High performance, low cost mirror for a rear projection television

• US 6,554,438 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2001
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishii, Fusao, Marcanio, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SIKDER, MOHAMMAD YUNUS
• Application Number:
  US09/892,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20020060866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 359/883, 359/884, 359/847, 359/846, 359/848, 359/871, 359/872, 359/267, 359/268, 359/265, 359/584, 359/360, 359/585, 359/838
• US Class Current: 359/883
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0858 the reflecting layers comprising a single metallic layer with one or more dielectric layers

Abstract

A video projection device includes a cabinet having front and rear sections and a projection tube for projecting a video image. The video projection device also includes a screen located in the front section of the cabinet. The screen has a first surface onto which the video image is projected and a second surface for displaying the video image so that it is observable by a viewer. A mirror is arranged in the cabinet for reflecting light to the first surface of the screen. The mirror is a composite laminate mirror that includes a rigid substrate and a reflective sheet laminated to the rigid substrate. The rigid substrate may be a glass substrate and the reflective sheet may be a flexible plastic sheet. The reflective sheet may have a multilayer construction that includes a metallic film. The reflective sheet may alternatively include a second substrate and at least one thin film layer deposited on the substrate.

Claims

1. A video projection device comprising:

a cabinet with front and rear sections,

a projection tube for projecting a video image,

a screen located in the front section of the cabinet, the screen having a first surface onto which the video image is projected and a second surface for displaying the video image so that it is observable by a viewer, and

a mirror arranged in the cabinet for reflecting light to the first surface of the screen,

wherein said mirror is a composite laminate mirror that includes a rigid substrate and a prefabricated laminate reflective sheet, said prefabricated laminate reflective sheet comprised of a plurality of sheets of material, each sheet individually prefabricated prior to being laminated together to form said prefabricated laminate reflective sheet, said prefabricated laminate reflective sheet being laminated with an adhesive to said rigid substrate.

2. The video projection device of claim 1 wherein the rigid substrate is a glass substrate.

3. The video projection device of claim 1 wherein the reflective sheet is a flexible plastic sheet.

4. The video projection device of claim 1 wherein the reflective sheet has a multilayer construction.

5. The video projection device of claim 4 wherein the reflective sheet includes a metallic film.

6. The video projection device of claim 5 wherein said metallic film is Mylar™

.

7. The video projection device of claim 4 wherein the multilayer construction is a multilayer laminate comprising at least a first reflective layer and a supporting layer supplying stiffness to said first reflective layer.

8. The video projection device of claim 7, wherein said multilayer laminate further includes a backing layer laminated to said supporting layer.

9. The video projection device of claim 8 wherein said backing layer is formed from a poly-foam material.

10. The video projection device of claim 9 wherein said poly-foam material is polyurethane.

11. The video projection device of claim 7 further comprising a latex-based based contact cement bonding said first reflective layer to said supporting layer.

12. The video projection device of claim 4 wherein the reflective sheet further includes a plastic layer on which the metallic film is applied.

13. The video projection device of claim 12 wherein said metallic film includes chrome.

14. The video projection device of claim 1 wherein said adhesive is heat curable.

15. The video projection device of claim 1 wherein said adhesive is UV curable.

16. The video projection device of claim 1 wherein said reflective sheet includes a second substrate and at least one thin film layer deposited on said second substrate.

17. The video projection device of claim 16 wherein said second substrate is a metallic sheet.

18. The video projection device of claim 17 wherein said metallic sheet is a rolled metal sheet.

19. The video projection device of claim 17 wherein said second substrate is a plastic sheet.

20. The video projection device of claim 16 wherein said at least one thin film layer includes a silver layer.

21. The video projection device of claim 16 further comprising a thin film silicon dioxide layer deposited on said substrate.

22. The video projection device of claim 21 further comprising a passivating layer deposited on said silicon dioxide layer.

23. The video projection device of claim 22 wherein said passivating layer is silicon nitride.

24. The video projection device of claim 23 further comprising a thin film silver layer deposited over said silicon nitride layer.

25. The video projection device of claim 22 further comprising a thin film silver layer deposited over said silicon dioxide layer.

26. The video projection device of claim 22 further comprising a thin film silver layer deposited over said passivating layer.