Exposure device, image forming device, light receiving device and reading device

Abstract

To make assembly more easy.SOLUTION: An LED head 16 has a base material layer 66, a conductive layer 64a formed with a conductive layer wiring pattern 72, and a resist layer 68 arranged on a side opposite to the base material layer 66a while sandwiching the conductive layer 64a, and includes a substrate 55 provided with an LED array 56, a lens array 53 for converging light emitted from the LED array 56, and a holder 51 for holding the substrate 55 and the lens array 53, wherein the substrate 55 is fixed to the holder 51 by an adhesive 60 coated onto the resist layer 68, and a conductive layer 64a is formed outside an adhesive substrate coating region 60S1 of the adhesive 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an exposure device, an image forming apparatus, a light receiving device, and a reading device, and is suitable for use in an exposure device mounted in, for example, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as an image forming apparatus, a device that prints an image by irradiating the surface of a photosensitive drum with light from an exposure device that emits light for exposure to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum, and then developing the toner image by attaching toner to the electrostatic latent image has been widely used. As an example of such an exposure device, there is an LED head that uses light emitted from an LED (Light Emitting Diode), which is a light emitting element.

[0003] An LED head, for example, includes a substrate on which an LED array in which multiple LEDs are arranged in a line is mounted, a lens unit in which multiple lenses are aligned to focus the light emitted from each LED, and a holder that holds the substrate and the lens unit. The light emitted from the LED array mounted on the substrate passes through the lens unit and is converged, and is exposed to the surface of a photosensitive drum disposed at the image forming position of the lens unit, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image. In some such LED heads, the substrate is directly bonded to the holder with an adhesive, thereby reducing the number of parts (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-183945 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In such optical devices, such as exposure devices and light receiving devices, it is desirable to make the assembly easier.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE ... The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose an exposure device, an image forming device, a light receiving device, and a reading device that can be assembled more simply. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve such problems, the exposure apparatus of the present invention includes a substrate having a base material, a first conductive layer on which a wiring pattern is formed, and a first surface layer disposed on the opposite side of the base material with the first conductive layer interposed therebetween, the substrate having a plurality of light-emitting elements provided thereon, a lens unit for converging light emitted from the light-emitting elements, and a holder for holding the substrate and the lens unit, the substrate being fixed to the holder by an adhesive applied to the first surface layer, and the first conductive layer being formed outside the area where the adhesive is applied. The holder has a conductive layer-free region where the first conductive layer is not formed between the substrate and the coating region of the first surface layer where the adhesive is applied, and the holder has protrusions formed on the inner wall surface along the longitudinal direction of the substrate, the protrusions protruding toward the end faces of both ends in the lateral direction of the substrate and onto which the adhesive is applied, and the conductive layer-free region is located at the same longitudinal position as the protrusions. I did so.

[0008] The image forming apparatus of the present invention is provided with the above-mentioned exposure device.

[0009] Furthermore, the light receiving device of the present invention includes a substrate having a base material, a first conductive layer on which a wiring pattern is formed, and a first surface layer disposed on the opposite side of the base material with the first conductive layer interposed therebetween, the substrate having a plurality of light receiving elements provided thereon, a lens unit for converging light radiated to the light receiving elements, and a holder for holding the substrate and the lens unit, the substrate being fixed to the holder by an adhesive applied to the first surface layer, and the first conductive layer being formed outside the area where the adhesive is applied. The holder has a conductive layer-free region where the first conductive layer is not formed between the substrate and the coating region of the first surface layer where the adhesive is applied, and the holder has protrusions formed on the inner wall surface along the longitudinal direction of the substrate, the protrusions protruding toward the end faces of both ends in the lateral direction of the substrate and onto which the adhesive is applied, and the conductive layer-free region is located at the same longitudinal position as the protrusions. I did so.

[0010] Furthermore, the reading device of the present invention is provided with the above-mentioned light receiving device.

[0011] The present invention can prevent the first conductive layer from being damaged when the substrate is removed from the holder during repair work in the manufacturing process, and can also make it easier to identify where adhesive will be applied when the substrate is attached to the holder during the manufacturing process. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an exposure device, an image forming device, a light receiving device, and a reading device that can be assembled more simply. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a left side view showing the configuration of a color printer according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration (1) of an LED head. [Diagram 3] 2. FIG. 4 shows the configuration (2) of the LED head, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows the configuration (3) of the LED head and is an enlarged view of A in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration (4) of the LED head. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a substrate configuration (1). [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the configuration (2) of the substrate. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the configuration of a scanner according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] 1. First embodiment [1-1. Color printer configuration] As shown in the left side view in FIG. 1, color printer 1 is a color electrophotographic printer that prints a desired color image on paper of, for example, A3 size or A4 size. Color printer 1 has various parts arranged inside printer housing 2 formed in a substantially box shape. In the following description, the right end part in FIG. 1 is the front of color printer 1, and the up-down direction, left-right direction, and front-rear direction are defined when viewed from the front. Color printer 1 is controlled as a whole by a control unit (not shown). This control unit is connected wirelessly or by wire to a host device (not shown) such as a personal computer via a communication processing unit (not shown). When image data representing a color image to be printed is given from the host device and printing of the color image is instructed, the control unit executes a printing process to form a print image on the surface of the paper.

[0016] A paper storage cassette 3 that stores paper is provided at the bottom of the printer housing 2. A pickup roller 5 is located above the front end of the paper storage cassette 3 and pulls out paper from the paper storage cassette 3. A paper feed roller 6 and a separation roller 7 are arranged in a pair in contact with each other in front of the pickup roller 5. For example, when multiple papers are pulled out at the same time, the paper is sequentially fed out one by one to a pair of conveying rollers 8 located downstream of the pair of conveying rollers 6 and 7, and the conveying section 4 has pairs of conveying rollers 8 and 9 arranged in order from upstream to downstream. The pairs of conveying rollers 8 and 9 sandwich and convey the paper fed out from the paper feed roller 6 and the separation roller 7, and at the same time, correct the skew of the paper and convey it along the conveying direction toward the transfer belt 10.

[0017] A transfer belt 10 is provided above the paper storage cassette 3 inside the printer housing 2, and extends across the printer housing 2 from front to back. The transfer belt 10 is stretched so that its central axis faces left to right and goes around rollers arranged one at the front and one at the back. The transfer belt 10 is wide in the left to right direction and is formed as an endless belt, and by running in conjunction with the rotation of the rollers, the transfer belt 10 places the paper handed over from the transport roller pair 9 on its upper surface and transports it backward.

[0018] On the other hand, above the transfer belt 10, i.e., above the center of the printer housing 2, four image forming units 12C, 12M, 12Y, and 12K (hereinafter collectively referred to as image forming units 12) are arranged in order from the rear side to the front side. That is, the image forming units 12 of each color are arranged in a so-called tandem system. The image forming units 12C, 12M, 12Y, and 12K correspond to the colors of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K), respectively. The image forming units 12C, 12M, 12Y, and 12K are configured similarly to each other, and only the corresponding toner colors are different. The image forming units 12 are formed in a box shape that is relatively long in the left-right direction so as to correspond to the left-right width of the paper.

[0019] Also provided within the printer housing 2 are LED heads 16C, 16M, 16Y, and 16K (hereinafter collectively referred to as LED head 16) corresponding to the image forming units 12C, 12M, 12Y, and 12K, respectively. The LED head 16 is configured as a rectangular parallelepiped elongated in the left-right direction, and has a plurality of LEDs arranged in a row along the left-right direction inside it, causing each LED to emit light in a light emission pattern according to image data supplied from the control unit. When the image forming units 12 are attached to the printer housing 2, they are arranged very close to the LED head 16, and exposure processing is performed using light from the LED head 16.

[0020] Further, toner cartridges 18C, 18M, 18Y, and 18K (hereinafter collectively referred to as toner cartridges 18) are connected to the upper portions of the image forming units 12C, 12M, 12Y, and 12K, respectively. The toner cartridges 18 are hollow containers long in the left-right direction, and contain powdered toners of each color, respectively, and incorporate a predetermined stirring mechanism. Transfer rollers 13C, 13M, 13Y, and 13K (hereinafter collectively referred to as transfer rollers 13) are provided at four positions directly below each image forming unit 12. That is, each image forming unit 12 sandwiches an upper portion of the transfer belt 10 between itself and each transfer roller 13. Incidentally, the transfer rollers 13 are configured to be capable of being charged.

[0021] Color printer 1 supplies toner from toner cartridge 18 to image forming units 12. At the same time, color printer 1 causes LED head 16 to emit light so as to form an emission pattern corresponding to image data supplied from a higher-level device (not shown). In response, each image forming unit 12 uses toner supplied from toner cartridge 18 to form a toner image corresponding to the emission pattern of LED head 16, and transfers this toner image onto paper. As a result, four-color toner images corresponding to the image data are sequentially transferred onto the paper being transported by transfer belt 10.

[0022] A fuser unit 20 is provided behind the transfer belt 10, i.e., near the vertical center near the rear end of the printer housing 2. The fuser unit 20 is arranged above the conveyor section 4 and is made up of a pair of rollers: a heating roller with an internal heater and an elastic surface, and a pressure roller arranged below the conveyor section 4 with its upper surface pressed against the heating roller. The fuser unit 20 applies heat and pressure to the toner image on the paper sent out from the transfer belt 10, fixing the toner image to the paper. The paper is then conveyed by a pair of discharge rollers 21 and eventually discharged to a discharge tray 2T formed on the top surface of the printer housing 2.

[0023] Further, a double-sided transport unit 22 is provided below the transfer belt 10, that is, below the center of the printer housing 2. The double-sided transport unit 22 inverts the paper and transports the paper to the transport roller pair 8 again.

[0024] [1-2. LED head configuration] Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the LED head 16. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the LED head 16 is formed into a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in the left-right direction as a whole, and is configured such that various parts are attached to a holder 51.

[0025] [1-3.Holder configuration] As shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the holder 51 is manufactured to have a predetermined thickness, for example, by sheet metal pressing, and has a shape as a whole that is like a hollow rectangular prism with a holder internal space 51IS, which is an internal space formed along the left-right direction, with the side surface on the opposite side to the irradiation direction removed, and its cross section is shaped like the English capital letter "U". The holder 51 is also configured around a plate-like bottom 51B that is elongated in the left-right direction and thin in the up-down direction. Furthermore, the holder 51 has side parts 51W that are elongated in the left-right direction and thin in the front-back direction extending upward from both front and back sides of the bottom 51B so as to be parallel to each other, and a holder opening 51A that opens at the upper end is formed. A lens array hole 51H that is elongated in the left-right direction and thin in the front-back direction is drilled at approximately the center of the bottom 51B in the front-back direction so as to penetrate in the up-down direction.

[0026] The holder inner wall surface 51WS, which is a flat surface extending along the up-down direction and the left-right direction, is formed on the surface of the pair of front and rear side portions 51W facing the holder internal space 51IS, i.e., the rear surface of the front side portion 51W and the front surface of the rear side portion 51W. The side portions 51W have protrusions 51P protruding from the holder inner wall surface 51WS toward the holder internal space 51IS, i.e., from the holder inner wall surface 51WS of the front side portion 51W toward the rear side and from the holder inner wall surface 51WS of the rear side portion 51W toward the front side. The protrusions 51P are generally frustum-shaped and are formed at a location facing the end surface of the substrate 55 in the front-rear direction. The protrusions 51P of the front side portion 51W and the protrusions 51P of the rear side portion 51W are arranged in pairs so that their positions in the left-right direction match. In the LED head 16, a protrusion 51P is formed on the holder 51 only at the same left-right position as an adhesive substrate application area 60S1 (described later) shown in FIG.

[0027] Furthermore, the protrusions 51P are provided in pairs on the front and rear side portions 51W at a predetermined interval along the left-right direction from the right end to the left end of the holder inner wall surface 51WS, and have a predetermined length in the front-rear and left-right directions. The protrusions 51P are formed by pushing the side portions 51W from the outer surface side in the front-rear direction of the side portions 51W toward the holder internal space 51IS side in a die-like manner in a manufacturing process of the holder 51. Specifically, the diameter of the protrusion inner surface 51PS (described later) shown in FIG. 5 is slightly smaller than the length in the front-rear direction of the conductive layer non-forming region 70 (described later), and the height in the front-rear direction is about one-third of the distance between the holder inner wall surface 51WS and the end surface in the front-rear direction of the substrate 55.

[0028] On the side of the holder internal space 51IS of the protrusion 51P, a protrusion inner side surface 51PS is formed, which is a circular flat surface extending in the up-down and left-right directions and serves as a base on which the adhesive 60 is applied. The protrusion inner side surface 51PS is formed from the side opposite the irradiation direction of the electronic component arrangement surface 55A, which is the upper surface of the substrate 55, to the side in the irradiation direction of the LED array arrangement surface 55B, which is the lower surface. The protrusion inner side surface 51PS is formed so as to leave a small gap between it and the end surface of the substrate 55 in the front-rear direction. The adhesive 60 is applied to this protrusion inner side surface 51PS.

[0029] The adhesive 60 is an ultraviolet curing adhesive that is cured by irradiation with UV (Ultraviolet) light. The adhesive 60 is a strong adhesive ultraviolet curing adhesive having a strong adhesive force. The adhesive 60 is shaped like a quarter sphere due to surface tension. The adhesive 60 is applied in a size and amount that ensures the adhesive strength between the electronic component arrangement surface 55A of the board 55 and the holder inner wall surface 51WS of the holder 51. Specifically, the adhesive 60 has a left-right length that is equal to or less than the diameter of the protrusion inner surface 51PS, and a vertical length that is equal to or less than half the diameter of the protrusion inner surface 51PS. Therefore, the adhesive 60 is contained within the area of ​​the protrusion inner surface 51PS and does not protrude from the protrusion inner surface 51PS in the up-down, left-right, or right directions. Furthermore, the length of the adhesive 60 in the front-rear direction is greater than the distance between the protrusion inner side surface 51PS and the front-rear end surface of the substrate 55, and specifically, at least half the front-rear distance of the bottom surface of the adhesive 60 when applied is formed on the electronic component arrangement surface 55A of the substrate 55. In this manner, the substrate 55 is fixed to the holder 51 by the adhesive 60 alone.

[0030] Furthermore, the lens array 53 is inserted and attached in the lens array hole 51H (FIG. 3). In this way, the lens array 53 is supported by the holder 51. The lens array 53 is formed as a rectangular parallelepiped elongated in the left-right direction as a whole, and holds a large number of minute lenses arranged in the left-right direction. These lenses have optical properties that converge the light emitted from the LED array 56 described below. The lens array 53 is fixed to the holder 51 in a position where the incident distance between the upper surface, which is the end surface into which light is incident in the lens array 53, and the lower surface, which is the surface of the LED array 56, is an optimal value in terms of the characteristics of the lens array 53.

[0031] The gap between the bottom 51B of the holder 51 and the lens array 53 is filled with adhesive 62 so as to fill the gap. The adhesive 62 is an ultraviolet-curing adhesive like the adhesive 60. In this way, the LED head 16 fixes the lens array 53 to the holder 51, seals the gap between the holder 51 and the lens array 53, and almost completely seals the space surrounded by the bottom 51B and front and rear side portions 51W of the holder 51 and the underside of the substrate 55, thereby preventing light and foreign matter from entering this space.

[0032] 4, 5, 6 and 7 is attached to the holder 51 above the lens array 53, with its longitudinal direction aligned in the left-right direction so as to be in contact with the adhesive 60. The substrate 55 is made of a so-called glass epoxy substrate, and is formed in the shape of a plate that is elongated in the left-right direction and thin in the up-down direction, with a configuration in which a plurality of conductive layers 64 (described later) on which a predetermined wiring pattern is formed are stacked in the up-down direction.

[0033] [1-4. Circuit board configuration] [1-4-1. Overall board configuration] An LED array 56 is mounted on the LED array arrangement surface 55B, which is the lower surface of the substrate 55, along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 55, at approximately the center in the front-rear direction so as to face the lens array 53. This LED array 56 is configured by arranging a plurality of LED chips along the left-right direction so that light emitting points that emit light downward are lined up at predetermined minute intervals along the left-right direction. Various electronic components (not shown) that drive the LED head 16 are mounted on the electronic component arrangement surface 55A, which is the upper surface of the substrate 55, i.e., the back surface of the LED array arrangement surface 55B. The length of this substrate 55 in the front-rear direction is shorter than the distance between the side portions 51W of the holder 51.

[0034] Adhesive 60 is applied to electronic component arrangement surface 55A of substrate 55 and holder inner wall surface 51WS of holder 51. Hereinafter, the area where adhesive 60 is applied on electronic component arrangement surface 55A of substrate 55 is also referred to as adhesive substrate application area 60S1. Also, the area where adhesive 60 is applied on holder inner wall surface 51WS of holder 51 is also referred to as adhesive holder application area 60S2.

[0035] 4, the substrate 55 has conductive layers 64 made of copper foil or the like laminated in the order of conductive layers 64a, 64b, 64c, and 64d from the anti-illumination direction to the illumination direction. Hereinafter, the conductive layers 64a, 64b, 64c, and 64d are collectively referred to as conductive layers 64.

[0036] Between the conductive layer 64a and the conductive layer 64b, a base material layer 66a is disposed so as to abut against the conductive layer 64a and the conductive layer 64b. Between the conductive layer 64b and the conductive layer 64c, a base material layer 66b is disposed so as to abut against the conductive layer 64b and the conductive layer 64c. Between the conductive layer 64c and the conductive layer 64d, a base material layer 66c is disposed so as to abut against the conductive layer 64c and the conductive layer 64d. Hereinafter, the base material layers 66a, 66b, and 66c are collectively referred to as base material layers 66. That is, the base material layer 66 is disposed between the adjacent conductive layers 64.

[0037] A resist layer 68a is applied to the surface of the conductive layer 64a facing the opposite direction of irradiation. The surface of the resist layer 68a facing the opposite direction of irradiation serves as the electronic component arrangement surface 55A. A resist layer 68b is applied to the surface of the conductive layer 64d facing the opposite direction of irradiation. The surface of the resist layer 68b facing the opposite direction of irradiation serves as the LED array arrangement surface 55B. Hereinafter, the resist layers 68a and 68b are collectively referred to as the resist layer 68.

[0038] In this manner, the conductive layer 64a is disposed at a position farthest from the LED array 56 among the plurality of conductive layers 64, which may be, for example, four layers.

[0039] [1-4-2. Configuration of non-conductive layer area] As shown in Fig. 5, conductive layer non-forming regions 70 where the conductive layer 64a is not formed (i.e., no copper foil is arranged) are provided at both front and rear ends of the conductive layer 64a. The conductive layer non-forming regions 70 are shaped to be recessed inward in the front-rear direction from both front and rear ends of the conductive layer 64a in a substantially semicircular shape. Specifically, the conductive layer non-forming regions 70 have a radius of, for example, 1.5 mm. The left-right length of the conductive layer non-forming regions 70 is equal to or greater than the left-right length of the protrusion inner side surface 51PS.

[0040] The conductive layer non-forming region 70 is a region to which the adhesive 60 is applied, and an adhesive substrate application region 60S1 of the adhesive 60 is contained inside the conductive layer non-forming region 70. The left-right position of the center of the adhesive substrate application region 60S1 and the left-right position of the center of the conductive layer non-forming region 70 are substantially the same. Therefore, the conductive layer non-forming region 70 has a semicircular shape with the adhesive 60 at its center.

[0041] When viewed along the thickness direction of the substrate 55, the outer shape of the adhesive substrate application region 60S1 of the adhesive 60 and the shape of the conductive layer non-formed region 70 are almost similar to each other, and the conductive layer non-formed region 70 is larger than the adhesive substrate application region 60S1. Therefore, a gap where the conductive layer 64a is not formed exists between the adhesive substrate application region 60S1 and the boundary between the conductive layer non-formed region 70 and the copper foil of the conductive layer 64a.

[0042] In this way, the substrate 55 has a conductive layer non-forming region 70 formed by removing the copper foil only at the portion where the adhesive 60 is applied in the conductive layer 64a. That is, the substrate 55 is fixed to the holder 51 by the adhesive 60 applied to the resist layer 68a, and the conductive layer 64a is formed outside the adhesive substrate application region 60S1 of the adhesive 60. That is, when viewed from the -Z direction that is a direction perpendicular to the resist layer 68a, the conductive layer 64a is provided outside the application region of the adhesive 60, that is, in a position that does not overlap with the adhesive substrate application region 60S1, which is the region where the adhesive 60 is applied. In other words, the substrate 55 has a conductive layer non-forming region 70 where the conductive layer 64a is not formed between the adhesive substrate application region 60S1 of the resist layer 68a to which the adhesive 60 is applied and the base layer 66a.

[0043] 7, the length in the left-right direction from the right end of the conductive layer non-forming region 70 arranged at the right end to the left end of the conductive layer non-forming region 70 arranged at the left end of the substrate 55, that is, the length of the region in which the conductive layer non-forming region 70 is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the substrate 55 (i.e., the region in which the adhesive 60 is applied) is defined as the conductive layer non-forming region arrangement region length L1. The length in the left-right direction from the right end to the left end of the LED array 56 in the substrate 55, that is, the length of the region occupied by the LED array 56 in the longitudinal direction of the substrate 55, is defined as the LED array total length L2. The substrate 55 is designed so that the conductive layer non-forming region arrangement region length L1 is equal to or greater than the LED array total length L2, that is, so that the region occupied by the LED array 56 is within the range of the region in which the conductive layer non-forming region 70 is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the substrate 55. In other words, the LED head 16 is arranged such that the region where the conductive layer non-forming region 70 is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the substrate 55 encompasses the region occupied by the LED array 56 .

[0044] [1-4-3. Configuration of through holes and conductive layer wiring patterns] As shown in FIG. 6, the conductive layer 64a is generally rectangular in plan view, and has through holes 74, conductive layer wiring patterns 72, and the like formed therein. Therefore, the conductive layer 64a is generally linear in both ends in the short side direction along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 55. A plurality of through holes 74 are formed, some of which are formed adjacent to the inside of the conductive layer non-forming region 70 in the short side direction of the substrate 55. The through holes 74 connect the conductive layer 64a to the conductive layers 64b, 64c, or 64d. A plurality of conductive layer wiring patterns 72 are formed, some of which are arranged adjacent to the inside of the conductive layer non-forming region 70 in the short side direction of the substrate 55 and along the shape of the conductive layer non-forming region 70.

[0045] In this way, the LED head 16 arranges the through-holes 74 adjacent to the inside of the non-conductive layer region 70 in the short-side direction of the substrate 55 so as to avoid the non-conductive layer region 70, and also diverts the conductive layer wiring pattern 72, which is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 55 at the end of the conductive layer 64a in the short-side direction of the substrate 55, in the short-side direction of the substrate 55 so as to avoid the non-conductive layer region 70. Therefore, the LED head 16 can form the non-conductive layer region 70 where the conductive layer 64a is not formed, at both ends of the substrate 55 in the short-side direction.

[0046] [1-5. Removing the circuit board during LED head manufacturing] Here, a description will be given of an operation in which, in the manufacturing process of the LED head 16, a defect occurs in the substrate 55 fixed to the holder 51, and the substrate 55 is removed from the holder 51 in order to be repaired. First, for example, the blade of an ultrasonic cutter is inserted into the gap between the holder inner wall surface 51WS (FIG. 5) and the front-rear end surface of the substrate 55, and the adhesive 60 is cut along the left-right direction. This removes the substrate 55 from the holder 51. Next, the blade of the ultrasonic cutter is inserted into the contact point between the adhesive 60 remaining on the substrate 55 and the resist layer 68a from the conductive layer non-forming region 70 of the substrate 55, and the adhesive 60 is removed from the substrate 55.

[0047] [1-6. Operation and Effects] In the above configuration, the LED head 16 fixes the substrate 55 directly to the holder 51 with the adhesive 60, and provides a conductive layer non-forming region 70 where no copper foil is formed so as to avoid the adhesive substrate application region 60S1 in the conductive layer 64a, and the adhesive 60 is applied to the conductive layer non-forming region 70. That is, the LED head 16 forms the conductive layer 64a outside the adhesive substrate application region 60S1 of the adhesive 60.

[0048] Therefore, when an operator removes the substrate 55 from the holder 51 during repair work in the manufacturing process of the LED head 16, the ultrasonic cutter blade can be brought into contact with the adhesive 60 to remove the adhesive 60 from the substrate 55. Even if the ultrasonic cutter blade comes into contact with a portion other than the adhesive 60, the ultrasonic cutter blade can be brought into contact with the conductive layer non-forming region 70, not the copper foil portion of the conductive layer 64a. This makes it possible to prevent the ultrasonic cutter blade from damaging the conductive layer wiring pattern 72, through hole 74, etc. of the conductive layer 64a, even if the ultrasonic cutter blade comes into contact with a portion other than the adhesive 60 when removing the adhesive 60 from the substrate 55. Thus, the LED head 16 can prevent the conductive layer 64a from being exposed to the outside, making the substrate 55 unreusable.

[0049] Furthermore, the LED head 16 makes it easy to remove the adhesive 60 from the substrate 55 during repair work in the manufacturing process of the LED head 16, and allows a worker to easily remove the substrate 55 from the holder 51. Therefore, the LED head 16 makes the repair work easy and can improve manufacturing efficiency and productivity.

[0050] Furthermore, in the manufacturing process of the LED head 16, when a worker looks at the substrate 55 from the opposite irradiation direction while facing the holder opening 51A in order to apply the adhesive 60 to the substrate 55 and the holder 51, the base material layer 66 that has passed through the resist layer 68a and the conductive layer 64a that has passed through the resist layer 68a are visually different in color because the base material layer 66 and the conductive layer 64a are made of different materials. Therefore, the LED head 16 makes it easy for the worker to recognize the location where the adhesive 60 is to be applied, and allows the worker to easily perform the work of attaching the holder 51 to the substrate 55. Therefore, the LED head 16 makes the assembly work easier and improves manufacturing efficiency and productivity.

[0051] Furthermore, the LED head 16 has a horizontal length in the conductive layer non-forming region 70 that is equal to or greater than the horizontal length of the protrusion inner side surface 51PS, and the size of the conductive layer non-forming region 70 is larger than the adhesive substrate application region 60S1, so that a gap where the conductive layer 64a is not formed is formed between the adhesive substrate application region 60S1 and the conductive layer 64a. Therefore, even if the longitudinal position of the substrate 55 is finely adjusted with the adhesive 60 applied, the LED head 16 can prevent the adhesive substrate application region 60S1 of the adhesive 60 from protruding from the conductive layer non-forming region 70 and entering the copper foil region of the conductive layer 64a.

[0052] Furthermore, the LED head 16 has an outer shape of the adhesive substrate application region 60S1 of the adhesive 60 and a shape of the conductive layer non-forming region 70 that are substantially similar to each other. Therefore, the LED head 16 can make the gap between the adhesive substrate application region 60S1 and the conductive layer 64a, where the conductive layer 64a is not formed, substantially constant over the entire area from the left end to the right end of the adhesive substrate application region 60S1. This allows the LED 16 to maintain the distance between the adhesive substrate application region 60S1 and the conductive layer 64a and ensure that the conductive layer 64a is not damaged by the blade of the ultrasonic cutter while ensuring that the area of ​​the conductive layer 64a is as wide as possible.

[0053] If the protrusion 51P is not formed and the adhesive 60 is applied to the holder inner wall surface 51WS and the resist layer 68a of the substrate 55 instead of to the protrusion inner side surface 51PS, it is difficult to keep the position of the holder inner wall surface 51WS constant in the front-rear direction from the right end to the left end. Therefore, it is difficult to keep the position of the LED array 56 relative to the lens array 53 constant in the front-rear direction from the right end to the left end.

[0054] In response to this, the LED head 16 has a protrusion 51P protruding from the flat holder inner wall surface 51WS toward the holder internal space 51IS, and adhesive 60 is applied to the flat protrusion inner surface 51PS formed on the holder internal space 51IS side of the protrusion 51P and to the resist layer 68a on the substrate 55.

[0055] Therefore, even if the LED head 16 does not keep the fore-and-aft position of the holder inner wall surface 51WS constant from the right end to the left end, it can keep the fore-and-aft position of the LED array 56 relative to the lens array 53 constant from one end of the longitudinal direction of the substrate 55 to the other end simply by keeping the fore-and-aft positions of the multiple protrusion inner surfaces 51PS constant, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency.

[0056] Furthermore, the LED head 16 can ensure an appropriate clearance between the flat holder inner wall surface 51WS and the front-rear end surface of the substrate 55, so that a wide gap can be provided on both the left and right outer sides of the vicinity of the adhesive holder application area 60S2 of the adhesive 60. Therefore, the LED head 16 can make it easy to insert the blade of the ultrasonic cutter between the holder inner wall surface 51WS and the front-rear end surface of the substrate 55 when the substrate 55 is removed from the holder 51.

[0057] Furthermore, the LED head 16 is configured such that adhesive 60 is applied to the electronic component arrangement surface 55A, which is the surface opposite to the LED array arrangement surface 55B on which the LED array 56 is mounted, and a conductive layer non-forming region 70 is formed only in the conductive layer 64a, which is the closest to the adhesive 60 among the multiple conductive layers 64 of the substrate 55. That is, the LED head 16 forms the conductive layer non-forming region 70 only in the conductive layer 64a, and does not form the conductive layer non-forming region 70 in the conductive layers 64b, 64c, and 64d. This allows the LED head 16 to maintain the degree of freedom of the circuit pattern in the conductive layers 64b, 64c, and 64d other than the conductive layer 64a.

[0058] Furthermore, in the LED head 16, the length L1 of the conductive layer non-forming region on the substrate 55 is set to be equal to or greater than the total length L2 of the LED array, that is, the range occupied by the region to which the adhesive 60 is applied in the longitudinal direction includes the region occupied by the LED array 56. Therefore, the LED head 16 can suppress deformation such as undulation or warping of the substrate 55 from one end to the other end of the region occupied by the LED array 56, and can keep the distance in the Z direction between the lens array 53 and the LED array 56 constant from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction.

[0059] According to the above configuration, the LED head 16 of the color printer 1 has a base material layer 66 as a base material, a conductive layer 64a as a first conductive layer on which a conductive layer wiring pattern 72 as a wiring pattern is formed, and a resist layer 68a as a first surface layer arranged on the opposite side of the base material layer 66a with the conductive layer 64a in between, and is provided with a substrate 55 on which an LED array 56 as a plurality of light-emitting elements is provided, a lens array 53 as a lens unit that converges light emitted from the LED array 56, and a holder 51 that holds the substrate 55 and the lens array 53, the substrate 55 is fixed to the holder 51 by an adhesive 60 applied to the resist layer 68a, and the conductive layer 64a is formed outside an adhesive substrate application area 60S1 as an application area of ​​the adhesive 60.

[0060] This enables the LED head 16 to prevent the conductive layer 64a from being damaged when the substrate 55 is removed from the holder 51 during repair work in the manufacturing process, and also makes it easier to identify the location where the adhesive 60 will be applied when the substrate 55 is adhered to the holder 51 in the manufacturing process.

[0061] 2. Second embodiment [2-1. Scanner configuration] As shown in a side view in FIG. 8, the scanner 82 is a document reading device, and generates electronic data by reading a document M as a medium having a size such as A3 size or A4 size. The scanner 82 as a reading device is composed of a reading head 83, a lamp 84, a document table 85, a rail 86, a drive belt 87, a motor 88, and the like. The lamp 84 is arranged so that the light it irradiates is reflected by the surface of the document M as a light source and is taken into the reading head 83. The document table 85 is formed of a material that transmits visible light, and the document M is placed on it. The rail 86 is arranged below the document table 85, and supports the reading head 83 so that it can move. The reading head 83 as a light receiving device is partly connected to a drive belt 87 stretched by a plurality of pulleys 90, and is configured to be movable on the rail 86 by the drive belt 87 driven by a motor 88. The reading head 83 takes in the light irradiated by the lamp 84 and reflected by the surface of the document M, and converts it into electronic data.

[0062] [2-2. Read head configuration] The reading head 83 is configured such that a line sensor 94, which is a detector, is arranged instead of the LED array 56 (FIG. 3) of the LED head 16, and an original M, which is an object, is arranged instead of the photosensitive drum (FIG. 1). The reading head 83 is configured with a lens unit 92, a mirror 93, and a line sensor 94. The lens unit 92 is configured in the same manner as the lens array 53 (FIG. 3) according to the first embodiment. The mirror 93 bends the optical path of the light reflected by the original M and makes it enter the lens unit 92. The line sensor 94 has a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in a straight line at a predetermined interval, and converts the image of the original image formed by the lens unit 92 into an electrical signal. In this embodiment, the line sensor 94 has a resolution of 600 [dpi], so 600 light receiving elements are arranged per inch. That is, the light receiving elements are arranged at a longitudinal interval of 0.0423 [mm].

[0063] In this configuration, the scanner 82 turns on the lamp 84 to irradiate light onto the surface of the original M, and captures the light reflected from the surface of the original M into the reading head 83. The scanner 82 drives a drive belt 87 with a motor 88 to move the reading head 83 and the lamp 84 in the left-right direction of the paper in FIG.

[0064] At this time, the light reflected by the original M passes through the original table 85, has its optical path bent by a mirror 93, and enters a lens unit 92. An image of the original image formed by the lens unit 92 is formed on a line sensor 94, which converts the formed image of the original image into an electrical signal to generate electronic data.

[0065] In addition, the scanner 82 having the reading head 83 according to the second embodiment can achieve substantially the same effects as the color printer 1 having the LED head 16 according to the first embodiment.

[0066] 3. Other embodiments In the above-described first embodiment, the case has been described where the conductive layer-free regions 70 are formed in the substrate 55 so as to have a semicircular shape recessed inward in the front-rear direction from both the front and rear ends. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the conductive layer-free regions 70 of the substrate 55 may have various shapes such as a square or a triangle. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0067] In the above-described first embodiment, the adhesive substrate application region 60S1 is smaller than the conductive layer non-forming region 70. The present invention is not limited to this, and the adhesive substrate application region 60S1 may be the same size as the conductive layer non-forming region 70. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first embodiment, a pair of conductive layer non-forming regions 70 is formed at the rear and front ends, which are on both sides in the short direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the substrate 55, and the adhesive 60 is applied to the conductive layer non-forming regions 70. The present invention is not limited to this, and the conductive layer non-forming regions 70 may be formed on either the rear or front side at a predetermined longitudinal position and the adhesive 60 may be applied to the conductive layer non-forming regions 70, for example, by forming the conductive layer non-forming regions 70 in a staggered arrangement with respect to the longitudinal direction of the substrate 55 and applying the adhesive 60 to the conductive layer non-forming regions 70. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first embodiment, the protrusion 51P is described as having a truncated cone shape as a whole. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the protrusion 51P may have various other shapes as long as the positional accuracy of the LED array 56 relative to the lens array 53 in the front-rear direction can be maintained. The same is true in the second embodiment. In short, it is sufficient that a flat surface along the left-right direction is formed at a location facing the end face of the substrate 55 in the front-rear direction.

[0070] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first embodiment, the case where the length L1 of the region where the conductive layer is not formed is set to be equal to or greater than the total length L2 of the LED array has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the length L1 of the region where the conductive layer is not formed may be set to, for example, 90% or more of the total length L2 of the LED array, as long as the positional accuracy in the optical axis direction of the LED array 56 relative to the lens array 53 can be maintained. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first embodiment, the adhesives 60 and 62 are described as being made of an ultraviolet-curing adhesive. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the adhesives 60 and 62 may be made of various other materials, such as an adhesive that is cured by an accelerator, an adhesive that is cured over time, an adhesive that is cured by a temperature change, or a mixture of these adhesives. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first embodiment, the adhesives 60 and 62 are the same material. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the adhesives 60 and 62 may be different materials. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to the LED heads 16 of each color corresponding to the image forming units 12 of each color arranged in series along the front-to-rear direction in a tandem type color printer 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to LED heads mounted on color printers of various other types, such as a four-cycle type.

[0074] Furthermore, in the above-described first embodiment, four LED heads 16 corresponding to the colors yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are attached to the printer housing 2 of the color printer 1 that performs color printing. The present invention is not limited to this, and for example, three or less or five or more LED heads 16 may be attached to the printer housing 2 depending on the number of colors of toner used in the color printer, and one LED head 16 may be attached to a monochrome printer that performs monochrome printing.

[0075] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the present invention is applied to a color printer 1, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to devices such as facsimiles, MFPs (Multifunction Printers), copiers, etc., as long as they have an LED head 16 similar to that of the color printer 1.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned second embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to the scanner 82. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may also be applied to sensors and switches that convert optical signals into electrical signals, as well as input / output devices, biometric authentication devices, communication devices, dimension measuring instruments, and the like that use these sensors and switches.

[0077] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and other embodiments. That is, the scope of application of the present invention extends to embodiments in which the above-described embodiments and the other embodiments are combined in part or in whole in any manner, or to embodiments in which parts are extracted.

[0078] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first embodiment, the LED head 16 as an exposure device is configured by the substrate 55 as a substrate, the lens array 53 as a lens unit, and the holder 51 as a holder, and the color printer 1 as an image forming device having the same is configured, and the substrate has the substrate layer 66a as a substrate, the conductive layer 64a as a first conductive layer, and the resist layer 68a as a first surface layer. The present invention is not limited to this, and the exposure device is configured by the substrate, the lens unit, and the holder having various other configurations, and the image forming device having the same is configured, and the substrate may have the substrate, the first conductive layer, and the first surface layer having various other configurations. [Industrial Applicability]

[0079] The present invention can be used, for example, in an LED head mounted on an electrophotographic printer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1...color printer, 2...printer housing, 2T...output tray, 3...paper storage cassette, 4...transport section, 5...pickup roller, 6...paper feed roller, 7...separation roller, 8, 9...pair of transport rollers, 10...transfer belt, 12...image forming unit, 16...LED head, 18...toner cartridge, 20...fuser unit, 21...pair of discharge rollers, 22...duplex transport unit, 51...holder, 51IS...holder internal space, 51B...bottom, 51W...side, 51WS...holder inner wall surface, 51H...lens array hole, 51A...holder opening, 51P...projection, 51PS...projection inner surface, 53...lens array, 5 5...board, 55A...electronic component placement surface, 55B...LED array placement surface, 56...LED array, 60...adhesive, 60S1...adhesive board application area, 60S2...adhesive holder application area, 62...adhesive, 64...conductive layer, 66...base material layer, 68...resist layer, 70...conductive layer non-forming area, 72...conductive layer wiring pattern, 74...through hole, L1...length of non-conductive layer area placement area, L2...total length of LED array, 82...scanner, 83...reading head, 84...lamp, 85...document table, 86...rail, 87...drive belt, 88...motor, 90...pulley, 92...lens unit, 93...mirror, 94...line sensor.

Claims

1. A substrate having a base material, a first conductive layer on which a wiring pattern is formed, and a first surface layer disposed on the opposite side of the base material with the first conductive layer interposed therebetween, the substrate having a plurality of light emitting elements provided thereon; a lens unit that converges light emitted from the light-emitting element; a holder for holding the substrate and the lens unit; having the substrate is fixed to the holder by an adhesive applied to the first surface layer, the first conductive layer is formed outside the application area of ​​the adhesive, and a conductive layer non-formation area, in which the first conductive layer is not formed, is provided between the application area of ​​the first surface layer to which the adhesive is applied and the base material; The holder includes: a protrusion portion on which the adhesive is applied and which protrudes toward end faces of both ends in a lateral direction of the substrate is formed on an inner wall surface along the longitudinal direction of the substrate; The conductive layer non-forming region is located at the same position as the protruding portion in the longitudinal direction. An exposure apparatus comprising:

2. A substrate having a base material, a first conductive layer on which a wiring pattern is formed, and a first surface layer disposed on the opposite side of the base material with the first conductive layer in between, and having a plurality of light-emitting elements provided thereon; a lens unit that converges light emitted from the light-emitting element; a holder for holding the substrate and the lens unit; having The substrate is fixed to the holder only by the adhesive applied to the first surface layer, the first conductive layer is formed outside the adhesive application area, and a conductive layer non-formed area where the first conductive layer is not formed is provided between the adhesive application area of ​​the first surface layer and the base material. An exposure apparatus comprising:

3. 3. An image forming apparatus comprising the exposure device according to claim 1.

4. A substrate having a base material, a first conductive layer on which a wiring pattern is formed, and a first surface layer disposed on the opposite side of the base material with the first conductive layer interposed therebetween, the substrate having a plurality of light receiving elements provided thereon; a lens unit for converging light radiated to the light receiving element; a holder for holding the substrate and the lens unit; having the substrate is fixed to the holder by an adhesive applied to the first surface layer, the first conductive layer is formed outside the application area of ​​the adhesive, and a conductive layer non-formation area, in which the first conductive layer is not formed, is provided between the application area of ​​the first surface layer to which the adhesive is applied and the base material; The holder includes: a protrusion portion on which the adhesive is applied and which protrudes toward end faces of both ends in a lateral direction of the substrate is formed on an inner wall surface along the longitudinal direction of the substrate; The conductive layer non-forming region is located at the same position as the protruding portion in the longitudinal direction. A light receiving device characterized by:

5. A substrate having a base material, a first conductive layer on which a wiring pattern is formed, and a first surface layer disposed on the opposite side of the base material with the first conductive layer in between, and having a plurality of light receiving elements provided thereon; a lens unit for converging light radiated to the light receiving element; a holder for holding the substrate and the lens unit; having The substrate is fixed to the holder only by the adhesive applied to the first surface layer, the first conductive layer is formed outside the adhesive application area, and a conductive layer non-formed area where the first conductive layer is not formed is provided between the adhesive application area of ​​the first surface layer and the base material. A light receiving device characterized by:

6. A reading device characterized by having a light receiving device as defined in claim 4 or claim 5.

Images