Diffuser panel and optical apparatus which uses this diffuser panel

• US 20050169008A1
• Filed: 02/02/2005
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Okazaki, Ayako
• Granted Patent: US 7,336,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/558
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/02 Illuminating scene

Abstract

A diffuser panel having a plurality of micro lenses arranged on a surface of a substrate, a half or more of these micro lenses are in a shape which has (2n+1) angles. This diffuser panel provides rays which are uniformly diffused within a diffusion area and a light amount distribution which changes smoothly. This diffuser panel provides a bright image having a naturally blurred impression when the diffuser panel is used as a focusing panel of an optical apparatus.

Claims

1. A diffuser panel comprising a plurality of micro lenses arranged on a surface, wherein a half or more of said plurality of micro lenses have an outer circumferential shape which has angles in a number (2n+1),

where a reference symbol n represents an integer of 2 or larger.

3. The diffuser panel according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of micro lenses in the shape having the (2n+1) angles are formed with two or more kinds of micro lenses which have different heights.

5. The diffuser panel according to claim 1, wherein the micro lenses are polygonal micro lenses whose value of said n is 4 or smaller.

8. The diffuser panel according to claim 3, wherein said two or more kinds of micro lenses having the different heights are arranged on patterns which are different dependently on the heights.

9. The diffuser panel according to claim 3 having a periodical configuration taking a unit formed with said plurality of micro lenses as a period.

15. The diffuser panel according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of micro lenses is formed with two kinds of micro lenses having different heights and a ratio of h1/h2 is within a range defined below:

1.5<

h1/h2<

3

where a reference symbol h1 represents a height of a vertex of one kind of micro lens and a reference symbol h2 represents a height of a vertex of the other kind of micro lens.

17. The diffuser panel according to claim 1, wherein a distance between vertices of said micro lenses is not shorter than 3 9 m and not longer than 30 μ

m.

18. The diffuser panel according to claim 1, wherein a surface on a side opposite to a surface on which said plurality of micro lenses are arranged is a Fresnel surface.

19. A focusing panel for an image pickup device using the diffuser panel according to claim 1.

20. An optical apparatus comprising the diffuser panel according to claim 1.

2. A diffuser panel comprising a plurality of micro lenses arranged on a surface, wherein a half or more of said micro lenses have an outer circumferential shape which has angles in a number (2n+1), and a plurality of areas in a shape which has angles in a number of m are disposed among the micro lenses,

where a reference symbol n represents an integer of 2 or larger and a reference symbol m represents an integer of 3 or larger.

4. The diffuser panel according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of micro lenses in the shape having the (2n+1) angles and said plurality of areas are formed with two or more kinds of micro lenses having different heights.

6. The diffuser panel according to claim 2, wherein said areas in the shape having m angles are planar portions which are in a sand-blasted condition.

7. The diffuser panel according to claim 2, wherein said areas in the shape having the m angles are formed with micro lenses.

10. The diffuser panel according to claim 4 having a periodical configuration taking a unit formed with said plurality of micro lenses and said plurality of areas as a period.

16. The diffuser panel according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of micro lenses and said plurality of areas are formed with two kinds of micro lenses having different heights, and a ratio of h1/h2 is within a range defined below;

1.5<

h1/h2<

3

where a reference symbol h1 represents a height of a vertex of one kind of micro lens and a reference symbol h2 represents a height of a vertex of the other kind of micro lens.

11. A diffuser panel comprising a plurality of polygonal micro lenses arranged on a surface, wherein the micro lenses are arranged so as to include at least one polygonal side which does not intersect orthogonally with a line connecting vertices of the micro lenses.

13. The diffuser panel according to claim 11, wherein said micro lenses are arranged taking a unit formed with said plurality of micro lenses as a period.

14. The diffuser panel according to claim 11, wherein a height of said micro lens is not lower than 0.6 μ

m and not higher than 7 μ

m.

12. A diffuser panel comprising a plurality of polygonal micro lenses arranged on a surface, wherein the micro lenses are arranged so that a line connecting vertices of a micro lens and an adjacent micro lens is not identical to a line connecting vertices of the micro lens and another adjacent micro lens.