Patent · US Expired

Alignment correction for laser print heads

US5841463A · kind A · utility

10Cited by
7References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 27, 1996
Grant dateNov 24, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 27, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41J2/451
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and method of manufacturing a laser print head include the steps of mounting a laser array (70) on a print head block (80), measuring misalignment of the laser array (70) to determine a correction factor, mounting a cylinder lens (20) on a cylinder lens holder (25), inducing a predetermined bend into the cylinder lens (20) corresponding to the correction factor by allowing the cylinder lens (20) to sag on upright posts (26) of the cylinder lens holder (25), attaching the cylinder lens (20) to a sub-mount (30), attaching flexures (50) to the sub-mount (30), aligning the cylinder lens (20) to the laser array (70), and attaching the flexures (50) to the print head block (80). The bend in the cylinder lens corrects for misalignment in the laser array (70) so that the array of spots at the image plane is in an approximately straight line. In one embodiment, the sub-mount and cylinder lens have approximately the same thermal coefficient of expansion.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.