IP Library Granted Patent US 9,116,349
Granted Patent B2
US 9,116,349 · App. 14/127,982 · Granted Aug 25, 2015

Image display device

Inventors: Koji Hirata (Ibaraki, JP); Masahiko Yatsu (Ibaraki, JP)
Assignee: HITACHI MAXELL, LTD.
G02B26/101G02B17/08G02B17/0852G02B21/0096G02B26/0833
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,116,349
App. No.
14/127,982
Granted
Aug 25, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image display device having a scanning characteristic excellent in the linearity without being upsized is provided. The image display device includes: an optical scanning unit that scans a light emitted from a light source in a first direction and a second direction of an image plane due to a rotational movement of reciprocation of a reflecting surface of the light; and an optical system enlarges a scanning angle of the scanned light, in which the optical system has a free curved surface lens on an optical scanning unit side, and has a free curved surface mirror on an image plane side. The free curved surface mirror may be arranged so that the first direction is substantially parallel to a first plane defined by an incident optical beam and a reflected light in the free curved surface mirror when the optical scanning unit remains static in the center of the scanning range.

Claims (50)

1. An image display device comprising:

an optical scanning unit that scans an image plane with a light emitted from a light source in a first direction and a second direction of the image plane due to a rotational movement of reciprocation of a reflecting surface of the light; and

an optical system that enlarges a scanning angle of the scanned light, wherein the optical system has a free curved surface lens on the optical scanning unit side, and has a free curved surface mirror on the image plane side,

wherein in a surface roughness of the free curved surface mirror, a plurality of surface roughness is present in band shapes in the same direction as the scanning direction of the free curved surface mirror with the light from the light source, or in a direction substantially orthogonal to the scanning direction, and a dimension between boundaries of the band-like roughness is smaller than a beam dimension on the free curved surface mirror.

2. The image display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein a length in the first direction is longer than a length in the second direction, and

wherein the free curved surface mirror is arranged so that the first direction is substantially parallel to a first plane defined by an incident optical beam and a reflected optical beam in the free curved surface mirror when the optical scanning unit remains static in the center of the scanning range.

3. The image display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the optical scanning unit has one reflecting surface having two scanning directions.

4. The image display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the optical scanning unit has two reflecting surfaces each having one reflecting surface.

5. The image display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein a larger one of deflection angles to the reflecting surface in the two scanning directions corresponds to the first direction, and a smaller one of the deflection angles of the reflecting surface in the two scanning directions corresponds to the second direction.

6. The image display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein an optical path length by which an optical beam longer in a distance from the reflection position on the free curved surface mirror to a scanning position on the image plane passes through the free curved surface lens in the first plane is larger than an optical path length by which an optical beam shorter in the distance from the reflection position on the free curved surface mirror to the scanning position on the image plane passes through the free curved surface lens.

7. The image display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the free curved surface lens on the image plane in the second direction has a negative refractive power.

8. The image display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein a peripheral portion of the free curved surface mirror on the image plane in the second direction has a negative refractive power.

9. The image display device according to claim 1 , wherein when it is assumed that a length in the first direction is X, and a projector distance that is a vertical length which lowers from a reference position defining an arrangement position of the free curved surface mirror on lens data toward the image plane is L, L/X is 1 or lower.

10. The image display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein when it is assumed that a length in the first direction is X, and a projector distance that is a vertical length which lowers from a reference position defining an arrangement position of the free curved surface mirror on lens data toward the image plane is L, L/X is 0.2 or lower.

11. The image display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein a portion of the free curved surface mirror which reflects the laser beam corresponding to the first direction is sharper in a convex shape toward the image plane than a portion of the free curved surface mirror which reflects the laser beam corresponding to the second direction.

12. The image display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the light source emits at least one beam light having a plurality of colored lights of S polarized light, and the other beam light having a plurality of colored lights of P polarized light, and includes a color synthesis unit that combines the beam lights of the plurality of polarized waves together.

13. The image display device according to claim 12 ,

wherein when the one beam light includes lights of at least red, green, and blue wavelength ranges, and the respective center wavelengths are set to R1, G1, and B1 (nm), the other beam light also includes a light of one wavelength range of at least red, green, and blue wavelength ranges, and a center wavelength of the light is different from that of the R1, G1, and B1 (nm).

14. The image display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the light emitted from the light source is an elliptical shape, and the light source and the image plane are arranged so that the short axial direction of the ellipse is aligned with the first direction when the optical scanning unit remains static in the center of the scanning range.

15. The image display device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an optical path changing unit that outputs the light emitted from the light source in a direction substantially perpendicular to a two-dimensional scanning surface formed by two directions of the first and second directions.

16. The image display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the optical scanning unit includes a plurality of optical scanning units.

17. The image display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the optical scanning unit is shielded within a structure that enables magnetic shielding, and

wherein a permanent magnetic or an electromagnet is disposed within a part of a housing of the optical scanning unit or the image display device, and is self- sustainable on or in the vicinity of the image plane by the magnetic force.

18. An image display device comprising:

an optical scanning unit that scans an image plane with a light emitted from a light source in a first direction of the image plane and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction due to a rotational movement of reciprocation of a reflecting surface of the light; and

an optical system that enlarges a scanning angle of the scanned scanning beam,

wherein the optical system has a free curved surface lens on the optical scanning unit side, and has a convex mirror on the image plane side,

wherein in the first direction, an incident angle of the scanning beam to the convex mirror corresponding to a center port of the image plane is larger than an incident angle of the scanning beam to the convex mirror corresponding to a peripheral portion of the image plane,

wherein in the second direction, an incident angle of the scanning beam to a portion of the convex mirror closer to the optical scanning unit is smaller than an incident angle of the scanning beam to a portion of the convex mirror distant from the optical scanning unit, and

wherein in a surface roughness of the convex mirror, a plurality of surface roughness is present in band shapes in the same direction as a scanning direction of the convex mirror with the light from the light source, or in a direction substantially orthogonal to the scanning direction, and a dimension between boundaries of the band-like roughness is smaller than a beam dimension on the convex mirror.

19. The image display device according to claim 18 ,

wherein the optical scanning unit includes an MEMS mirror.

20. An image display device comprising:

an optical scanning unit that scans an image plane with a light emitted from a light source in a first direction and a second direction of the image plane due to a rotational movement of reciprocation of a reflecting surface of the light; and

an optical system that enlarges a scanning angle of the scanned light, wherein the optical system has a free curved surface lens on the optical scanning unit side, and has a convex mirror on the image plane side,

wherein in a surface roughness of the convex mirror, a plurality of surface roughness is present in band shapes in the same direction as the scanning direction of the convex mirror with the light from the light source, or in a direction substantially orthogonal to the scanning direction, and a dimension between boundaries of the band-like roughness is smaller than a beam dimension on the convex mirror.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 3, 2021
From: MAXELL HOLDINGS, LTD.
To: MAXELL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058666/0407 →
MERGER Recorded Nov 29, 2021
From: MAXELL, LTD.
To: MAXELL HOLDINGS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058255/0579 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 25, 2018
From: HITACHI MAXELL, LTD.
To: MAXELL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 045142/0208 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2013
From: HIRATA, KOJI; YATSU, MASAHIKO
To: HITACHI MAXELL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 031825/0445 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140126033A1 · May 8, 2014