CN115616845A - Light combination light source for optical engine and highlight flashlight of projector - Google Patents

Abstract

The light combining light source is used for the optical engine of the projector and the highlight flashlight; belongs to the technical field of optical electronics, and a core component comprises: 2, 3, 4 and 5 fold mirrors, wherein the maximum can be 12 fold mirrors; each bulb is an LED lamp or a heat lamp, each bulb corresponds to 1 mirror surface, and a light emitting area of each bulb is imaged in a central area of a cross section, namely a polygonal surface which is perpendicular to the main direction and is surrounded by a plane or an extension plane of each folding mirror, so that the mirror images of the light emitting area of each bulb are overlapped in the same area, and all light energy is equivalently concentrated in the same area; light rays with various colors exist in the mirror image light-emitting areas in a complementary manner, and the light-emitting of various colors has good uniformity in a geometric space; for the condition that the light combining light source is used as a light source in a projection flashlight, a mirror image light emitting area is placed on the focus of a paraboloid; the brightness of the maximum light field of the optical engine and the good optical quality are obtained, and the large light-gathering brightness of the strong-light flashlight is obtained.

Description

Light combination light source for optical engine and highlight flashlight of projector

[ technical field ]

The invention belongs to the technical field of optics-electronics; it would be precisely an apparatus that would greatly enhance the brightness (and maintain high optical qualities: e.g., etendue; collimation of features, etc.) of the optical engine and the flashlight of the projector.

[ background art ]

The development of the projector is revolutionized by three development stages, which are realized by three typical display technologies, namely CRT projection technology, LCD projection technology and DLP projection technology developed in recent years; the core of the projector comprises: the projector mainly comprises three main parts, namely a projector structural component, an optical engine (comprising a lens group), and an electric control interface. The core projection imaging component is the core of the projector product, and occupies a very important part in the cost composition of the whole projector product, and the position of the projection imaging component is similar to a processor in a computer. And an important component in the optical engine structure is the light source.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) projector:

LCD display technology is one of the leading technologies in the projector market at present, and liquid crystals include active liquid crystals and inactive liquid crystals. The non-active liquid crystal reflects light and is generally used for notebook computers and film projectors. The active liquid crystal has light transmittance, and can be used in a projector to form an LCD panel. The LCD projector is divided into two types, namely a liquid crystal panel and a liquid crystal light valve, and most of the common projectors are liquid crystal panel projectors. The basic structure of the optical engine of the LCD projection system is provided with a photographic lens; a liquid crystal panel; a mirror; a light-combining prism; a condenser lens; a dichroic mirror; a bulb.

* Liquid crystal (panel) projector: the liquid crystal projector utilizes the electro-optical effect of liquid crystal and controls the transmissivity and reflectivity of liquid crystal unit via circuit to produce beautiful image with different gray levels and 16.70 million colors. The light source of the liquid crystal panel projector is a special high-power bulb, and the luminous energy is far higher than that of a CRT projector utilizing fluorescence, so that the brightness and the color saturation of the liquid crystal panel projector are higher than those of the CRT projector. The area of the LCD liquid crystal plate determines the structure and the whole volume of the projector, and the smaller the area of the LCD liquid crystal plate, the smaller the optical system of the projector can be made, thereby the smaller the projector is. Currently, the panel size of liquid crystal projectors (transmissive display light valves) on the market is 1.32 inches (1 inch =2.54 cm), 0.9 inches, and 0.7 inches at most, and the physical resolutions of SVGA and XGA can be supported. New liquid crystal panels, such as 0.79 inch and 0.99 inch panels with high aperture ratio, have also begun to come into the market. High-end LCD projection liquid crystal panel suppliers currently have only two manufacturers, epson and Sony, in japan. The LCD projector has advantages of excellent color expression and high brightness, and has disadvantages that light efficiency is affected to some extent due to the projection method and a pixelation phenomenon occurs in a projected image (aperture ratio is not high enough). Liquid crystal panel projectors can be divided into two types, a single-panel type and a three-panel type, and most modern liquid crystal panel projectors adopt 3-panel type LCD panels (fig. 1). The three-piece liquid crystal board projector uses red, green and blue liquid crystal boards as the control layers of red, green and blue light. The three-chip type liquid crystal panel projector has higher image quality and higher brightness than the single-chip type liquid crystal panel projector. The liquid crystal panel projector has the advantages of small volume, light weight, simple manufacturing process, high brightness and contrast and moderate resolution, and is the projector with the highest share and the most wide application in the current market.

* Liquid crystal light valve projector: the liquid crystal light valve projector adopts a CRT tube and a liquid crystal light valve as imaging devices, and is a product of combining the CRT projector and the liquid crystal (reflection) light valve. The projector has the highest brightness and resolution, the brightness can reach 6000ANSI lumens, the resolution is 2500 multiplied by 2000, and the projector is suitable for occasions with strong ambient light and more audiences, such as ultra-large command centers, conference centers and large entertainment venues, but the projector has high price and large volume, and the light valve is not easy to maintain. The main brands are: huss-JVC, ampro, etc.

DLP (Digital Light Processor Digital Light output) Digital projector:

DLP technology is the patented technology of TI (texas instruments, usa). Projectors based on DLP display technology were first introduced in 1996. The imaging Device is a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device). The DMD chip contains thousands of micromirrors, each mirror representing a pixel, and the on or off state represents the brightness and darkness of the pixel in the image. The light beam is projected onto the DMD by a color wheel (color separation device) rotating at high speed, and then projected onto a large screen by an optical lens. DLP technology is currently owned by the TI company patent, which is also the only supplier of DMD chips. Technical advantages of DLP projectors: first is the numerical advantage: the adoption of digital technology has made the image contrast, gray scale (256-1024 levels), color (2563-10243 types), image signal-to-noise ratio, picture quality stable, and the like excellent. Secondly, the reflection advantage: due to the application of the reflective DMD device, the distance between the micro mirror surfaces forming the DLP image pixels is small, so that the light transmission efficiency of the imaging device reaches more than 85 percent. The resulting image is very bright and sharp. DLP projector can be divided into singlechip and three mascerating machines: a single chip microcomputer: the single-chip DLP projector has the advantages of high light efficiency, high contrast, clear image and excellent performance in black-white image and text, and meanwhile, the single-chip DLP projector can be small, exquisite, light and thin and has the defect of unreal and natural color performance. Three-chip microcomputer: the DLP projector manufactured by using three DMD chips can realize higher brightness and richer colors, the brightness can reach more than 10000ANSI lumens, and the DLP projector is mostly applied to special occasions such as digital cinema and the like.

At present, projectors of LCD technology and DLP technology are two major marketing in the market. The japanese manufacturers mostly adopt LCD technology, and the european and american manufacturers can adopt both LCD and DLP technology. LCD and DLP are in intense competition, whose products and technologies are better, but there is no clear answer at present, but it can be said that the image contrast generated by a projector using DLP is higher, and the optical path system is designed to be more compact, so that it is superior in terms of volume and weight; while LCDs are powerful in terms of brightness uniformity, color, and detail. The two technologies have characteristics and are difficult to distinguish, and coexist in the future for a long time, and unless one party breaks through the technology or the market strategy, the balance is expected to be broken, and the dominant position is occupied.

The flashlight is matched with a smaller point light source, and a better effect can be achieved. The flashlight divide into: the second generation flashlight and the third generation flashlight, particularly the third generation flashlight adopt LED bulbs, the flashlight is the application of a brand-new lighting technology, the color temperature reaches the unprecedented height, approaches or even exceeds the color temperature of white light, and the power consumption is lower.

[ summary of the invention ]

The invention aims to solve the defects of the prior art, and greatly improve the brightness (the relation between the comprehensive efficiency of a projector and the dimension of a light emitting area of a light source is extremely large, especially, the brightness of a single LED light source is far insufficient, and the dimension of the light emitting area of the light source is greatly increased due to a plurality of LED light sources, so that the optical quality, such as the indexes of collimation and the like represented by the optical expansion amount is seriously reduced, the extra loss of a subsequent light field is caused, and the utilization efficiency of light is seriously reduced) on the premise of not influencing the utilization efficiency of light.

The invention is characterized in that; the imaging principle of the plane mirror(s) is utilized to image virtual images of the LED bulbs in the same area, so that the size of a light emitting area of the light source does not need to be increased, and the brightness is greatly improved. The equivalent reduction of the luminous scale has great significance to the projector and the flashlight.

The light-combining light source structure of the invention comprises: 2, 3, 4 and 5 fold mirrors, wherein the maximum can be 12 fold mirrors; for the case of the 2-fold mirror, the fold line is vertical to the main direction of the emergent light beam; for the case of 3-12 fold mirrors, each surface is trapezoidal or triangular or trapezoid with bent edges, the combined shape of each surface is a frustum of pyramid or pyramid, the intersection point of each fold line is positioned in the main direction (emergent direction) of the light beam combination, and the intersection points of each fold line are at 1 point or multiple points or are not intersected with each other (0 intersection points); each bulb is an LED lamp or a thermal lamp (incandescent lamp, etc., discharge lamp), each bulb corresponds to 1 mirror surface, and a light-emitting area of each bulb is imaged in a central area of a cross section (a polygonal surface which is vertical to the main direction and is surrounded by an extension plane of each folding mirror), so that mirror images of the light-emitting area of each bulb are overlapped in the same area, and the light energy is equivalently emitted in the same area in a concentrated manner; for the case of a 2-fold mirror, the corresponding cross-sectional shape is a strip of infinite length, which is to make the mirror image of the light emitting area of each bulb fall on the central area of the strip, the mirror image points form a linear distribution, and each side of the 2-fold mirror allows 1-100 bulbs; the light combining light source can be used as a light source (the light condensation and floodlight of a flashlight) in an optical engine of a projector and a projection flashlight; the light-emitting color of each bulb is the same color or different colors in different regions (for example, GRRE-LED single light-emitting tube (bulb) has respective light-emitting regions of R \ G \ B); by fixing the position of each LED bulb, light-emitting mirror image points of various colors are arranged in the overlapping area where each LED bulb is subjected to mirror image light-emitting, namely light rays of various colors exist in the mirror image light-emitting area in a complementary manner, and the uniformity of light-emitting of various colors in a geometric space is good; in the case of the light combining light source of the present invention used as a light source in a projection flashlight, the mirror light emitting area is placed at the focus of the paraboloid.

* Further: the mirror image of the light emitting area of each bulb falls on the central area of the strip, meaning: the mirror image of the light emitting area of the bulb is the image of the mirror surface, which is the result of the co-acting imaging by the encapsulated portion of the bulb or by an optical lens inserted through the optical path.

* Further: each side of the 2-fold mirror allows 1-100 bulbs; the arrangement of 1-100 bulbs on 2 sides is linear arrangement and alignment or dislocation arrangement is adopted, which is beneficial to the subsequent improvement of the uniformity of the light field.

* Further: the divergence angle of the bulb of the light combination light source is required to be as small as possible, so that more light rays can be emitted to the mirror surface; the light rays which are emitted to the outside of the mirror surface can be used for 2 times in the flashlight, namely, a reflector is arranged below the paraboloid reflector for utilization.

* Further: when the light combining light source is used as a component in an optical engine of a projector: the flashlight is used as a light source component and is arranged at the light initiating end of an optical engine of the projector (a shell, a battery, a switch and other components are also arranged in the flashlight); when using as the part in the highlight flashlight: the flashlight also serves as a light source component and is arranged in a focus area of a reflector of the highlight flashlight (a shell, a lens group, a display device, a light arrangement component and the like are also arranged in an optical engine).

The light combination light source of the invention has the technical progress that: taking virtual image light sources of a plurality of bulbs as 1 uniform light source in a light path; under the condition of effectively not increasing the distribution volume of the light source, the luminosity and the luminous distribution uniformity of each color are increased; so that the brightness is greatly increased without a decrease in optical quality.

[ description of the drawings ]

The invention will be further described with reference to a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a light source structure of a 2-fold mirror type light combination.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a light combining light source structure of a 4-fold mirror system and a light path of a flashlight projection part.

Description of reference numerals:

(1) (2) folding line

(4) (5), (6) bulb

(7) (8) combining the light beams

(9) (10) main direction

(11) Cross section of

(21) Central line of light emission

(22) (29) mirror region

(23) Paraboloid

(24) Side view of the device

(25) Light gathering

(26) Flood light

(27) 4-fold mirror enlarged view

(28) Plan view of

(30) Sign line

[ example of embodiment ]

As shown in [ fig. 1 ]:

the 2 fold mirror type light combining light source structure comprises: 2 mirror surfaces (19) and (20) respectively positioned at two sides of the fold line (1); the bulbs (4) respectively positioned at two sides of the mirror surface are arranged into 2 rows, all the bulbs are imaged on the same virtual image area (22) by respective reflecting mirror surfaces, the section (11) is a cluster of planes vertical to the main direction (9), and the light-emitting central line (21) is positioned in the central zone of the rectangular section (11); so that the combined light beams (7) and (8) are equivalent to the light rays emitted by virtual image areas (22) of all bulbs positioned near the central line (21); the top view (28) and the side view (24) help to see the assembled relationship between the devices.

The top view (28) shows: the bulbs arranged in 2 rows can be arranged in order, namely two rows of corresponding mark lines (30) are aligned, or staggered, namely two rows of corresponding mark lines (30) are not aligned, and the mark lines (30) are mutually inserted into the middle zone of the aligned mark lines.

The light-combined beams (7) and (8) are respectively from different bulbs, but are equivalent to the light rays emitted from the virtual image area (22), and the light-emitting points are not enlarged, so that the light-combined light beams have good optical quality and are beneficial to the subsequent processing of a projection light engine.

As shown in [ fig. 2 ]:

as can be seen from the 4-fold mirror enlarged view (27): 4 folding lines (2) and 4 edge-shaped sides of the upper and lower bottom surfaces form 4 trapezoidal side surfaces, and the bulbs (5) and (6) are positioned on the outer sides of the trapezoidal side surfaces and have the same principle as that of the lamp bulb in the figure 1; the 4 bulbs (5), (6) will form a common area mirrored in the virtual image area (29), and part of the light emitted by them will be projected as spotlight (25) in the far (small scattering angle) and part as floodlight (26) in the near (large scattering angle); the main direction (10) is located on the symmetry axis of the prism table and also coincides with the paraboloid (23), and the virtual image area (29) is located on the focal point of the virtual image area; the combined light beams are equivalent to the light rays emitted from the virtual image area (29), and the light emitting points are not enlarged, so that the light source has good optical quality and is beneficial to the subsequent processing of a projection light engine.

Claims (5)

1. The light combining light source is used for the optical engine of the projector and the highlight flashlight; the core component comprises: 2 fold mirror, 3 fold mirror, 4 fold mirror and 5 fold mirror, wherein the maximum can be 12 fold mirror; for the case of the 2-fold mirror, the fold line is vertical to the main direction of the emergent light beam; for the case of 3-12 fold mirrors, each surface is trapezoidal or triangular or trapezoid with bent edges, the combined shape of each surface is a frustum of pyramid or pyramid, the intersection point of each fold line is positioned in the main direction (emergent direction) of the light beam combination, and the intersection points of each fold line are at 1 point or multiple points or are not intersected with each other; the method is characterized in that: each bulb is an LED lamp or a heat lamp, each bulb corresponds to 1 mirror surface, and a light emitting area of each bulb is imaged in a central area of a cross section, namely a polygonal surface which is perpendicular to the main direction and is surrounded by a plane or an extension plane of each folding mirror, so that the mirror images of the light emitting area of each bulb are overlapped in the same area, and all light energy is equivalently concentrated in the same area; for the case of a 2-fold mirror, the corresponding cross-sectional shape is an infinitely long strip, so that the mirror image of the light emitting area of each bulb falls on the central area of the strip, the mirror image points form a linear distribution, and each side surface of the 2-fold mirror allows 1-100 bulbs; the light combining light source can be used as a light source in an optical engine of a projector and a projection flashlight; the light-emitting color of each bulb is the same color or different colors in different regions; by fixing the orientation of each LED bulb, light-emitting mirror image points of various colors are arranged in the overlapping area of mirror image light emission of each LED bulb, namely light rays of various colors exist in the mirror image light-emitting area in a complementary manner, and the uniformity of light emission of various colors in a geometric space is good; in the case where the light combining source of the present invention is used as a light source in a projection flashlight, the mirror image light emitting region is placed at the focus of the paraboloid.

2. A combined light source for use in an optical engine of a projector and a glare flashlight as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the mirror image of the light emitting area of each bulb falls on the central area of the strip, which means that: the mirror image of the light emitting area of the bulb is the image of the mirror surface, which is the result of the co-acting imaging by the encapsulated portion of the bulb or by an optical lens inserted through the optical path.

3. A combined light source for a projector optical engine and glare flashlight as in claim 1 wherein: each side surface of the 2-fold mirror allows 1-100 bulbs; the arrangement of 1-100 bulbs on 2 sides is linear arrangement and alignment or dislocation arrangement is adopted, which is beneficial to the subsequent improvement of the uniformity of the light field.

4. A combined light source for a projector optical engine and glare flashlight as in claim 1 wherein: the divergence angle of the bulb of the light combination light source is required to be as small as possible, so that more light rays can be emitted to the mirror surface; and the light rays which are emitted to the outside of the mirror surface can be used for 2 times in the flashlight, namely, a reflector is arranged below the parabolic reflector for utilization.

5. A combined light source for a projector optical engine and glare flashlight as in claim 1 wherein: when the light combination light source is used as a component in an optical engine of a projector: is used as a light source component and is arranged at the light initiating end of the optical engine of the projector; when using as the part in the highlight flashlight: also serves as a light source component and is arranged in the focus area of the reflector of the highlight flashlight.

Images