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AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsKoji Masuda, Kazuyuki Shimada, Tetsuro Saitoh, Masahiro Ito, Katsuyuki Kitao, Tomoya Ohsugi, Hirokatsu Suzuki
Estimating the term…
An image forming apparatus includes a light emitting array composed of a plurality of light emitting elements that emits light fluxes. An imaging element array may be provided so as to perform imaging with the light fluxes on a prescribed plane. A three dimensional exposure intensity distribution of the light flux is obtained per each light emitting element. A prescribed attribute is obtained from each of the exposure intensity distributions. A plurality of comparison values for the entire exposure valid region may be obtained from different units which consist of two or more successive attributes. Prescribed light emitting quantities enabling all of the comparison values to fall within a prescribed range may be determined and set to respective light emitting elements.
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
A method for optically writing an image, comprising the steps of:
An optical writing unit inspecting apparatus for inspecting either an optical writing unit including a plurality of light emitting elements or an imaging element array, said optical writing unit inspecting apparatus comprising:
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
A computer program product which stores computer program instructions for execution by a computer to produce an image forming operation, comprising the steps of:
An optical writing unit, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Using arrays of radiation sources: using light-emitting diode [LED] or laser arrays
On one main scanning line: using an array of light sources, e.g. a linear array
Typewriters
Graphical data reading
Term ended 29 May 2022 (estimated)
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to optical writing units which perform optical writing, methods for driving the optical writing unit, image forming apparatuses such as printers, copiers, facsimiles, etc., which employ the optical writing unit, and inspecting apparatuses which inspect the optical writing unit. In particular, the present invention relates to optical writing units capable of suppressing density unevenness in an image formed by the image forming apparatus.
2. Discussion of the Background
A more complete appreciation of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a chart for illustrating one embodiment of a light emitting array according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an explanatory chart for illustrating a configuration of one embodiment of an imaging element array according to the present invention;
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout several views, in particular, in FIGS. 1(a) to (c), the light emitting element array 100 may include a light emitting diode (LED) array. The LED array may amount from dozens to around one hundred of diode array chips 102 on a baseboard 101. On the light emitting diode array chip 102, from dozens to several hundreds of light emitting diodes 103 may be arranged. The light emitting elements may be arranged in the present circumstances in a density of 300 to 1200 items per inch, and in this embodiment, the LED array in which the light emitting elements are arranged in a line by 42.3• m (i.e., 600 dpi) pitch is utilized. In addition, a driver IC 104 for driving the LED 103 and a connector section 105 for connecting a signal line capable of passing a data signal such as an external image signal or the like are mounted on the baseboard 101 beside the LED array chip 102.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for illustrating a construction of an imaging element array. The imaging element array 200 may be a rod lens array of a refraction index distribution type conventionally utilized. The rod lens array may be formed by stacking rod lenses 201 of a cylindrical refraction index distribution type in two lines such as a straw bag stack, and provides the erecting system both in an aligning and its orthogonal directions. The surrounding area of the rod lens 201 may be pinched by a side plate to hold the lens and gain strength. In addition, in the gap between neighboring rod lens 201, to make it into a solid state, an adhesive member 203 may be filled in. The adhesive member 203 may be opaque and exert a function of suppressing a flare light.
The optical writing unit employing the above stated light emitting element array 100 and imaging element array 200 may be mounted on an image forming apparatus, and output an image as an exposure unit. An image pattern may be a pattern formed by repeating 1 on and 2 off (i.e., 1 dot light emission, 2 dot non-light emission), and include an image of longitudinal lines (herein after referred to as a 1on-2off longitudinal image) in parallel with a rotational direction of the PC member (i.e., an orthogonal direction to an LED aligning direction (hereinafter referred to as an aligning orthogonal direction)).