IP Library Granted Patent US 7,864,418
Granted Patent B2
US 7,864,418 · App. 12/466,438 · Granted Jan 4, 2011

Screen

Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,864,418
App. No.
12/466,438
Granted
Jan 4, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A screen includes a screen main body, having flexibility, onto which an image light is projected; a first support and a second support which, extending one along each of a pair of opposed edges of the screen main body, each support one of the pair of edges; an auxiliary support which, being disposed between the first support and the second support, extends parallel to the first support and the second support, and supports a pair of intersecting edges intersecting with the pair of edges of the screen main body; and linkage mechanisms which, bridging adjacent supports, among the first support, second support, and auxiliary support, as well as regulating a movement of the adjacent supports in an out-of-plane direction of a projection surface of the screen main body, extend and contract in a direction in which the adjacent supports face each other, bringing the adjacent supports closer to and away from each other.

Claims (55)

1. A screen comprising:

a flexible screen main body, having a projection surface, onto which an image light is projected;

a first support and a second support, each of which extend along one of a pair of opposed edges of the screen main body, each supporting one of the pair of opposed edges;

an auxiliary support which, being disposed between the first support and the second support, extends parallel to the first support and the second support, and supports a pair of intersecting edges intersecting with the pair of opposed edges of the screen main body;

linkage mechanisms which, bridging adjacent supports among the first support, the second support, and the auxiliary support, as well as regulating a movement of the adjacent supports in an out-of-plane direction of the projection surface of the screen main body, extend and contract in a direction in which the adjacent supports face each other, bringing the adjacent supports closer to and away from each other; and

a plurality of adjustment mechanisms connected to the second support and extending from the second support in a direction away from the first support, the adjustment mechanisms facilitating an adjustment in a distance between the first support and the second support and a change in a tension applied to the screen main body.

2. The screen according to claim 1 , comprising:

entanglement prevention mechanisms which, bridging the adjacent supports, in a condition in which the adjacent supports are close to each other, bend to the screen main body side, and press the screen main body to the front side.

3. The screen according to claim 1 , wherein

the first support and the second support each support one of the pair of horizontally intersecting edges of the screen main body, and

in a condition in which the screen is installed on a floor plane in an installation space of the screen, the lower ends of the adjacent supports come into abutment with the floor plane.

4. The screen according to claim 1 , wherein

the first support and the second support each support the pair of horizontally intersecting edges of the screen main body, the screen comprising:

a rail member which, extending toward the first support from the second support, supports the lower ends of the adjacent supports, wherein

the first support and the auxiliary support slide on the rail member.

5. The screen according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a regulation member which, having flexibility, bridges rear surfaces of the adjacent supports, wherein

the regulation member regulates a curving of the screen main body toward a rear side in a stretched condition in which the first support and the second support are away from each other, and tension is applied to the screen main body.

6. The screen according to claim 5 , wherein

the adjacent supports have identical approximately rectangular shapes in cross-section, and

the regulation member, in the stretched condition, sets a rear corner-to-corner dimension between mutually opposed corners of the adjacent supports on the rear side so as to be approximately identical to a front corner-to-corner dimension between mutually opposed corners of the adjacent supports on the front side.

7. The screen according to claim 5 , further comprising:

an adjustment mechanism on the rear surface of at least one of the adjacent supports, wherein

one end of the regulation member is connected to the adjustment mechanism,

the other end of the regulation member is connected to the rear surface of the support differing from the at least one of the adjacent supports, and

the adjustment mechanism causes one end side of the regulation member to move in and out in a direction in which the adjacent supports move closer to and away from each other, changing a rear corner-to-corner dimension.

8. The screen according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of adjustment mechanisms are comprised of second support regulation mechanisms each having a first end and a second end, the first ends connected to the second support and the second ends connected to a housing for storing the screen main body in a collapsed state.

9. The screen according to claim 8 , wherein:

the screen main body, the adjacent supports, and the linkage mechanisms are housed in the housing in a condition in which the adjacent supports are close to each other; and

a first support fixing mechanism which, when the first support is taken out of the housing, is connected to the housing and the first support, fixing a distancing position of the first support from the housing.

10. The screen according to claim 9 , wherein:

the second support regulation mechanism regulates a movement of the second support in a direction away from the housing.

11. The screen according to claim 10 , wherein

an insertion hole, passing through in a direction in which the adjacent supports face each other through which to insert one portion of the second support regulation mechanism, is formed in the second support, and wherein

the second support regulation mechanism further includes:

a restriction body, one end of which is connected to the housing; and

an adjustment body which comes into threaded engagement with the other end of the restriction body, wherein

when the first support is taken out of the housing, as well as coming into abutment with a peripheral portion of the insertion hole, regulating a movement of the second support in a direction away from the housing, moves closer to and away from the housing by a condition of threaded engagement with the restriction body being changed, changing the distancing position of the second support from the housing.

12. The screen according to claim 11 , comprising:

a reception member of which one end is fixed to the peripheral portion of the insertion hole, and the other end comes into abutment with the adjustment body, wherein

at least one of the adjustment body and the reception member has a tapered surface coming into abutment with the other.

13. The screen according to claim 9 , wherein the first support fixing mechanism is connected to the housing and the first support in a manner so as not to be connected with the second support and the auxiliary support.

14. The screen according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of adjustment mechanisms are comprised of distancing position changing mechanisms each having a first end and a second end, the first ends connected to the second support and the second ends connected to one of a floor plane and a ceiling plane.

15. The screen according to claim 14 , wherein the distancing position changing mechanisms each comprise a wire and a winding mechanism including a casing, a drum, a spring, and an adjustment shaft.

16. The screen according to claim 14 , wherein

the first support is installed on one of the floor plane and the ceiling plane in an installation space of the screen, and

the distancing position changing mechanisms bridge the other one of the floor plane and the ceiling plane and the second support.

17. The screen according to claim 1 , comprising entanglement prevention mechanisms which bridge the adjacent supports and are configured such that when the adjacent supports are close to each other the entanglement prevention mechanisms bend away from the screen main body and pull the screen main body away from the front side of the screen main body.

18. The screen according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of adjustment mechanisms extending from the second support are substantially parallel to each other.

19. A screen comprising:

a main body onto which an image light is projected;

a first support unit and a second support unit that support both edges of a vertical direction of the main body;

a plurality of auxiliary support units which, being disposed between the first support unit and the second support unit in parallel, support a horizontal direction of the main body;

linkage mechanisms which, being bridged among each support unit, move the auxiliary support units closer to and away from each other, and

a plurality of adjustment mechanisms connected to the second support unit and extending horizontally from the second support in a direction away from the first support unit, the adjustment mechanisms facilitating an adjustment in a distance between the first support unit and the second support unit and a change in a tension applied to the main body.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2009
From: KUROI, KIYOSHI; SHINDO, HIROYUKI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 022688/0055 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2008-150420 · Jun 9, 2008 · national
JP 2008-248090 · Sep 26, 2008 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20090302176A1 · Dec 10, 2009