IP Library Granted Patent US 12,477,088
Granted Patent B2
US 12,477,088 · App. 17/058,069 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Electronic device and projectors including a cooling system

Inventor: Ryosuke Kawase (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SHARP NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS, LTD.
H04N9/3144G03B21/006G03B21/145G03B21/16H05K7/20972
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,477,088
App. No.
17/058,069
Granted
Nov 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device includes an illumination optical system for outputting light to the projection lens, a blower for cooling a liquid crystal panel mounted on the illumination optical system, a first duct for guiding the air blown out from the blower to the liquid crystal panel, a second duct for guiding the air passing through the liquid crystal panel in the direction opposite to the direction of the air blown out from the blower and a heat sink for removing heat from the air passing through the second duct, and a holding member for holding the blower and guiding the air from which heat has been removed by the heat sink to the air inlet of the blower is provided in a dust-proof case.

Claims (55)

1 . An electronic device, comprising:

an illumination optical system that outputs light to a projection lens,

a plurality of blowers comprising three blowers that cool three liquid crystal panels,

a first duct that guides air blown out from the plurality of blowers to the three liquid crystal panels,

a second duct that guides air passing through the liquid crystal panel in a direction opposite to a direction of the air blown out from the blowers,

a heat sink that removes heat from the air that has passed through the second duct; and

a third duct that guides the air from which heat has been removed by the heat sink to the air inlet of the blowers, wherein

the illumination optical system, the plurality of blowers, the first duct, the second duct, and the heat sink are provided in a dust-proof case,

all of the plurality of blowers are disposed on a side of the illumination optical system that is opposite to another side of the illumination optical system where the projection lens is disposed and are arranged side by side along a first direction facing the two liquid crystal panels of the three liquid crystal panels, and

all of the plurality of blowers are arranged along a long side of the illumination optical system.

2 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a blower holding member that holds the plurality of blowers and forms the third duct, wherein

the blower holding member is provided in the dust-proof case.

3 . The electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein

the second duct is formed surrounded by the dust-proof case, the illumination optical system and the blower holding member, and is formed along a top surface of the dust-proof case.

4 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein

the heat sink is connected to the heat sink for heat dissipation provided on the outside of the dust-proof case.

5 . The electronic device according to claim 4 , wherein

the heat sink is connected to the two heat sinks for heat dissipation, via a heat pipe penetrating each of the two surfaces of the dust-proof case facing in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the air blown out from the plurality of blowers.

6 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein

the illumination optical system includes an integrator that adjusts a uniformity of illumination.

7 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein

each of the plurality of blowers comprises a blower fan.

8 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein

height of each of the plurality of blowers and a height of the heat sink are the same.

9 . The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein

a height of the air outlet of each of the plurality of blowers is the same to each other.

10 . The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein

among the plurality of blowers, a distance from the air outlet of the blower for cooling the liquid crystal panel other than the two liquid crystal panels facing each other of the three liquid crystal panels to the liquid crystal panel to be cooled by the blower is shorter than a distance from the air outlet of the other blower to the liquid crystal panel to be cooled respectively.

11 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein

a position of the air outlet of each of the plurality of blowers in a direction perpendicular to the first direction is the same to each other.

12 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of blowers are disposed at intervals at which a predetermined intake amount can be ensured.

13 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein

a number of the blower is three, each of the three blowers cools each of the three liquid crystal panels.

14 . A projector, comprising:

an electronic device according to claim 1 ; and

a light source, wherein

the electronic device receives light from the light source and modulates an incident light.

15 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of blowers are disposed on the side directly opposite to the side where the projection lens of the illumination optical system and are arranged side by side along the first direction facing the two liquid crystal panels of the three liquid crystal panels, and

wherein the projection lens enlarges the light emitted from the illumination optical system and projects it on a screen.

16 . An electronic device, comprising:

an illumination optical system that outputs light to a projection lens,

a plurality of blowers comprising three blowers that cool three liquid crystal panels,

a first duct that guides air blown out from the plurality of blowers to the three liquid crystal panels,

a second duct that guides air passing through the liquid crystal panel in a direction opposite to a direction of the air blown out from the blowers, and

a heat sink that removes heat from the air that has passed through the second duct,

wherein the air is guided from where heat has been removed by the heat sink to the air inlet of the blowers, wherein

the illumination optical system, the plurality of blowers, the first duct, the second duct, and the heat sink are provided in a dust-proof case,

all of the plurality of blowers are disposed on a side of the illumination optical system that is opposite to another side of the illumination optical system where the projection lens is disposed and are arranged side by side along a first direction facing the two liquid crystal panels of the three liquid crystal panels, and

all of the plurality of blowers are arranged along a long side of the illumination optical system.

17 . The electronic device according to claim 16 , wherein the plurality of blowers are disposed on the side directly opposite to the side where the projection lens of the illumination optical system and are arranged side by side along the first direction facing the two liquid crystal panels of the three liquid crystal panels, and

wherein the projection lens enlarges the light emitted from the illumination optical system and projects it on a screen.

18 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination optical system is sandwiched between the projection lens and the plurality of blowers.

19 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of blowers blow air in a direction of the two liquid crystal panels of the three liquid crystal panels.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Jun 26, 2026
From: SHARP NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS, LTD.
To: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 075830/0109 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 19, 2021
From: KAWASE, RYOSUKE
To: SHARP NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 054952/0077 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210203891A1 · Jul 1, 2021
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