Projector

• US 6,935,753 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2002
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yanagisawa, Yoshiyuki, Hashizume, Toshiaki, Takezawa, Takeshi, Fujimori, Motoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Judy
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACKMAN, ROCHELLE ANN J
• Application Number:
  US10/399,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20040032569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 353/20, 353/30, 353/31, 353/33, 353/34, 353/37, 353/52, 353/56, 353/57, 353/58, 353/60, 353/61, 353/98, 353/99, 353/100, 353/119, 359/500, 359/494, 359/495, 359/492, 359/622, 359/600, 349/25, 349/61, 349/62, 349/5, 349/9, 349/68, 349/86, 349/96, 349/114, 349/172, 349/89, 349/117, 349/58, 349/161, 345/97, 250/225, 252/585
• US Class Current: 353/119
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/008 with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/145 Housing details, e.g. position adjustments thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/16 Cooling; Preventing overheating
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2073 Polarisers in the lamp house peculiar to electronic spatial light modulators H04N9/3197
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3105 for displaying all colours simultaneously, e.g. by using two or more electronic spatial light modulators simultaneous projection in colour photography G03B33/10; beam splitting or combining systems per se G02B27/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3144 Cooling systems cooling of liquid crystal cells in general G02F1/133382; cooling of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/16

Abstract

This invention provides a technique of reducing temperature rise due to heat generation of polarization control elements. A projector includes: an illumination optical system; an electro-optical device for modulating light from the illumination optical system in response to image information; a projection optical system for projecting modulated light obtained with the electro-optical device and a base frame, formed using material including metal material, for mounting a plurality of optical components arranged on an optical path from the illumination optical system to the projection optical system. At least one of the plurality of optical components is a polarization control component that includes: a polarization control element including organic material for the controlling polarization state of light exiting from the polarization control element; and a light-transmissive member having a thermal conductivity of at least about 0.8 W/(m·K), to which the polarization control element is stuck. The light-transmissive member and the base frame are thermally coupled.

Claims

1. A projector, comprising:

an illumination optical system including a light source device;

an electro-optical device for modulating light from the illumination optical system in response to image information;

a projection optical system for projecting modulated light obtained with the electro-optical device; and

a base frame, formed using material including metal material, for mounting all optical components arranged on an optical path from the illumination optical system to the projection optical system excluding the light source device,

wherein at least one of the optical components is a polarization control component comprising;

a polarization control element including organic material for controlling polarization state of light exiting from the polarization control element; and

a light-transmissive member having a thermal conductivity of at least about 0.8 W/(m·

K), to which the polarization control element is stuck,

and wherein the light-transmissive member and the base frame are thermally coupled.

2. The projector according to claim 1 wherein the light-transmissive member has a thermal conductivity of at least about 5.0 W/(m·

K).

3. The projector according to claim 2 wherein the base frame is made of metal.

4. The projector according to claim 3 wherein the polarization control component is held by a metal holder that contacts the light-transmissive member,

and the light-transmissive member and the base frame are thermally coupled via at least the holder.

5. The projector according to claim 4 wherein the holder is fixed to the base frame via an adhesive sheet.

6. The projector according to claim 4 wherein the holder is fixed to the base frame via adhesive.

7. The projector according to claim 4 wherein the holder is fixed to the base frame by metal welding.

8. The projector according to claim 4 wherein the light-transmissive member is fixed to the holder via an adhesive sheet.

9. The projector according to claim 4 wherein the light-transmissive member is fixed to the holder via adhesive.

10. The projector according to claim 4 wherein the holder comprises:

a fixing section fixed to the base frame; and

an attaching section for attaching the light-transmissive member to the fixing section,

wherein the fixing section is fixed to the base frame via an adhesive sheet.

11. The projector according to claim 4 wherein the holder comprises:

a fixing section fixed to the base frame; and

an attaching section that attaching the light-transmissive member to the fixing section,

wherein the fixing section is fixed to the base frame via adhesive.

12. The projector according to claim 4 wherein the holder comprises:

a fixing section fixed to the base frame; and

an attaching section for attaching the light-transmissive member to the fixing section,

wherein the fixing section is fixed to the base frame by metal welding.

13. The projector according to claim 4 wherein the holder comprises:

a fixing section fixed to the base frame; and

an attaching section for attaching the light-transmissive member to the fixing section,

wherein the light-transmissive member is stuck to at least one of the fixing section and the attaching section via an adhesive sheet.

14. The projector according to claim 4 wherein the holder comprises:

a fixing section fixed to the base frame; and

an attaching section for attaching the light-transmissive member to the fixing section,

wherein the light-transmissive member is stuck to at least one of the fixing section and the attaching section via adhesive.

15. The projector according to claim 3 further comprising a metal chassis for housing all optical components arranged on the optical path from the illumination optical system to the projection optical system,

wherein the base frame and the chassis are thermally coupled.

16. The projector according to claim 3,

wherein the light source device and the base frame are thermally insulated.

17. The projector according to claim 16 wherein a thermal insulating member is arranged between the light source device and the base frame.

18. The projector according to claim 3 further comprising a cooling fin, provided on the outside face of the base frame.

19. The projector according to claim 3 wherein a film for raising radiation rate is formed on the outside face of the base frame.

20. The projector according to claim 15 wherein a film for raising radiation rate is formed on the outside face of the chassis.

21. The projector according to claim 3 wherein the polarization control element is a liquid crystal panel, which functions as the electro-optical device.

22. The projector according to claim 3 wherein the polarization control element is a polarizing plate.

23. The projector according to claim 3 wherein the polarization control element is a retardation plate.

24. The projector according to claim 3 wherein the light-transmissive member is a lens.

25. The projector according to claim 3 wherein the polarization control component further comprises a lens, the lens being provided on the light-transmissive member of plate shape.

26. The projector according to claim 25 wherein the lens is formed of plastic.

27. The projector according to claim 3 wherein the light-transmissive member is a sapphire member.

28. The projector according to claim 3 wherein the light-transmissive member is a rock crystal member.