Seiko Epson Corporation

Nobuo Watanabe

Masashi Kitabayashi

Haruyoshi Yamada

Hisashi Miyazawa

Minoru Usui

Takahiro Katakura

Toshiaki Hashizume

Seiji Mochizuki

Motoyuki Fujimori

Takao Kobayashi

Takeshi Takezawa

Yoshiyuki Yanagisawa

Yasunori Ogawa

Norihiko Kurashima

Hideki Oikawa

Hidemasa Yamakawa

Hiromi Saito

Taisuke Uehara

Shigeo Toda

Hirohisa Nakano

Shuji Narimatsu

Shohei Fujisawa

Kazuyuki Iinuma

Kiyotaka Nakano

Shunji Umemura

Toshio Matsumiya

Jun Arai

Shogo Kurosawa

Tomonobu Machida

An optical device includes a plurality of light modulating devices for forming optical images and a color combining optical device. The optical device includes a first fixed member and a second fixed member for mounting the light modulating devices so as to face light flux incoming end surfaces of the color combining optical device. The first fixed member includes a plate-shaped first base portion mounted to oppose the light flux incoming end surface and having an opening for transmitting the light flux. The second fixed member includes a plate-shaped second base portion having an opening for transmitting the light flux. The first fixed member and the second fixed member are assembled in such a manner that the first base portion and the second base portion are opposed to each other.

Optical device and projector

An optical component casing includes a lower casing in which a plurality of optical components are arranged, a lid-shaped upper casing () that closes the lower casing, and an optical component holding frame () that holds an incident-side polarization plate and a visual-angle correcting plate for arranging them at predetermined positions inside the lower casing. An optical component holding frame supporting surface (A) is formed on an upper side of the upper casing () to rotatably support the optical component holding frame (). The optical component holding frame () includes a polarization plate holding frame () for holding the incident-side polarization plate, and a correcting plate holding frame () for holding the visual-angle correcting plate. The polarization plate holding frame () slides on the optical component holding frame supporting surface (A) of the upper casing () and has a rotation guiding surface (B) for rotatably supporting the correcting plate holding frame ().

Optical component casing, optical device and projector

A projection lens () comprises: a cylindrical exterior case () having a lens-shifting through-hole () on a side thereof and an inner circumferential step or inner flange (); a lens () of which outer periphery () on a first side is abutted to the inner circumferential step or inner flange (); a flexible or elastic spacer () abutted to an outer periphery () of a second side of the lens (); and a retainer () holding the spacer (), where the lens () is fixed on the exterior case ().

Projection lens, producing method of projection lens and projector having projection lens

The present invention provides an optical device that achieves reduction in size, reduction in manufacturing costs, improved image quality, and so forth, by simplification and the like of a panel in prisms (POP) structure wherein light-modulating devices and a color synthesizing optical element are integrally formed. A POP structure is configured wherein pins integrally formed with a holding member are inserted through holes formed in the four corners of holding frames storing the liquid crystal panelsso as to fix the holding frames and holding members by adhesion. End faces of holding members opposite to the pins are fixed by adhesion to the side faces of bases fixed on the upper and lower faces of a cross-dichroic prism.

Optical device, method for manufacturing optical device, and projector

A pair of openings () symmetrically disposed around an optical axis of the reflector () is formed on a contact surface of a light-transmissive plate () and the reflector () and a cooling channel () for introducing cooling air to a source lamp () through the pair of openings () and a first and a second cooling channel shutters () for shutting the cooling channel () when the case is detached from a projector () are provided on a case (). The source lamp () can be efficiently cooled, so that the life of the source lamp () can be lengthened. Even when a light-emitting tube of the source lamp () is exploded while using the projector (), the fragments of the light-emitting tube do not fall outside in exchanging the light source (), and cooling efficiency of the source lamp () is not impaired.

Light source and projector

The invention provides a structure to attach a liquid crystal panel to a prism, which enables further enhancements in cooling capabilities. The structure includes a storing member fixed on a base and holding a holding frame, where a liquid crystal panel is held. Erected pieces to form a space to receive the holding frame are formed protruding on both left and right sides at the light incident side. Protrusions to form an air path with a cross-dichroic prism are formed on both left and right sides on the light emitting side. The liquid crystal panel is attached to the cross-dichroic prism through a holding member having an opening at a portion corresponding to the panel face of the liquid crystal panel.

A projector which results in good contrast and high luminance by fine-adjusting a polarizer. The projector includes a polarizer angle adjustment mechanism in which a first frame arranged in the vicinity of an electrooptic device pivotally supports a second frame having a polarizer thereon. The second frame is pivoted by an adjustment member so that it can turn properly. By properly using the adjustment member, the polarization axes of the polarizer can be optimumly set, and a high-contrast and high-luminance image is thus presented.

Adjustment mechanism and projector employing the same

A centrifugal fan ( ) is provided around the light source of the projector and an exhaust duct ( ) is connected to the centrifugal fan with at least one of bent portion ( ) for bending exhaust stream from the centrifugal fan being formed on the exhaust duct. Since the centrifugal fan for exhausting air can be disposed at a position remote from the exhaust hole, the noise generated from the projector can be reduced even when the size of the cooling fan is increased.

Projector

A pair of openings ( ) symmetrically disposed around an optical axis of the reflector ( ) is formed on a contact surface of a light-transmissive plate ( ) and the reflector ( ) and a cooling channel ( ) for introducing cooling air to a source lamp ( ) through the pair of openings ( ) and a first and a second cooling channel shutters ( ) for shutting the cooling channel ( ) when the case is detached from a projector ( ) are provided on a case ( ). The source lamp ( ) can be efficiently cooled, so that the life of the source lamp ( ) can be lengthened. Even when a light-emitting tube of the source lamp ( ) is exploded while using the projector ( ), the fragments of the light-emitting tube do not fall outside in exchanging the light source ( ), and cooling efficiency of the source lamp ( ) is not impaired.

A support member ( ) for supporting liquid crystal panels ( R, G, B) is disposed parallel to a cooling air flow channel formed between a light-incident end of a cross dichroic prism ( ) and the respective liquid crystal panels and is constructed by a pair of components for supporting a neighborhood of the ends of the respective liquid crystal panels, so that the gap between the light-incident end of the cross dichroic prism and the respective liquid crystal panels facing the cooling air flow channel can be enlarged, thereby flowing cooling air sufficient for cooling a polarizer ( ) and the respective liquid crystal panels in a direction of the cooling air flow channel for efficiently cooling them.

Cooling mechanism of optical modulator, optical modulator attachment unit and projector

A projector includes an illumination system for emitting illumination light, an electro-optical device for modulating light from the illumination system according to image information, and a projection'system for projecting a modulated light beam obtained by the electro-optical device. The electro-optical device has a polarizer on at least one of the light incident side and the light emitting side, and the polarizer is attached to a flexible and transmissive plate material that bends in response to changes in shape of the polarizer. This makes it possible to reduce unevenness in brightness and color of images to be projected and displayed.

Projector comprising a polarizer attached to a transmissive flexible plate material that bends responsive to changes in the shape of the polarizer

An optical modulation device is presented having a distance Wp from the end of an opposite substrate to the inner peripheral edge of a cover portion in a frame being set to be smaller than the distance W from the end of the opposite substrate to the inner peripheral edge of a first light-shielding portion (Wp<W ). Therefore, there is no fear that incident light from outside of the inner peripheral edge of the cover portion may be blocked by the cover portion, so that incident light may reliably enter the entire image area. This arrangement makes it possible to prevent the peripheral portion of a projection image from becoming dark, and thereby improve the quality of the projection image.

Optical modulation device and projector

A projector is provided that includes a cooling structure which efficiently cools an electrooptic device, and which can cope with an increase in brightness of a light source and a reduction in size of the projector. A cooling fan for introducing cooling air is mounted above an air inlet, and a regulating fan for regulating the cooling air introduced by the cooling fan is mounted at a position opposing the cooling fan across an electrooptic device. For this reason, the cooling air is formed in a substantially linear shape, and the electrooptic device can be uniformly and efficiently cooled without cooling only parts of the electrooptic device. This allows a cooling structure to be obtained which can cope with an increase in brightness of a light source lamp serving as a light source and a reduction in size of a projector.

The invention provides a light source device of an easy maintenance, and a projector using the light source device. The light source device includes a light source lamp, a reflector, a lamp housing for covering substantially entirely almost the outer surface except for an opening plane of the reflector and a front glass for covering the opening plane of the reflector. The light source device is formed so as to be integrally exchangeable as a unit in the projector. Since the lamp housing covers almost the whole surface of the reflector, even if the light source lamp and the reflector burst, fragments thereof do not scatter to the inside of the projector, there is no need to remove the outer casing to clean the inside of the device, and maintenance of the projector can be facilitated.

Light source device and projector using the light source device

To reduce inconsistencies in an image to be displayed in a projector. At least one of a polarizer on the side of a light incident surface and a polarizer on the side of a light emitting surface is bonded on a sapphire glass plate. The sapphire glass plate may preferably be formed of single-crystal sapphire. In addition, the sapphire glass plate may preferably be held by a holding frame made of metal. The sapphire glass plate and the holding frame made of metal may preferably be bonded by an adhesive agent having superior heat conductivity.

Growing community of inventors

Shiojiri, Japan

Nobuo Watanabe