Projector

• US 20020008852A1
• Filed: 07/09/2001
• Published: 01/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Sawai, Yasumasa, Adachi, Iwao, Onishi, Satoshi, Inoue, Kazuhiko, Nagata, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 6,561,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/57
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/16 Cooling; Preventing overheating

Abstract

A projector includes a duct having a connecting end for connection to an air inlet provided in a housing, and an air intake end for drawing in outside air for cooling the interior of the projector. The duct is made of a soft or flexible material and is capable of altering its shape. Thus, the duct can change the position of the air intake end in space, for example, to different positions. Further, the duct is pivotable on a pivot axis, and thus can change the opening direction of the air intake end circumferentially about the pivot axis. Therefore, selection of the position and/or opening direction of the air intake end so as to draw in the outside air suitable for cooling the interior depending on the usage forms of the projector achieves efficient cooling of the interior of the projector.

Claims

1. A projector comprising:

a projection section including an optical element for projecting an optical image onto a predetermined image surface;

a housing for housing said projection section therein and having at least one opening, said housing being hollow;

a duct disposed to extend from said opening to the outside of said housing, said duct having a connecting end for connection to said opening and an open end open to the outside of said housing; and

an air flow generator for generating an intake air flow directed from the outside of said housing through said opening of said housing to a predetermined to-be-cooled portion of said projection section in said housing, said predetermined to-be-cooled portion being a heat-generating optical element,

wherein said duct is movable to make the position and/or opening direction of said open end variable.

2. The projector according to claim 1, wherein

said duct is made of a soft or flexible material.

3. The projector according to claim 1, wherein

said duct is attachable to and detachable from said opening.

4. The projector according to claim 1, wherein

said air flow generator is capable of generating an exhaust air flow directed from said predetermined to-be-cooled portion of said projection section toward said opening,

said projector further comprising

a selector for changing a driving state of said air flow generator to selectively generate said intake air flow and said exhaust air flow.

5. A projector comprising:

a projection section including an optical element for projecting an optical image onto a predetermined image surface;

a housing for housing said projection section therein and having at least one opening, said housing being hollow;

a duct disposed to extend from said opening to a predetermined to-be-cooled portion of said projection section, said predetermined to-be-cooled portion being a heat-generating optical element, at least part of said duct being made of a thermal insulation material; and

an air flow generator for generating an intake air flow directed from the outside of said housing through said opening of said housing via said duct to said predetermined to-be-cooled portion in said housing.

6. The projector according to claim 5, wherein

said duct is made throughout of a thermal insulation material.

7. A projector comprising:

a projection section including an optical element for projecting an optical image onto a predetermined image surface;

a housing for housing said projection section therein and having at least one opening, said housing being hollow;

a duct disposed to extend from said opening to a predetermined to-be-cooled portion of said projection section, said predetermined to-be-cooled portion being a heat-generating optical element, at least part of said duct being made of a thermal insulation material; and

an air flow generator for generating an exhaust air flow directed from said predetermined to-be-cooled portion in said housing through said opening of said housing via said duct to the outside of said housing.

8. The projector according to claim 7, wherein said duct has a portion made of a thermal insulation material and a portion which is not made of a thermal insulation material but is made of a material having high thermal conductivity.