A laser imager for a printing system, comprising a plurality of independently addressable surface emitting lasers arranged in a linear array on a common substrate chip and including a common cathode and a dedicated control channel associated with an address trace line for each laser of the plurality of independently addressable surface emitting lasers, and optical elements arranged in a linear lens array configured to capture and focus light from the plurality of independently addressable surface emitting lasers onto a imaging member, wherein the plurality of independently addressable surface emitting lasers arranged in a linear array and the optical elements arranged in a linear lens array operate together to image the imaging member.

Focusing optics can include optical elements disposed and bonded in a linear arrangement (linear array) in at least two rows. A transparent bonding agent can secure alignment of the at least two rows of the optical elements. Scattering elements can also be disposed in the transparent polymer to cause light diffusion. Diffused or un-diffused light from a semiconductor laser array can then be caused to pass through the optical element and illuminate a target substrate such as an imaging member in a printing system.

A light emitting device includes: a base that extends in one direction and that is formed of a metal block; plural light emitters that are disposed on a front surface side of the base so as to be displaced from each other in the one direction and in each of which plural light sources that are arranged in the one direction are supported by a support that extends in the one direction; and a protective member that is provided at an end portion of the base in a direction intersecting the one direction, that is disposed on a lateral side of the plural light emitters so as to extend in the one direction, and that protects the plural light emitters from outside.

A light-emitting device includes a base that extends in one direction; a light-emitting unit in which multiple light sources that are disposed in the one direction are supported by a supporting body that extends in the one direction and that is formed from a metal block; a spacer that is interposed between the base and the light-emitting unit in a direction of an optical axis of each light source; and a fixing unit that fixes the light-emitting unit to the base in a mode in which a compressive load is applied to the spacer.

A light-emitting device includes a base that is composed of a metal block that extends in a first direction, multiple light-emitting portions unaligned in the first direction and facing a front surface of the base, the multiple light-emitting portions including multiple light sources that extend in the first direction and that are supported by a support that extends in the first direction, and a handle that is formed below the front surface of the base and that is to be held by an operator with the base placed on a flat surface.

A recording element substrate includes a substrate, a plurality of energy generating elements arranged on the substrate to form an element row, a plurality of supply ports arranged along the element row to form a supply port row, and a plurality of supply paths extending from the plurality of supply ports along the thickness direction of the substrate, wherein a plurality of beam portions disposed between adjacent supply ports in the direction of the supply port row has a plurality of conductor layers in which a conductor layer including a power supply conductor connected to the energy generating elements and a conductor layer including a ground conductor connected to the energy generating elements, are stacked along the thickness direction of the substrate, and wherein at least one of the plurality of conductor layers is occupied by one power supply conductor or one ground conductor.

An optical scanning device (12) includes cleaning holders (511, 512), light transmitting members (52), a linear member (54), a winding motor (55), and stoppers (56a, 56b). The two cleaning holders (511, 512) are coupled to the linear member (54). The linear member 54 is driven to circulate by the winding motor (55), whereby the two cleaning holders (511, 512) move and each cleaning member slides on a corresponding one of the light transmitting members (52). When the cleaning holders (511, 512) come into contact with the respective stoppers (56a, 56b), the stoppers (56a, 56b) restrict movement of the respective cleaning holders (511, 512) in one of directions of extension of the light transmitting members (52). A contact determining section (913) determines, based on a current value of the winding motor (55), that the cleaning holder (511, 512) has come into contact with the stopper (56a, 56h).

The invention describes a laser printing system (100) for illuminating an object moving relative to a laser module of the laser printing system (100) in a working plane (180), the laser module comprising at least two laser arrays of semiconductor lasers and at least one optical element, wherein the optical element is adapted to image laser light emitted by the laser arrays, such that laser light of semiconductor lasers of one laser array is imaged to one pixel in the working plane of the laser printing system, and wherein the laser printing system is a 3D printing system for additive manufacturing and wherein two, three, four or a multitude of laser modules (201, 202) are provided, which are arranged in columns (c1, c2) perpendicular to a direction of movement (250) of the object in the working plane (180), and wherein the columns are staggered with respect to each other such that a first laser module (201) of a first column of laser modules (c1) is adapted to illuminate a first area (y1) of the object and a second laser module (202) of a second column (c2) of laser modules is adapted to illuminate a second area (y2) of the object, wherein the first area (y1) is adjacent to the second area (y2) such that continuous illumination of the object is enabled.

The invention describes a laser printing system (100) for illuminating an object moving relative to a laser module of the laser printing system (100) in a working plane (180), the laser module comprising at least two laser arrays of semiconductor lasers and at least one optical element, wherein the optical element is adapted to image laser light emitted by the laser arrays, such that laser light of semiconductor lasers of one laser array is imaged to one pixel in the working plane of the laser printing system, and wherein the laser printing system is a 3D printing system for additive manufacturing and wherein two, three, four or a multitude of laser modules (201, 202) are provided, which are arranged in columns (c1, c2) perpendicular to a direction of movement (250) of the object in the working plane (180), and wherein the columns are staggered with respect to each other such that a first laser module (201) of a first column of laser modules (c1) is adapted to illuminate a first area (y1) of the object and a second laser module (202) of a second column (c2) of laser modules is adapted to illuminate a second area (y2) of the object, wherein the first area (y1) is adjacent to the second area (y2) such that continuous illumination of the object is enabled.

A laser marking system comprises at least one controller to control an array of optical devices, between a laser source and a scan head. The array applies a selected pattern of portions of the received spatial profile of the laser beam to the substrate to achieve a second intensity different from the first intensity of laser beam at a rate of power deposition relative to a rate of thermal diffusion in the substrate for a predetermined time interval to thermally heat locations of the substrate with the selected pattern of the portions. The second intensity effectuates carbonization of materials of the substrate to create a mark without ablation.