IP Library Granted Patent US 12,292,677
Granted Patent B2
US 12,292,677 · App. 18/281,853 · Granted May 6, 2025

Light source device and projector

Inventor: Sota Hirahara (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Sharp NEC Display Solutions
G03B21/204G03B21/208
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,292,677
App. No.
18/281,853
Granted
May 6, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A light source device includes: a first laser light source which emits first laser light; and a diffusion element which is provided on an optical path of the first laser light and diffuses the light, wherein the diffusion element includes: a first lens array in which a plurality of first lens elements that divide the first laser light into a plurality of light fluxes are arranged; and a second lens array in which a plurality of second lens elements that emit the light fluxes incident via the plurality of first lens elements toward an image formation plane are arranged, wherein the first lens array is disposed on an incidence surface of the diffusion element, wherein the second lens array is disposed on an emission surface of the diffusion element, and wherein at least two second lens elements among the plurality of second lens elements form light source images having different sizes in different regions on the image formation plane.

Claims (35)

1. A light source device comprising:

a first laser light source which emits first laser light;

a second laser light source which emits second laser light;

a dividing part which divides the first laser light into first divided light and second divided light;

a light integration part which integrates the first divided light and the second laser light into one optical path;

a fluorescent substance part which receives the light integrated by the light integration part and emits fluorescent light;

a color light combining part which color-combines the second divided light and the fluorescent light into one optical path; and

a diffusion element which is provided on an optical path of the first laser light and diffuses the light,

wherein the diffusion element comprises:

a first lens array in which a plurality of first lens elements that divide the first laser light into a plurality of light fluxes are arranged; and

a second lens array in which a plurality of second lens elements that emit the light fluxes incident via the plurality of first lens elements toward an image formation plane are arranged,

wherein the first lens array is disposed on an incidence surface of the diffusion element,

wherein the second lens array is disposed on an emission surface of the diffusion element,

wherein at least two second lens elements among the plurality of second lens elements form light source images having different sizes in different regions on the image formation plane, and

wherein the diffusion element is disposed on an optical path of the second divided light between the first laser light source and the color light combining part.

2. The light source device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first laser light incident on the plurality of first lens elements is a parallel light flux, and optical axes of some of the second lens elements of the at least two second lens elements are disposed at a position shifted from an optical axis of the light flux incident on the first lens element corresponding to the some of the second lens elements such that the at least two second lens elements form light source images having different sizes in different regions on the image formation plane.

3. The light source device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the fluorescent substance part receives the second laser light and emits fluorescent light; and

the color light combining part color-combines the first laser light and the fluorescent light into one optical path.

4. The light source device according to claim 3 , the light source device further comprising:

a condenser lens which condenses the second laser light onto an irradiation surface of the fluorescent substance part and converts the fluorescent light from the fluorescent substance part into pseudo parallel light,

wherein the condenser lens is disposed between the fluorescent substance part and the color light combining part.

5. The light source device according to claim 1 , the light source device further comprising:

a condenser lens which condenses the light integrated by the light integration part onto an irradiation surface of the fluorescent substance part and converts the fluorescent light from the fluorescent substance part into pseudo parallel light,

wherein the condenser lens is disposed between the fluorescent substance part and the color light combining part.

6. The light source device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the dividing part comprises:

a retardation plate which imparts a phase difference to two orthogonal polarized light components included in the first laser light to change a state of incident polarized light, and passes first polarized light as the first divided light and second polarized light as the second divided light, and

a polarizing beam splitter which reflects the first polarized light and transmits the second polarized light, and

wherein the diffusion element diffuses the second polarized light.

7. A projector comprising:

the light source device according to claim 1 ;

a light modulation part which modulates the light emitted from the light source device to form an image; and

a projection lens which projects the image.

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 Sep 14, 2023
From: HIRAHARA, SOTA
To: SHARP NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 064904/0927 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240160094A1 · May 16, 2024
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