Optical deflector array

• US 20050099671A1
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Miyajima, Hiroshi, Nishio, Masahiro, Kamiya, Yoshitaka, Matsuo, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,230,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/291
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/085 the reflecting means being moved or deformed by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/16195 Flat cap [not enclosing an internal cavity]

Abstract

An optical deflector array has a first board, second board, and magnetic field generator. The first board has movable plates respectively having reflecting surfaces, wirings passing through the respective movable plates, and first connecting portions provided at the two ends of the each wiring. The second board has second connecting portions electrically connected to the first connecting portions of the first board, third connecting portions for external electrical connection, and connecting wirings electrically connecting the second connecting portions and the third connecting portions. The optical deflector array further has connecting members that electrically connect the first connecting portions of the first board to the second connecting portions of the second board.

Claims

1. An optical deflector array, which includes electromagnetically actuated optical deflectors, comprising:

a first board having movable plates respectively having reflecting surfaces, wirings passing through the respective movable plates, and first connecting portions provided at two ends of the each wiring;

a second board having second connecting portions electrically connected to the first connecting portions of the first board, third connecting portions for external electrical connection, and connecting wirings electrically connecting the second connecting portions and the third connecting portions;

connecting members that electrically connect the first connecting portions of the first board to the second connecting portions of the second board; and

magnetic field generating means for generating a magnetic field.

2. An array according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic generating means has magnets, which are fixed to the second board.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second board has a positioning portion for positioning the magnets.

4. An array according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field generating means has magnets and a holding board for holding the magnets.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second board has a positioning portion for positioning the magnets.

6. An array according to claim 1, wherein the first board further has, for each of the deflectors, an outer movable plate located outside the movable plate, two inner torsion bars connecting the movable plate and the outer movable plate, a support located outside the outer movable plate, and two outer torsion bars connecting the outer movable plate and the support, the inner torsion bars extending along a first axis, and the outer torsion bars extending along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, and of four portions of the support divided by two virtual straight lines each of which is on a plane including the first and second axes and divides associated diagonal two of four quadrants divided by the first and second axes, the first connecting portions are located on two portions that exclude connecting portions with the outer torsion bars.

7. An array according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field generating means has a single magnet, which is fixed to the second board.

8. An array according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field generating means has a magnet located on a side of the first board.

9. An array according to claim 1, further comprising a package having a recess portion that can accommodate the first board, the second board, and the magnetic field generating means, and an optically transparent cover that covers the recess portion of the package.

10. An optical deflector array, which includes electromagnetically actuated optical deflectors, comprising:

a first board having movable plates respectively having reflecting surfaces, wirings passing through the respective movable plates, and first connecting portions provided at two ends of the each wiring;

a second board having second connecting portions electrically connected to the first connecting portions of the first board, third connecting portions for external electrical connection, and connecting wirings electrically connecting the second connecting portions and the third connecting portions;

connecting members that electrically connect the first connecting portions of the first board to the second connecting portions of the second board; and

a magnetic field generator, which generates a magnetic field.

11. An array according to claim 10, wherein the magnetic generator has magnets, which are fixed to the second board.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second board has a positioning portion to position the magnets.

13. An array according to claim 10, wherein the magnetic field generator has magnets and a holding board that holds the magnets.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second board has a positioning portion to position the magnets.

15. An array according to claim 10, wherein the first board further has, for each of the deflectors, an outer movable plate located outside the movable plate, two inner torsion bars connecting the movable plate and the outer movable plate, a support located outside the outer movable plate, and two outer torsion bars connecting the outer movable plate and the support, the inner torsion bars extending along a first axis, and the outer torsion bars extending along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, and of four portions of the support divided by two virtual straight lines each of which is on a plane including the first and second axes and divides associated diagonal two of four quadrants divided by the first and second axes, the first connecting portions are located on two portions that exclude connecting portions with the outer torsion bars.

16. An array according to claim 10, wherein the magnetic field generator has a single magnet, which is fixed to the second board.

17. An array according to claim 10, wherein the magnetic field generator has a magnet located on a side of the first board.

18. An array according to claim 10, further comprising a package having a recess portion which can accommodate the first board, the second board, and the magnetic field generator, and an optically transparent cover that covers the recess portion of the package.