VIRTUAL IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF VIRTUAL IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20130070344A1
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: TAKEDA, Takashi, TOTANI, Takahiro, TAKAGI, Masayuki, KOMATSU, Akira, MIYAO, Toshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,711,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/633
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it

Abstract

In fabrication of a light guiding unit, a half mirror layer as a reflection film for folding light is covered by a light transmission main body part as a coating member, i.e., a light transmission member, and a hard coating layer is deposited thereon. Therefore, even when the surfaces of a light guide main body part and the light transmission main body part forming the light guiding unit are cleansed as pre-processing of the deposition of the hard coating layer, the situations such that the half mirror layer is separated thereby may be avoided and optical properties of the half mirror layer may not be lost.

Claims

1. A virtual image display device comprising:

an image display unit that forms image light;

a projection system that forms a virtual image by the image light output from the image display unit; and

a light guide unit having a light-incident part that takes the image light that has passed through the projection system inside, a light guide part that guides the image light taken from the light-incident part by total reflection on first and second surfaces, and a light-exiting part that outputs the image light through the light guide part to the outside,

wherein the light guide unit has a reflection part that folds the image light at least in one of the light-incident part and the light-exiting part, a coating member that covers the reflection part, and a hard coating layer that protects the surface guiding the image light including at least the first and second surfaces, and

the hard coating layer covers at least the surface guiding the image light of an entire member containing a light guide main body part that forms at least the light-incident part, the light guide part, and the light-exiting part and the coating member coating the reflection part for folding light.

2. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein the reflection part for folding light is a reflection film that is provided at the light-exiting part side, takes the image light to the outside, and transmits the external light.

3. The virtual image display device according to claim 2, wherein the coating member is a light transmission member forming a see-through part that is bonded to the light-exiting part to cover the reflection film and enable observation of external light.

4. The virtual image display device according to claim 2, wherein the light guide unit has a mirror film that is provided on the hard coating layer at the light-incident part side and guides the image light to the light guide part.

9. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein the hard coating layer is formed by application of a coating material using dipping processing.

10. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein the light guide part has the first surface and the second surface that are provided in parallel to each other and enable light guide by total reflection,

the light-incident part has a third surface forming a predetermined angle with respect to the first surface, and

the light-exiting part has a fourth surface forming a predetermined angle with respect to the first surface.

5. A virtual image display device comprising:

an image display unit that forms image light;

a projection system that forms a virtual image by the image light output from the image display unit; and

a light guide unit having a light-incident part that takes the image light that has passed through the projection system inside, a light guide part that guides the image light taken from the light-incident part by total reflection on first and second surfaces, and a light-exiting part that outputs the image light through the light guide part to the outside,

wherein the light guide unit has a hard coating layer that protects the surface guiding the image light including at least the first and second surfaces, and a reflection part that folds the image light at least in one of the light-incident part and the light-exiting part, and

the hard coating layer covers at least the surface guiding the image light of an entire member containing at least a light guide main body part that forms at least the light-incident part, the light guide part, and the light-exiting part, and the reflection part for folding light is formed on the hard coating layer.

6. The virtual image display device according to claim 5, wherein the reflection part for folding light is a reflection film that is provided at the light-exiting part side, takes the image light to the outside, and transmits the external light.

7. The virtual image display device according to claim 6, wherein the light guide unit has a light transmission member forming a see-through part that is bonded to the light-exiting part to enable observation of external light.

8. The virtual image display device according to claim 5, wherein the reflection part for folding light is a mirror film that is provided at the light-incident part side and guides the image light to the light guide part.

11. A manufacturing method of a virtual image display device including an image display unit that forms image light, a projection system that forms a virtual image by the image light output from the image display unit, and a light guide unit having a light-incident part that takes the image light that has passed through the projection, system inside, a light guide part that guides the image light taken from the light-incident part by total reflection on first and second surfaces, a light-exiting part that takes the image light through the light guide part to the outside, a reflection part that folds the image light at least in the light-incident part and the light-exiting part, a coating member that covers the reflection part, and a hard coating layer that protects the surface guiding the image light including at least the first and second surfaces,

the method comprising:

fabricating the reflection part for folding light in a light guide main body part that forms at least the light-incident part and the light-exiting part;

coating the reflection part fabricated in the fabricating with the coating member; and

depositing the hard coating layer that covers an entire member containing the light guide main body part that forms at least the light-incident part, the light guide part, and the light-exiting part and the coating member coating the reflection part for folding light in the coating.

13. The virtual image display device according to claim 11, wherein the depositing includes applying a coating material to be the hard coating layer by dipping processing.

12. A manufacturing method of a virtual image display device including an image display unit that forms image light, a projection system that forms a virtual image by the image light output from the image display unit, and a light guide unit having a light-incident part that takes the image light that has passed through the projection system inside, a light guide part that guides the image light taken from the light-incident part by total reflection on first and second surfaces, a light-exiting part that outputs the image light through the light guide part to the outside, a hard coating layer that protects the surface guiding the image light including at least the first and second surfaces, and a reflection part that folds the image light at least in one of the light-incident part and the light-exiting part,

the method comprising:

depositing the hard coating layer that covers an entire member containing the light guide main body part that forms at least the light-incident part, the light guide part, and the light-exiting part; and

fabricating the reflection part for folding the image light that is formed on the light guide main body part forming at least one of the light-incident part and the light-exiting part of the hard coating layer deposited in the depositing.