Light Guide Device Positioning via Biasing Cover Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, the positioning accuracy between the light emitting element and the light guide member is critical for stabilizing the intensity of discharging light, but conventional assembly methods often result in low accuracy due to accumulated tolerances, leading to varying light intensity.
Innovation Solution
A light guide device with a support member, a light guide member, a first abutting part, and a cover member, where the light guide member is positioned at a predetermined reference position using the abutting part and biased by a cover member with a biasing part, and an engaging part that engages with the support member to maintain accurate alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple members (light source substrate, light guide member, support member) are stacked and assembled on the support member, then the device can be constructed with separate functional components, but the assembly tolerances of each member are accumulated and the assembly accuracy is lowered
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide member is pre-positioned at a predetermined position on the light source substrate before final assembly. The pressing member is pre-installed to apply pressing force in the pressing direction, ensuring the light guide member maintains its predetermined position relative to the light emitting element. This preliminary positioning action prevents tolerance accumulation during final assembly of multiple members.
2Ease of manufacture
If the positioning accuracy between the light emitting element and the light guide member is low, then the assembly process is simpler and more tolerant of variations, but the intensity of the discharging light varies
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member applies localized pressing force specifically to the light guide member at the predetermined position, ensuring high positioning accuracy only where needed for light emission. This localized quality control maintains light intensity stability without requiring high precision throughout the entire assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing member changes the positional parameter of the light guide member by applying force in the pressing direction, thereby adjusting and maintaining the light guide member at the predetermined position. This parameter control ensures stable light intensity while allowing tolerance in other assembly parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
A light guide device has a support member, a light guide member, a first abutting part, and a cover member. The light guide member is supported by the support member and has a light incident surface. The first abutting part has the light guide member and positions the light guide member at the first reference position predetermined in the support member by abutting on the abutted part of the support member. The cover member is attached to the support member and covers the light guide member. The cover member has a first biasing part that biases the light guide member in an abutting direction where the first abutting part abuts the abutting part, with the cover member attached to the support member, and an engaging part that engages with an engaged part of the support member while the first biasing part generates a biasing force in the abutting direction.