Incremental printing of symbolic information – Electric marking apparatus or processes – Electrostatic
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-07
2003-07-29
Lee, Susan S. Y. (Department: 2852)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Electric marking apparatus or processes
Electrostatic
C347S257000, C347S263000, C399S126000, C399S200000, C399S201000, C399S202000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06600504
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image wherein a photoreceptor is scanned to be exposed to light by a light beam, and to an assembling method of an exposure unit in the image forming apparatus.
In the image forming apparatus for forming an image wherein a photoreceptor is scanned to be exposed to light by a light beam, accuracy of incident position of the light beam on the photoreceptor has an influence on image quality. Therefore, an exposure unit is structured so that the light beam may enter at high accuracy.
In a color image forming apparatus for forming a color image by conducting a plurality of exposures, forming a plurality of images and thereby by superposing the plural images, in particular, it is requested to keep the position stated above accurately.
Typical one that conducts scanning exposure with a light beam is an exposure unit employing a laser, and with respect to adjustment of the position stated above in a laser exposure unit, there is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,570,176 official gazette, for example, an adjustment mechanism for adjusting a position and an angle of the exposure unit having a laser light source and a scanning exposure optical system in X, Y and Z directions. This adjustment mechanism adjusts at two points representing both ends of each side of the square exposure unit for each of X, Y and Z directions, and thereby adjusts the incident position of the light beam on the photoreceptor.
Each of many color image forming apparatuses is equipped with a plurality of exposure units which form a plurality of color images, and these exposure units are provided in the image forming apparatus at high positional accuracy. In particular, it is required that relative positional accuracy between the exposure units is high. If the positional accuracy between the exposure units is not satisfactory, displacement is caused between color images to cause doubling, resulting in deterioration of image quality. The positional relationship between exposure units needs to be maintained during the operation period of the image forming apparatus.
To satisfy the conditions about positions of the exposure units, a plurality of exposure units have been combined with UV adhesive agents, for example.
In the adjustment mechanism disclosed in the aforesaid patent publication, there are provided 6 adjustment means in total, because adjustment is made at two points for each of X, Y and Z directions. Therefore, the adjustment is complicated. Further, there has not been disclosed a concrete adjustment mechanism capable of attaining simple structure and high adjustment accuracy, in the prior art.
Further, in the fixing means to fix between exposure units by adhesive agents, a great many hours are needed for securing desired strength, which has been a problem in manufacture.
An object of the invention is to solve the aforesaid problems in conventional image forming apparatuses employing a light beam.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to attain the above-described objects, the structure of this invention has been made as follows:
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a photoreceptor having an image carrying surface;
an exposing device to imagewise expose the image carrying surface to form a latent image; and
a developing device to develop the latent image to form a toner image on the image carrying surface;
the exposing device comprising:
a light source to emit a light beam;
a deflector to deflect the light beam so as to form a scanning line with the light beam on the image carrying surface;
a cylindrical lens provided between the deflector and the image carrying surface and to focus the light beam on the image carrying surface; and
an adjusting mechanism to adjust an inclination of the scanning line and to adjust variance in magnification of an image on the scanning line.
Further the above objects may be attained by the following structures.
(Structure 1)
An image forming apparatus having therein exposure units each being provided with a laser light source and a scanning optical system that deflects light coming from the light source and emits scanning light beam, the exposure units being supported on at least a first supporting point, a second supporting point and a third supporting point, wherein a first adjustment means that adjusts an inclination of the scanning light beam in the primary scanning direction is provided in a first supporting section where the first supporting point is provided, and the inclination in the primary scanning direction is adjusted only by adjustment of the first adjustment means.
(Structure 2)
An image forming apparatus having therein exposure units each being provided with a laser light source and a scanning optical system that deflects light coming from the light source and emits scanning light beam, the exposure units being supported on at least a first supporting point, a second supporting point and a third supporting point, wherein a second adjustment means that adjusts variation in magnification of the scanning light beam in the primary scanning direction is provided in a second supporting section where the second supporting point is provided, and the variation in magnification is adjusted only by adjustment of the second adjustment means.
(Structure 3)
The image forming apparatus according to Structure 1 above having therein exposure units each being provided with a laser light source and a scanning optical system that deflects light coming from the light source and emits scanning light beam, the exposure units being supported on at least a first supporting point, a second supporting point and a third supporting point, wherein a second adjustment means that adjusts variation in magnification of the scanning light beam in the primary scanning direction is provided in a second supporting section where the second supporting point is provided, and the variation in magnification is adjusted only by adjustment of the second adjustment means.
(Structure 4)
An image forming apparatus according to Structure 1 above having therein exposure units each being provided with a laser light source and a scanning optical system that deflects light coming from the light source and emits scanning light beam, the exposure units being supported on at least a first supporting point, a second supporting point and a third supporting point, wherein a first supporting section in which at least one supporting point among three supporting points is provided a spherical body bearing that supports the exposure unit rotatably in all directions.
(Structure 5)
The image forming apparatus according to Structure 1 or Structure 3 above, wherein the first supporting section is provided with a spherical body bearing that supports the exposure unit rotatably in all directions.
(Structure 6)
The image forming apparatus according to Structure 1 or Structure 3 above, wherein a movement of the first supporting point is conducted around a straight line passing through the other two supporting points which serves as the axis, and at least one of the other two supporting points can move in the direction that is mostly perpendicular to the movement direction of the first supporting section.
(Structure 7)
The image forming apparatus according to Structure 2, wherein the second supporting section is provided with a spherical body bearing that supports the exposure unit rotatably in all directions.
(Structure 8)
The image forming apparatus according to Structure 2 or Structure 3 above, wherein a movement of the second supporting point is a rotation around the first supporting point, and the second supporting section is provided with a slide which makes the exposure unit to move in the direction of a normal line for the direction of the aforesaid rotation.
(Structure 9)
The image forming apparatus according to either one of Structure 1-Structure 4 above, wherein the third supporting point is made to be a fixed point.
(Structure 10)
The image forming apparatus according to Structure 9, wherein the third supporting point is prov
Ikeda Masaaki
Okugawa Yuji
Shigetomi Masahiro
Tajima Naoki
Konica Corporation
Lee Susan S. Y.
Muserlian Lucas and Mercanti
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