OPTICAL DEVICE AND IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS

• US 20150062715A1
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yamada, Fumika, Yonekubo, Masatoshi, Yokoyama, Osamu
• Application Number:
  US14/468,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20150062715A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• 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 5/1847 Manufacturing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/124 Geodesic lenses or integrated gratings

Abstract

A first diffraction optical element is disposed on a light incident surface of a light guide, a second diffraction optical element is disposed on a light emitting surface of the light guide, and a reflection layer is disposed on an end surface of the light guide. A diffraction grating of the first diffraction optical element and a diffraction grating of the second diffraction optical element has an inclined portion respectively. The inclined portion of the first diffraction optical element and the inclined portion of the second diffraction optical element are inclined in same direction.

Claims

1. An optical device, comprising:

a light guide;

a first diffraction optical element which makes light incident on the light guide;

a second diffraction optical element which emits the light from the light guide; and

a reflection layer provided on a second surface of the light guide which intersects with a first surface of the light guide provided with the first diffraction optical element or the second diffraction optical element,

wherein protruded portions which respectively constitute the first diffraction optical element and the second optical element are respectively inclined in a first direction which is the same as a normal line direction of the first surface.

2. The optical device according to claim 1,

wherein the first diffraction optical element and the second diffraction optical element are respectively surface relief type holograms provided with an uneven structure on one surface.

3. The optical device according to claim 1,

wherein the first diffraction optical element and the second diffraction optical element are respectively diffraction optical elements in a shape of a blazed grating provided with protruded portions in a serrated shape on one surface.

6. The optical device according to claim 1,

wherein the first diffraction optical element and the second diffraction optical element are transmission type diffraction optical elements, and are provided on the same surface of the light guide, and

wherein, in a cross-sectional view of the light guide including both the first diffraction optical element and the second diffraction optical element, the first direction is a direction which is inclined in a direction from the second diffraction optical element toward the first diffraction optical element with respect to the normal line direction of the first surface.

12. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an optical device according to claim 1; and

an image forming portion which generates the image light.

4. An optical device, comprising:

a light guide;

a first diffraction optical element which makes light incident on the light guide;

a second diffraction optical element which emits the light from the light guide; and

a reflection layer provided on a second surface of the light guide which intersects with a first surface of the light guide provided with the first diffraction optical element and the second diffraction optical element,

wherein a first portion and a second portion which respectively constitute the first diffraction optical element and the second diffraction optical element and have different refractive indexes from each other, are respectively inclined in the first direction which is the same as the normal line direction of the first surface.

5. The optical device according to claim 4,

wherein the first diffraction optical element and the second diffraction optical element are transmission type volume holograms.

13. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an optical device according to claim 4; and

an image forming portion which generates the image light.

7. An optical device, comprising:

a light guide;

a first diffraction optical element which diffracts light incident on the light guide;

a second diffraction optical element which diffracts and emits the light guided from the light guide; and

a reflection layer provided on a second surface of the light guide which intersects with a first surface of the light guide provided with the first diffraction optical element or the second diffraction optical element,

wherein a first portion and a second portion which respectively constitute the first diffraction optical element and the second diffraction optical element and have different refractive indexes from each other, are respectively inclined in the first direction which is the same as the normal line direction of the first surface.

8. The optical device according to claim 7,

wherein the first diffraction optical element and the second diffraction optical element are reflection type diffraction optical elements, and are provided on the same surface of the light guide, and

wherein, in a cross-sectional view of the light guide including both the first diffraction optical element and the second diffraction optical element, the first direction is a direction which is inclined in a direction from the second diffraction optical element toward the first diffraction optical element with respect to the normal line direction of the first surface.

14. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an optical device according to claim 7; and

an image forming portion which generates the image light.

9. An optical device, comprising:

a first light guide;

a first diffraction optical element which makes light incident on the first light guide;

a second diffraction optical element which emits the light from the first light guide;

a first reflection layer provided on a second surface of the light guide which intersects with a first surface of the light guide provided with the first diffraction optical element or the second diffraction optical element;

a second light guide;

a third diffraction optical element which makes light incident on the second light guide;

a fourth diffraction optical element which emits the light from the second light guide; and

a second reflection layer provided on a fourth surface of the light guide which intersects with a third surface of the light guide provided with the third diffraction optical element or the fourth diffraction optical element,

wherein protruded portions which constitute the first diffraction optical element and the second optical element are respectively inclined in a first direction which is the same as a normal line direction of the first surface, and

wherein protruded portions which constitute the third diffraction optical element and the fourth optical element are respectively inclined in a second direction which is the same as the normal line direction of the third surface.

15. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an optical device according to claim 9; and

an image forming portion which generates the image light.

10. An optical device, comprising:

a first light guide;

a first diffraction optical element which makes light incident on the first light guide;

a second diffraction optical element which emits the light from the first light guide;

a first reflection layer provided on a second surface of the light guide which intersects with a first surface of the light guide provided with the first diffraction optical element or the second diffraction optical element;

a second light guide;

a third diffraction optical element which makes light incident on the second light guide;

a fourth diffraction optical element which emits the light from the second light guide; and

a second reflection layer provided on a fourth surface of the light guide which intersects with a third surface of the light guide provided with the third diffraction optical element or the fourth diffraction optical element,

wherein a first portion and a second portion which respectively constitute the first diffraction optical element and the second diffraction optical element and have different refractive indexes from each other, are inclined in a first direction which is the same as a normal line direction of the first surface, respectively, and

wherein a third portion and a fourth portion which respectively constitute the third diffraction optical element and the fourth diffraction optical element and have different refractive indexes from each other, are respectively inclined in a second direction which is the same as the normal line direction of the third surface.

16. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an optical device according to claim 10; and

an image forming portion which generates the image light.

11. An optical device, comprising:

a first light guide;

a first diffraction optical element which diffracts light incident on the first light guide;

a second diffraction optical element which diffracts and emits the light guided from the first light guide;

a first reflection layer provided on a second surface of the light guide which intersects with a first surface of the light guide provided with the first diffraction optical element or the second diffraction optical element;

a second light guide;

a third diffraction optical element which diffracts light incident on the second light guide;

a fourth diffraction optical element which diffracts and emits the light from the second light guide; and

a second reflection layer provided on a fourth surface of the light guide which intersects with a third surface of the light guide provided with the second diffraction optical element or the third diffraction optical element,

wherein a first portion and a second portion which respectively constitute the first diffraction optical element and the second diffraction optical element and have different refractive indexes from each other, are inclined in a first direction which is the same as a normal line direction of the first surface, respectively, and

wherein a third portion and a fourth portion which respectively constitute the third diffraction optical element and the fourth diffraction optical element and have different refractive indexes from each other, are respectively inclined in a second direction which is the same as the normal line direction of the third surface.

17. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an optical device according to claim 11; and

an image forming portion which generates the image light.