Microlens array and optical system including the same
First Claim
1. A microlens array including N microlenses arranged in at least one direction on an x-y plane, wherein a projection onto the x-y plane of the lens vertex of each microlens is arranged on or near a lattice point of a reference lattice on the x-y plane, the lattice spacing of the reference lattice in the at least one direction being D (millimeters), and when a boundary between two microlenses adjacent in the at least one direction is referred to as a side of a lens, a projection onto the x-y plane of the side is located approximately at the middle of projections onto the x-y plane of the vertexes of the two microlenses and therefore a distance between two sides facing each other and spaced in the at least one direction is approximately equal to D, andwherein a distance between a projection onto the x-y plane of a lens vertex i and a projection onto the x-y plane of a side between the lens vertex i and a lens vertex i+1 is
D/2+ε
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i where ε
i represents a dispersion of the distance from D/2 and for the N microlenses,
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Abstract
A microlens array includes N microlenses arranged in a predetermined direction on an x-y plane. A projection onto the x-y plane of the vertex of each microlens is arranged in the vicinity of a lattice point of a reference lattice on the x-y plane, the lattice spacing of the reference lattice in the predetermined direction being D/M (millimeters) where M is a positive integer. A distance between two sides of a lens facing each other is approximately equal to D, and a distance between the projection onto the x-y plane of the vertex of the lens and the projection onto the x-y plane of a side of the lens is D/2+εi. Letting n represent the refractive index of the material of each microlens and letting f (millimeters) represent the focal length of each microlens, the following relationships are satisfied.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A microlens array including N microlenses arranged in at least one direction on an x-y plane, wherein a projection onto the x-y plane of the lens vertex of each microlens is arranged on or near a lattice point of a reference lattice on the x-y plane, the lattice spacing of the reference lattice in the at least one direction being D (millimeters), and when a boundary between two microlenses adjacent in the at least one direction is referred to as a side of a lens, a projection onto the x-y plane of the side is located approximately at the middle of projections onto the x-y plane of the vertexes of the two microlenses and therefore a distance between two sides facing each other and spaced in the at least one direction is approximately equal to D, and
wherein a distance between a projection onto the x-y plane of a lens vertex i and a projection onto the x-y plane of a side between the lens vertex i and a lens vertex i+1 is
D/2+ε-
i
where ε
i represents a dispersion of the distance from D/2 and for the N microlenses, - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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i
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11. An optical system including a light source emitting lights of the wavelength of λ
- (micrometers), and a microlens array configured to diverge the lights from the light source,
wherein the microlens array includes N microlenses arranged in a at least one direction on an x-y plane, a projection onto the x-y plane of the lens vertex of each microlens is arranged on or near a lattice point of a reference lattice on the x-y plane, the lattice spacing of the reference lattice in the at least one direction being D (millimeters), and when a boundary between microlenses is referred to as a side of a lens, a projection onto the x-y plane of the side is located approximately at the middle of projections onto the x-y plane of the vertexes of the two microlenses and therefore a distance between two sides facing each other and spaced in the at least on direction is approximately equal to D, and wherein a distance between a projection onto the x-y plane of a lens vertex i and a projection onto the x-y plane of a side between the lens vertex i and a lens vertex i+1 is
D/2+ε
iwhere ε
i represents a dispersion of the distance from D/2 and for the N microlenses, - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
- (micrometers), and a microlens array configured to diverge the lights from the light source,
Specification