Contact image sensor and methods for aligning a light element array substrate thereof

A method for aligning a light-receiving element array substrate in a contact image sensor which comprises a housing;

• one or two light sources for irradiating light onto a original, the one or two light sources being fixed into the housing;
• a slit plate including a slit opening for passing light reflected from the original, the slit plate being fixed into the housing and the slit opening having an elongated-shape extended in a main-scanning direction;
• a lens for forming an erecting unit magnification image by focusing the reflected light from the original through the slit opening of the slit plate on at least one light-receiving element array, the lens being composed of a plurality of micro-lens array plates;
• and the light-receiving element array substrate including the at least one light-receiving element array, the light-receiving element array substrate being supported in the housing, the method comprising the steps of:
• (a) setting a reference original of uniform lightness distribution over the slit opening;
• (b) irradiating light onto the reference original by means of the one or two light sources;
• (c) receiving light reflected from the reference original and passed through the slit opening to detect a sensor-output from a photo-electric converted signal by means of the at least one light-receiving element array;
• and
• (d) aligning the width of the light-receiving element array substrate in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main-scanning direction so as to incline an array-line of the at least one light-receiving element array with respect to a centerline of the slit opening to reduce a difference of distribution in the main-scanning direction of the sensor-output detected in the step (c).

A method for manufacturing a contact image sensor which comprises a housing;

• one or two light sources for irradiating light onto a original, the one or two light sources being fixed into the housing;
• a slit plate including a slit opening for passing light reflected from the original, the slit plate being fixed into the housing and the slit opening having an elongated-shape extended in a main-scanning direction;
• a lens for forming an erecting unit magnification image by focusing the reflected light on the original through the slit opening of the slit plate on at least one light-receiving element array, the lens being composed of a plurality of micro-lens array plates;
• and the light-receiving element array substrate including the at least one light-receiving element array, the light-receiving element array substrate being supported in the housing, the method comprising the steps of:
• (a) setting a reference original of uniform lightness distribution over the slit opening;
• (b) irradiating light onto the reference original by means of the one or two light sources;
• (c) receiving light reflected from the reference original and passed through the slit opening to detect a sensor-output from a photo-electric converted signal by means of the at least one light-receiving element array;
• (d) aligning the width of the light-receiving element array substrate in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main-scanning direction so as to obtain a maximum of the sensor-output detected in the step (c);
• and
• (e) fixing the light-receiving element array substrate aligned in the step (d) into the housing.

A method for manufacturing a contact image sensor which comprises a housing;

• one or two light sources for irradiating light onto a original, the one or two light sources being fixed into the housing;
• a slit plate including a slit opening for passing light reflected from the original, the slit plate being fixed into the housing and the slit opening having an elongated-shape extended in a main-scanning direction;
• a lens for forming an erecting unit magnification image by focusing the reflected light from the original through the slit opening of the slit plate on at least one light-receiving element array, the lens being composed of a plurality of micro-lens array plates;
• and the light-receiving element array substrate including the at least one light-receiving element array, the light-receiving element array substrate being supported in the housing, the method comprising the steps of:
• (a) setting a reference original of uniform lightness distribution over the slit opening;
• (b) irradiating light onto the reference original by means of the one or two light sources;
• (c) receiving light reflected from the reference original and passed through the slit opening to detect a sensor-output from a photo-electric converted signal by means of the at least one light-receiving element array;
• (d) aligning the width of the light-receiving element array substrate in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main-scanning direction so as to incline an array-line of the at least one light-receiving element array with respect to a centerline of the slit opening to reduce a difference of distribution in the main-scanning direction of the sensor-output detected in the step (c);
• and
• (e) fixing the light-receiving element array substrate aligned in the step (d) into the housing.

A contact image sensor for reading an image by scanning an original comprising:

• a housing;
• one or two light sources for irradiating light onto a original, the one or two light sources being fixed into the housing;
• a slit plate including a slit opening for passing light reflected from the original, the slit plate being fixed into the housing and the slit opening having an elongated-shape extended in a main-scanning direction;
• a lens for forming an erecting unit magnification image by focusing the reflected light from the original through the slit opening of the slit plate on at least one light-receiving element array, the lens being composed of a plurality of micro-lens array plates;
• and
• a light-receiving element array substrate including the at least one light-receiving element array, the light-receiving element array substrate being supported in the housing such that the width of the light-receiving element array substrate is aligned in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main-scanning direction.