejected toward the image forming body 11 while AC and DC bias voltages from the high-voltage power supply 70 are applied. An example of 9 cases of contact is shown.

Toner replenishment to the developing devices 124 and 125 is performed by the toner replenishing means 6 based on the instruction No. 48 from the CPU as described above.
7.68 is driven, and each developing unit 1 is driven by this.
24 and 125 are replenished with a predetermined amount of toner.

On the other hand, the recording paper P fed from the paper feeding device 141 via the feed roll 142 and the timing roll 143 is
The image forming member 11 is conveyed onto the surface of the image forming member 11 while being timed with the rotation of the image forming member 11 . Then, by the transfer pole 130 to which a high voltage is applied from the high voltage power supply 71,
The multicolor toner image is transferred onto the recording paper P, and the separation pole 13
Separated by 1.

The separated recording paper P is fixed to a fixing device ff1132 (this is fixed at a predetermined temperature by a fixing heater temperature control circuit 63).
A color image is obtained by being conveyed to a fixing point (where the image is attached) and then being subjected to a fixing process.

The image forming body 11 after the transfer is cleaned by a cleaning device 126 and is prepared for the next image forming process.

In the cleaning device 126, a predetermined DC voltage is applied from the high-voltage power supply 72 to a metal roll 128 provided close to the blade 127 in order to facilitate recovery of the toner cleaned by the blade 127. This metal roll 128 is placed on the surface of the image forming body 11 in a non-contact manner.

After the cleaning is completed, the blade 127 is released from the pressure bond, but in order to remove unnecessary toner left behind when the blade 127 is released, an auxiliary cleaning roller 129 is provided, and this roller 129 is rotated in the opposite direction to the image forming body 11. By crimping, unnecessary toner can be thoroughly cleaned and removed.

In FIG. 3, the lighting control circuit 61 for driving the fluorescent lamps 85 and 86 is controlled by the instruction signal from the CPU 2.
11. Similarly, the stepping motor 90 also
The drive circuit 62 is controlled by the command signal 2.

The paper feeding device 141 is provided with a sensor 65a, the detection output of which is supplied to the paper size detection circuit 6-5, and the detection output can be supplied to the CPUI.

FIG. 4 shows a more specific relationship of the optical scanning device 30 used in the above-described image forming apparatus.

After the beam shape of the laser beam emitted from the semiconductor laser 31 is corrected by the collimator lens 32, the laser beam passes through the cylindrical lens 33 and the reflection mirror 41 and is made to enter the deflector 300.

As the deflector 300, an optical deflector 310 is used in this invention. The laser beam is deflected by a light deflector 10 in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed.

The deflected laser beam passes through the scanning lens 42 and the cylindrical lens 36 and is directed to the image forming body 11.
The image is completely focused on the top, and an electrostatic image is completely formed.

The cylindrical lenses 33 and 36 can be used to correct vertical tilting of a reflecting mirror (described later) provided in the deflector 300.

Here, one cylindrical lens 36 can be a plastic lens.

When such a plastic lens is used, it is relatively easy to match the surface shape of the lens to an optimal shape, so there is an advantage that the performance of the entire optical system can be improved.

However, if the tilt of the reflecting mirror is very small, the above-mentioned cylindrical lenses 33 and 36 can be omitted.

The scanning lens 42 allows the laser beam to properly focus on the surface of the image forming body 11, so that the laser beam
1 is used to enable constant speed scanning.

Here, when vibrating at the natural frequency of the optical deflector,
Deflection angle θ of the reflecting mirror provided in this optical deflector 310
is θ=A@sinωt where A: maximum deflection angle of the reflecting mirror ω: angular velocity 8 hours This is a sine wave deflection operation.

For this reason, the spot position of the laser beam is set as a function of θ (
0), the scanning lens 42 has the following formula: When the position of the laser beam spot on the forming body 11 is expressed as a time function X (t), from the above equation, X (t)=A−f·ωt.

Therefore, by using the scanning lens 42 as described above, the laser beam can be converted into uniform motion. When an electrostatic image is formed by uniform motion, image quality without distortion can be obtained.

Note that instead of using such a constant velocity correction means using the scanning lens 42, an electric correction means may be used for correction.

As the electrical correction means, for example, the one described in the 60th Society of Image Electronics Engineers Research Meeting, July 20, 1986, Lecture Proceedings "Semiconductor Laser Printer Using Electromagnetic Mirror Scanning" can be used.

In such an optical scanning system, the optical deflector shown in FIG. 1 or 2 is used as the vibrator, that is, the optical deflector, used in the deflector 300.

Let's explain from Figure 1. In FIG. 1, the deflector 300 includes:
The figure shows the optical deflection element 305 itself, which is the main component of the optical deflection element 305.
6 and a pair of ligaments (rotation support rods) 313 for mechanically supporting the same are integrally formed. These are integrally formed by etching a single insulating substrate.

The front and back integral part 316 includes a reflection mirror 312 and a drive coil 31.
A reflecting mirror 312 is formed on the front side (A in the same figure), and a drive coil 311 with a predetermined number of turns is formed on the back side (B in the same figure).
). The drive coil 311 is etched as shown.

The reason why the reflecting mirror 312 and the driving coil 311 are integrally formed is to reduce the weight of the entire optical deflection element 305 and reduce its moment of inertia. This is because if the moment of inertia is reduced, the natural vibration frequency becomes stable, and the frequency can be increased, making high-speed scanning possible.

The shape of the front and back integrated portions 316 is at least the upper and lower center of gravity a
The shape is selected to be symmetrical with respect to.

In this case, it is particularly preferable to have a shape that is symmetrical not only with respect to the upper and lower center of gravity axes a but also with respect to the left and right center of gravity axes. The illustrated example is a case in which the front and back integrated portions 316 are formed in a rectangular shape and are symmetrical horizontally and vertically.

The reason why the shape is selected to be horizontally and vertically symmetrical with respect to the center of gravity C is as follows.

First, this is to improve the vibration balance and ensure stability of the vibration of the optical deflection element 305.

Second, the natural vibration frequency may vary due to non-uniformity in the thickness of the optical deflection element due to variations in processing accuracy (for example, variations in etching process), variations in shape and dimensions, etc. This is because it is necessary to design the shape so that

Variations in shape and dimensions can be caused by, for example, differences in the etching time left and right or top and bottom when creating an asymmetrical shape, or differences in the rate of corrosion due to differences in etching time, resulting in differences in the final shape and shape. The dimensions are
This is because the shape and dimensions may differ from those at the time of design.

If variations in processing accuracy can be suppressed, mass productivity,
It has advantages in terms of cost, etc., as well as improved stability and reliability against vibrations of the optical deflector and surrounding environmental conditions.

For this reason, the length of the pair of ligaments 313 and 313 that can be formed on the upper and lower sides of the front and back integrated portion 316 is L a +
L b can be chosen equally.

The optical deflection element 305 is directly attached to the support member of the deflector 300 (
If it is possible to fix the attachment mechanically to a frame (not shown), a vertically long rectangular frame 315 is provided to support the optical deflection element 305 as shown in FIG.
may be fixedly attached to the support member. When a frame 315 is provided, the frame 315 and the optical deflection element 305 are constructed integrally.

In this case, the center of gravity C of the front and back integrated portion 316 is located at 1/2 of the length Lo of the frame 315.

Note that the optical deflection element 305 with a frame 315 attached thereto is hereinafter referred to as an optical deflector 310.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show other examples of the optical deflector 310, in which La≠Lb is selected.

In this way, the reason for deliberately selecting La≠Lb is due to the natural vibration of the device, the vibration caused by the internal motor, the influence of air flow due to temperature changes, the difference in the drive means of the optical deflector 310 (separately excited or self-excited), This is because when the optimum vibration conditions are determined based on the external environment such as the vibration frequency used and the deflection angle, or the unique conditions of the device, the correspondence as shown in FIG. 5 or 6 may be preferable.

The ligament 313 itself may be configured to have spring properties. An example is shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B.

In this example, zigzag spring pieces 313b are integrally formed on the left and right sides of the ligament core 313a, and the upper and lower spring pieces 313b are connected to the reflection mirror 312, thereby forming the optical deflection element 305 (see FIG. A) or a deflector 31o (B in the same figure) is constructed.

As the deflector 310, crystal, glass, quartz, etc., which can be easily etched and has a large elastic modulus, can be used.

In this example, a crystal is used.

The thicker the crystal plate used as the deflector 310, the greater the natural frequency fo of the deflector 310.
However, on the other hand, it becomes difficult to process and the deflection angle becomes small, so the thickness is 0.1 mm.
, approximately 5 mm is desirable.

When the polarizer 310 is formed by processing a crystal plate, photolithography and etching techniques are usually applied as the processing means, which enables fine processing. The etched surface of the deflector 310 is usually plated with silver after chromium plating to reduce electrical resistance.

In addition, especially when a semiconductor laser is used as a light source, the reflecting mirror 312 is plated with gold, copper, aluminum, or the like in order to increase its reflectance. Furthermore, in order to prevent scratches and oxidation on the surface of the reflective mirror 312, the surface after plating may be coated with a protective film such as SiO or 5i02.

As the material of the above-mentioned optical deflection element 305, it is possible to use a crystal of an electrically insulating material having a small coefficient of linear expansion α, or a material close to it.

Specifically, crystal (on the axis //, α = 7.5X
10-6), diamond, graphite (α=1.2~5
．． 3X10-6), silica (α=2.4X 10-6)
), transparent quartz glass (α=5.4X 10-6),
Opaque quartz glass made from silicon (α=8X10-
6) etc.

In the case of quartz glass, one made from silicon tetroxide by the Bernoulli method is particularly preferred as it exhibits high purity.

The elastic modulus of these materials is approximately 2.5 to 6×10 10 (unit: Pa=N−m 2 ). With this elastic modulus,
Ligament 313, drive coil 311, reflection mirror 31
Between each part of 2, roughly ligament 313 and frame 315
Torsional inertia stress can be applied between the two.

Furthermore, ceramic materials (α=7.0 to 8.4×10 −6 ), which have been developed in recent years, can also be used.

Therefore, it is considered preferable that the linear expansion coefficient α of the optical deflection element 305 or the polarizer 310 is about 10×10 −6 or less, and the smaller the value, the better it is against temperature changes as a substrate.

However, when considering the materials of the reflective mirror 312 forming the force tip deflection element (although it is considered that a vapor deposition method is suitable for processing), the mirror surface of the reflective mirror 312 generally has the above-mentioned properties. You can use materials like this.

Therefore, Au (a=14~15X10-6), Ag
(cr=19~20.5X10-6), Cu(a
=7X 10-6), Cr (a=7
．． 0X10-6), Ni (a=12.8X10-
6) is possible.

Furthermore, AI (α=23×10−6), etc. is also a possibility.

Generally, Au, Ag, Cu materials, etc. are also used for the current conducting wire parts such as the drive coil 311 and the ligament 313, and it is necessary to minimize the difference in elongation due to temperature with the base material. .

Of course, Pt (α= 8.0 to 8.9X10-6) is also possible.

From the above, the optical deflection element 305 or the polarizer 310
As a base material, its linear expansion coefficient α is α=2~8X1
0-6 is preferred.

Similarly, the material used for the mirror surface of the reflection mirror 312 is preferably about .alpha.=7 to 25.times.10.sup.-6.

The reflecting mirror 312 described above has the following shape.

That is, while the shape of the laser beam that has passed through the collimator lens 32 is as shown in FIG. Deformed into an elliptical shape. Therefore, the reflection mirror 312 may have a rectangular shape that becomes longer in the main scanning direction.

From this point of view, the reflecting mirror 312 can take various shapes as shown in FIG. 9, in which the center of gravity C is at the center of the upper, lower, left and right sides of the reflecting mirror 312, respectively.

Figure A has a rectangular shape, Figure B has a rhombic shadow shape, Figure C shows a rectangle with the corners of each of the four sides cut off, and the figure has a horizontally long ellipse shape.

When the reflecting mirror 312 is vibrated at high speed,
Air resistance is a particular problem, so in such cases,
It is convenient to use an elliptical reflecting mirror as shown in the figure.

The length of the reflecting mirror 312 in the lateral direction varies depending on the focal length of the scanning lens 42, the diameter of the beam spot imaged on the image forming body 11, the scanning width on the image forming body 11, etc. According to , a desirable value is about 4 to 10 mm.

Deflector 310 can be driven by an external signal.

An example of a separately excited drive circuit using an optical deflector 310 is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 10, 330 indicates a sine wave oscillator, which can be an oscillator using an RC circuit or a crystal optical deflector.

When using a crystal oscillator, it is sufficient to use one whose natural oscillation frequency is divided into a predetermined value and then shaped into a sine wave by a low-pass filter.

Here, the oscillation frequency, that is, the drive frequency for the drive coil 311 will be explained.

As described above, the optical deflector 310 has a natural frequency fo, and the resonance characteristics at a deflection angle of 0 with respect to this natural frequency fo are as shown in FIG.

As is clear from the resonance characteristics shown in Figure 11, if you try to drive at a frequency that deviates from the natural frequency fo, the efficiency with respect to the deflection angle that is ★1 to the input current will decrease, and the vibration at the natural frequency fo will decrease. In order to obtain a deflection angle O equivalent to that in the case, a very large input current is required.

However, if too large an input current is applied to the drive coil 311, there is a risk that this coil will be burnt out, causing a failure. Therefore, a very large current cannot be used as a drive current.

Further, it is possible that variations occur in the natural frequency fo of the optical deflector 310, and in such a case, the drive frequency f
Even when driving the drive coil 311 at a frequency other than the natural frequency fo in order to unify the frequency f, the relationship between the drive frequency f and the natural frequency fo should be within the range If-fol≦fo/Q. is desirable. Here, Q indicates the sharpness of the resonance characteristic.

In other words, considering manufacturing variations, the natural frequency r
Since it is difficult to process O so that it is equal to the driving frequency rAf, its natural frequency fo is
The optical deflector 310 is intended to be used only when the driving frequency is within a range of approximately ±fo/Q from the driving frequency f.

This is because within the range of deviation of about ±fo/Q, the drive current for obtaining the necessary deflection angle O does not become that large. However, the drive frequency f is always constant.

As Q, an optical deflector 310 having a resonance sharpness of about 10 to 200 is used.

For this reason, the frequency of the sine wave oscillator 330 is set within a range that satisfies the above equation.

The output of the sine wave oscillator 330, that is, the drive (No. 5) is supplied to the next stage offset adjuster 331, and its DC offset is adjusted.

When installing the deflector 300 in an optical scanning system, if the position of the deflector 300 is not as designed, the DC level of the drive signal (indicated by a dashed line) may be changed as shown in FIG.
By adjusting , it becomes possible to adjust the left and right shake positions.

For this reason, in the offset tone uW331, by adjusting the DC level, the image forming body 1
The scanning position in No. 1 is set to be a prescribed scanning position.

The scanning width of the offset-adjusted drive signal is adjusted by an amplitude adjuster 332.

As an example of this adjustment method, the method described in Japanese Patent Application No. 61-81296 already disclosed by the present applicant can be used.

This method is for adjusting the deflection angle of the optical deflector 310. In this case, by detecting the scanning width on the image forming body 11 and adjusting the amplitude of the amplitude adjuster 332 using the detection output, it is possible to always control the scanning width to a constant value.

Drive with fully adjustable DC offset and amplitude (8
The signal is transmitted to the drive coil 3 through the output amplifier 333.
11.

Next, the influence of stray light caused by scattering during beam scanning on the image forming body 11 due to differences in deflectors will be explained.

FIG. 13 shows an example of the noise light 8!11 constant means. Light other than the beam spot when the beam passing through the lens 42.36 reaches the image forming body 11 is noise light. be measured.

First, when a rotating polygon mirror is used as the deflector 300, the result will be as shown by the curve L1 in FIG. 14.

In the same figure, "absence" means the measurement result when there is no slit 42A or 36A in FIG. 13, and "presence" means the measurement result when the slit I-42A or 36A is present.

By using the slit 42A or 36A, it is possible to block out extraneous light.

This measurement result was obtained using an AI-deposited rotating polygon mirror.
Semiconductor laser output is 1.4mW, slit width is 2~3I
This is the case where 42.36 slits of 42.36 mm are used.

On the other hand, when the above-mentioned optical deflection element 305 or optical deflector 310 is used as the deflector 300, the miscellaneous light becomes like the curve L2, and the miscellaneous light can be significantly reduced.

FIG. 15 shows the results of measuring the degree of influence of scattered light on development characteristics.

The horizontal axis shows the exposure intensity. The negative side of the vertical axis (lower vertical axis) indicates the photosensitive characteristics of the image forming body (in this measurement example, a negatively charged oPC image forming body described in JP-A-60-102634 was used). Further, the upper vertical axis indicates the relationship between the exposure amount and the amount of toner adhered to the image forming member during development.

Curve L3 is a toner adhesion curve under developing bias conditions of ACl, 5 KV, and DC 500 V, and curve L4 is a toner adhesion curve under AC2, OKV, and DC 640 V.

When a rotating polygon mirror is used, since the amount of miscellaneous light is large, the potential of the image forming body 11 is significantly reduced due to the amount of exposure caused by this. This potential drop causes toner to adhere. In other words, fog X occurs in the background area where the image is not exposed.

On the other hand, the optical deflector 305 or the optical deflector 31
When 0 is used, as is clear from the above explanation, the miscellaneous light is greatly reduced, so almost no fog Y occurs. In other words, when a rotating polygon mirror is used, exposure due to a small amount of miscellaneous light causes fogging in the image, resulting in a reduction in image quality.

A similar problem can occur as fog when using photosensitive materials such as film and photographic paper as recording media in image forming apparatuses, depending on their respective exposure vs. density (after development) characteristic curves.

Medical X using a flat photoreceptor (Se, 5eTe)
A similar fogging phenomenon occurs in line-coat photography devices, display devices using belt photoreceptors, and the like.

Here, depending on the combination of the recording medium and the light source, the spectral sensitivity characteristics and the spectral (distribution) characteristics will differ. In this case, depending on the combination, fog may increase with respect to the fog exposure amount.

For example, amorphous silicon, organic semiconductor, or selenium is used as a recording medium, and He-Ne or Ar is used as a light source.
It has been confirmed that in combinations using gas lasers such as GaAs and semiconductor lasers such as GaAs, fog increases with respect to the amount of fog exposure.

By using the optical deflector 305 or the optical deflector 310, the generation of stray light could hardly be observed, and of course a high quality image without fogging could be obtained.

The same can be said for the embodiment shown in FIG. 23, which will be described later.

In this way, in this invention, since the optical deflection element or the optical deflector made of the same insulating substrate is used, the beam reflecting surface is not so large compared to the beam spot, and therefore the reflecting surface is not large during beam scanning. The influence of stray light caused by light scattering can be reduced.

In addition, since the optical deflection element or optical deflector is integrally molded, it is possible to avoid external environmental conditions, especially the ambient temperature within the general compensation range of the image forming apparatus (-5 to 3°C), the internal temperature of the machine that can be synergized, and the drive coil. Stable vibration of the reflecting mirror 312 is obtained even with changes in the heat generation temperature of the reflecting mirror 311 itself, and as a result, regular beam scanning is always performed.

Therefore, even in high-speed scanning recording, a good final image can always be obtained.

Furthermore, as described above, when the optical deflector (including an optical deflection element; the same applies hereinafter) according to the present invention is used as a deflector, the following will be described in comparison with the case where a rotating polygon mirror is used as a deflector. have a characteristic (number) such as

First, since the optical deflector itself is very small, it can be made smaller compared to the case where a rotating polygon mirror is used, and since a motor is not used as a rotational drive source, There is no noise, and even when scanning at high speed, stable vibration for deflection can be realized at all times.

Second, compared to a device using a mechanical vibrating mirror, not only high-speed scanning is possible, but also a compact deflector with a large deflection angle can be realized.

Thirdly, since the optical deflector is formed by etching or the like, it has high precision and there is no variation in products.

Moreover, since the ligament part is also made of a material with a large elastic modulus, there is less metal fatigue like that of metal rods used in mechanical vibrating mirrors, and stable operation can be expected over a long period of time.

For this reason, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention has the following features:
Its A3 reliability is extremely high, and accordingly, a highly reliable recording device can be provided.

Fourth, since the optical deflector is integrally molded, a large deflection angle and a high natural frequency can be obtained, making it extremely suitable for use in devices that use a large recording paper size and perform higher speed recording.

Figure 16 shows data on the characteristics of the laser recording device mentioned above. In this table, Type I refers to the maximum paper size of recording paper up to A4 size, and Type II refers to the maximum paper size of the recording paper up to A4 size. is up to A3 size.

Since the recording paper size differs in this way, the recording speed and rough resolution also differ, so the driving frequency is also appropriately selected in accordance with the difference in conditions.

Roughly speaking, when the recording paper sizes differ in this way, the deflection angle of the reflecting mirror also differs, so the deflection angle of the recording beam also differs accordingly.

Note that the shape of the reflecting mirror 312 is preferably elliptical.

Incidentally, FIG. 17 shows an example of the developing devices 123 to 125 that can be used in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 3. Since all of these basic configurations are almost the same, the configuration of one of them, for example, the developing device 123, will be explained.

In the figure, 421 indicates a housing, and a cylindrical sleeve 422 is rotatably housed within this housing 421. A magnetic roll 423 having 8 N and S poles is provided within the sleeve 422 . A layer regulating piece 424 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve 422 to regulate the layer thickness of the developer attached to the sleeve 422 to a predetermined thickness. The predetermined thickness refers to a predetermined value from 10 to 500 μm.

Further provided within the housing 421 are first and second stirring members 425 and 426. The developer reservoir in the developer reservoir 429 is moved by the first stirring member 42 which rotates counterclockwise.
5 and a second stirring member 426 that rotates in the opposite direction to the first stirring member 425 so as to overlap each other, and the developer mixture that has been stirred and mixed is rotated in opposite directions to each other. sleeve 422 and magnetic roll 42
Due to the rotational conveying force of 3, it is adhered to the surface of the sleeve 422 and conveyed.

The electrostatic latent image formed on the image forming body 11 is developed in a non-contact manner by the developer deposited on the image forming body 11.

Note that during development, the development bias signal supplied from the power source 430 is completely applied to the sleeve 422. The developing bias signal can be supplied from the power supply 430, and this developing bias signal consists of a DC component selected to have approximately the same potential as the potential of the non-exposed portion of the image forming body 11, and an AC component superimposed on this.

As a result, only the toner T in the developer on the sleeve 422 selectively transfers to the surface of the image forming member 11, which has been made into a latent image, and is deposited on the surface, and development processing is performed. .

Note that 427 is a replenishment toner container, and 428 is a toner replenishment roller. 431 indicates a development area.

A two-component developer is used as the developer, and when no developing bias is applied, the image forming body 11 and the developer do not come into contact with each other. The T is caused to fly and is selectively attached to the electrostatic image on the image forming body 11 for development.

When using such a non-contact developing method, when multicolor toner images consisting of a blue toner image, a red toner image, a black l/toner image, etc. are sequentially developed on the image forming body 11, the previous toner This has the advantage that FJ layer development can be realized without the risk of damaging the image during subsequent development or mixing in toner of a different color.

Now, when using the above-mentioned two-component development as the developer, the thickness of the developer is 2000u.
m or less, preferably 11,000 u or less, especially 10 to 50
The developer layer has an unprecedentedly thin thickness of 0 μm, more preferably 10 to 400 μm. In this case, the gap between the image forming body 11 and the sleeve 422 can be made small for development.

Note that even if the bonding force between the developer carrier and toner or the bonding force between the carrier and the sleeve 422 is weak, the sleeve 422 is a thin comb that scrapes the developer layer.
It is attached strongly enough to the top. Therefore, toner scattering and the like do not occur.

By making the developer layer thinner and reducing the gap between the image forming body 11 and the sleeve 422, the oscillating electric field required to blow the toner can be lowered. As a result, the developing bias voltage can be lowered.

Therefore, in addition to being able to reduce toner scattering from this point of view, there are also advantages such as controlling leakage discharge due to the developing bias from the sleeve surface.

Furthermore, when the gap between the image forming body 11 and the sleeve 422 is made small, the latent image causes the developing area 431 (A9 forming body 11
The intensity of the electric field formed in the spatial region where the sleeve 422 faces the sleeve 422 increases, and as a result, even subtle changes in gradation and fine patterns can be developed well.

If the developer layer is made thinner, the amount of toner that can be conveyed to the development area will generally be reduced, and the amount of development will also be reduced. Increase the conveyance amount. It is effective to rotate the sleeve at high speed.

However, when the linear velocity ratio between the image forming body 11 and the sleeve 422 becomes 1:10, the velocity component of the developed toner that is parallel to the latent image surface becomes large, and directionality appears in the development, resulting in poor image quality. to degrade.

Therefore, as the lower limit of RF5, it is necessary that the toner adheres to the sleeve surface at a density of at least 0.04 mg/am2. In general, when the linear velocity of the sleeve 422 is Vs, the linear velocity of the forming body 11 is Vd, and the amount of toner in the thin layer on the sleeve 422 is Mt, IVs l/Vd I ・Mt≧0.4 (
mg/am2) IVsl/Vdl≦10.

Considering the development efficiency, IVs ]/Vd l ・Mt≧0.5 (mg
/cm2) l 'J 31 / V d I ≦8, and from the experimental results, I Vs l
/Vd I ・Mt≧0.5 (mg/cm2) IVs
It has been found that it is more preferable that L/Vdl≦5.

The ratio of toner to carrier in the developer at this time is preferably such that the ratio of the total surface area of toner to carrier in a unit volume is 0.5 to 2, as described above.

By setting the above conditions, the toner in the thin layer can be efficiently developed, the developability is stable, and good image quality can be obtained.

As a means for forming a thin developer layer, the sleeve 42 is used.
A layer regulating piece 424 made of a pressing plate that is slightly elastically pressed against the layer 2 is preferably used.

This layer regulating piece 424 is composed of an elastic plate that is pressed against the sleeve 422 so that its tip faces upstream of rotation of the sleeve. The FJ layer is formed by allowing the developer to pass between the sleeve 422 and the layer regulating piece 424.

The gap between the tip of the layer regulating piece 424 and the sleeve 422 is set to 0.0.
When the distance is 8 m+*, a certain amount of toner can be stably conveyed despite variations in installation accuracy and mechanical accuracy.

Furthermore, it is preferable to set the gap between the tips to 0.1 nm or more because stability will be increased.

Of course, it is not desirable to make the gap at the tip unnecessarily large, and it has been observed that when the gap is increased to 5 mm or more, the uniformity of all the developer deteriorates.

Next, the thinned developer layer develops the electrostatic body of the image forming body 11 transported to the development area without contacting it.
It has been found that the following conditional expressions (1) and (2) need to be satisfied in order to achieve preferable development.

1 (vs l-nωh' /3) /Vd 1≦1
0...(1) 1 (vs 1-nct+h' /3) /Vd l
・m≧0.4 [mg/Cm2]... (2) Where, Vsl is the linear velocity of the sleeve [mm/see] n is the number of magnetic poles [poles] of the magnetic roll ω is the rotational angular velocity of the magnetic roll [ radian/see]
h' is the height of the magnetic brush [1111111Vd is the linear velocity of the image forming member [mm/sec1m] is the amount of toner deposited per unit area of the sleeve [mg/cm2].

Vsl, ω is positive when it is in the same direction as the movement of the image forming body 11. Further, the height of the magnetic brush refers to the average height of the magnetic brush on the sleeve standing on the magnetic field within the sleeve. Specifically, the linear velocity Vsl of the sleeve is 100 to 1000 mm/see, the number n of magnetic poles is 4 to 16, the rotational angular velocity ω of the magnetic roll is 30 to 150 radian/see, and the high h' of the magnetic brush is 50 to 400 um. The linear velocity Vd of the image forming body 11 is 30 to 500 Ilffl/Sec. The toner adhesion ff1m per unit area of the sleeve is 30 to 500 Ilffl/Sec.
〜10mg/c〜2.

These relationships serve as a guideline for achieving preferable development, but they vary depending on the distance d between the image forming body 11 and the sleeve 4220, the magnitude of the bias voltage, etc.

Preferred development conditions taking such factors into consideration are shown by the following formula.

5≦Vp-p/(d-h″)≦50 (KV/mm)・
...(3) Here, Vp-p is the peak-to-peak voltage of the AC bias (KV), d is the distance between the image forming body and the sleeve (μm), and h'' is the maximum height of the magnetic brush ( μm).

The maximum height of the magnetic brush refers to the maximum height of the magnetic brush that stands on the magnetic pole in the sleeve 422.

FIG. 18 explains the conditions of each part in development by non-contact jumping. FIG. 19 shows a specific example of the developer. FIG. 20 shows the developing bias conditions at that time.

FIG. 21 shows development characteristics with respect to charging potential and bias potential.

In the figure, the horizontal axis indicates the intensity of the laser beam, and the vertical axis indicates the potential obtained by subtracting the bias potential from the uniformly charged potential (hereinafter referred to as relative potential).

A curve M1 indicates a character quality limit region. This indicates the limit region where when the relative potential exceeds this curve M1 (below the F/ji axis), thinning of characters occurs and images cannot be recorded properly.

Curve M2 shows the fog region. In other words, when the relative potential is less than 11gM2, it indicates a limit area where toner adheres to areas other than the image area.

Curve M1. M2 is a curve drawn based only on the relationship between the image forming member 11 and the developing bias. Considering the deflector 300 under this condition, the fog area changes as follows.

When a rotating polygon mirror is used as the deflector 300, the fog region moves as shown by a curve M3 due to the influence of miscellaneous light. In other words, the area where fog occurs becomes wider, and as a result, the appropriate image area becomes narrower. What is the appropriate image area?
The thinnest line (e.g. 16 dots/mm)
) is the area that can be reproduced.

If slits 36A and 42A shown in FIG. 13 are used,
Although the fog area is improved to about 4 between the curves, it is still insufficient.

As described above, when the appropriate image area is narrow, constraints on various processes such as the potential characteristics of the recording medium, charging control, development conditions, and manufacturing variations in the material fl become more severe.

On the other hand, when the optical deflector 310 is used as a deflector, the fog region can have characteristics similar to the fog region when the deflector is not considered, as shown by curve M5. Therefore, the appropriate image area can be expanded significantly. This is because the influence of miscellaneous light can be almost ignored as described above. As the image appropriate area is expanded, the above-mentioned constraint conditions can also be relaxed.

When expanding the appropriate image area, the developing method can be applied regardless of whether it is a contact or non-contact method. It is also suitable for application to a developing device that uses an alternating electric field or a combination of an alternating electric field and a direct current electric field as a developing bias.

In this case, it is particularly effective to use a two-component developer consisting of an insulating carrier and an insulating toner, a microcarrier and a microtoner, or an insulating microcarrier and an insulating microtoner. Further, a one-component developer including a one-component magnetic toner and a one-component non-magnetic toner can also be used.

By the way, when using the optical deflector 310 as shown in FIG. 1 and below as the optical deflector of the deflector 300,
Unlike scanning using a rotating polygon mirror, reciprocating scanning is possible. When such reciprocating scanning is employed, the optical scanning system may have a configuration as shown in FIG. 22.

That is, by arranging the index sensors 39 and 45 in the front and rear directions of the scanning direction, it is possible to detect the start and end of laser beam scanning (since this is the return of the beam).
Since the start of scanning can be detected, corresponding image information can be recorded on the image forming body 11.

In addition, in FIG. 22, 38.44 indicates a reflecting mirror.

Now, FIG. 3 shows a case where the present invention is applied to a color image forming apparatus, but it can also be applied to a monochrome image forming apparatus.

FIG. 23 shows an example of this monochrome image forming apparatus.

The laser beam modulated by the black and white image signal enters the deflector 300 provided in the optical scanning system 510, is reflected by the mirror surface of the reflecting mirror 312, and then passes through the scanning lens 42, the cylindrical lens 36, and the mirror 46. The periphery of the image forming body 11 is irradiated through the irradiation.

The image forming body 11 is an endless belt-shaped photoreceptor 520, and is rotated and conveyed in the counterclockwise ε1 direction on the upper surface of a conveyance table 524 by three photoreceptor support rollers 521, 522, and 523. During this rotational drive, since a predetermined charge is applied to the surface of the cutting tool by the charged transfer pole 525, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image information is formed by the laser beam irradiation described above.

Toner is supplied to the electrostatic image by a developing roller 526 which also functions as a developing device, and the electrostatic image is turned into a toner image.

Thereafter, the recording paper is conveyed below the conveyor table 524, but on the other hand, one sheet of recording paper is carried into the destination apparatus by the operation of the paper feed roller 531 from the automatic paper feeder 530 attached to the apparatus in parallel. , its tip is detected by the sensor 541,
The second paper feed roller 540 starts rotating in response to the detection output, and roughly feeds the recording paper. Then, by the action of the sensor 542 that detects the tip again, the second paper feed roller 5
40 is stopped, and after the timing with the toner image described above is adjusted, rotation is resumed to continue conveying the recording paper.

After the toner image of the photoreceptor 520 integrated with the recording paper is transferred to the recording paper at the charged transfer pole 525, the recording paper is separated and the entire surface is exposed to a laser beam to eliminate the charge. Thereafter, the adhesion force of the residual toner is weakened by the cleaning means 527, and then it is removed by the cleaning action of the developing roller 526.

Note that the auxiliary cleaning means 527 is a brush device using insulating fibers, and is of a type that does not affect the charging of the electrostatic latent image formed in the previous cycle.

In this way, the photoreceptor 520 is charged again at the charged transfer pole 525 and moves on to the next cycle of rotation and conveyance to form a new electrostatic latent image, but at the same time it receives a toner image transfer. The recording paper is placed on the photoreceptor support roller 52
1, it is peeled off from the peripheral surface of the photoreceptor 520. Thereafter, after the toner is melted and fixed by the fixing roller 550, the toner is separated by the separation claw 55], and then the toner is separated by the separation claw 55 and
At the same time, the residual potential is removed by the static eliminating brush 553, and the recording paper is discharged onto a paper discharge surface formed on the upper surface of the optical scanning system 510.

In this invention, even in such a black and white image forming apparatus, a deflector 300 having a front and back integrated optical deflection element 305 or optical deflector 310 as shown in FIG. 1 and below is used. be.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, in the present invention, the reflecting mirror, the driving coil, and the ligament are made of the same insulating substrate to constitute the optical deflection element, and the reflecting mirror and the driving coil are constructed so as to be integral with each other. This is what I did. According to this, it has the following characteristics.

First, by making the front and back sides integral, the weight of the light deflection collector itself can be reduced, resulting in a smaller moment of inertia. You will get a good balance.

As a result, the natural vibration frequency becomes stable and its value can be increased. Further, when the lengths of the pair of ligaments are made equal, manufacturing variations can be suppressed to a minimum, and the yield of the optical deflector is increased, which has the practical benefit of being able to provide the optical deflector at a low cost.

Second, since the vibration system of the optical deflector is stabilized, mirror shake is reduced and the deflection angle can be widened. Therefore, wide-angle, high-speed scanning becomes possible.

Thirdly, as the weight of the optical deflector is reduced, the ligament can be made thinner, and small current drive can be realized.

In this way, we can provide a small, highly stable, and uniformly high-quality optical deflector, so if we use this, we can obtain an image forming device with excellent durability, reliability, and high image quality. be able to.

Incidentally, an optical deflector in which a driving coil and a reflecting mirror are integrally constituted has already been disclosed by the present applicant in Japanese Patent Application No. 61-228618, but the optical deflector disclosed herein has two sides integrated. Therefore, the effects of blurring caused by blurring are more reduced than in the optical deflector disclosed in the prior application. As a result, it is possible to provide a durable image formation device with good development characteristics and even better image quality.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the main parts showing an example of an optical deflector for image signals according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram similar to Fig. 1 showing another example, and Fig. 3 shows the present invention in color. A configuration diagram of the main parts showing an example of application to an image device for permanent image recording, Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the main parts of the optical system when using a light deflector, Figs. 5 to 7 8 is a configuration diagram showing another example of the optical deflector, FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the dot shape of the laser beam, and FIG.
10 is a system diagram showing an example of a driving circuit for the reflecting mirror, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the resonance characteristics of the optical deflector, and FIG. 12 is an illustration of DC offset.
Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram of the device used to side-window miscellaneous light, Figs. 14 and 15 are characteristic diagrams used to explain the present invention, and Fig. 16 is a characteristic diagram of the developing conditions of the laser recording device. FIG. 17 is a sectional view showing an example of a developing device.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the non-contact development conditions, FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the composition of the developer, FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the development bias conditions, FIG. 21 is a characteristic diagram for explaining the present invention, and FIG. The figure is a configuration diagram showing another example of an optical system to which this invention can be applied.
FIG. 23 is a configuration diagram similar to FIG. 3 showing another example of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention can be applied, FIG. 24 is a configuration diagram showing an example of an optical system using a rotating polygon mirror, and FIG. 25 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of an optical system using a mechanical vibrating mirror. A... Original reading section B... Writing section 11... Drum 30 as an image forming body... Laser beam scanning device 31... Semiconductor laser 32... Collimator lens 33, 36... ψ cylinder Cal lens 42...scanning lens 39,45, photo sensor 123-125...developing device 300...deflector 305...light deflection element 310...light deflector 311...drive coil 312... ...Reflection mirror 313...Ligament 315...Frame 31G...Front and back integrated parts Patent applicant Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd. Figure 4 Figure 6 Figure 8 AO Figure 9 DCD Figure 10 Figure 15 (V) Figure 16 Figure 17 Figure 123: ILfi device Figure 18 Figure 19 Figure 20 Figure 21 Figure 22 Figure 24 DanQ; Lguno mirror

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) In an optical deflector that deflects an optical signal modulated by an image signal in a predetermined direction, as the optical deflector, a reflecting mirror, a drive coil, and a ligament are formed of the same insulating substrate, and the reflecting mirror 1. An optical deflector for image signals, characterized in that a drive coil and a drive coil are integrally formed. (2) The optical deflector for image signals according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting mirror, drive coil, ligament, and frame are formed of the same insulating substrate. (3) The image forming apparatus according to claims 1 and 2, wherein a quartz substrate is used as the insulating substrate. (4) The image signal optical deflector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the front and back integral parts are bilaterally symmetrical. (5) The image signal optical deflector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the front and back integral parts are vertically symmetrical.