JPS6291072A - Light beam scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To control a reading or a recording start position on a scanning sheet exactly by forming the scanning sheet and its holding plane with materials having different reflectances of light beams with each other, and issuing a signal by detecting the change of reflected light. CONSTITUTION:The holding plane 11a of a recording body holding means 11 is formed with a material having reflectance of a light beam 2 different from that of the surface of a recording body (scanning sheet) 5, such as a sheet of photosensitive film, or a sheet of photographic paper, etc., and above a lower edge that is the edge of the recording body 5 in a subscanning direction, a photodetector 16 which detects the reflected light is provided. The initial position of a subscanning mirror 10 is set so that the light beam 2 starts a scan from the outer side of the lower edge of the recording body 5, and when the light beam 2 arrives at the edge of the recording body 5, the reflected light from a holding plane 11a side is varied. The photodetector 16 detects the change of the reflected light, issuing a detection signal S, and a picture signal output circuit 8 outputs a picture signal. The light beam 2 is modulated with a modulator 6, and a recording is started from the edge of the recording body 5 with the light beam 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of the Invention) The present invention relates to a light beam scanning device that scans a light beam using an optical deflector, and more particularly, to miniaturization of the entire device,
The present invention relates to a light beam scanning device that can reduce costs.

(Technical Background and Prior Art of the Invention) Conventionally, a light beam scanning device that deflects a light beam using an optical deflector and scans a scanning sheet relatively two-dimensionally has been used in various scanning recording devices and scanning reading devices. It is widely used in etc. Two-dimensional scanning of the light beam in these light beam scanning devices involves deflecting the light beam with an optical deflector to cause it to main scan on the scanning sheet, and also moving the light beam and the scanning sheet relative to the main scanning direction. This is performed by moving in a substantially orthogonal sub-scanning direction.

However, in the conventional apparatus, a problem arises in that the means for performing the sub-scanning makes the apparatus large and expensive. Hereinafter, problems with the conventional light beam scanning device will be explained with reference to FIG.

In the light beam scanning device shown in FIG.
A light beam 102 emitted from the light beam 101 enters a rotating polygon mirror 103, which is an optical deflector, and is reflected and deflected as the rotating polygon mirror 103 rotates in the six directions of arrows. The light beam 102 reflected by the rotating polygon mirror 103 passes through an fθ lens 104, which is an imaging lens, provided on the optical path, and then main scans the scanning sheet 1o5 in the direction of arrow B.

The scanning sheet 105 is held between a rotating drum 106 rotating in the direction of arrow C and a pair of rollers 107A and 1107B provided on the rotating drum 106, and is rotated in the main scanning direction as the rotating drum 106 rotates. Sub-scanning is performed by being conveyed in a substantially perpendicular direction. Therefore, the light beam 102 repeats main scanning in the direction of the arrow B over the scanning sheet 105 that is conveyed (sub-scanned) in the direction of the arrow B in this way.
5 is scanned two-dimensionally, and image information is recorded over substantially the entire surface of the scanning sheet 105.

However, in the above-mentioned apparatus, sub-scanning is performed by moving the scanning sheet 105, but in order to suppress load fluctuations on the motor 108 during sub-scanning as much as possible to prevent sub-scanning unevenness, as shown in the figure. It is necessary to provide a space in which one scanning sheet can be placed, such as by placing support stands 109 and 110 that support the scanning sheet 105 before and after the scanning position by the light beam 102, as shown in FIG. For this reason, the above-mentioned apparatus requires a space having a length of two or more scanning sheets in the sub-scanning direction, resulting in an increase in the size of the entire apparatus. In addition, the rotating drum 10G that conveys the scanning sheet 105 has a width larger than the width of the scanning sheet in order to stably convey the scanning sheet, and a motor that rotates the rotating drum 106 has a width larger than the width of the scanning sheet.
108 is further provided in the width direction of the rotating drum, the above-mentioned device also becomes large in the main scanning direction.

Furthermore, in order to perform highly accurate scanning on the scanning sheet 105 while conveying the scanning sheet 105, the motor must be strictly controlled so that the scanning sheet 105 can be conveyed at a constant speed in the correct direction with high precision. Since high-precision motors that can be controlled as described above are expensive,
There is also the problem that the cost of the entire device increases significantly. Further, the rollers 107A and 107B are essential to stably convey the scanning sheet 105, but these rollers 5107A and 107B are
The provision of the scanning sheet also causes the inconvenience that scanning cannot be performed at both ends of the scanning sheet in the sub-scanning direction.

(Objective of the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned similar points, and solves the problems of increasing the size of the device and increasing manufacturing costs caused by moving the scanning sheet and performing sub-scanning. The purpose of this invention is to provide a compact and inexpensive optical beam scanning 5A device.

(Structure of the Invention) The light beam scanning device of the present invention comprises: a main scanning optical deflector that is provided on the optical path of a light beam emitted from a beam light source and deflects the light beam; An imaging lens provided on the optical path of the deflected light beam and capable of focusing the light beam on a predetermined straight line; an imaging lens provided on the optical path of the light beam that has passed through the imaging lens in the main scanning direction; an elongated sub-scanning mirror that extends in the direction of the light beam, is provided at an angle with respect to the optical path of the light beam, and is movable in the optical axis direction of the imaging lens; and the optical axis of the sub-scanning mirror. A scanning sheet that holds the scanning sheet on a plane formed by a straight line trajectory located at a position conjugate with the straight line on which the light beam is imaged with respect to the sub-scanning mirror that moves with the movement of the sub-scanning mirror. The first feature is that it includes a holding means.

That is, in the light beam scanning device of the present invention, the light beam deflected in the main scanning direction is reflected by the sub-scanning mirror and incident on the scanning sheet, and sub-scanning is performed by moving the sub-scanning mirror. Since the scanning sheet is fixed by the scanning sheet holding means, there is no need to increase the size of the device in the 11 scanning direction, unlike when carrying the scanning sheet to perform sub-scanning, making the entire device compact. be able to. In addition, the motor that moves the sub-scanning mirror for sub-scanning does not undergo load fluctuations unlike when conveying a scanning sheet, so it is easy to control, and a relatively inexpensive motor can be used. It is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the device.

By the way, in the apparatus of the present invention, the scanning sheet is held by the scanning sheet holding means as described above, and the light beam two-dimensionally scans the scanning sheet stopped on the scanning sheet holding surface of the scanning sheet holding means. It looks like this.

Therefore, the light beam can start the actual scanning for reading or recording from a desired position in the sub-scanning direction, such as an edge in the sub-scanning direction, on the scanning sheet.
For this purpose, it is necessary that the light beam be controlled so as to start substantial scanning from a predetermined position in the sub-scanning direction of the scanning sheet. Therefore, in the apparatus of the present invention, for the purpose of performing the above-mentioned control, the holding surface of the scanning sheet holding means is formed of a material having a different light beam reflectance from the surface of the scanning sheet, and the scanning sheet held on the holding surface is A second feature is that a photodetector for detecting the reflected light from the holding surface is provided above the end stock in the sub-scanning direction of the sheet.

(Embodiments) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of a light beam recording device which is an embodiment of the light beam scanning device of the present invention.

A light beam 2 emitted from a laser light source 1 enters a modulator 6 which is modulated by a modulator drive circuit 7 based on a signal emitted from an image signal output circuit 8 that outputs an image signal. The light enters a rotating polygon mirror 3, which is a main scanning optical deflector, and is deflected in the six directions of the arrows. As the laser light source 1, in addition to an l-18-Ne laser, an Ar laser, etc., a laser light source formed by a combination of a semiconductor laser and a beam shaping optical system is used. In addition, when using a laser light source capable of direct modulation such as a semiconductor radar, the laser light source 1 is directly controlled to modulate the light beam without providing the variable WA device 6 in the optical path of the light beam 2. You can also do this. In addition to the rotating polygon mirror described above, other types of optical deflectors such as a galvanometer mirror and an acousto-optic optical polarizer (AOD) may be used as the main scanning optical deflector.

The light beam 2 deflected by the rotating polygon mirror 3 passes through an imaging lens 4, such as an fθ lens, provided on the optical path, and passes through an imaging lens 4 such as an fθ lens.
After C, the imaging lens 4 is moved at a low speed by the drive of the motor 9.
The light enters and is reflected by the reflective surface 10a of the elongated sub-scanning mirror 10 extending in the main scanning direction, which moves linearly in the direction of arrow C, which is the optical axis direction.

Further, below the sub-scanning mirror 10, on the optical path of the light beam 2 reflected by the sub-scanning mirror 10, a sheet-shaped recorder (scanning sheet) 5 of photographic film, photographic paper, etc. is placed. Recording body holding means 1 has a holding surface 11a that is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the incident light beam 2 so as to have a specific relationship with the sub-scanning mirror 10, as will be described in detail later.
1 is supported. This holding means 11 is formed, for example, by processing a plate-like object or by integrally molding a synthetic resin or the like.

When the recording medium 5 is held on the recording medium holding means 11 as described above, the light beam 2 is deflected by the rotating polygon mirror 3.
performs main scanning on the recording medium 5 in the direction of arrow B. The imaging lens 4 converges the light beam 2 onto a recording medium 5, and causes the light beam 2, which has been deflected by the rotating polygon mirror 3 at a substantially constant angular velocity, to scan at a substantially constant speed on the flat recording medium 5. It's a lens. Further, in the illustrated recording apparatus, the 01 scan is performed by moving the sub-scanning mirror 10 with respect to the recording body 5. Next, e:V! shown in FIG.
The relationship between the sub-scanning mirror and the recording medium and the mechanism of sub-scanning will be explained with reference to FIG. 2, which is a conceptual side view of FIG.

The light beam 2 reflected and deflected by the rotating polygon mirror 3 passes through the imaging lens 4 provided on the optical path, as described above. This imaging lens 4 is capable of focusing the incident light beam 2 on a predetermined imaging position P1 located on a straight line perpendicular to the paper plane of FIG. As mentioned above, the elongated sub-scanning mirror 10 is provided on the optical path of the light beam 2 that has passed through the imaging lens 4. The n1 scanning mirror 1o is provided at an angle with respect to the optical path of the light beam 2 so that the light beam 2 is incident at an incident angle α, and the light beam 2 is reflected downward by the n1 scanning mirror 1o. The light beam 2 reflected by the sub-scanning mirror 1o reaches an imaging position ff P 2 that is conjugate with the imaging position M P s with respect to the sub-scanning mirror 10.
The image is formed at . The imaging position P2 of the light beam 2 reflected by the sub-scanning mirror 10 changes as the sub-scanning mirror 10 moves in the direction of arrow C, but the recording body 5 is It is held on a plane formed by the locus of the imaging position P2, which is located at a position conjugate with the imaging position P with respect to the n1 scanning mirror 1o, which changes according to the n1 scanning mirror 1o. That is, the recording body 5 includes the focal position P1 of the light beam 2, and the sub-scanning mirror 10 of the light beam 2.
A light beam 2 incident by an angle α equal to the angle of incidence α on
It is arranged at a position on a plane tilted with respect to the mirror 10 so that the light beam 2 reflected by the sub-scanning mirror 10 is allowed to be incident thereon.

As described above, the sub-scanning mirror 10 moves along the arrow C while recording image information on one recording medium 5.
direction, the sub-scanning mirror 10 gradually moves linearly by a range S sufficient for the light beam 2 to scan the entire surface of the recording medium.
Due to this movement, the main scanning line formed by the light beam 2 on the recording medium 5 is gradually moved in the direction of the arrow, thereby performing sub-scanning.

Therefore, the light beam 2 is caused to two-dimensionally scan the entire surface of the recording medium 5 by the rotating polygon mirror 3 and the sub-scanning mirror 10.

The movement of the sub-scanning mirror 10 is performed by a pair of pulleys 12A, 12B rotated by a motor 9, a pair of driven pulleys 13A, as shown in FIG.
By the wire 14 which is suspended from the mirror 13B and moves as the pulleys 12A and 12B rotate, the mirror support member 15a connected to the wires 14 provided at both ends of the sub-scanning mirror moves on the guide rail 15b. n] The movement of the scanning mirror 10 is performed by
In addition to the wire drive as described above, various means can be used depending on the requirements of the device design, such as movement using a linear motor.

As described above, when the sub-scanning mirror 1o moves within a predetermined range at a predetermined speed and the necessary image information is recorded over the entire surface of the recording medium, the sub-scanning mirror 10 moves in the opposite direction to the movement direction. direction and returned to the initial position in preparation for recording on the next recording medium.

As described above, in the apparatus of the present invention, sub-scanning is performed by fixing the recording body 5 and moving the sub-scanning mirror 1o to move the light beam 2. Therefore, when moving the recording body side, In comparison, the size of the device in the sub-scanning direction can be reduced to less than half. Further, the length of the sub-scanning mirror 1o in the main scanning direction is sufficient as long as it is long enough to allow the incidence of the light beam 2, and it is sufficient that it is shorter than the length of the main scanning line on the recording medium. Therefore, even if the sub-scanning mirror 10 and the mirror moving means are combined, it is sufficiently possible to make the length shorter than the length of the recording medium holding means 11 in the main scanning direction. It is also compact in the scanning direction. In addition, the sub-scanning mirror 10
Since the motor 9 that drives the motor 9 does not undergo load fluctuations or the like, its secondary parts are simple and a relatively inexpensive motor can be used. Depending on the type of recording medium, if the recording medium 5 does not fit well on the holding surface 11a of the recording medium holding means 11 and it is difficult to maintain it in a flat state, a suction means may be provided in the recording medium holding means 11. The recording medium may be sucked onto the holding surface 11a using the holding surface 11a.

By the way, in the apparatus of this embodiment as described above, since the recording medium 5 is scanned by the light beam 2 while being held on the holding surface 11a of the recording medium holding means 11, the recording medium 5 is scanned in the 131J scanning direction. It is possible to perform recording with the light beam 2 from a desired position in the sub-scanning direction, such as the edge of the image. However, in order to always perform accurate recording from the edge of the recording medium, for example, scanning by the light beam 2 modulated by the modulator 6 must be performed at the position where the light beam 2 is incident on the edge of the recording medium 5. Substantive recording must then begin strictly. Therefore, in the Vt position of the above embodiment, the holding surface 11a is formed of a material having a different reflectance of the light beam 2 from the surface of the recording medium 5, and the edge of the recording medium 5 on the holding surface 11a in the sub-scanning direction A photodetector 16 for detecting the reflected light from the holding surface 11a is provided above the lower edge, and the photodetector 16 detects the reflected light to control the start of recording by the light beam 2. It has become.

Hereinafter, control of the light beam using this photodetector 16 will be explained with reference to FIG. 1 and the drawings from FIG. 3 onwards.

Prior to scanning with the light beam 2, the recording medium 5 is first carried onto the recording medium holding means 11, and then positioned at a predetermined position on the holding surface 11a. , Fig. 3<a>~(e
) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the loading/unloading of the recording medium.

A pair of carry-in rollers 17A and 17B for carrying in the record body 5 are provided near the upper end of the record body holding means 11. The carry-in rollers 17A, 17B are used to pick up one piece by a suction means 20 from a magazine 18 in which a plurality of pieces of record material 5 are stored, as shown in FIG.
After being sheeted one by one, the recording body 5 is guided by the guide plate 19 and falls, and the recording body 5 is grasped and rotated in the direction of the arrow Es.
is carried in along the holding surface 11a.

The carry-in rows 517A and 17B feed the recording medium in the direction of arrow F1 by their rotation, and move the recording medium 5 to a predetermined position on the holding surface 11a where the recording medium 5 is to be held, as shown in FIG. 3(b). Transport it to the front.

The recording medium 5 that has been carried to the front of the predetermined position in this way is
As shown by the broken line in FIG. 1, the holding surface 11a is provided extending in the main scanning direction below the holding surface 11a of the recording medium holding means 11, and is located within the opening 21 provided in the holding surface 11a.
The first
It is moved to a predetermined position by a recording body feed roller 22, which is movably provided so as to be able to take the position shown in FIG. That is,
As shown in FIG. 3(a'), carry-in rollers 17A, 1
7B, when the recording medium 5 is carried onto the holding surface 11a, the recording medium feeding roller 22 has its upper end aligned with the holding surface 11a.
The carry-in roller 17A is in the second position retreated from a.

17B, when the recording medium is carried in front of the predetermined position on the holding surface 11a, it moves upward to reach the first position, as shown in FIG. 3(b), and comes into contact with the lower surface of the recording medium 5. . In this first position, the recording medium feed roller 22 rotates in the direction of arrow G1, as shown in FIG. 3(C), and moves the recording medium 5 in the direction of arrow F2 to a predetermined position.

The recording body holding means 11 is provided with a recording body detection +a23 such as a reflective photointerrupter and a limit switch at a portion where the leading end of the recording body is located at the predetermined position. The leading edge of the recording medium 5 that has reached a predetermined position is detected by the recording medium feed roller 22 and a detection signal is generated. This detection signal is transmitted to a driving member (not shown) of the recording medium feed roller 522, and the rotation of the recording medium feeding roller 22 is stopped. In this way, the holding surface 11
When the recording medium 5 is placed at a predetermined position on a, the image shown in FIG.
), the recording medium feed roller 22 is lowered and retreated to the second position to prepare for scanning by the light beam 2.

As described above, in this embodiment, the recording medium 5 is moved only by the carry-in rollers 17Δ, 17B, the recording medium feeding roller 22, etc., and does not fall due to its own weight on the obliquely inclined holding surface 11a. It is necessary. For this reason, it is desirable that the holding surface 11a prevent the recording medium 5 from falling due to its own weight by minimizing its inclination with respect to the horizontal plane or by forming it from a material that increases friction with the recording medium 5. However, if there is a risk that the recording body 5 may fall under its own weight on the holding surface 11a, the recording body 5 is prevented from falling under its own weight, and the recording body is moved by the carrying-in rollers 17A, 17B, the recording body feeding roller 22, etc. A suction means for suctioning the recording medium 5 onto the holding surface 11a with a strength within a range that allows the above-mentioned pressure may be provided within the recording medium holding means 11. Further, the recording body detector 23
The position where the detector is provided is not limited to the above-mentioned position; for example, the detector may be provided at a portion of the recording body holding means 11 where the rear end of the recording body 5 is located at a predetermined position where the recording body 5 is held. , the rear end of the recording medium 5 placed in a predetermined positioning device may be detected. Further, the positioning of the stop 9 of the recording body 5 at a predetermined position does not necessarily have to be performed using the recording body detector 23, but may be performed by appropriately determining the operating time of the drive member of the recording body feeding roller 22, for example. The body feed roller 22 may be driven only for a time required to move the recording body 5 to a predetermined position, and then stopped. In this case, if a pulse motor is used as the driving member, ti11'm can be easily performed. Furthermore, the means for moving the recording medium is not limited to the recording medium feed roller 22, but any means can be used as long as it can move the recording medium 5 on the holding surface 11a and stop it at a predetermined position. The following methods can be used. As shown in FIG. 1, when the recording medium 5 is placed at a predetermined recording position, the guide plate 25 provided at the side end of the recording medium holding means 11 rotates in the direction of the arrow to record. By providing the width shifting plate 2G that presses the recording body, the positioning of the recording medium in the main scanning direction can be performed with high precision.

When the recording medium 5 is stopped at a predetermined position on the holding surface 11a as described above, the recording apparatus starts two-dimensional scanning with the light beam 2. As described above, the scanning position of the light beam 2 in the sub-scanning direction changes with the movement of the reflective surface 10a of the sub-scanning mirror 10.
), the initial position of the sub-scanning mirror 10 is set so that the light beam 2 starts scanning from outside the lower edge, which is the edge in the sub-scanning direction, of the recording medium placed at a predetermined position. The light beam 2 is moved in the sub-scanning direction toward the recording medium 5 by the movement of the sub-scanning mirror 10 while main-scanning the holding surface 11a without being modulated by the modulator 6 described above. .

As mentioned above, the photodetector 16 is provided above the lower edge of the recording medium 5 to detect the reflected light of the light beam 2 from the holding surface 11a. While scanning the holding surface 11a without reaching the lower edge of the recording medium 5, a certain amount of reflected light is incident on the holding surface 11a and reflected. On the other hand, as described above, the surface of the recording medium 5 and the holding surface 11a have different reflectances for the light beam 2, and as shown in FIG. When reaching the edge of the holding surface 11a, the reflected light of the light beam 2 emitted from the holding surface 11a side changes. The photodetector 16 detects a change in this reflected light and generates a detection signal S, which is sent to the image signal output circuit 8 as a recording start signal. The image signal output circuit 8 starts outputting an image signal in response to this recording start signal S. In this way, approximately at the same time that the light beam 2 reaches the edge of the recording medium 5,
Since the light beam 2 is modulated by the modulator 6 driven by the modulator drive circuit 7 in response to the signal emitted from the image signal output circuit 8, the recording medium 5 is
Substantive recording by the modulated light beam 2 begins;
As shown in FIG. 4(C), recording is performed by the light beam 2 over the entire surface of the recording medium. In addition, according to the recording apparatus equipped with the photodetector 16 as described above, recording can be performed from the edge of the recording medium 5 without waste as described above, and the light beam 2 reflected by the photodetector 16 can be A certain time difference is set between the detection of a change in the image signal output circuit 8 and the driving of the image signal output circuit 8, and an edge of a predetermined width is formed by scanning the unmodulated light beam 2 at the edge of the recording medium 5. death,
It is also possible to subsequently carry out recording with the modulated light beam 2. Further, the position of the photodetector 16 is
It may be any position as long as it is above the edge in the sub-scanning direction of the recording medium 5 and can detect a change in the reflected light of the light beam 2 that has reached the edge of the recording medium 5. Furthermore, the recording medium 5 does not always need to be accurately positioned at the same position on the holding surface 11a, and the light beam 2 is placed on the edge of the recording medium 5.
As long as the photodetector 16 can detect the change in reflected light when the object approaches the holding surface 1 for each recording medium,
There is no problem even if the holding position on 1a is slightly different. In any case, with the apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to accurately start recording from a desired position such as the edge of the recording medium 5. You can get high quality images.

As described above, when the recording by the light beam 2 is completed, the recording medium feed roller 22 moves upward again to the first position and rotates in the direction of arrow 01, as shown in FIG. 3(0). Then, the recording medium 5 is moved to the other end side of the recording medium holding means 11. A pair of carry-out rollers 524A, 24B are provided near the other end of the recording body holding means 11 as carrying-out means, and the record body feeding roller 22 is connected to the carrying-out rollers 24A, 24B.
The recording medium 5 is moved until the leading end of the recording medium 5 is gripped by the gripper 4B.

The recording medium 5 gripped by the carry-out rollers 24Δ, 24B in this manner is moved in the direction of arrow F3 by the rotation of the carry-out rollers 24A, 24B, and is carried out to the outside of the recording apparatus. The recording medium 5 carried out from the apparatus is carried into, for example, an automatic developing machine or a receiving magazine, and the carrying-out rollers 24A and 24B may also serve as entrance rollers of the automatic developing machine. When the recording body 5 is carried out of the apparatus in this manner, the recording body feed row 522 descends and returns to the second position, allowing the introduction of a new recording body. In addition to the method of transporting the recording medium 5 to the outside of the station 8, in addition to the method of using the transport roller as described above, after the recording by the light beam is completed, the recording medium transport roller 22 is moved as shown in FIG. 3 (e).
) as shown by the broken line, the recording medium 5 is moved obliquely upward in the direction of arrow G2, and the carrying-in roller 1
7A and 17B are reversed in the direction of arrow E2, and the recording material sent by the recording material feed roller 22 is transferred to this carry-in roller 17.
It is also possible to perform this by a method such as having the recording medium held by A. 173 and conveying it to the upper part of the apparatus. In addition, if the holding surface 11a allows the recording medium 5 to fall due to its own weight, the recording medium 5 can be held by using the falling weight of the recording medium 5 as shown in FIGS. 5(a) to (C). 5 loading and unloading 2 positioning can also be performed. That is, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the recording medium 5 is
After being carried onto the holding surface 11a by 7A and 17B,
It falls under its own weight along the holding surface 11a in the direction of arrow F4. A recording medium stop plate 27 that can protrude above the holding surface 11a is provided at the lower end of the holding surface 11a, and the recording medium 5 comes into contact with this stop plate 27 to move to a predetermined position in the sub-scanning direction. held in position. When the light beam 2 finishes scanning the recording medium 5 whose positioning in the sub-scanning direction has been completed, the recording medium stop plate 27 rotates in the direction of arrow G, as shown in FIG. 5(b). The recording medium 5 moves and retreats from above the holding surface 11a.
further falls in the direction of arrow F5 due to its own weight and is gripped by the carry-out rows 524A and 24B. This unloading roller 24
A.

As shown in FIG. 5(C), 2413 moves the recording medium 5 in the direction of the force indicated by the arrow Fs and carries it out of the apparatus.

The light beam scanning device of the present invention has been described above using a light beam recording device as an example. Information recording and reproducing system (Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-1
No. 2429, No. 56-11395.

It can be applied to a number of light beam reading devices such as radiation image information reading devices used in Japanese Patent No. 56-11397, etc., and can achieve the same effect as described above in light beam reading devices. In this case, the reading means may be moved on the scanning sheet opposite to the scanning line in conjunction with the rotation of the sub-scanning mirror. Here, the signal emitted from the photodetector 16 becomes a reading start signal and is sent to a photodetector such as a photomultiplier that constitutes a part of the reading means, and this reading start signal activates the photodetector. What is necessary is to start the reading of the image information and control the start of reading of the image information. Further, without separately providing the photodetector 16, the photodetector of the reading means is activated at the same time as scanning starts, and the edge of the sheet is detected by this detector, so that the actual reading starts. You can also do it.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the light beam scanning device of the present invention, by performing sub-scanning with the scanning sheet fixed,
The entire device can be downsized, especially in the sub-scanning direction.

In addition, the motor that moves the sub-scanning mirror in the sub-scanning direction is easy to control because there is no load fluctuation, and is less expensive than the motor used to move the scanning sheet side. This reduces the manufacturing cost of the entire device.

Further, in the apparatus of the present invention, the scanning sheet and the holding surface are made of materials different from each other in the light beam ratio, and a photodetector detects a change in the reflected light and sends a reading or recording start signal. By doing so, the reading or recording start position of the light beam on the scanning sheet can be accurately controlled, and the scanning position on the scanning sheet can be effectively controlled from the edge of the scanning sheet. Accuracy can be increased.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overview of a light beam recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a conceptual side view of FIG. a) to (e) are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of loading, unloading, and positioning of a recording medium to the above device, and FIGS. 4(a) to 4(C) are schematic diagrams illustrating the functions of the photodetector of the above device. 5<a> to 5(C) are schematic diagrams illustrating loading, unloading, and positioning of a recording medium according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 shows an outline of a conventional light beam scanning device. FIG. 1... Beam light source 2... Light beam 3...
Rotating polygon mirror 4... Imaging lens 5... Recording body 10... Sub-scanning mirror 11... Recording body holding means 11a... Recording body holding surface 16... Photodetector second toe l Figure 4 Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] A light beam emitted from a beam source is caused to scan a scanning sheet in a main scanning direction, and the light beam and the scanning sheet are relatively moved in a sub-scanning direction substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction. In the light beam scanning device that moves the light beam to two-dimensionally scan the light beam on the scanning sheet, the main scanning device is provided on the optical path of the light beam emitted from the beam source and deflects the light beam. a light deflector; an imaging lens that is provided on the optical path of the light beam deflected by the main scanning light deflector and is capable of focusing the light beam on a predetermined straight line; a light beam that passes through the imaging lens; an elongated sub-scan that is located on the optical path of the light beam, extends in the main scanning direction, is inclined with respect to the optical path of the light beam, and is movable in the optical axis direction of the imaging lens; and a linear locus that moves with the movement of the sub-scanning mirror in the optical axis direction and is located at a position conjugate with the straight line on which the light beam is imaged with respect to the sub-scanning mirror. scanning sheet holding means for holding the scanning sheet on a plane, the scanning sheet holding surface of the scanning sheet holding means being formed of a material having a different reflectance of the light beam from the surface of the scanning sheet; A light beam scanning device characterized in that a photodetector for detecting light reflected from the holding surface is provided above an edge in the sub-scanning direction of a scanning sheet held on the surface.