Free-form surface lens, method of designing free-form surface lens, free-form surface mirror, method of designing free-form surface mirror, and projection type video display apparatus

• US 10,185,060 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirata, Koji, Yatsu, Masahiko, Matsumiya, Yuki, Kato, Shuji, Kimura, Kayono
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, William R
• Application Number:
  US15/314,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20170199308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 359708
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/16 for use in conjunction with image converters or intensifiers , or for use with projectors, e.g. objectives for projection TV
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/08 Catadioptric systems used in non-imaging applications G02B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/28 with cooling device
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0012 Optical design, e.g. procedures, algorithms, optimisation routines
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/02 with non-spherical faces G02B3/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/04 with continuous faces that are rotationally symmetrical but deviate from a true sphere , e.g. so called "aspheric" lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/10 with curved faces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/182 for mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066

Abstract

A free-form surface lens is made of a transparent resin forming an oblique projection optical system including a free-form surface mirror in a projection type video display apparatus, this lens includes a lens effective region having a surface on which a predetermined free-form surface is formed, and an edge surface formed to surround the lens effective region, the lens effective region and the edge surface in a part of a circumference surrounding the lens effective region where the edge surface is not formed are joined to each other by at least either one of a curved surface and a flat surface set so as not to change a direction of a tilt of the lens effective region in vicinity of the lens effective region, and an end surface including at least either one of the curved surface and the flat surface is set as a tapered surface.

Claims

1. A free-form surface lens made of a transparent resin forming an oblique projection optical system including a reflecting mirror with a convex surface with respect to a video projection surface in a projection type video display apparatus, comprising:

a lens effective region having a surface on which a predetermined free-form surface is formed; and

an edge surface formed to surround the lens effective region,

wherein the lens effective region and the edge surface in a part of a circumference surrounding the lens effective region where the edge surface is not formed are joined to each other by at least either one of a curved surface and a flat surface set so as not to change a direction of a tilt of the lens effective region in vicinity of the lens effective region, and an end surface including at least either one of the curved surface and the flat surface is set as a tapered surface,

wherein a shape of the reflecting mirror with the convex surface with respect to the video projection surface is a free-form surface shape,

a reflecting mirror protruding pin is formed at a position outside an effective surface of a free-form surface of the reflecting mirror on a rear surface of a reflecting mirror formed surface, and

a surface roughness of the edge surface is larger than a surface roughness of the lens effective region, and

wherein, when a maximum distance of at least either one of a straight line and a curved line is equal to or larger than 1/20 of a long side of the lens, the tapered surface is a tapered surface having an angle of 5°

or more and 20°

or less.

2. The free-form surface lens according to claim 1,

wherein a surface roughness of the edge surface is larger than a surface roughness of the lens effective region.

3. The free-form surface lens according to claim 1,

wherein the surface roughness of the edge surface is 20 nm or more and 100 nm or less.

4. A method of designing a free-form surface lens made of a transparent resin forming an oblique projection optical system including a reflecting mirror with a convex surface with respect to a video projection surface in a projection type video display apparatus,

a lens effective region having a surface on which a predetermined free-form surface is formed is set,

an edge surface formed to surround the lens effective region is set, and

the lens effective region and the edge surface in a part of a circumference surrounding the lens effective region where the edge surface is not formed are joined to each other by at least either one of a curved surface and a flat surface so as not to change a direction of a tilt of a lens effective region in vicinity of the lens effective region, and an end surface including at least either one of the curved surface and the flat surface is set as a tapered surface,

wherein, when a maximum distance of at least either one of the a curved surface and the flat surface is equal to or more than 1/20 of a long side of the lens, the tapered surface is set as a tapered surface having an angle of 5°

or more and 20°

or less.

5. The method of designing the free-form surface lens according to claim 4,

wherein a surface roughness of the edge surface is set to be larger than a surface roughness of the lens effective region.

6. The method of designing the free-form surface lens according to claim 4,

wherein the surface roughness of the edge surface is set to be 20 nm or more and 100 nm or less.