Position adjuster for a device

• US 20060006295A1
• Filed: 07/08/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: InFocus Corporation (Lap-Shun Hui, MBA)
• Inventors: Gainer, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,442,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/188.400
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/024 by positive interaction, e.g. male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/145 Housing details, e.g. position adjustments thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 23/00 Devices for changing pictures in viewing apparatus or projectors

Abstract

A position adjuster for a projection device is provided. The position adjuster may include both a coarse adjustment mechanism and a fine adjustment mechanism for positioning the projection device relative a reference surface.

Claims

1. A position adjuster for adjusting a device at a select angle from a reference surface;

the position adjuster comprising;

an adjustment rod;

an adjustment dial operatively attached to the device and configured to engage the adjustment rod for fine adjustment of the device, the adjustment dial further configured to selectively disengage from the adjustment rod to enable coarse adjustment of the device.

2. The position adjuster of claim 1, wherein the adjustment rod has a threaded portion configured to engage a threaded region of the adjustment dial.

3. The position adjuster of claim 1, wherein the adjustment dial is configured to be selectively rotated about adjustment rod.

4. The position adjuster of claim 3, wherein the adjustment rod is configured to travel vertically relative the adjustment dial.

5. The position adjuster of claim 1, further comprising a coarse adjustment mechanism configured to enable disengagement of the adjustment dial from the adjustment rod.

6. The position adjuster of claim 5, wherein the coarse adjustment mechanism includes a biasing mechanism configured to bias the adjustment dial against the adjustment rod.

7. The position adjuster of claim 5, wherein the coarse adjustment mechanism includes a bridge adjacent the adjustment dial configured to slidingly retain an attachment structure coupled to the device.

8. The position adjuster of claim 6, wherein the coarse adjustment mechanism is configured to receive force applied against the biasing mechanism to disengage the adjustment dial from the adjustment rod.

9. The position adjuster of claim 5, wherein the coarse adjustment mechanism is configured to enable the adjustment rod to be vertically slid to a select position relative the adjustment dial.

10. The position adjuster of claim 1, further comprising a fine adjustment mechanism configured to enable fine adjustment of the position of the adjustment dial relative the adjustment rod.

11. The position adjuster of claim 10, wherein the fine adjustment mechanism includes threads on the adjustment dial which substantially correspond to threads on the adjustment rod.

12. The position adjuster of claim 11, wherein the adjustment dial is configured to be selectively rotated to finely position the adjustment dial relative the adjustment rod.

13. The position adjuster of claim 1 for use in a projection device.

14. A position adjuster for a projection device, the position adjuster comprising:

a fine adjustment mechanism configured to enable fine positioning of the projection device relative a reference surface; and

a coarse adjustment mechanism configured to enable coarse positioning of the projection device relative the reference surface.

15. The position adjuster of claim 14, further comprising:

an adjustment rod; and

an adjustment dial rotatable about the adjustment rod and operatively coupled to the projection device,

where the coarse adjustment mechanism is configured to enable disengagement of the adjustment dial from the adjustment rod.

16. The position adjuster of claim 14, further comprising

an adjustment rod;

and

an adjustment dial rotatable about the adjustment rod and operatively coupled to the projection device,

wherein course adjustment mechanism includes a biasing mechanism configured to bias the adjustment dial against the adjustment rod.

17. The position adjuster of claim 16, wherein the coarse adjustment mechanism is configured to receive force applied against the biasing mechanism to disengage the adjustment dial from the adjustment rod.

18. The position adjuster of claim 14, further comprising:

an adjustment rod; and

an adjustment dial rotatable about the adjustment rod and operatively coupled to the projection device, where the adjustment dial is spaced from the adjustment rod during use of the coarse adjustment mechanism.

19. The position adjuster of claim 14, further comprising

an adjustment rod;

and

an adjustment dial rotatable about the adjustment rod and operatively coupled to the projection device,

where the adjustment rod includes a threaded portion upon which the adjustment dial is configured to rotate.

20. The position adjuster of claim 14, further comprising:

an adjustment rod; and

an adjustment dial rotatable about the adjustment rod and operatively coupled to the projection device,

where the adjustment rod includes at least one stop to prevent release of the adjustment rod.

21. The position adjuster of claim 14, where the fine adjustment mechanism is operable in a first configuration and the coarse adjustment mechanism is operable in a second configuration.

22. The position adjuster of claim 14, wherein the fine adjustment mechanism includes a threaded region on an adjustment dial which substantially corresponds to a threaded portion on an adjustment rod.

23. A projection device adapted to be positioned on a reference surface, the projection device comprising:

a light source;

an image generation device receiving light produced from the light source and configured to generate and project an image; and

a position adjuster including a coarse adjustment mechanism and a fine adjustment mechanism for positioning the projection device relative the reference surface.

24. The projection device of claim 23, wherein the coarse adjustment mechanism includes a disengagement structure.

25. The projection device of claim 24, wherein the position adjuster includes an adjustment rod and an adjustment dial and the disengagement structure is configured to enable release of the adjustment dial from the adjustment rod.

26. The projection device of claim 25, wherein the disengagement structure includes a biasing mechanism configured to bias the adjustment dial against the adjustment rod.

27. The projection device of claim 23, wherein the position adjuster includes an adjustment rod and an adjustment dial and the fine adjustment mechanism is configured to enable fine adjustment of the position of the adjustment dial relative the adjustment rod.

28. The projection device of claim 27, wherein the fine adjustment mechanism includes threads on the adjustment dial which substantially correspond to threads on the adjustment rod.

29. The projection device of claim 28, wherein the adjustment dial is configured to be selectively rotated about the adjustment rod to finely position the adjustment rod.

30. The projection device of claim 23, wherein the reference surface is a horizontal surface and the position adjuster is configured to alter the vertical position of the projected image.

31. The projection device of claim 23, further comprising a housing for containing the light source, the image generation device and a portion of the position adjuster.

32. The projection device of claim 31, wherein the housing has a front portion and the position adjuster is disposed on the front portion.

33. The projection device of claim 31, further comprising a second position adjuster, where the first position adjuster is on a first front side of the housing and the second position adjuster is on the opposite front side of the housing.

34. The projection device of claim 33, wherein the first position and second position adjuster are configured to be independently adjusted to adjust side-to-side tilt of the projection device.

35. A projection device comprising:

an image-generation means; and

means for adjusting the position of the projection device relative a reference surface.

36. The projection device of claim 35, wherein the means for adjusting the position of the projection device includes a means for adjusting the vertical position of a portion of the projection device.

37. The projection device of claim 35, wherein the means for adjusting the position of the projection device includes a means for coarsely adjusting the position of the projection device.

38. The projection device of claim 35, wherein the means for adjusting the position of the projection device includes a means for finely adjusting the position of the projection device.

39. The projection device of claim 35, wherein the means for adjusting the position of the projection device includes a means for adjusting the side-to-side tilt of the projection device.

40. A method of selectively adjusting the position of a projected image on a viewing surface, the method comprising:

positioning a projection device on a reference surface;

coarsely adjusting a vertical position of the projected image to an approximate position on the viewing surface using a position adjuster extending from the projection device; and

finely adjusting the vertical position of the projected image to a select position on the viewing surface using the position adjuster.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising adjusting the side-to-side tilt of the projection device to selectively align the projected image with the viewing surface.