Projector

• US 6,350,033 B1
• Filed: 11/09/1999
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Fujimori, Motoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cruz, Magda
• Application Number:
  US09/436,214
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 353/57, 353/60, 353/61, 353/119, 353/59, 353/58, 353/56
• US Class Current: 353/61
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/16 Cooling; Preventing overheating

Abstract

A projector is provided that may include an enclosing structure for enclosing an optical path from an electro-optical apparatus to a projection lens, and an air circulation path connected to the enclosing structure and disposed in a flow path for cooling air. Thus, air inside the enclosing structure can be efficiently cooled while preventing the entry of dust or oil mist.

Claims

1. A projector, comprising:

a light source;

a color separation optical system that includes a plurality of optical elements and separates a light emitted from the light source into a plurality of color lights;

an optical component housing that holds the plurality of optical elements;

a plurality of optical modulation devices, each of the optical modulation devices modulates the color light separated by the color separation optical system;

a prism that synthesizes the color light modulated by the optical modulation devices;

a projection lens that projects a light synthesized by the prism;

an enclosing box that encloses an optical path from the plurality of optical modulation devices to the projection lens, the enclosing box accommodates the plurality of optical modulation devices and the prism, and the enclosing box is provided separately from the optical component housing;

a pipe attached to the enclosing box, an air inside the enclosing box circulates through the pipe; and

an outer casing that accommodates the light source, the optical component housing, the enclosing box, and the pipe.

2. The projector according to claim 1, wherein the pipe is formed of a metal.

3. The projector according to claim 1, the pipe being detachable from the enclosing structure, and the pipe and the enclosing structure being connected via a seal material.

4. The projector according to claim 1, the pipe including a radiating structure that releases heat inside the pipe to outside the pipe.

5. The projector according to claim 4, the radiating structure including a plurality of radiating fins extending toward outside of the radial direction of the pipe.

6. The projector according to claim 4, the radiating structure being constructed by spirally winding a linear material comprising a linear core member and a plurality of radiating pieces projected toward outside of the radial direction of the core member around the pipe.

7. The projector according to claim 1, the pipe being disposed aside the projection lens.

8. The projector according to claim 1, a cooling fan that cools the inside of the projector being provided in the vicinity of the pipe.

9. The projector according to claim 1, each of the optical modulation devices comprising a pair of substrates and an electrooptic substance clamped between the substrates, and a material having a thermal conductivity of 10 W/m·

K or more being used for at least one of the substrate.

10. A projector, comprising:

a light source;

a color separation optical system that includes a plurality of optical elements and separates a light emitted from the light source into a plurality of color lights;

an optical component housing that holds the plurality of optical elements;

a plurality of optical modulation devices, each of the optical modulation devices modulates the color light separated by the color separation optical system;

a prism that synthesizes the color light modulated by the optical modulation devices;

a projection lens that projects a light synthesized by the prism;

an enclosing box that encloses an optical path from the plurality of optical modulation devices to the projection lens, the enclosing box accommodates the plurality of optical modulation devices and the prism, and the enclosing box is provided separately from the optical component housing;

a pipe attached to the enclosing box, an air inside the enclosing box circulates through the pipe;

a circulating fan that is disposed inside the enclosing box and flows air inside the enclosing box; and

an outer casing that accommodates the light source, the optical component housing, the enclosing box, and the pipe.

11. The projector according to claim 10, the circulating fan being a centrifugal fan that exhausts air drawn by the rotation of the fan in the direction tangential to the rotation.

12. The projector according to claim 11, wherein the enclosing box has an electro-optical apparatus placing portion that places the optical modulation devices, and the centrifugal fan is disposed above the optical modulation devices and an intake surface thereof opposing the electro-optical apparatus placing portion.

13. The projector according to claim 12, the enclosing box having a projection-lens mounting portion that mounts thereto the projection lens, a flange projecting toward outside of the radial direction of the projection lens being provided at the base end of the projection lens, the flange and the projection-lens mounting portion being joined, the projection lens being mounted to the enclosing box, and the centrifugal fan being disposed at a portion corresponding to an inner area of the outer peripheral edge of the flange in the radial direction so as not to project toward outside of the radial direction of the outer peripheral edge of the flange.

14. The projector according to claim 12, wherein one end of the pipe is connected to an air outlet of the centrifugal fan and the other end of the pipe is connected to a lower portion of the enclosing box.

15. The projector according to claim 14, further comprising a straightening plate that divides air ejected from the pipe according to the layout of the plurality of optical modulation devices.

16. The projector according to claim 15, the plurality of optical modulation devices being a red optical modulation device, a green optical modulation device, and a blue optical modulation device that modulate each of a red luminous flux, a green luminous flux, and a blue luminous flux;

and the straightening plate being constructed so as to guide the air ejected from the pipe in the order of the blue optical modulation device, the green optical modulation device, and the red optical modulation device.

17. The projector according to claim 10, wherein a clearance of 1 mm to 5 mm is formed between the enclosing box and the optical modulation devices.

18. A projector, comprising:

a light source;

a color separation optical system that includes a plurality of optical elements and separates a light emitted from the light source into a plurality of color lights;

an optical component housing that holds the plurality of optical elements;

a plurality of optical modulation devices, each of the optical modulation devices modulates the color light separated by the color separation optical system;

a prism that synthesizes the color light modulated by the optical modulation devices;

a projection lens that projects a light synthesized by the prism;

an enclosing box that encloses an optical path from the plurality of optical modulation devices to the projection lens, the enclosing box accommodates the plurality of optical modulation devices and the prism, and the enclosing box is provided separately from the optical component housing;

a pipe attached to the enclosing box, an air inside the enclosing box circulates through the pipe; and

a cooling structure that is provided on the enclosing box and cools an air inside the enclosing box; and

an outer casing that accommodates the light source, the optical component housing, the enclosing box, the pipe, and the cooling structure.

19. The projector according to claim 18, the cooling structure including a cooling fin provided on the outer surface of the enclosing box.

20. The projector according to claim 19, the cooling fin including a metal base plate, and a plurality of columnar projections projected on the base plate.

21. The projector according to claim 20, the cooling structure including a Peltier element provided on the outer surface of the enclosing box.

22. The projector according to claim 21, a circulating fan that circulates air inside the enclosing box being provided above or below the optical modulation devices, and the Peltier element being provided on the outer surface of the enclosing box located on the opposite side of the circulating fan across the optical modulation devices.

23. The projector according to claim 22, wherein the circulating fan is provided above the optical modulation devices, the outer casing is made of a metal, and the Peltier element is provided on the lower surface of the enclosing box and is fixed to the inner surface of the outer casing.

24. The projector according to claim 18, the cooling structure including a graphite sheet connected to the enclosing box at one end thereof, and connected to a metal part constituting the projector at the other end thereof.

25. The projector according to claim 24, wherein the outer casing is made of a metal and the graphite sheet is disposed between the lower surface of the enclosing box and the inner surface of the outer casing.

26. The projector according to claim 25, a recess that accommodates the graphite sheet being formed in the inner surface of the outer casing on which the graphite sheet is disposed.

27. The projector according to claim 24, further comprising:

an intake fan that guides external air to the inside of the device as cooling air; and

a cover member that guides the cooling air drawn by the intake fan to the outer peripheral portion of the enclosing box, wherein

the graphite sheet is disposed on the upper surface of the enclosing box, and connected to the cover member.

28. A projector, comprising:

a light source;

a color separation optical system that includes a plurality of optical elements and separates a light emitted from the light source into a plurality of color lights;

an optical component housing that holds the plurality of optical elements;

a plurality of optical modulation devices, each of the optical modulation devices modulates the color light separated by the color separation optical system;

a prism that synthesizes the color light modulated by the optical modulation devices;

a projection lens that projects a light synthesized by the prism;

an enclosing box that encloses an optical path from the plurality of optical modulation devices to the projection lens, the enclosing box accommodates the plurality of optical modulation devices and the prism, and the enclosing box is provided separately from the optical component housing;

a pipe attached to the enclosing box, an air inside the enclosing box circulates through the pipe;

an outer casing that accommodates the light source, the optical component housing, the enclosing box, and the pipe;

an intake fan that draws external air to the inside of the outer case being disposed above the enclosing box; and

a cooling-air introduction path that guides cooling air drawn by the intake fan being formed in a boundary of the enclosing structure and the optical component housing.

29. The projector according to claim 28, the cooling-air introduction path being a clearance formed along a boundary of the enclosing box and the optical component housing, and the clearance size being set at 1 mm to 10 mm.

30. The projector according to claim 28, a cover member being provided between the boundary of the optical component housing along the cooling-air introduction path and the intake fan so as to surround the cooling-air introduction path.

31. The projector according to claim 30, further comprising:

a driving circuit board disposed above the optical component housing that drives the optical modulation devices, a cooling-air introducing opening that partially guides cooling air from the cooling fan to the driving circuit board being formed in the cover member.

32. The projector according to claim 28, further comprising:

an exhaust fan that exhausts air inside the outer casing to outside the casing; and

an exhausting flow path that guides cooling air that has cooled the enclosing box to the exhaust fan being provided between the lower surface of the optical component housing and the inner bottom surface of the outer casing.

33. A projector, comprising:

a light source;

a color separation optical system that includes a plurality of optical elements and separates a light emitted from the light source into a plurality of color lights;

an optical component housing that holds the plurality of optical elements;

a plurality of optical modulation devices, each of the optical modulation devices modulates the color light separated by the color separation optical system;

a prism that synthesizes the color light modulated by the optical modulation devices;

a projection lens that projects a light synthesized by the prism;

a structure that includes an electro-optical apparatus placing portion that places the plurality of optical modulation devices and the prism and a projection-lens mounting portion that mounts the projection lens;

an enclosing box that is attached to the electro-optical apparatus placing portion and encloses an optical path from the plurality of optical modulation devices to the projection lens, the enclosing box accommodates the plurality of optical modulation devices and the prism, and the enclosing box is provided separately from the optical component housing;

a pipe attached to the enclosing box, an air inside the enclosing box circulates through the pipe; and

an outer casing that accommodates the light source, the optical component housing, the structure, the enclosing box, and the pipe.

34. The projector according to claim 33, the enclosing box including a first cover member attached to one side of the electro-optical apparatus placing portion, and a second cover member attached to the opposite side of the electro-optical apparatus placing portion.

35. The projector according to claim 34, the first cover member including a first side plate disposed on the electro-optical apparatus placing portion so as to surround the optical modulation devices, and a second side plate disposed substantially in parallel with the electro-optical apparatus placing portion to cover an end face of the first side plate.

36. The projector according to claim 35, an opening that guides the luminous flux to the optical modulation device being formed in the first side plate.

37. The projector according to claim 36, a transparent plate being attached to the opening via a seal material.

38. The projector according to claim 37, an incident-side polarizer constituting the optical modulation devices being put on the transparent plate.

39. The projector according to claim 36, further comprising:

a driving circuit board that drives the optical modulation devices; and

an electric wiring member that electrically connects the driving circuit board and the optical modulation devices, a wire insertion hole for inserting thereinto the electric wire member being formed in the first cover member.

40. The projector according to claim 39, the first cover member including a cutout formed by partially cutting out an end of the first side plate, and an engaging part formed on the second side plate and engaging the cutout, and the wire insertion hole being formed as a clearance between the cutout and the engaging part.

41. The projector according to claim 39, an elastic packing that seals the wire insertion hole being provided.

42. The projector according to claim 41, the electric wiring member including a flexible wiring board, and a slit for inserting thereinto the flexible wiring board being formed in the elastic packing.

43. The projector according to claim 33, each of the optical modulation devices comprising a pair of substrates and an electro-optical substance clamped between the substrates, and a material having a thermal conductivity of 10 W/m·

K or more being used for at least one of the substrate.

44. A projector, comprising:

a light source;

a color separation optical system that includes a plurality of optical elements and separates a light emitted from the light source into a plurality of color lights;

an optical component housing that holds the plurality of optical elements;

a plurality of optical modulation devices, each of the optical modulation devices modulates the color light separated by the color separation optical system;

a prism that synthesizes the color light modulated by the optical modulation devices;

a projection lens that projects a light synthesized by the prism;

a structure that includes an electro-optical apparatus placing portion that places the plurality of optical modulation devices and the prism and a projection-lens mounting portion that mounts the projection lens;

an enclosing box that is attached to the electro-optical apparatus placing portion and encloses an optical path from the plurality of optical modulation devices to the projection lens, the enclosing box accommodates the plurality of optical modulation devices and the prism, and the enclosing box is provided separately from the optical component housing;

a pipe attached to the enclosing box, an air inside the enclosing box circulates through the pipe;

a circulating fan that is disposed inside the enclosing box and flows air inside the enclosing box; and

an outer casing that accommodates the light source, the optical component housing, the structure, the pipe, and the enclosing box.

45. The projector according to claim 44, the circulating fan being a centrifugal fan that exhausts air drawn by the rotation of the fan in the direction tangential to the rotation.

46. The projector according to claim 45, the centrifugal fan being disposed above the optical modulation devices and an intake surface thereof opposes the electro-optical apparatus placing portion.

47. The projector according to claim 46, a flange projecting to outside of the radial direction of the projection lens being provided at the base end of the projection lens, and the flange and the projection-lens mounting portion being joined, the projection lens being mounted to the structure, and the centrifugal fan being disposed at a portion corresponding to an inner area of the outer peripheral edge of the flange in the radial direction so as not to project toward the outside of the radial direction of the outer peripheral edge of the flange.

48. The projector according to claim 46, the pipe being connected to an air outlet of the centrifugal fan at one end thereof, and connected to a lower portion of the enclosing box at the other end thereof.

49. The projector according to claim 48, further comprising a straightening plate that divides air ejected from the pipe according to the layout of the plurality of optical modulation devices.

50. The projector according to claim 49, the plurality of optical modulation devices being a red optical modulation device, a green optical modulation device, and a blue optical modulation device that modulate each of a red luminous flux, a green luminous flux, and a blue luminous flux, and the straightening plate being constructed so as to guide the air ejected from the pipe in the order of the blue optical modulation device, the green optical modulation device, and the red optical modulation device.

51. The projector according to claim 44, wherein a clearance of 1 mm to 5 mm is formed between the enclosing box and the optical modulation devices.

52. A projector, comprising:

a light source;

a color separation optical system that includes a plurality of optical elements and separates a light emitted from the light source into a plurality of color lights;

an optical component housing that holds the plurality of optical elements;

a plurality of optical modulation devices, each of the optical modulation devices modulates the color light separated by the color separation optical system;

a prism that synthesizes the color light modulated by the optical modulation devices;

a projection lens that projects a light synthesized by the prism;

a structure that includes an electro-optical apparatus placing portion that places the plurality of optical modulation devices and the prism and a projection-lens mounting portion that mounts the projection lens;

an enclosing box that is attached to the electro-optical apparatus placing portion and encloses an optical path from the plurality of optical modulation devices to the projection lens, the enclosing box accommodates the plurality of optical modulation devices and the prism, and the enclosing box is provided separately from the optical component housing;

a pipe attached to the enclosing box, an air inside the enclosing box circulates through the pipe;

a cooling structure that is provided on the enclosing box and cools an air inside the enclosing box; and

an outer casing that accommodates the light source, the optical component housing, the structure, the enclosing box, and the pipe.

53. The projector according to claim 52, the cooling structure including a cooling fin provided on the outer surface of the enclosing box.

54. The projector according to claim 53, the cooling fin including a metal base plate, and a plurality of columnar projections projected on the base plate.

55. The projector according to claim 54, the cooling structure including a Peltier element provided on the outer surface of the enclosing box.

56. The projector according to claim 55, a circulating fan that circulates air inside the enclosing box being provided above or below the optical modulation devices, and the Peltier element being provided on the outer surface of a portion of the enclosing box located on the opposite side of the circulating fan across the optical modulation devices.

57. The projector according to claim 56, wherein the circulating fan is provided above the optical modulation devices, the outer casing is made of a metal, and the Peltier element is provided on the lower surface of the enclosing box and is fixed to the inner surface of the outer casing.

58. The projector according to claim 52, the cooling structure including a graphite sheet connected to the enclosing box at one end thereof, and connected to a metal part of the projector at the other end thereof.

59. The projector according to claim 58, wherein the outer casing is made of a metal and the graphite sheet is disposed between the lower surface of the enclosing box and the inner surface of the outer casing.

60. The projector according to claim 59, a recess that accommodates therein the graphite sheet being formed in the inner surface of the outer casing on which the graphite sheet is disposed.

61. The projector according to claim 58, further comprising:

an intake fan that guides external air to the inside of the projector as cooling air; and

a cover member that guides the cooling air drawn by the intake fan to the outer peripheral portion of the enclosing box, wherein

the graphite sheet is disposed on the upper surface of the enclosing box and connected to the cover member.

62. A projector, comprising:

a light source;

a color separation optical system that includes a plurality of optical elements and separates a light emitted from the light source into a plurality of color lights;

an optical component housing that holds the plurality of optical elements;

a plurality of optical modulation devices, each of the optical modulation devices modulates the color light separated by the color separation optical system;

a prism that synthesizes the color light modulated by the optical modulation devices;

a projection lens that projects a light synthesized by the prism;

a structure that includes an electro-optical apparatus placing portion that places the plurality of optical modulation devices and the prism and a projection-lens mounting portion that mounts the projection lens;

an enclosing box that is attached to the electro-optical apparatus placing portion and encloses an optical path from the plurality of optical modulation devices to the projection lens, the enclosing box accommodates the plurality of optical modulation devices and the prism, and the enclosing box is provided separately from the optical component housing;

a pipe attached to the enclosing box, an air inside the enclosing box circulates through the pipe;

a cooling structure that is provided on the enclosing box and cools an air inside the enclosing box;

an outer casing that accommodates the light source, the optical component housing, the structure, the enclosing box, and the pipe;

an intake fan that draws external air to the inside of the outer case being disposed above the enclosing box; and

a cooling air-introduction path that guides cooling air drawn by the intake fan being formed in a boundary of the enclosing structure and the optical component housing.

63. The projector according to claim 62, the cooling-air introduction path being a clearance formed along a boundary of the enclosing box and the optical component housing, and the clearance size being set at 1 mm to 10 mm.

64. The projector according to claim 62, a cover member being provided between the boundary of the optical component housing along the cooling-air introduction path and the intake fan so as to surround the cooling-air introduction path.

65. The projector according to claim 64, further comprising:

a driving circuit board disposed above the optical component housing that drives the optical modulation devices; and

a cooling-air introducing opening that partially guides cooling air from the cooling fan to the driving circuit board being formed in the cover member.

66. The projector according to claim 62, further comprising:

an exhaust fan that exhausts air inside the projector to outside the device; and

an exhausting flow path that guides cooling air that has cooled the enclosing box, to the exhaust fan being provided between the lower surface of the optical component housing and the inner bottom surface of the outer casing.