JPH0411866B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention provides an image recording device that forms a latent image on a photoreceptor by an exposure means and visualizes the latent image by a developing means. Regarding.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 1, in an image recording method using a solid-state light emitting device 1 such as an LED array printer, a focusing light transmitter (hereinafter referred to as SLA) is used.
2, an image forming device 2 such as a lens is used to project an image onto the surface of a photoreceptor 3, and a visible image is obtained by an electrophotographic process, or a solid state light emitting device 1 as shown in FIG. There is a method in which the images are arranged in two rows in a staggered manner in the longitudinal direction of the photoreceptor 3 so that the images are formed at the same location on the photoreceptor 3, but as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, Both photoreceptors 3
The structure was such that exposure was applied from the outer surface of the lens.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the above configuration, the solid-state light emitting device 1, the image forming device 2, the developing device including the image forming unit 4, the transfer charger 5, the static elimination cleaning section 6, the charging charger 7, etc. Since it is located outside the photoconductor 3 and on the same side as the photoconductor 3, the developer and dust inside the device may adhere to the surface of the imaging element 2 and the solid-state light emitting device 1, contaminating them. This resulted in deterioration of image performance.

In view of this, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image recording device that can prevent staining of the exposure means, improve image performance, and allow the exposure means to be made compact so that the entire device can be made more compact. It was done for a purpose.

[Structure of the invention]

(Means for solving the problem) In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention,
In an image recording apparatus in which a latent image is formed on a photoreceptor by an exposure means and the latent image is visualized by a developing means, the exposure means is composed of a solid-state light emitting element array as a light source and an imaging element; The image element includes a reflective member having two reflective surfaces, a lens array formed into a plate by arranging a large number of adjacent lenses in a row, and a plate-shaped lens array by arranging a large number of adjacent roof mirrors in a row. a roof mirror array formed and arranged so that each roof mirror corresponds to each of the lenses;
a light shielding member disposed between each interlens space of the lens array and each roof top of the roof mirror array to reduce disturbance light, and the exposure means is disposed inside the photoreceptor, The developing device is characterized in that the developing means is disposed outside the photoreceptor.

(Function) With the above configuration, the exposing means is arranged separated from the developing means by the photoreceptor, so that
Dust, toner solvent, etc. generated in the developing means are prevented from staining the exposing means, and image quality can be prevented from deteriorating over a long period of time.

(Embodiments) The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 to 12, with the same reference numerals assigned to parts common to those in FIGS. 1 and 2.

4 to 6 show an example of the imaging element 2 used in the present invention, and in order to project and image the object 8 at point 8' in FIG. The light from the object 8 reflected by the first reflecting surface 9 of the reflecting member 10 having a structure passes through the lens array 11 and passes through the roof-shaped reflecting members 1 arranged in a row.
2 (hereinafter referred to as roof mirror array), the optical path is changed, and the optical system is reflected by the second reflecting surface 9' of the reflecting member 10 to form an image at point 8'. This below
DMLA).

In addition, when actually used, a light shielding member 1 is installed between the lens array 11 and the roof mirror array 12.
4, 14, . . . to prevent the reflected light from the top of each roof of the roof mirror array 12 from affecting the optical path of the adjacent one.

FIG. 7 shows a specific embodiment of an image recording apparatus using the DMLA, in which two sets of the DMLA are arranged inside the drum-shaped photoreceptor 3, and the light emitting pattern of the solid-state light emitting elements 1, 1 is This is a case where the photoreceptor 3 is exposed to light.

As an example of the photoreceptor 3 used in the above embodiment is shown as an enlarged cross section in FIG.
On a transparent base material 16 made of glass, plastic, polymer film, etc., a transparent conductive layer 17 is formed by forming a film of InO3, SnO2, a mixture thereof, etc. by a PVD method such as vacuum evaporation, sputtering method, or ion plating method. and Se, ZnO, CdS on its surface
The photosensitive layer 18 is formed of an inorganic photoreceptor, an organic photoreceptor, etc.

If one chip of the group of solid-state light emitting elements can cover the width of the photoreceptor 3 in the longitudinal direction, it may be arranged in one line, but if the width cannot be covered, the chips may be arranged in a staggered manner as shown in FIG. The light emitting parts are arranged in two lines as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The solid-state light emitting device 1 can be an LED array, an LD array, or the like.

Although the photoreceptor 3 in each of the above embodiments is of a drum type, it is also possible to use a belt-shaped photoreceptor 3, an example of which is shown in FIG. In the case of the belt-shaped photoreceptor 3, it is not necessarily endless, and a sheet-shaped photoreceptor may also be used.

Further, the input signal for selecting the light emitting element of the solid state light emitting device 1 may be a document image signal read by a solid state scanning device such as a CCD or PDA, or may be a signal for outputting a prepared image in advance. Further, the element arrangement pattern of the solid-state light emitting device 1 is often about 8 to 12 dots/mm, but any size can be used depending on the type and purpose of the image to be output.

Note that, as shown in FIG. 11, it is preferable to perform the exposure perpendicularly to the tangent of the exposure location on the inner periphery of the photoreceptor 1 because the shape of the luminescence does not change. As in the embodiment shown in the figure, it is difficult to expose two light beams to the same point and perpendicularly to the light emitter 3. Therefore, in the case of vertical exposure, it is necessary to expose the light from the center of rotation of the photoreceptor 3. The arrangement is such that the light beams are imaged toward the body 3, but in that case, the exposure positions of the two light beams are misaligned. In such a case, an electric signal that causes the solid-state light emitting element 1 to emit light may be stored in a memory, and one line may be emitted with a delay in relation to the other line by the amount of deviation between the two lines.

〔Effect of the invention〕

In an image recording apparatus in which a latent image is formed on a photoreceptor by an exposure means and the latent image is visualized by a developing means, the exposure means is composed of a solid-state light emitting element array and an imaging element, and the imaging element is composed of two A reflective member having a reflective surface, a lens array formed in a plate shape by arranging lenses in a row, a roof mirror array in which a roof mirror is arranged in a row and formed in a plate shape, and a light shielding member for reducing ambient light. Since the exposure means is arranged inside the photoreceptor and the developing means is arranged outside the photoreceptor, there is no need to adjust the positions of the lenses and the roof mirrors, and the relationship between the lens array and the roof mirror array is eliminated. Mutual position adjustment can be easily performed.

Furthermore, since the light shielding member is provided between the lens and the roof mirror, disturbance light can be prevented and the aperture stop diameter of the lens can be controlled by the width of the light shielding member.

In addition, by using a roof mirror array,
Even if there is internal strain in the plastic member, it does not affect the imaging performance, and the molded member for the roof mirror array does not have to be transparent, so materials with less "sink marks" can be used. Furthermore, by making the wall thickness of the roof mirror array substantially equal, "sink" is reduced and the half-surface degree of the reflective surface is improved.

Furthermore, since there is an air medium between the lens and the roof mirror surface, disturbing light is reduced, and even when combined with a solid-state light emitting element such as a light emitting diode array, which has a relatively limited amount of light emission, it provides a sufficient amount of light exposure. It is possible to provide a compact recording device that can perform Furthermore, the exposure means can be arranged in a state where it is isolated from the development means by the photoreceptor, which prevents the exposure means from being contaminated by dust, toner solvent, etc. generated in the development means, and reduces image quality over a long period of time. and can be prevented. In addition, since the exposure means is composed of a solid-state light emitting element and DMLA, the exposure means can be made extremely compact, and even when placed inside the photoreceptor, it does not take up much space, allowing the photoreceptor to be constructed in a compact size. This can greatly contribute to making the entire image recording apparatus more compact.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIGS. 1 and 2 are explanatory diagrams showing a conventional image recording device, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship of the solid-state light emitting element, lens, and photoreceptor in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 4 to 6 are FIG. 4 is a side view, FIG. 5 is a perspective view, FIG. 6 is a plan view, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the imaging element of the present invention. , FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of solid-state light emitting elements, FIG. 9 is a side view of the same, FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing an enlarged part of the photoreceptor, and FIGS. 11 and 12 are other views. It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of. 1...Solid light emitting element, 2...Imaging element, 3...
Photoreceptor, 44... Developing device, 5... Transfer charger, 6... Static elimination cleaning section, 7... Charging charger, 10... Reflection member, 11... Lens array, 12... Roof mirror array, 13... Reflection mirror, 14... light shielding member.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an image recording device that forms a latent image on a photoconductor by an exposure means and visualizes the latent image by a developing means, the exposure means is composed of a solid-state light emitting element array as a light source and an imaging element, The imaging element has 2
a lens array formed into a plate shape by arranging a large number of adjacent lenses in a row; and a lens array formed into a plate shape by arranging a large number of adjacent roof mirrors in a row, and each roof mirror comprises a roof mirror array arranged so as to correspond to each lens, and a light shielding member for reducing external light disposed between a space between each lens of the lens array and a top of each roof of the roof mirror array. is,
An image recording apparatus characterized in that the exposing means is arranged inside the photoreceptor, and the developing means is arranged outside the photoreceptor.