JPH0733202Y2 - Optical element clamping device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a clamp device for fixing an optical element such as a color image recording device using a laser optical system to a device fixing portion, and more particularly, in the optical axis direction. The present invention relates to a clamp device suitable for fixing lenses that are positionally adjusted.

-Background of the Invention-As is well known, the surface of a recording medium is irradiated by irradiating a parallel red laser beam, a green laser beam, and a blue laser beam, which are respectively modulated by video signals, onto the surface of a polygon mirror, and rotating the polygon mirror. In the color image recording laser optical system which mainly scans these laser beams, a large number of optical elements are used to control each of the laser beams described above.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a color image recording apparatus using such a laser optical system. In the figure, reference numerals 1, 2, and 3 indicate a red laser light source, a green laser light source, and a blue laser light source, respectively.
Each laser beam modulated by the video signal is applied to one point on the surface of the same polygon mirror 4,
The main scanning is performed on the surface of the color photosensitive material which is the recording medium 5 by the rotational movement of the recording medium 5, and the color image is reproduced by sub-scanning the recording medium 5 in the direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction. That is, the laser light from the red laser light source 1 using the helium neon laser is focused into a narrow beam by the condenser lens 6 and the acousto-optic modulator 7 to which the video signal is input.
After passing through the scanning line correcting cylindrical lens 8, the optical path is changed by the two mirrors 9 and 10, and the beam diameter is adjusted again by the beam diameter adjusting lens 11. It is irradiated onto the surface of the polygon mirror 4 through the Mick mirrors 12 and 13. The polygon mirror 4 is rotated at a constant speed in the direction of the arrow at a speed synchronized with the acousto-optic modulator 7 described above, and the red laser beam B ₁ reflected on the surface of the polygon mirror 4 is in front of the fθ lens 14 and the recording medium 5. It is incident on the scanning line correcting cylindrical lens 15. Then, the laser beam B ₂ from the green laser light source 2 using an argon laser of green outgoing line only is narrowed down to a narrow beam by the condenser lens 16 are analog-modulated by acoustooptic modulator 17, the scanning line correcting cylindrical lens After passing 18, the optical path is changed by the mirror 19 and the beam diameter adjustment lens
The final beam diameter is 20 and the red laser beam B ₁ is reflected by the dichroic mirror 12 that reflects only green light.
Then, the surface of the polygon mirror 4 is irradiated with the light. Also, laser light B from the blue laser light source 3 using an argon laser including a spectrum transmission line in the green region
First, the components other than blue are removed by the interference filter 21, the condensing lens 22 narrows the component 3 into a narrow beam, and the component ₃ is modulated by the acousto-optic modulator 23. Then, the same blue laser beam
B ₃ passes through the scanning line correction cylindrical lens 24,
The final beam diameter is adjusted by the beam diameter adjusting lens 25, the optical path is changed by the mirror 26, and the red laser beam B ₁ and the green laser beam B ₂ are changed by being reflected by the dichroic mirror 13 that reflects only blue light. The polygonal mirror 4 is irradiated in parallel with the polygon mirror 4.

By the way, among a large number of optical elements in such a color image recording apparatus, a condenser lens 6, a scanning line correcting cylindrical lens 8, a beam diameter adjusting lens 11, and a condenser lens 1 are provided.
6, the scanning line correcting cylindrical lens 18, the beam diameter adjusting lens 20, the condensing lens 22, the scanning line correcting cylindrical lens 24, the fθ lens 25, the laser beams B ₁ , B ₂ ,
Since the beam diameter of B ₃ has a great influence on the image resolution and image distortion, the laser beams B ₁ , B ₂ , B ₃
However, if these optical elements are not securely clamped in the finely adjusted position, each laser beam B ₁ ,
B ₂ and B ₃ are shaken and the image resolution is extremely deteriorated.

For this reason, conventionally, the above-mentioned optical elements after fine adjustment are firmly fixed to the device fixing portion by using a clamp device as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. That is, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show a clamp device used for the condenser lens 6, which is a guide rail parallel to the optical axis B of the laser beam.
An adjustment stand 32 supporting the condenser lens 6 is mounted on the seat 31 in a straddle state. That is, the adjustment base 32 is in a state where the position can be adjusted in the length direction of the guide rail 31, and a pair of screws for screwing the clamp screw 33 capable of abutting the tip 33a to the side surface of the guide rail 31 is provided at the lower part of the adjustment base 32. A hole 34 is formed.

-Problems to be solved by the invention- Therefore, in such a clamp device, after adjusting the position of the adjusting table 32 in the direction of the laser beam optical axis B,
The adjustment base 32 is firmly fixed to the guide rail 31 by tightening the clamp screw 33 with a tool such as a screw driver, but the direction of this clamp screw 33 is specified by the relationship with the guide rail 31. Therefore, in order to operate these clamp screws 33, it is necessary to secure a space into which the screw driver can be inserted in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG.

By the way, in the above-mentioned color image recording apparatus using a large number of optical elements, it is desired to arrange these optical elements close to each other within a range where they do not interfere with each other in order to downsize the entire apparatus. If such a space is secured, it becomes difficult to dispose such optical elements close to each other, and the device becomes large in size, so that the commercial value is lost.
The direction of the clamp screw 33 that is different for each optical element is
This causes the complexity of adjustment when mass-producing color image recording devices.

Further, in the clamp with the clamp screw 33 as described above, when the clamp screw 33 is tightened, the rotational force of the clamp screw 33 acts between the guide rail 31 and the adjustment base 32, so that the adjustment base 32 adjusted with great care is In many cases, the position goes wrong.

In view of the problems of the conventional optical element clamping device as described above, the object of the present invention is that the fixing direction of the optical element can be freely selected, and the position of the adjusted optical element may be out of alignment. To get a structure without.

-Means for Solving the Problems-To achieve this object, the present invention provides an optical element that is moved and adjusted along a guide rail extending in the optical axis direction, in which a guide rail length is provided on a side surface of the guide rail. A V-shaped groove extending in the vertical direction is formed, and a precision sliding hole is formed in a side portion facing the V-shaped groove of an adjustment base that supports an optical element and is positionally adjusted in the length direction of the guide rail. A spherical body that can be pressed against the surface of the V-shaped groove is arranged in the precision sliding hole, and a screw hole into which the clamp screw is screwed is formed in an intersecting state with the precision sliding hole. It is proposed to abut the surface on the sphere.

-Embodiment- Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figs.

In FIG. 2, the guide rail 41 installed on the surface plate 40 having high flatness is extended parallel to the laser beam optical axis B kept parallel to the surface of the identification plate 40. An adjustment table 43, which supports a condenser lens 42, is mounted on a camera 41 so that its position can be adjusted in a direction parallel to the laser beam optical axis B. That is, the adjustment base 43 is placed on the guide rail 41 in a straddle state and is movable in the length direction of the guide rail 41.

An escape groove 44 extending in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 41 is formed on one side surface of the guide rail 41.
A V-shaped groove 46 is formed on the bottom surface 44a of the groove 44 to which a spherical body 45, which will be described in detail later, is pressed. A pair of precision sliding holes 47 arranged on the left and right sides of the adjusting table 43 are formed in the lower part of the adjusting table 43 facing the V-shaped groove 46. Each of the spheres 45 that can contact the groove 46 is housed. A spherical body movably accommodated in the precision sliding hole 47.
Although 45 is a hardened steel ball having a high roundness, its diameter is made as close as possible to the diameter of the precision sliding hole 47 in order to prevent swinging in the precision sliding hole 47. This sphere 45 does not necessarily need to be a steel ball, but in order to obtain a dimensional accuracy with high roundness that is not easily changed by external force, the surface hardness is increased by mixing sintered carbon spheres and glass powder. Alternatively, resin balls such as nylon and polyacetal, metal balls such as surface-treated copper or brass, and ceramic balls having a hard surface may be used. The precision sliding holes 47 prevent the entry of dust and the like into the inside by a blind cover 48 that closes the outlet end thereof.

Further, the adjustment base 43 is formed with screw holes 49 orthogonal to the respective precision sliding holes 47, and these screw holes 49 are clamps which can be manually operated from above the adjustment base 43 by a screw driver or the like. The screw 50 is screwed in. The screw hole 49 does not necessarily have to be at a right angle to the precision sliding hole 47,
The angle α formed by these may be freely selected within the range of 0 ° ≦ | α | ≦ 90 °. The clamp screw 50 is rotated by a tool such as a screw driver, and the head 50a and the sphere 45 are rotated.
Has a conical end 50b that can contact the surface of the
0b may be a spherical surface or another rotating curved surface, and the apex angle β of the conical end portion 50b may be selected as a desired numerical value within the range of 0 ° <β ≦ 180 °.

Since the illustrated embodiment has the above-described structure, the adjusting base 43 is moved along the guide rails 41 to finely adjust the position of the adjusting base 43 in the laser beam optical axis B direction, and then both clamp screws 50 are used. Accurately adjust to the adjusted position just by tightening the
43 can be fixed. That is, when the clamp screw 50 is tightened,
The spherical end 45 is formed into a V-shaped groove 4 by the conical end portion 50b of the clamp screw 50.
Although it presses against the surface of 6, the sphere 45 rotates freely, so that the rotating force of the clamp screw 50 does not act between the guide rail 41 and the adjustment base 43, and it is in a precisely adjusted and precise position. The adjustment table 43 can be fixed. In this case, when the spherical body 45 is strongly pressed against the surface of the V-shaped groove 46, the groove bottom surface 44a of the escape groove 44 may rise to the side of the precision sliding hole 47. Therefore, when the adjustment table 43 is readjusted, the rising does not impair the mobility of the adjustment table 43.

Further, since the direction of the clamp screw 50 of the illustrated structure can be freely selected, it is possible to align the directions of a large number of clamp screws 50 and to freely select the direction of the clamp screw 50 that does not interfere with the adjacent optical elements. Aiming for overall miniaturization,
It becomes a clamp device considering mass productivity.

-Effect of the device-As is clear from the above description, in the clamp device of the present invention, the direction of the clamp screw can be freely selected, so that the device as a whole can be downsized and a device with high mass productivity can be provided. There is an effect that the adjustment base of the optical element can be accurately fixed to the adjusted precise position.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line I--I of FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a side view of a lens adjusting table provided with a clamp device according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a color image recording using a laser optical system. A conceptual view of the apparatus, FIG. 4 is a side view of a conventional lens adjustment base, and FIG.
The drawing is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. 41 …… Guide rail, 42 …… Condenser lens (optical element),
43 …… Adjustment stand, 45 …… Sphere, 46 …… V-shaped groove, 47 …… Precision sliding hole, 49 …… Screw hole, 50 …… Clamp screw.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An optical element which is moved and adjusted along a guide rail extending in the optical axis direction, and a V-shaped groove extending in the length direction of the guide rail is formed on a side surface of the guide rail to support the optical element. In addition, a precision sliding hole is formed in the side of the adjusting table, which is positioned in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail, facing the V-shaped groove, and a spherical body capable of press-contacting the surface of the V-shaped groove is provided in the precision sliding hole. An optical element characterized in that a screw hole into which a clamp screw is screwed is formed in an intersecting state with respect to the precision sliding hole, and a rotating curved end surface of the clamp screw is brought into contact with the spherical body. Clamp device.