Image forming apparatus with mirror adjustment unit

• US 9,703,227 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2016
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyashima, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Laballe, Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Verbitsky, Victor
• Application Number:
  US15/242,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20170010560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0825 the reflecting element being a flexible sheet or membrane, e.g. for varying the focus flexible mirrors for cosmetic use A45D42/24
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/125 Details of the optical system between the polygonal mirror and the image plane G02B26/123, G02B26/127 take precedence; F-Theta lenses G02B13/0005
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/126 including curved mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/04036 Details of illuminating systems, e.g. lamps, reflectors lamp housings for copying cameras, reflex exposure lighting G03B27/542
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/04072 by laser
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0409 Details of projection optics for projection printing apparatus G03B27/522
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/043 with means for controlling illumination or exposure G03G15/041 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0132 vertical medium transport path at the secondary transfer

Abstract

An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment includes a photoconductive drum, a light scanning unit, a reflection mirror, a support member, and a cam. The light scanning unit forms a light scanning beam with which the photoconductive drum is irradiated. The reflection mirror guides the light scanning beam toward the photoconductive drum. The support member supports both ends of the reflection mirror in a longitudinal direction. The cam is provided in the support member. The cam comes into contact with the reflection mirror in an intermediate portion of the reflection mirror in the longitudinal direction. The cam moves the intermediate portion in a plate thickness direction of the reflection mirror with respect to a support position by the support member.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a photoconductive drum;

a light scanning unit that forms a light scanning beam with which the photoconductive drum is irradiated;

a reflection mirror that guides the light scanning beam toward the photoconductive drum;

a support member that supports the reflection mirror, the support member comprising a first support portion and a second portion, the first support portion supporting a first end portion of the reflection mirror, the second support portion supporting a second end portion of the reflection mirror;

a cam that is provided at the support member, the cam coming into contact with an opposite side of a reflection surface of the reflection mirror, at an intermediate portion of the support member in a longitudinal direction, the intermediate portion being located between the first support portion and the second support portion; and

a pressure member located between the first support portion and the second support portion, the pressure member comprising an elastic member and a pressing member, the elastic member being on an opposite side of the reflection surface of the reflection mirror, the pressing member coming into contact with the reflection surface of the reflection mirror and pressing the reflection mirror against the cam by a force of the elastic member.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cam includes a shaft that is supported to be rotatable with respect to the support member and a cam surface for which a distance from a central axis line of the shaft varies.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a ratchet mechanism that fixes a position of the cam in a plate thickness direction to the support member.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a movement amount of the reflection mirror by the cam is equal to or less than an allowable deformation amount of the reflection mirror in an intermediate portion.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reflection mirror reflects the light scanning beam along an optical path of the optical scanning beam at an immediate front of the photoconductive drum.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a central axis line of the shaft is parallel to the reflection surface of the reflection mirror and intersects a longitudinal direction of the reflection mirror.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the central axis line of the shaft is parallel to the reflection surface of the reflection mirror and is parallel to a longitudinal direction of the reflection mirror.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at a position closer to an end in a longitudinal direction of the reflection mirror than a position at which the reflection mirror is supported by the support member, the reflection mirror is supported by a positioning portion regulating a positional relation with the light scanning unit.