Optical apparatus and resin curing apparatus

• US 20010038992A1
• Filed: 04/23/2001
• Published: 11/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toei Electric Co., Ltd. (Shibaura Machine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Toei Electric Co., Ltd. (Shibaura Machine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Otsuka, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,638,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/004 Hand-held apparatus, e.g. guns

Abstract

The present invention provides a resin curing apparatus which can cure light-cured resin in a small period of time after emitting a light ray for curing resin, and a small and light optical apparatus which can condense a parallel light ray incident upon an entrance plane in an area narrower than that at the time of incidence upon the entrance plane without attenuating optical intensity. The resin curing apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of light emitting devices are caused to emit a light ray by a drive electric current larger than a rated electric current while forcibly cooling each light emitting device by a cooling fan, thereby obtaining a large quantity of light with the high optical intensity capable of curing resin in a short period of time.

Claims

1. A resin curing apparatus comprising:

a light source having a plurality of light emitting devices for emitting a light rays each having a predetermined wavelength;

a condenser having a first surface on which said respective light emitting devices of said light source are closely or proximally arranged, a second surface which has a light outgoing radiation area narrower than said first surface and causes a light ray incident upon said first surface to outgo in a predetermined direction, and a dioptric member which includes a material which is filled between said first surface and said second surface, optically transparent with respect to a wavelength of a light ray emitted by each of said light emitting devices and condenses a light ray from each of said light emitting devices of said light source in an area narrower than that at the time of incidence upon said first surface to be led to said second surface; and

a guide member for guiding a light ray condensed by said condenser to a predetermined position.

2. A resin curing apparatus comprising:

a light source having a plurality of light emitting devices, said respective light emitting devices being arranged in such a manner that traveling directions of light rays emitted by said respective light emitting devices become the same direction, and each of said light emitting device emitting a light ray having a predetermined wavelength;

a condenser having a first curved surface on which said respective light emitting devices of said light source are closely or proximally arranged, a second curved surface which has a light outgoing radiation area narrower than said first curved surface and causes a light ray incident upon said first curved surface to outgo in a predetermined direction, and a dioptric member which includes a material which is filled between said first curved surface and said second curved surface, optically transparent with respect to a wavelength of a light ray emitted by each of said light emitting devices and condenses a light ray from each of said light emitting devices of said light source in an area narrower than that at the time of incidence upon said first curved surface to be led to said second curved surface; and

a guide member for guiding a light ray condensed by said condenser to a predetermined position.

3. The resin curing apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein said light source, said condenser and said guide member are integrally formed.

4. The resin curing apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein each of said light emitting devices of said light source is an LED which emits a light ray having a wavelength of 430 to 480 nm and said light source is an LED array in which a plurality of said LEDs are arranged.

5. The resin curing apparatus according to

claim 3

, wherein each of said light emitting devices of said light source is an LED which emits a light ray having a wavelength of 430 to 480 nm and said light source is an LED array in which a plurality of said LEDs are arranged.

6. The resin curing apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein said first curved surface of said condenser directs a light ray emitted by each of said light emitting devices of said light source to a curvature center side of said first curved surface.

7. The resin curing apparatus according to

claim 3

, wherein said first curved surface of said condenser directs a light ray emitted by each of said light emitting devices of said light source to a curvature center side of said first curved surface.

8. The resin curing apparatus according to

claim 3

, wherein a power supply device for driving said light source is further integrally incorporated.

9. The resin curing apparatus according to

claim 4

, wherein a power supply device for driving said light source is further integrally incorporated.

10. The resin curing apparatus according to

claim 6

, wherein a power supply device for driving said light source is further integrally incorporated.

11. A resin curing apparatus comprising:

a light source which is an LED array including a plurality of LEDs each of which outputs a light ray having a predetermined wavelength, said respective LEDs being arranged in said LED array in such a manner that traveling directions of light rays emitted by said respective LEDs become the same direction;

a guide member for guiding a light ray from said light source to a predetermined position; and

a cooling fan for forcibly cooling said LED array and a drive motor of said cooling fan itself.

12. The resin curing apparatus according to

claim 11

, wherein a plurality of said LEDs are driven by a drive electric current larger than a rated electric current.

13. The resin curing apparatus according to

claim 11

, wherein a wavelength of a light ray emitted by each of said LEDs is 370 to 480 nm.

14. The resin curing apparatus according to

claim 12

, wherein a wavelength of a light ray emitted by each of said LEDs is 370 to 480 nm.

15. The resin curing apparatus according to

claim 11

, further comprising:

an LED drive circuit capable of supplying a predetermined drive electric current to each of said LEDs in said LED array,

wherein said cooling fan can also cool down said LED drive circuit.

16. The resin curing apparatus according to

claim 12

, further comprising:

an LED drive circuit capable of supplying a predetermined drive electric current to each of said LEDs in said LED array,

wherein said cooling fan can also cool down said LED drive circuit.

17. An optical apparatus comprising:

a first curved surface on which a light ray from a light source including a number of light emitting devices can be incident, the shape of said first curved surface being defined in such a manner that at least one of the light emitting devices in close contact with each other and the light emitting devices arranged in contiguity with each other can be aligned along said first curved surface;

a second curved surface which has a light outgoing radiation area narrower than said first curved surface and causes a light ray incident upon said first curved surface to outgo in a predetermined direction; and

an optically transparent material which is filled between said first curved surface and said second curved surface, optically transparent with respect to a wavelength of a light ray emitted by each of the light emitting devices, and condenses the light ray from each of the light emitting devices of said light source to an area narrower than that at the time of incidence upon said first curved surface to be led to said second curved surface.

18. The optical apparatus according to

claim 17

, wherein said first curved surface directs a light ray emitted by each of the light emitting devices to a curvature center side of said first curved surface.

19. The optical apparatus according to

claim 17

, further comprising:

a light source including an LED array consisting of a plurality of LEDs each of which emits a light ray having a predetermined wavelength, said respective LEDs being arranged in such a manner that traveling directions of light rays emitted by said respective LEDs become the same direction;

a guide member for guiding a light ray from said light source to a predetermined position; and

a cooling mechanism for cooling said optical apparatus and a plurality of LEDs of said light source,

wherein said light ray outgoing from said second curved surface is caused to be incident upon said guide member.

20. An optical apparatus comprising:

a first curved surface having a predetermined curvature by which a parallel ray can be incident upon said first curved surface;

a second curved surface which has a light outgoing radiation area narrower than said first curved surface and causes a light ray incident upon said first curved surface to outgo in a predetermined direction; and

an optically transparent material which is filled between said first curved surface and said second curved surface, optically transparent with respect to a wavelength of the parallel ray, and condenses the parallel ray in an area narrower than that at the time of incidence upon said first curved surface to be led to said second curved surface.

21. The optical apparatus according to

claim 20

, wherein said first curved surface directs the parallel ray to a curvature center side of said first curved surface.

22. The optical apparatus according to

claim 20

, further comprising:

a light source including an LED array includes a plurality of LEDs each of which emits a light ray having a predetermined wavelength, said respective LEDs being arranged in such a manner that traveling directions of a light ray emitted by each LED become the same direction;

a guide member for leading a light ray from said light source to a predetermined position; and

a cooling mechanism for cooling said optical apparatus and a plurality of said LEDs of said light source,

wherein the light ray outgoing from said second curved surface is caused to be incident upon said guide member.