JPS636517A - Writing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make the titled device small in size, and also, to produce it at low cost, and to make its adjustment unnecessary, by using an optical waveguide device for a focusing device. CONSTITUTION:Focusing light beams 1 which have been emitted from a light emitting source 6 are split into plural pieces of light beams by a beam splitter 2, and inputted to an optical modulator 3 using an acousto-optical element of a multi-channel. Subsequently, aid light beams are made incident on an optical waveguide device 4 which has been formed as one body with this optical modulator 3, narrows a pitch between the channels of an optical signal and projected onto a writing medium 5. In this way, the optical waveguide device 4 in which plural pieces of optical waveguides have been arranged at least in one plane is used as a focusing device, therefore, a shape of the titled device can be made small in size, and also, its production can be executed easily at a low production cost, and its adjustment can be made unnecessary.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a writing device that can simultaneously write a plurality of pieces of information using light.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in writing devices such as laser engraving machines and laser printers, as shown in an example perspective view in FIG.
Focused light l from a light emitting source 6 such as a laser that emits focused light 1
The beam splitter 2 separates the light into a plurality of light beams, and the separated plurality of light beams are modulated by an optical modulator 3 such as an acousto-optic device, and are exposed onto the writing medium 5 to perform writing.

In this case, the spatial pitch of each signal channel at the output end of the optical modulator 3 is 1, for example, about 1.5 mm,
Since the pitch of each signal channel on the writing medium is about 10μ, the output light of the optical modulator 3 is transmitted to the writing medium 5.
It needs to be focused upwards. In conventional writing devices, a lens system 8 is used as this focusing device. Note that the number 7 indicates a triplet that separates the zero-order light and the first-order light of the output light of the optical modulator 3.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Conventional writing devices use the lens system 8 to focus the light beam to a large extent, which makes adjustment complicated, increases the size of the device, and increases production costs. It had drawbacks.

The present invention has been made in order to eliminate these drawbacks of conventional writing devices, and aims to provide a writing device that is small in size, easy to produce, has low production costs, and does not require adjustment. shall be.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A writing device according to the present invention includes a light emitting source that emits focused light, a beam splitter that separates the focused light emitted from the light source into a plurality of light beams, and a light emitting source that emits focused light. In a writing device that includes an optical modulator that optically modulates the output light of a splitter and a focusing device that directs the output light of the optical modulator onto a writing medium, the focusing device has an area of a light input end face and an area of a light output end face. It is characterized by having an optical waveguide device in which a plurality of larger optical waveguides are arranged in at least one plane.

[Function] Since the writing device of the present invention uses an optical waveguide device in which a plurality of optical waveguides are arranged in at least one plane as a focusing device, there is no need to use a large lens, and the shape can be reduced. Moreover, it is easy to produce, the production cost is low, and no adjustment is required.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the writing device according to the present invention. In FIG. 0, the light emitting source 6 is a laser;
Convergent light 1 emitted from the light source 6 is separated into a plurality of light beams by a beam splitter 2 and input to an optical modulator 3 using a multi-channel acousto-optic element. The output light modulated by the optical modulator 3 enters an optical waveguide device 4 formed integrally with the optical modulator 3, narrows the pitch between channels of the optical signal, and irradiates it onto the writing medium 5. Ru. Although not shown in the figure, if a small lens is interposed between the optical waveguide device 4 and the damaging medium 5 to further narrow down the output light of the optical waveguide device 4, finer details can be obtained. It becomes possible to write.

As for the leading covering W14, as shown in a partial perspective view in FIG. 3, the area of the light incident end surface s1 is equal to the light emitting end surface S? Optical fibers with an area larger than A transparent material with a large refractive index continuously formed along the direction of light propagation, or a substrate with grooves formed by etching or other methods and a metal coating coated on the inner surface. Can be done. In addition, an example of the shape and dimensions when using the optical fiber shown in FIG. 3 is as follows: the light incident end surface S! The pitch PI between the signal channels is 1.5 mm, and the light emitting end surface S2
The pitch P2 between the signal channels is 10 μm, and the distance 6Q between the light input end face S1 and the light output end face S2 is 10+wm.

In this way, the pitch P1 between the light incident end faces S1 is
2, and each optical fiber has the same focusing effect as a lens.

Each optical fiber is fixed in a bundle using an adhesive using an organic resin such as acrylic or epoxy, or a low-melting glass frit, and the bundle is pulled into the above shape by pulling both ends of the bundle.

The optical fibers may be arranged in one row, or may be arranged in two or more rows in multiple layers.

Although a solid state laser, a gas laser, or the like is normally used as the light emitting source 6, it is also possible to use a lens system from a white light source to focus the light into a beam.

The writing device of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and the numerical values indicating the sizes of each component are merely examples, and it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these numerical values.

[Effects of the Invention] In the writing device of the present invention, since an optical waveguide device is used as a focusing device, the shape can be reduced in size, and the writing device can be easily produced, reducing production costs and eliminating the need for adjustment.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the writing device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional example, and FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view showing an example of an optical waveguide device used in the writing device of the present invention. It is. 1... Focused light, 2... Beam splitter. 3... Optical modulator, 4... Optical waveguide device.

Claims (6)

[Claims] (1) A light source that emits focused light, a beam splitter that separates the focused light emitted from the light source into multiple beams, an optical modulator that modulates the output light of the beam splitter, and the light In a writing device that includes a focusing device that focuses the output light of the modulator onto a writing medium, the focusing device includes a plurality of optical waveguides arranged in at least one plane in which the area of the light input end face is larger than the area of the light output end face. A writing device characterized in that it has a wave device. (2) The writing device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting source is a laser. (3) The writing device according to claim 1, wherein the optical modulator is an acousto-optic device. (4) The writing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the optical waveguide is an optical fiber. (5) The writing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the optical waveguide is a portion having a large refractive index that is continuously formed in the transparent body along the direction in which light travels. (6) The writing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the optical waveguide is formed by drilling a predetermined portion of the substrate and coating the inner surface with a metal coating.