JP2002245842A - Lamp cooling structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently cool a lamp of a small size and high brightness. SOLUTION: A lamp main body 100 housed in a lamp housing case 140 has a reflector 110 using its inner surface as a reflection surface, and a lens 120 is mounted at the front part of the reflector 110. A neck part 113 to which, a light emission tube 130 is mounted, is formed at the back part of the reflector 110. The air inside the lamp housing case 140 is exhausted by a blower 150, and cooling air flows through the lamp housing case 140. A part of the cooling air flowing through the lamp housing case 140 flows into the reflector 110 from an air intake 141 formed at the front part of the lamp main body 100, flows into the inside of the reflector 110, and exhausted from an air exhaust 114 formed at the neck part 113.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a light source,
The present invention relates to a lamp cooling structure suitably used for a projection-type image display device such as a liquid crystal projector that projects an enlarged image on a screen or the like through a display unit such as a liquid crystal panel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a projection type image display device such as a liquid crystal projector, a small, high-brightness lamp is usually used as a light source. Such lamps generate a large amount of heat,
The projection type image display device is provided with a lamp cooling structure for forcibly cooling the lamp with cooling air.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-222935 discloses an air-cooled lamp cooling structure.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of a lamp cooling structure described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-222935. In the lamp cooling structure shown in FIG. 5, a hollow reflector 200 having an inner peripheral surface as a reflecting surface is provided. The reflector 200 has a cylindrical shape with one end surface opened, and the other end portion is formed in a hemispherical shape. A through hole is provided in the axial center of the hemispherical end, and a neck 208 is provided around the through hole and protrudes outward in a concentric manner with the through hole. One end of the cylindrical arc tube 202 is supported in the neck 208.

The light emitted from the arc tube 203 is reflected by a reflecting surface provided on the inner peripheral surface of the reflector 110, and is radiated forward toward an open end surface.

The arc tube 202 is a high-pressure mercury lamp having a bulb 203 made of a glass tube.
A light emitting portion 205 having a spherical shape is formed at a central portion in the axial direction of 03. A front sealing portion 206 is provided in front of the light emitting portion 205.
Is provided, and a rear sealing portion 207 is provided behind the light emitting portion 205. The rear sealing portion 207 of the valve 203 is inserted into the neck 208 and supported by the neck 208. The rear sealing portion 207 protrudes outside the reflector 200, and the base 204 is provided at an end of the rear sealing portion 207 protruding outside.

The open front end face of the reflector 200 is:
Lens 20 attached to the front end of reflector 200
Covered by one. Then, a ring-shaped metal member 209 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the lens.

[0007]

In the lamp cooling structure having such a configuration, the heat radiation from the lens 201 is promoted by the metal member 209 attached to the outer peripheral surface of the lens 201, and the heat is accumulated by the heat accumulated in the lens 201. Lens 2
01 is suppressed. As a result, cracking of the lens 201 is prevented.

However, in a small and high-brightness lamp used for a projection type image display device such as a liquid crystal projector, a lens 20 attached to the front of the reflector 200 is used.
Not only 1 but also the arc tube 202 accommodated in the reflector 200 and the neck 208 at the rear of the reflector 200 supporting the arc tube 202 become hot.

Further, the lamp used in the liquid crystal projector needs to emit light over a long period of time while maintaining a predetermined brightness in order to function as a liquid crystal projector. It is required to control. For example, when a high-pressure mercury lamp is used in a liquid crystal projector, it is necessary to maintain the light emitting section at about 1000 ° C. and suppress the surroundings of the lamp to about 60 ° C.

However, lamps used in liquid crystal projectors have been reduced in size and brightness, and the space in which the lamps are arranged has been reduced.
It is not easy to suppress the temperature rise around the lamp.

Due to such a problem, the above-described lamp cooling mechanism has a problem that a part of the front sealing part 206 and the rear sealing part 207 of the arc tube 203 has an abnormally high temperature. There is a need for a structure that cools the lamp more efficiently.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a lamp cooling structure capable of cooling a lamp with high efficiency without impairing the brightness and performance of the lamp. Is to do.

[0013]

A lamp cooling structure according to the present invention is arranged so as to surround an arc tube while holding the arc tube therein, and a reflector having an inner peripheral surface as a reflecting surface; A lamp body having a lens provided on the front end face of the reflector to be irradiated with light from the arc tube, a lamp container for accommodating the lamp body at appropriate intervals, and air flowing into the lamp body. An air inlet provided at a front end of the lamp housing, an air outlet provided at a rear end of the lamp body so that air inside the lamp body flows out, And a blower for exhausting the inside of the lamp storage container.

The air inlet is provided on a peripheral surface of the reflector.

The air inlet is provided at the center of the lens.

The light emitted from the arc tube of the lamp body is applied to the polarization conversion element of the projection type image display device. The air flows into the lamp container from the air inlet.

The light emitted from the arc tube of the lamp body is applied to an optical unit of the projection type image display device. The gas flows into the lamp container from the entrance.

In the vicinity of the lamp container, there is further provided a blowing means for supplying air to the air inlet.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lamp unit using the lamp cooling structure of the present invention.

The lamp unit 1 is used in, for example, a liquid crystal projector which is a general projection type image display device. As shown in FIG. 1, a lamp body 100 having an arc tube 130 constituted by a high-pressure mercury lamp; Lamp storage container 140 that stores this lamp body 100 inside
And

The lamp body 100 is provided with a hollow reflector 110 whose inner peripheral surface is a reflection surface. The reflector 110 has a cylindrical shape with one end face open, and the other end is formed in a hemispherical shape. A through hole is provided in the axial center portion of the end portion formed in a hemispherical shape, and a neck portion 130 is provided around the through hole and protrudes outward concentrically with the through hole. . The arc tube 1 having a cylindrical shape is provided in the neck portion 130.
30 are supported. The arc tube 130 is inserted through the neck portion 130 and inserted into the reflector 110. Light emitted from the arc tube 130 is reflected by the reflector 11.
The light is reflected by the reflection surface provided on the inner peripheral surface of the light emitting device 0 and is irradiated forward toward the open end surface.

On the open front surface of the reflector 110,
A front lens 120 made of flat glass is attached. The front lens 120 is held by a lens holder 111 provided at the end of the reflector 110 so as to have a larger diameter over the entire circumference.

The reflector 110 includes a lens holder 11
A plurality of air inlets 112 are provided at regular intervals in the circumferential direction in the vicinity of the rear of the air inlet 1. A plurality of air outlets 114 are also provided at regular intervals in the circumferential direction on the peripheral surface of the neck 113 provided at the rear of the reflector 110. Further, an air inlet 1 is provided at the center of the front glass 120 provided on the front end face of the reflector 110.
21 are provided.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the arc tube 130 used in the lamp unit 1. The arc tube 130 composed of a high-pressure mercury lamp includes a bulb 131 constituted by a linearly extending glass tube as shown in FIG. A light-emitting portion 132 bulging into a sphere is provided at a central portion in the axial direction of the bulb 131. And the light emitting unit 1
The bulb 131 in the vicinity of the front lens 120 held by the reflector 110 with respect to 32 is a front sealing portion 133.
a, and the opposite side portion is a rear side sealing portion 133b.

In the front-side sealing portion 133a and the rear-side sealing portion 133b of the valve 131, a front-side metal member 134a and a rear-side metal member 134b formed in a thin plate shape are respectively arranged along the axis of the valve 131. It is enclosed. Discharge electrodes 135a and 135b are respectively joined to ends of the metal members 134a and 134b which are close to each other. Each discharge electrode 135a and 135b
Are abutted with a predetermined gap in the light emitting section 132. A first end protruding outward from the front sealing portion 133a at the front end of the front metal member 134a.
The lead 136a is joined, and a second lead 136b projecting rearward from the rear sealing portion 133b is joined to the rear end of the rear metal member 134b.

A base 137 is attached to the rear end of the valve 131. The base 137 is fixed in a neck 113 formed at the rear of the reflector 110.
A male screw 138 is attached to 37 so as to protrude rearward. The second projecting rearward of the valve 131
The lead 136b is connected to the base 13 via the base 137.
7, and is electrically connected to the male screw portion 138 attached to the connector 7. Then, the first lead 136a and the male screw portion 138
Are connected to an external power supply circuit (not shown), and when a voltage is applied by the external power supply circuit, a predetermined arc discharge is generated between the discharge electrodes 135a and 135b.

The lamp housing 14 for housing the lamp body
0 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an open front surface, and the lamp body 100 is placed in a state where the lens holding portion 111 of the reflector 110, which is the front portion of the lamp body 100, is arranged in the open front surface. It is held inside.

A plurality of air intakes 141 are provided on the peripheral surface of the front end portion of the lamp container 140 at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. Each of the air intakes 141 of the lamp housing 140 is located outside the respective air intakes 112 provided at the front end of the reflector 110.
Each of them is formed with an opening area larger than 12. Also, on the rear end face of the lamp container 140,
An air outlet 142 is provided behind the neck 113 of the reflector 110, which is the rear end of the lamp body 100. The air outlet 142 has an opening area larger than the neck 113 of the reflector 110.

Behind the lamp housing 140, a blower 150 is provided. The blower 150 is disposed behind an air outlet 142 provided on the rear end surface of the lamp housing 140, and is driven to rotate so as to suck gas inside the lamp housing 140.

In the lamp cooling structure having such a configuration, when the blower 150 operates, the lamp housing 140
A pressure difference is generated between the inside of the lamp housing and the surrounding space, the gas inside the lamp housing 140 is sucked by the blower 150, and the air inside the lamp housing 140 is exhausted. As the air in the lamp housing 140 is exhausted, air outside the lamp housing 140 flows into the lamp housing 140 through an air inlet 141 provided at the front end of the lamp housing 140. I do.

When the inside of the lamp housing 140 is exhausted, the air outside the lamp housing 140 passes through the air inlet 121 provided at the center of the front lens 120 and passes through the lamp body 100. Inflow inside.
Part of the air flowing into the lamp housing 140 from the air inlet 141 of the lamp housing 140 is
The air flows into the interior of the reflector 110 through an air inlet 112 provided at the front end of the air conditioner 10.

By operating the blower 150 in this way, the air outside the lamp housing 140 flows into the lamp housing 140 from almost the entire circumference at the front end of the lamp housing 140, and the lamp housing 140 is opened. Container 140
A portion of the air flowing into the front end of the lamp housing 140 flows to the rear end of the lamp housing 140 along the outer peripheral surface of the reflector 110 as shown by an arrow a in FIG. The remaining air that has flowed into the front end portion of the lamp housing 140 is filled with the lamp body 100 disposed inside the lamp housing 140.
At the front end of the reflector 110, the fluid flows into the reflector 110 from almost the entire circumference, and also flows into the reflector 110 from the air inlet 121 provided in the front lens 120 provided on the front surface of the reflector 110. .

The air that has flowed into the lamp housing 140 flows around the lamp 100 in the lamp housing 140 from the front to the rear, and is discharged to the outside from the air outlet 142 at the rear. The air flowing into the lamp body 100 flows from the front to the rear in the lamp body 100, and
As shown by an arrow d, the air is discharged from the air discharge port 114 provided in the neck portion 113 to the outside through the inside of the lamp housing 140.

The air flowing outside the lamp body 100 cools the reflector 110 and the lamp housing 140. The air flowing inside the lamp body 100 cools the reflector 110 and the arc tube 130.
Thereby, the lamp body 10 in the lamp container 140 is
0 is efficiently cooled from the outside and the inside. As a result, not only the lens 120 of the lamp body 100 but also the arc tube 130 and the reflector 110 which generate the largest amount of heat are generated.
Is efficiently cooled by a small amount of cooling air.

In particular, the small-diameter neck portion 113 provided at the rear portion of the reflector 110 allows the air inside the reflector 110 to flow in intensively, and is discharged to the outside from the respective air outlets 114 provided on the peripheral surface of the neck portion 113. Arc tube 130
Is efficiently cooled.

Further, since the air inlet 121 is provided at the center of the front lens 120, the air inlet 1
Air flowing in from 21 (indicated by arrow b in FIG. 1)
This efficiently cools the front sealing portion 133a of the arc tube 130. Further, the air flowing from the air inlet 121 is
With the air (indicated by an arrow b in FIG. 1) flowing from around the front end of the reflector 110, the light emitting part 132 and the rear sealing part 133b of the arc tube 130 are cooled. Therefore, the arc tube 130 is efficiently cooled. In particular, the front sealing portion 1 of the light emitting portion 132 which is considered to be difficult to cool.
The air 33a is efficiently cooled by air flowing from an air inlet 121 provided at the center of the front lens 120.

Further, since the front sealing portion 133a of the arc tube 130 is directly cooled by the air flowing from the air inlet 121 provided at the center of the front lens 120, the outer surface of the reflector 110 can be cooled. There is no need to guide the inflowing air toward the front sealing portion 133a of the arc tube 130. Therefore, there is no need to provide a member for guiding the air toward the front sealing portion 133a, and the structure of the lamp body 100 is simplified. Be transformed into

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another example of the lamp unit 1 using the lamp cooling structure of the present invention. In the lamp unit 1, an air inlet 141 is provided between the front end of the lamp housing 140 and the lens holder 111 of the reflector 110 located in the front end. Further, the lens holding portion 111 of the reflector 110
And the front lens 1 held by the lens holding portion 111
20, an air inlet 112 is provided. Other configurations are the same as those of the lamp cooling structure shown in FIG.

Also in the lamp cooling structure having such a configuration, the reflector 110 of the lamp body 100 is efficiently cooled from the outside and the inside, and the neck 113 provided on the reflector 110 is also efficiently cooled. Further, the arc tube 130 provided in the reflector 110 is also efficiently cooled throughout.

In each of the above embodiments, the cooling air flows into the reflector 110 of the lamp body 100 from both the peripheral surface of the reflector 110 and the center of the front lens 120. Alternatively, air may flow into the reflector 110 from only one of them.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a liquid crystal projector using the lamp cooling structure of the present invention. This liquid crystal projector is a general projection type image display device, and uses a lamp unit 1 used in the above-described lamp cooling structure as a light source. Arc tube 13 of lamp unit 1
After passing through the first lens array 3, the mirror 4, and the second lens eye 5, the illumination light 2 emitted from 1 is sequentially irradiated on the polarization conversion element 6, the lens 7, and the first dichroic mirror 8. The first dichroic mirror 8 reflects red light in the irradiated light, and transmits green light and blue light. The reflected red light is reflected by the mirror 9 and irradiated to the first light valve means 10.

The green light and the blue light transmitted through the first dichroic mirror 8 are applied to a second dichroic mirror 11 that reflects the green light and transmits the blue light. The green light reflected by the second dichroic mirror 11 is applied to the second light valve means 12. Further, the blue light transmitted through the second dichroic mirror 11 is applied to the third light valve means 15 via the first mirror 13 and the second mirror 14.

The red light transmitted through the first light valve means 10, the green light transmitted through the second light valve means 12, and the blue light transmitted through the third light valve means 15 are synthesized by a cross dichroic prism 16, The resultant light 17 is projected on a screen (not shown) via the projection lens 18 as the color-combined emission light 17.

These projector components are housed in the housing 20 together with the lamp unit 1.

As described above, the lamp unit 1 has the lamp housing 140, and the lamp main body 100 is provided in the lamp housing 140. The lamp circuit 21 is disposed behind the lamp housing 140, and a blower 150 that sucks and exhausts air in the housing 20 is provided on a side of the lamp housing 140. An electric circuit 22 such as the lamp unit 1 is arranged adjacent to the blower 150. The blower 150 exhausts the air inside the lamp housing 140 of the lamp unit 1 together with the air inside the housing 20.

On the side of the front end of the lamp unit 1, a blower 31 for blowing air into the lamp housing 140 is provided. Also, the first light valve means 10, the second light valve means
Optical units such as the light valve means 12, the third light valve means 15, the cross dichroic prism 16,
It is designed to be cooled by a dedicated blower 24,
Further, the polarization conversion element 6 to which the light from the lamp unit 1 is irradiated is also cooled by the dedicated blower 30.

In a liquid crystal projector which is a general projection type image display device, as the power consumption in the lamp unit 1 increases, the amount of heat generated by the polarization conversion element 6 also increases. Requires cooling. For this purpose, the polarization conversion element 6
The air is cooled by a dedicated blower 30. In this case, the amount of heat generated by the polarization conversion element 6 is very small compared to the amount of heat generated by the lamp unit 1. As introduced in FIG.
As shown by an arrow C, the air flows into the reflector 110 from an air inlet 112 (see FIG. 1) provided in the reflector 110 in the lamp housing 140.

As described above, by using the air used for cooling the polarization conversion element 6 for cooling the lamp unit 1, the lamp unit can be installed without adding a fan and without increasing the capacity of the fan. 1 can improve the cooling effect.

Although the air used for cooling the polarization conversion element 6 is made to flow into the inside of the reflector 110 through the air inlet 112 provided on the peripheral surface of the reflector 110, The air may be introduced from the air intake 121 provided at the air inlet or from both.

When the blower 31 provided on the side of the front end of the lamp housing 140 is operated, the arrow D shown in FIG.
As shown by, a part of the air introduced into the housing 20 passes through the front of the front lens 120 and is forced into the reflector 110 from an air inlet 121 provided at the center of the front lens 120. Inflow. At the same time, as shown by an arrow C 'in FIG. 4, the lamp container 1 is inserted through an air inlet 141 provided on the peripheral surface of the front end of the reflector 110.
Forcibly flows into 40.

The air that has flowed into the reflector 110 from the center of the front lens 120 cools the front sealing portion 133 a provided at the front of the arc tube 130, and further cools the spherical light emitting portion 132 and the rear sealing portion. The stop 133b is cooled. The air flowing into the reflector 140 from the air inlet 141 at the front end of the reflector 140 cools the light emitting part 132 and the rear sealing part 133b of the arc tube 130.

As described above, the inside of the lamp housing 140 in the lamp unit 1 is not only exhausted by the blower 150 but also by the blower 31 provided on the front end side of the lamp unit 1.
Inside, and further, air is forcibly supplied into the lamp body 100 provided in the lamp container 140,
In the lamp body 100, the flow velocity and the flow rate of the flowing air are increased, and the bulb 131 and the like of the arc tube 130 can be effectively cooled.

The blower 31 causes the lamp body 1
The blower 31 is directly attached to the lamp housing 140 in order to forcibly supply air to the interior of the lamp housing 00. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. Air may be supplied.

A blower 24 for cooling the optical unit
Is activated, each light valve means 1 of the optical unit is activated.
Air is supplied to 0, 12, and 15. A part of the air that has passed through the light valve means 10, 12, 15 is given to a lamp circuit 21 provided behind the lamp unit 1 and cools the lamp circuit 21. It is exhausted outside. In addition, part of the air that has cooled the light valve means 10, 12, and 15 of the optical unit flows into the lamp housing 140 of the lamp unit 1 and cools the lamp body 100 in the lamp housing 140 from outside. I do.

As described above, by using the air having cooled the optical unit for cooling the lamp unit 1, the lamp unit 1 is more efficiently cooled, and the reflector 110 in the lamp housing 140 is also efficiently cooled. Cools well.

[0057]

As described above, in the lamp cooling structure of the present invention, the cooling air flows outside and inside the reflector of the lamp body, and the cooling air flowing inside the reflector is discharged from the neck. As a result, the lamp body, including the neck, which is the mounting portion of the arc tube, is efficiently cooled.

By providing an air inlet for introducing cooling air into the reflector on the peripheral surface of the reflector, the portion from the middle to the rear of the arc tube can be intensively cooled. Also, by providing the air inlet at the center of the lens, the front part of the arc tube is efficiently cooled.

By using air that has passed through the polarization conversion element region of the projection type image display device or air that has passed through the optical unit of the projection type image display device as cooling air, a fan can be added or the capacity of the fan can be increased. Without increasing, the cooling efficiency of the lamp can be improved.

Furthermore, the cooling efficiency of the lamp is further improved by forcibly supplying cooling air into the lamp body by using a blowing means different from the blower for exhausting the inside of the lamp housing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a lamp unit using a lamp cooling structure of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an arc tube used in the lamp unit.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another example of a lamp unit using the lamp cooling structure of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a liquid crystal projector using a lamp unit using the lamp cooling structure of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lamp unit using a conventional lamp cooling structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Arc tube 2 Illumination light 6 Polarization conversion element 8,11 Dick quick mirror 10,12,15 Light valve means 16 Cross dichroic prism 17 Emitted light 18 Projection lens 20 Housing 21 Lamp circuit 22 Electric circuit 30,31 Blower 100 Lamp Main body 110 Reflector 112 Air inlet 113 Neck 114 Air outlet 120 Lens 121 Air inlet 130 Arc tube 140 Lamp housing 141 Air inlet 142 Air outlet 150 Blower

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A reflector having an arc tube held inside and surrounding the arc tube, a reflector having an inner peripheral surface serving as a reflection surface, and a reflector front end to which light from the arc tube is irradiated. A lamp body having a lens provided on a surface thereof; a lamp housing for housing the lamp body at appropriate intervals; and a front end of the lamp housing so that air flows into the interior of the lamp body. An air inlet provided, an air outlet provided at a rear end of the lamp body so that air inside the lamp body flows out, and a blower exhausting the inside of the lamp housing. A lamp cooling structure. 2. The lamp cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the air intake is provided on a peripheral surface of the reflector. 3. The lamp cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the air intake is provided at a central portion of the lens. 4. A light emitted from an arc tube of the lamp body is applied to a polarization conversion element of a projection type image display device.
The lamp cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the lamp cooling structure is configured to flow into the lamp housing from an air inlet of the lamp housing. 5. A light emitted from an arc tube of the lamp body is applied to an optical unit of the projection type image display device.
The lamp cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the lamp cooling structure is configured to flow into the lamp housing from an air inlet of the lamp housing. 6. The lamp cooling structure according to claim 1, further comprising a blower that supplies air to the air inlet near the lamp housing.