Image projection apparatus

• US 9,091,908 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2012
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamada, Masamichi, Fujioka, Tetsuya, Tsukioka, Yasutada, Ishikawa, Naoyuki, Kanai, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, SULTAN U.
• Application Number:
  US13/660,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20130114050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 353/52, 353/85, 353/119, 353/122, 315/294, 315/291, 349/5, 349 7- 9, 348744-747, 348/798, 348/801
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/14 Details
• 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 21/206 Control of light source other than position or intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• 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

An image projection apparatus includes a light source, light from which is used to form an image to be projected, a first flow path, a control unit configured to control a light emission from the light source, an electrical power stabilizing unit configured to stabilize an electrical power to be supplied to the light source, and an electrical power source unit configured to supply the electrical power to at least one of the control unit and the electrical power stabilizing unit. One or both of the electrical power source unit and the electrical power stabilizing unit is/are divided into a plurality of boards. The light source is arranged on a normal line of a surface of any of the plurality of boards. The plurality of boards configure surfaces of the first flow path except a surface nearest to the light source.

Claims

1. An image projection apparatus comprising:

a light source, light from which is used to form an image to be projected;

a first air flow path;

a control unit configured to control a light emission from the light source;

an electrical power stabilizing unit configured to stabilize an electrical power to be supplied to the light source; and

an electrical power source unit configured to supply the electrical power to at least one of the control unit or the electrical power stabilizing unit, wherein

the electrical power source unit is divided into a plurality of boards,

the light source is arranged on a normal line of a surface of any of the plurality of boards, and

the plurality of boards defines surfaces of the first air flow path except a surface nearest to the light source,

wherein the electrical power source unit is divided into a main power source board and a sub power source board, the main power source board being attached to a substantially L-shaped main board holder and the sub power source board being attached to a sub board holder, and the light source is arranged on the normal line of the main power source board,

the main board holder includes a board attaching surface to which the main power source board is attached on a lower surface thereof, and a cover surface extending downward from a first side end of the board attaching surface, and

the sub board holder is attached to a second side end of the board attaching surface so that the sub power source board faces the cover surface.

2. The image projection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a case configured to accommodate the light source, an image forming element receiving the light from the light source, a projection optical part including a reflecting surface to form a projection image of the image formed by the image forming element, and the plurality of boards, wherein

a second air flow path is formed at least by one side surface of the case and a back surface of the reflecting surface,

the second air flow path is fluidically connected with the first air flow path, and

none of the plurality of boards defines a surface of the first air flow path near the one side surface of the case.

3. The image projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of boards are arranged so that surfaces thereof on which at least one electrical element is disposed face inward of the first air flow path.

4. The image projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

one of the plurality of boards has a thermal switch to shut off the electrical power to be supplied to the plurality of boards, when a temperature of the thermal switch is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

5. The image projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main power source board and the sub power source board are attached to a main body of the image projection apparatus so as to surround an air suction inlet of an exhaust fan, and the main power source board, the sub power source board, and the cover surface are arranged to form the first air flow path that surrounds the flow of air flowing from the light source towards the exhaust fan.