# US 6,720,986 B2 · Optical printer device that forms color images > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,720,986 B2 - Document ID: US6720986B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 09/972,871 - Filed: 2001-10-10 - Published: 2002-04-18 - Granted: 2004-04-13 - Earliest claimed: 2000-10-16 - Assignees: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Sadao Masubuchi; Hideyuki Kawashima; Masafumi Yokoyama; Masaaki Matsunaga; Akira Shiota - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6720986B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/525: Arrangement for multi-colour printing, not covered by group B41J2/21, e.g. applicable to two or more kinds of printing or marking process - B41J 2/451: {Special optical means therefor, e.g. lenses, mirrors, focusing means} - H04N 1/502: {Reproducing the colour component signals dot-sequentially or simultaneously in a single or in adjacent picture-element positions} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An optical printer device which includes an exposure device which makes relative movements, in a predetermined direction, with respect to a photosensitive body. The optical printer also has a plurality of first, second and third light-emitting elements which emit lights of a first, second and third colors. These light-emitting elements are mounted on a first, second and third mounting substrates, independent of one another, which correspond to the first, second and third colors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical printer device comprising an exposure device which makes relative movements, in a predetermined direction, with respect to a photosensitive body, wherein said exposure device has: a frame; a first mounting substrate for mounting a plurality of first light-emitting elements which emit light of a first color, a second mounting substrate for mounting a plurality of second light-emitting elements which emit light of a second color, and a third mounting substrate for mounting a plurality of third light-emitting elements which emit light of a third color; and an optical shutter which controls the passage of the light from the first, second and third light-emitting elements to change the amount of irradiation onto the photosensitive body; and wherein the first, second and third mounting substrates are configured independent of one another, respectively, and are attached to said frame in a manner such that the mounting position of each of the mounting substrates to the frame can be changed independently so that the light emitted from the first, second and third light-emitting elements passes through designated regions of said optical shutter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical printer device according to claim 1, wherein said first, second and third light-emitting elements are mounted in front of concave mirrors which are provided on the first, second and third mounting substrates, respectively. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optical printer device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitted from the light-emitting element mounted on at least one of said first, second and third mounting substrates is irradiated in a direction orthogonal to the light emitted from the light-emitting elements mounted on the other two mounting substrates. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical printer device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitted from the light-emitting element mounted on at least one of said first, second and third mounting substrates is irradiated in a direction parallel to the direction of said relative movement, and then the light is reflected by a reflecting mirror so that the direction of the light is changed to be orthogonal to the direction of said relative movement, and then the light is incident to the optical shutter. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optical printer device according to claim 1, wherein said optical shutter is provided with the first, second and third pixel shutters rows, each aligned in the direction orthogonal to the direction of said relative movement, and these first, second and third shutter rows control the passage of only the light of said first, second and third color, respectively. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The optical printer device according to claim 1, wherein said optical shutter is a liquid-crystal shutter. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The optical printer device according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting elements are LED elements. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The optical printer device according to claim 1, wherein said light of the first, second and third colors is light that is respectively red, green and blue. ### Claim 9 An optical printer device comprising an exposure device which makes relative movements, in a predetermined direction, with respect to a photosensitive body, wherein said exposure device has: a frame; a first light source emitting a first light, a second light source emitting a second light and a third light source emitting a third light; and an optical shutter which controls the passage of the light emitted from the first, second and third light sources; wherein said optical shutter has at least three pixel rows, and the first pixel row allows the passage of only a light from the first light source, the second pixel row allows the passage of only a light from the second light source, and the third pixel row allows the passage of only a light from the third light source; and the first, second and third light sources are attached to the frame in a manner such that mounting positions of the first, second and third light sources are adjustable so that the light emitted from the first, second and third light sources passes through their respective pixel rows. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The optical printer device according to claim 9, wherein said first light source comprises a first mounting substrate on which a plurality of first light-emitting elements which emit a light of a first color are mounted, said second light source comprises a second mounting substrate on which a plurality of second light-emitting elements which emit a light of a second color are mounted and said third light source comprises a third mounting substrate on which a plurality of third light-emitting elements which emit a light of a third color are mounted, and further these first, second and third mounting substrates are attached to the frame, respectively, in a manner such that the attaching position thereof is adjustable. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The optical printer device according to claim 10, wherein said first, second and third light-emitting elements are arranged in front of concave mirrors which are provided on the first, second and third mounting substrates, respectively. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The optical printer device according to claim 10, wherein the light emitted from the light-emitting element mounted on at least one of said first, second and third mounting substrates is irradiated in a direction orthogonal to the light emitted from the light-emitting elements mounted on the other two mounting substrates. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The optical printer device according to claim 10, wherein the light emitted from the light-emitting element mounted on at least one of said first, second and third mounting substrates is irradiated in a direction parallel to the direction of said relative movement, and then converted by a reflecting mirror to a direction orthogonal to said direction of the relative movement to be incident to the optical shutter. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The optical printer device according to claim 10, wherein said light-emitting elements are LED elements. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The optical printer device according to claim 9, wherein said optical shutter is a liquid-crystal shutter. ### Claim 16 An optical printer device comprising an exposure device which makes relative movements, in a predetermined direction, with respect to a photosensitive body, wherein said exposure device has: a frame; light sources, attached to the frame, which emit at least red, green and blue color; and a liquid-crystal optical shutter which controls the passage of the light emitted from said light sources; and wherein said light source has a red LED mounting substrate on which a plurality of red LEDs emitting a light of a red color are mounted, a green LED mounting substrate on which a plurality of green LEDs emitting a light of a green color are mounted, and a blue LED mounting substrate on which a plurality of blue LEDs emitting a light of a blue color are mounted; said liquid-crystal optical shutter is provided with at least three pixel rows aligned in the direction orthogonal to the direction of said relative movement, and these pixel rows include a red pixel row which controls the passage of light of only red color, a green pixel row which controls the passage of light of only green color and a blue pixel row which controls the passage of light of only blue color; and said red LED mounting substrate, said green LED mounting substrate and said blue LED mounting substrate are attached to the frame in a manner such that the attaching positions thereof are adjustable so as to be capable of changing the light irradiation angle so that the lights of respective colors are incident to the corresponding pixel rows, respectively. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The optical printer device according to claim 16, wherein said red LEDs, green LEDs and blue LEDs are mounted on the red LED mounting substrate, green LED mounting substrate and blue LED mounting substrate through concave mirrors, respectively, and the lights emitted from these LEDs are reflected by the concave mirrors in the direction opposite to the corresponding mounting substrates, respectively. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The optical printer device according to claim 17, wherein, for at least two of the red LED mounting substrate, green LED mounting substrate and blue LED mounting substrate, the direction of the light reflected by the concave mirror is parallel to the direction of said relative movement, and then the direction of the light is changed to the direction orthogonal to the direction of said relative movement by a plane mirror, and the light whose direction has been changed is incident to said liquid-crystal optical shutter.