Patent ID: 6480220
Filing Date: 2002-11-12
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An image recorder for scanning an objective surface with a plurality of photo-beams in a main scanning direction and a subscanning direction to record an image on said objective surface, comprising:a light source for generating light; an optical fiber array unit comprising a plurality of optical fibers arranged into a plurality of optical fiber rows for receiving said light and emitting a plurality of photo-beams, and a plurality of spacer substrates inserted between said plurality of said optical fiber rows, said spacer substrates having a top holding means, formed on top surface thereof, for holding ones of said optical fiber rows and bottom holding means, formed on a bottom surface thereof, for holding other ones of said optical fiber rows; and an optical system for transmitting said plurality of photo-beams from said optical fiber array unit onto said objective surface, wherein said plurality of spacer substrates are stacked such that said top holding means of one spacer substrate is aligned with said bottom holding means of another spacer substrate, wherein said top holding means are formed in parallel with said bottom holding means, and both said holding means are staggered in said subscanning direction by an integer multiple of an amount P/N, wherein P is a fiber arrangement pitch in each of the optical fiber rows and is substantially equal to a diameter of each optical fiber in each of the optical fiber rows, and N is the number of optical fiber rows included in said optical fiber array unit.