Optical Element Positioner With Low-Friction Contact End
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Solution Overview
Problem
In optical scanners used in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, the static friction between the positioning face and the optical housing hinders the movement of the long lens unit, leading to curvature and bending of the scanning line, which affects the accuracy of the scanning line adjustment.
Innovation Solution
The scanning line adjuster incorporates an optical element positioner with a contact end made of a different material, having a surface roughness of 1600 nm or less, to reduce static friction and allow smooth movement of the long lens unit during attitude changes, ensuring accurate scanning line adjustment without bending.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the positioning face and optical housing have high static friction, then the positioning is stable, but the movement of the long lens unit is hindered causing scanning line bending
Solution Approach 1:
The optical element positioner is designed with different surface roughness at different locations: the contact end has surface roughness Ra of 1600 nm or less (smoother) to reduce friction and enable smooth movement, while other parts maintain higher roughness for stable positioning. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between positioning stability and movement smoothness.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface roughness parameter of the optical element positioner is specifically controlled to be Ra of 1600 nm or less at the contact end. By changing this physical parameter, the static friction is reduced, allowing the long lens unit to move smoothly during attitude adjustment while maintaining adequate positioning stability.
2Manufacturing precision
If the long lens unit is pressed by the attitude changer, then the scanning line inclination is corrected, but the high friction causes the lens unit to bend in a bow shape
Solution Approach 1:
The contact end of the optical element positioner has a specially engineered smooth surface (Ra ≤ 1600 nm) that reduces friction during the pressing operation. This allows the attitude changer to apply sufficient force for inclination correction without generating excessive friction that would cause the long lens unit to bend or deform.
Solution Approach 2:
By controlling the surface roughness parameter to Ra of 1600 nm or less, the friction coefficient is reduced, enabling the pressing force from the attitude changer to effectively correct scanning line inclination without causing harmful deformation or bowing of the long lens unit.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively reduces static friction, preventing the long lens unit from bending and ensuring precise adjustment of the scanning line, thereby improving the image forming process by maintaining the scanning line's straightness and enhancing image quality.
Implementation Method 1
The optical element positioner includes a contact end to contact the positioning portion. The contact end is made of a different material from a material of the other part of the optical element positioner... having a surface roughness of 1600 nm or less, to reduce static friction and allow smooth movement of the long lens unit
Data Source
AI summary
A scanning line adjuster, which is incorporated in an optical scanner and an image forming apparatus, includes an optical element, an attitude changer, and an optical element positioner. The optical element is disposed on an optical path extending from a light source to a scanned target object. The optical element has a positioning portion. The attitude changer changes an attitude of the optical element. The optical element positioner contacts the positioning portion to position the optical element. The optical element positioner contacts the positioning portion of the optical element in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the positioning portion of the optical element when the attitude changer changes the attitude of the optical element. The optical element positioner includes a contact end to contact the positioning portion. The contact end is made of a different material from the other part of the optical element positioner.