Light source apparatus and projector

Inventor: Osamu Arakawa (Shiojiri, JP)

Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION

G03B21/2066 G03B21/204 H04N9/3158 G03B21/2013 G03B33/12

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 10,564,534
App. No.: 16/364,372
Granted: Feb 18, 2020
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A light source apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an excitation light source and a wavelength converter including a transparent phosphor and a base. The wavelength converter has a light incident area, a first area, and a second area, and the wavelength converter includes a second reflector (angle changer) provided in a portion corresponding to the second area.

Claims (61)

1. A light source apparatus comprising:

an excitation light source that outputs excitation light; and

a wavelength converter including a transparent phosphor on which the excitation light is incident and which then emits fluorescence having a wavelength different from a wavelength of the excitation light, and

a base on which the transparent phosphor is provided,

wherein the wavelength converter has

a light incident area on which the excitation light is incident,

a first area that causes the fluorescence to exit to part of the light incident area,

a second area that differs from the first area, is surrounded by at least part of the first area when viewed in a first direction in which the excitation light is incident, and causes a larger amount of the fluorescence to exit to part of the light incident area than an amount of the fluorescence that exits from the first area, and

an angle changer that is provided in a portion corresponding to the second area and changes a direction in which the fluorescence travels.

2. The light source apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the transparent phosphor is provided in a portion corresponding to the first area,

the angle changer includes

a first reflector that is provided on an outer circumferential side surface of the transparent phosphor in the portion corresponding to the first area and reflects the excitation light and the fluorescence, and

a second reflector that is provided on the base in the portion corresponding to the second area and has a reflection surface that reflects the excitation light incident on the reflection surface to the transparent phosphor and reflects the fluorescence emitted from the transparent phosphor in a direction parallel to the first direction and opposite to the first direction, and

the reflection surface so inclines as to separate away from an outer circumference of a surface of the base that is a surface on which the excitation light is incident and approach a center of the surface with distance from the surface in a thickness direction of the base.

3. The light source apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein irregularities are formed on an inner circumferential side surface of the transparent phosphor.

4. The light source apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the transparent phosphor further fills a space between the first reflector and the second reflector in a direction along the surface of the base that is the surface on which the excitation light is incident.

5. The light source apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the transparent phosphor is provided in a portion corresponding to the first area and a portion corresponding to part of the second area,

the angle changer includes

a first refractor that is provided on the base in the portion corresponding to the second area and has a first refraction surface that refracts the excitation light incident on the first refraction surface to the transparent phosphor and refracts the fluorescence emitted from the transparent phosphor in a direction parallel to the first direction and opposite to the first direction, and

the first refraction surface so inclines as to separate away from an outer circumference of a surface of the base that is a surface on which the excitation light is incident and approach a center of the surface with distance from the surface in a thickness direction of the base.

6. The light source apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the transparent phosphor is provided in a portion corresponding to the first area and a portion corresponding to part of the second area,

the angle changer includes

a second refractor that is provided on the base in the portion corresponding to the second area and has a second refraction surface that refracts the excitation light incident on the second refraction surface to the transparent phosphor and refracts the fluorescence emitted from the transparent phosphor in a direction parallel to the first direction and opposite to the first direction, and

the second refraction surface so inclines as to separate away from a center of a surface of the base that is a surface on which the excitation light is incident and approach an outer circumference of the surface with distance from the surface in a thickness direction of the base.

7. The light source apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein a fluorescence reflector that transmits the excitation light and reflects the fluorescence is provided on a surface of the first area of the transparent phosphor that is a surface on which the excitation light is incident.

8. A projector comprising:

the light source apparatus according to claim 1 ;

a light modulator that modulates light outputted from the light source apparatus in accordance with image information to form image light; and