JPS5814135A - Picture scanning and recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a small-sized and high-stability device, by providing an acoustooptic optical modulating element where plural ultrasonic exciting parts are arranged in parallel on an acoustooptic medium, a means which makes the optical beam flat or divides it to plural optical beams, optical beam transmitting means, etc. CONSTITUTION:The optical beam from a light source 26 such as a laser is converted to a flat optical beam or is divided to plural optical beams by an optical beam flat forming equipment 29 consisting of a pair of cylindrical lenses 27 and 28. These optical beams are modulated by an acoustooptic optical modulating element 30 where plural ultrasonic exciting parts are arranged in parallel on one acoustooptic medium, and plural optical beams emitted from the element 30 are transmitted to a focusing lens system 34 through plural optical beam transmitting means 32. Otherwise, optical beams from said optical modulating element 30 are led to optical beam transmitting means 32 through a reduction optical system consisting of minute lenses 31.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an image scanning recording apparatus that records a duplicate image on a photosensitive II material by controlling an exposure means on the recording side using an image signal obtained by photoelectrically scanning an original image. And especially,
Multiple light beams are used as exposure means on the recording side, and these light beams are converted into image signals by an acousto-optic light modulator in which multiple ultrasonic excitation parts are arranged in parallel on a single acousto-optic medium. The present invention relates to an apparatus for duplicating and recording a halftone image by independently modulating each image accordingly, and further relates to an apparatus in which a light source, a light modulation element, etc., and an imaging lens system can be arranged separately.

Conventional examples of this type of image scanning recording device include, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 52-33523, a light beam from a light source is divided into a plurality of light beams by a half mirror and a combination of mirrors. However, it is known that each light beam is independently controlled in accordance with the image signal from the original image using an electro-optic light modulation element arranged corresponding to each light beam to record a halftone image. However, since the darning method uses an electro-optic light modulation element, it has a large effect on changes in ambient temperature, and when actually used, it is necessary to use a temperature control device as described in the detailed explanation. The problem is that the equipment itself becomes large, and
Modulation of each optical beam, i.e. ON/OFF of each optical beam
There were also problems with the circuit configuration, such as the need to apply a bias voltage to the electro-optic light modulator in order to perform complete control.

Further, in such a conventional method, a means for dividing the light beam from the light source into a plurality of light beams in advance is essential.

Therefore, the present invention was created in order to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages of the conventional example. Using a modulation element to achieve miniaturization and stabilization,
A plurality of light beams emitted from the light modulation element are made to enter an imaging lens system for forming a microscopic light spot array corresponding to each light beam on a photosensitive material to record a halftone image. In this case, a light transmission means such as an optical flybar is interposed between the light modulation element and the imaging lens system, and the light source, the light modulation element, etc. and the imaging lens system are configured to be separately arranged. This makes it possible to further reduce weight and size.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in which the image scanning recording device according to the present invention is applied to a color scanner, in which an original image cylinder 11 connected to a shaft 17 of a recording cylinder 12 is moved at an appropriate speed together with the recording cylinder 12. At the same time as the recording head (14) is rotated, the motor (18) rotates the feed screw c20) via the reducer (19).
) and the scanning head (13) are sent in the direction of the cylinder axis at an appropriate speed, and the scanning head (13) photoelectrically scans the original picture mounted on the original picture cylinder (11).
Obtain image signal. The image signal is input to the color calculation circuit (21) as an electrical color separation signal, and the color calculation circuit (21)
In step 1), similar to a general color scanner, color correction and gradation correction are performed to make it suitable for printing, and the signal is sent to the dot forming circuit 22 as a corrected image signal. In this dot forming circuit (22), a halftone dot forming signal is created based on the signal from the rotary encoder (1ω) and the image signal, and the halftone forming signal is transmitted to the drive circuit (22).
By controlling each light beam input to the recording head (141) and emitted from the recording head (14) through the recording head (141), a halftone image is recorded on the film on the recording cylinder (121). Although the color scanner configuration shown in FIG. 1 is shown in a very simplified manner for ease of explanation, the apparatus according to the present invention is not only applicable to such a configuration.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the image scanning recording device according to the present invention, in which the light source such as a laser tube and the
g) is a pair of cylindrical lenses (1, (28+); Acousto-optic light modulator, (32), (3
21, . . . are a plurality of light beam transmitting means provided corresponding to the light beam from the light modulation element 00), 03)
are the output ends of these light beam transmission means S2), (321, ..., (3 slopes are the light beam transmission means (32), G21)
, .

Such an image scanning recording device has a recording head (I4) shown in FIG.
The halftone dot forming symbol built in the dot forming circuit (22) is applied to each ultrasonic excitation part of the acousto-optic light modulator (30) via the drive circuit (231).
It is configured to independently modulate and turn ON and OFF the light beams of the incident portions corresponding to the ultrasonic excitation portions.

Therefore, the light beam whose cross section is approximately circular from the light source (2G) is transmitted through a pair of cylindrical lenses (2) arranged so that their respective focal axes are spatially common and the focal position is shared. and (28), which converts the light beam into a flat light beam that fits the incident surface of the subsequent acousto-optic light modulator (30). 30).

Among the flat light beams incident on the light modulation element (30), the light beams incident on the positions of the acousto-optic medium corresponding to each ultrasonic excitation part are created by the dot forming circuit @ shown in Fig. 1. The modulated light beam is modulated by the ultrasonic signal propagating in the acousto-optic medium from each ultrasonic excitation part in accordance with the halftone forming signal, and the modulated light beam is output from the light modulation element (to) as first-order light and zero-order light. Multiple pieces of each are ejected. on the other hand,
Since a light beam incident on a position of the acousto-optic medium that does not correspond to each ultrasonic excitation portion passes through the acousto-optic medium, here, a plurality of light beams modulated according to the halftone dot forming signal are used. Only the first-order light with τ is introduced into each corresponding light beam transmission means (32),
Hum transmission means T321. (32),... output end (
The light beam emitted from the imaging lens system (34)
) is projected onto the photosensitive material on the recording cylinder (121) at a predetermined reduction magnification to form a minute light spot array, thereby duplicating and recording the halftone image.

Here, the light beam transmission means (32), (32),...
When arranging them in one row, the output ends (■) are arranged diagonally upward, that is, slightly shifted in the sub-scanning direction, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the light intensity distribution of the array of minute light spots to be printed is constant; When arranging them in tiers, as shown in FIG. 4, by arranging them in a stacked manner and adjoining each other, the light intensity distribution is kept constant. Third
As can be seen from the figure and Fig. 4, this is because the light beam transmission means (the optical fiber constituting 321 is covered with the coating phase (A), so the coating material (support)) does not affect the light intensity distribution. This is to ensure that.

(7) Moreover, what is shown in FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the image scanning recording device according to the present invention, and in this embodiment, the light beam output from the light modulation element (30) is of,
When introducing each light beam transmission means (321, (32), ...), for example, each light beam transmission means (3, G21, ...
Microlens corresponding to the number of: X, (311, (31)
This embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 in that a reduction optical system consisting of , . As in the example, each light beam transmission means G2), (3ri,...
By arranging the reduction optical system in the front stage, the diameter of the light beam transmission means that transmits each light beam from the light modulation element (30) to the imaging optical system (34) can be made smaller, making it even more compact. It is easy to measure and practical.

Further, in this embodiment, a light beam flattener is used, but instead of this light beam flattener, a combination of a half mirror and a mirror as used in the conventional method, or a combination of a half mirror and a mirror as used in the conventional method, or It is also possible to use a beam splitting device constituted by a parallel plane plate (8), as described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 118302 or Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 123701/1983.

In summary, the present invention provides an image scanning recording apparatus for duplicating and recording a mesh plate or the like by independently modulating a plurality of light beams using an acousto-optic modulator as described above according to an image signal. , a light modulation element in which a plurality of ultrasonic excitation parts are arranged in parallel on an acousto-optic medium so that a plurality of incident light beams can be independently modulated; A light beam guiding means to a light modulation element, a plurality of refractive light beam transmission means corresponding to a plurality of light beams emitted from the light modulation element, and connected to an imaging lens system, and a reduction optical system. This image scanning recording apparatus has the following effects.

■The various drawbacks of the conventional technology can be eliminated and miniaturization can be achieved.

■Since the light source and the imaging lens system can be separated, the storage member for the imaging lens system such as the recording optical system can be made smaller.
The light source and the imaging lens system can be arranged freely.

(2) Since there are a plurality of refractable light beam transmission means, the output ends of each means can be adjacent to each other, and the arrangement of light spot images can be freely selected.

■If the refractive light beam transmission means is an optical fiber, the serially arranged light beam array can be converted into a stacked optical beam array, the imaging lens system can be rotated, and since it is an optical fiber, the air flow, This prevents the light beam from being disturbed by debris in the air.

■Since the output ends of optical fibers can be freely adjacent to each other, the light intensity distribution can be made uniform.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a device diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the first embodiment of the invention, Fig. 3 is an example of the shape of the output end of an optical fiber, and Fig. 4 is an optical fiber. Another example of the shape of the output end of the fiber, FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of a second embodiment of the invention. 26... Light source, 29... Light beam flattener, 30
. . . acousto-optic light modulation element, 32 . . . light beam transmission means. Agent Patent Attorney Yoshihiko Okabe Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] An image scanning recording device that copies and records a halftone image, etc. by independently modulating a plurality of light beams using an acousto-optic modulator according to an image signal, comprising: a light source;
An acousto-optic light modulation element in which a plurality of ultrasonic excitation parts are arranged side by side on one acousto-optic medium, and a means for making a light beam from a light source enter the light modulation element in a flat shape or by dividing it into a plurality of beams. and a plurality of light beam transmission means for transmitting a plurality of light beams emitted from the light modulation element to an imaging lens system.