Patent ID: 6166759
Filing Date: 2000-12-26
Classification: B41J,G02B

Abstract:
An optical apparatus for correcting deviations from straightness of an array of laser emitters, said apparatus comprising:an array of laser emitters in generally aligned positions along an array direction, the positions of the emitters deviating from a straight, array direction line in a cross-array direction perpendicular to the array direction by a generally simple bend, each laser emitter producing a beam of light in a direction normal to the array and the cross-array directions such that the light beams travel along individual light beam paths; anda corrector device in the light beam paths for aligning the light beam paths in a cross-array direction, thereby to correct for any deviation of the laser emitters from the straight, array direction line of the laser emitters, said corrector device includinga flexible fiber lens formed in a predetermined shape corresponding to the positions of the emitters which deviate from a straight, array direction line in a cross-array direction perpendicular to the array direction by a generally simple bend, and a mechanical mount to which the lens is attached and which is flexibly adjustable to thereby effect forming the lens into the predetermined shape;wherein the mechanical mount has pair of mounting blocks separated by at least one flex region; and the fiber lens has two attachment regions spaced-apart in the array direction and attached to respective ones of the mounting blocks.