Seiko Epson Corporation

Taisuke Uehara

Hajime Miyazaki

Masaaki Handa

Tsukasa Muranaka

Toshiaki Hashizume

Motoyuki Fujimori

Masashi Kitabayashi

Yoshiyuki Yanagisawa

Nobuo Watanabe

Akira Hashimoto

Shohei Fujisawa

Tomiyoshi Ushiyama

Shinichi Kamisuki

Yasuto Nose

Hirotatsu Okubo

A display unit includes: a light modulation unit that includes an effective area, and modulates an illumination light entering to the effective area; a light-emitting unit that includes a plurality of light-emitting areas that can be made to emit a light or stop emitting a light, and are substantially similar in outline shape to a plurality of effective image modulation areas set in the effective area; and a critical illumination system that guides, as the illumination light, a luminous flux as a result of light emission of the light-emitting unit onto the effective image modulation areas in the effective area of the light modulation unit.

Display unit and light-emitting unit

An optical component casing () that houses a plurality of optical components including a reflection mirror () and disposes the plurality of optical components on a planarly defined illumination optical axis (L) has a holder () that holds the reflection mirror () and a housing main body () that houses the other optical components. A bulging portion () bulging in an out-plane direction of the reflection mirror () is formed on a side of the holder () opposite to the side on which the reflection mirror () is attached, the bulging portion () pivotally moving on the inner surface of the housing main body () to rotate the holder () relative to the housing main body (), where a rotation center (P) of the holder () is substantially coincident with an intersecting point (Q) of the illumination optical axis (L) and a reflection surface (A) of the reflection mirror ().

Optical component casing, optical device and projector

The invention provides a panel fixing plate as an optical modulation device retainer having a substantially c-shaped fixing section body viewed from the top, an arm section formed at a tip side of the fixing section body, a pin protruding from the arm section, and a spring member biasing an emission-side polarization plate as an optical conversion element with respect to the fixing section body. Liquid crystal panels, each as light modulators, are securely fixed to a panel fixing plate with the pin inserted into each corresponding hole. The emission-side polarization plate can be inserted into the substantially c-shaped fixing section body when viewed from the top so as to be biased and fixed to the fixing section body by the spring member. An optical modulation device retainer, an optical device, and a projector of this invention, light modulators and/or optical conversion elements can be exchanged with ease, and the reworkability can be improved.

Optical modulation device holding body, optical device, and projector

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

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.

Optical device and projector

A micropump supervisory control method and apparatus having various functions, such as annunciation and safety measures. The control method and apparatus accurately control trace discharge rates through adjustment of the number and frequency of driving pulses for a piezoelectric valve element. In addition, the control method provides discharge, life-prediction and life-expiration warning, and operation acknowledge alarms and annunciations while driving the micropump, each having a predetermined sounding pattern. Micropump functions are also inhibited when a power source is reconnected.

Micropump supervisory control

A micropump particularly suited for use in the fields of medicine and analysis includes a thin membrane plate sandwiched between a surface plate and a glass-made substrate. The intermediate membrane has an inlet valve and an outlet valve and the glass substrate has an inlet port and an outlet port, respectively connected to the corresponding valves. Between the valves formed in the thin membrane plate by means of etching, there is a diaphragm on which there is a piezoelectric element for detecting behavior of the diaphragm. Another micropump has an upper thin membrane plate member and a lower member. The upper member has the inlet valve and the lower member has the outlet valve. An intermediate glass substrate is inserted between the upper and the lower thin membrane plate member.

Two-valve thin plate micropump

A watchdog timer capable of detecting clock signals when the opening frequency of a frequency source drifts lower or higher than a normal desired operating range, increasing circuit safety and reliability. The timer uses first and second clock oscillation circuits to generate first and second signals of frequencies f.sub.1 and f.sub.2 which are then divided by 1/N.sub.1 and 1/N.sub.2 in first and second frequency dividers, respectively. Third and fourth frequency dividers are used to divide the second frequency signal f.sub.2 by 1/N.sub.3 and 1/N.sub.4, respectively. A scale of N.sub.5 counter is connected to receive the f.sub.1 /N.sub.1 frequency signal as a clock input and the f.sub.2 /N.sub.3 frequency signal as a reset input, and provides an output signal at a frequency of (f.sub.1 /N.sub.1)/N.sub.5 which is less than f.sub.2 /N.sub.3 when the clock circuits are operating under normal conditions. A scale of N.sub.6 counter is connected to receive the f.sub.2 /N.sub.4 frequency signal as a clock input and the f.sub.1 /N.sub.2 frequency signal as a reset input, and provides an output signal at a frequency of (f.sub.2 /N.sub.4)/N.sub.6 which is less than f.sub.1 /N.sub.2 under normal conditions. A discrimination circuit is connected to monitor the outputs of the scale of N.sub.5 and N.sub.6 counters to determine the presence of a fault by detecting when either output no longer meets the associated relationship.

Growing community of inventors

Chino, Japan

Taisuke Uehara