Optical Scanning Device Last Folding Mirror Angles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Color shifts occur in color images formed by optical scanning devices due to variations in the curvature of scanning lines caused by the bending of folding mirrors and differences in the installation angles of reflection surfaces, leading to noticeable displacement and image quality issues in color printing.
Innovation Solution
The optical scanning device incorporates plural light sources emitting beams at different angles, correction members to correct optical face tangle errors, and last reflection members with specific angle orientations to minimize curvature and displacement, where the last reflection member for the lowest brightness image is positioned with a reflection surface closest to vertical and the highest brightness image closest to horizontal, reducing color shifts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If folding mirrors are disposed inside the optical scanning device to guide light beams to corresponding photoconductors, then the device can be made compact, but the folding mirrors eventually bend due to their own weights causing the reflection surfaces to be curved, which leads to curved scanning lines and color shifts in the resulting color image
Solution Approach 1:
A support structure is introduced as an intermediary element to hold the folding mirrors. This support structure prevents the mirrors from bending under their own weight, thereby maintaining flat reflection surfaces and eliminating curved scanning lines while preserving the compact device configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The installation angle of the folding mirrors is adjusted as a parameter to optimize performance. By setting specific installation angles, the mirrors achieve both compact positioning and minimal curvature effects, resolving the contradiction between device compactness and scanning precision
2Ease of operation
If folding mirrors are installed at different angles to set optical paths of light beams, then the optical paths can be optimized, but the magnitude of bend occurring in the folding mirror varies with the angle, causing curves of different magnitude in scanning lines of light beams reflected on folding mirrors installed at different angles, leading to color shifts
Solution Approach 1:
Each folding mirror is given a specific local quality in terms of installation angle tailored to its position in the optical path. This localized optimization ensures that each mirror contributes to compact optical path configuration while maintaining uniform scanning line characteristics across all optical paths
Solution Approach 2:
The installation angles of folding mirrors are carefully controlled as parameters. By setting specific angle values for each mirror position, the system achieves optimal optical path configuration while minimizing variations in scanning line curvature, thereby preventing color shifts
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 configuration significantly reduces color shifts in the formed image by minimizing the curvature of scanning lines, making the displacement of images less noticeable and improving overall image quality.
Implementation Method 1
a deflector that deflects plural light beams emitted from the plural light sources as the plural light beams go incident on a same reflection surface thereof at different angles of incidence in a sub-scanning direction
Implementation Method 2
plural correction members that correct the plural light beams deflected by the deflector
Implementation Method 3
plural last reflection members that reflect the light beams corrected by the plural correction members to be distributed to surfaces of different photoconductors
Implementation Method 4
expose and scan the corresponding photoconductors
Data Source
AI summary
An optical scanning device is configured in such a manner that, of four light beams for colors corresponding to black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, the angle of the reflection surface of the last folding mirror disposed in the optical path of a light beam corresponding to an image in black having the lowest brightness and the highest visibility is closest to vertical, and further, the angle of the reflection surface of the last folding mirror disposed in the optical path of a light beam corresponding to an image in yellow having the highest brightness and the lowest visibility is closest to horizontal. It is thus possible to reduce a color shift in the color image caused by reflecting a light beam having passed through the correction lens on the last folding mirror.