JP2007298890A - Liquid crystal projector apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal projector apparatus capable of improving cooling effects for a picture forming unit by efficiently using a current of cooling air without increasing the rotating speed of a cooling fan. <P>SOLUTION: In the liquid crystal projector apparatus, a nozzle 81 for discharging a current of cooling air toward the video forming unit projects from a cooling unit used to cool the video forming unit. The nozzle 81 has a blow-in opening 84 into which a current of cooling air is blown, and a blow-out opening 85 from which the current of cooling air is blown out. A passage extending from the blow-in opening 84 to the blow-out opening 85 narrows at least in a widthwise direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the video forming unit. The width of the blow-out opening 85 is almost equal to the width of the video forming unit perpendicular to the optical axis. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid crystal projector apparatus that guides light from a light source to an optical system, generates an image, and magnifies and projects the image onto a front screen.

  In the liquid crystal projector apparatus, it is necessary to cool each image generation unit by blowing cooling air to each of the three image generation units that generate image light of the three primary colors, and various cooling mechanisms have been proposed in the past. (See Patent Documents 1 and 2).

For example, a liquid crystal projector device that cools each image generation unit by a cooling unit (9) shown in FIG. 13 is known. In the cooling unit (9), three nozzles (91) for blowing cooling air to the three video generation units are provided in a projecting manner.
As shown in FIG. 12, each nozzle (91) has a blowing opening (94) for introducing the cooling air into the nozzle, and a blowing opening (94) for discharging the cooling air in the nozzle toward the image generation unit. 95).

Here, the blowing opening (94) of the nozzle (91) is formed to have a size capable of taking in the cooling air necessary for cooling the image generating unit (39). The larger the blowing opening (94), the less the air resistance at the blowing opening (94), and a sufficient amount of cooling air can be taken in.
In addition, the blowout opening (95) of the nozzle (91) is set to be approximately the same size as the blowout opening (94), and as a result, the blowout opening (95) is larger than the width of the video generation unit (39). It has a large opening width.
JP 2000-81667 A [G03B21 / 16] JP-A-8-234155 [G02F1 / 13]

  By the way, in a liquid crystal projector capable of projecting a high-luminance video, the video generation unit generates heat and the temperature rises as the video becomes brighter. Therefore, the conventional liquid crystal projector device increases the amount of cooling air blown to the image generation unit (39) by increasing the rotation speed of the cooling fan that generates the cooling air, thereby cooling the image generation unit (39). I was trying to improve. However, there is a problem that noise generated from the cooling fan increases as the rotation speed of the cooling fan increases.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal projector device that can efficiently use cooling air and improve the cooling effect on the image generation unit without increasing the rotational speed of the cooling fan in the liquid crystal projector device. .

  The liquid crystal projector according to the present invention includes an optical device (3) that generates color image light, a cooling unit (8) for air-cooling the optical device (3), and a color generated by the optical device (3). A projection lens (20) for projecting image light toward a screen, and the optical device (3) includes three image generation units (50), (60), (70) to generate image light of three primary colors; And a color synthesis prism (30) for synthesizing the three primary colors of video light generated by the three video generation units (50), (60) and (70) into color video light.

  Each of the three image generation units (50), (60), (70) is configured by arranging a plurality of rectangular flat optical panels including at least one liquid crystal panel on the optical axis, and the whole is a rectangular parallelepiped. In the cooling unit (8), three nozzles (81), (86), and (87) that should discharge cooling air toward the three image generation units (50), (60), and (70) respectively protrude. It is installed.

  The three nozzles (81), (86), (87) of the cooling unit (8) each have a blowing opening (84) through which cooling air is blown and a blowing opening (85) through which cooling air is blown, The flow path from the blow opening (84) to the blow opening (85) is narrowed at least in the width direction orthogonal to the optical axis of each image generation unit, and the width in the blow opening (85) is The width substantially coincides with the width orthogonal to the optical axis of the video generation unit.

In the projection-type image display device according to the present invention, since the blowing opening (85) of each nozzle (81) is narrower than the blowing opening (84), each nozzle (81) extends from the blowing opening (84) of each nozzle (81). ) The cooling air introduced inside concentrates at the blowout opening (85), thereby increasing the wind speed and improving the cooling capacity, and almost all of the cooling air discharged from the blowout opening (85) is supplied to each image generation unit. Be blown.
Therefore, the cooling effect on the optical device (3) can be improved by increasing the amount and speed of the cooling air blown to the portion to be cooled of the optical device (3).

  In a specific configuration, the cooling unit (8) includes one or a plurality of cooling fans and a housing (80) to which air discharged from the cooling fans is supplied. Three nozzles (81), (86) and (87) are projected, and a flow path from the cooling fan to each nozzle is formed in the housing (80).

  Further, in a specific configuration, each of the three nozzles 81, 86, 87 of the cooling unit 8 is two orthogonal to the optical axis of the image generating unit to be cooled and parallel to each other. The first side wall portions (82) and (82), and each nozzle has two second side wall portions (83) and (83) parallel to the optical axis of the image generation unit to be cooled and non-parallel to each other. The distance between the first side wall portions (82) and (82) is substantially equal to the length dimension of each image generating unit in the optical axis direction, and the flow path is narrowed by the second side wall portions (83) and (83). ing.

  According to this specific configuration, the plurality of polarizing plates constituting each video generation unit can be uniformly cooled.

  In another specific configuration, the polarizing plate constituting each optical image generation unit (50) (60) (70) is composed of a transparent substrate and an optical film formed on the transparent substrate. The blowing opening (85) of each nozzle is rectangular, the width in the direction parallel to the optical axis of the image generation unit to be cooled by each nozzle is smaller than the width in the same direction of the transparent substrate, and the optical film It has a size larger than the width in the same direction.

  According to this specific configuration, the cooling air can be concentrated and cooled only on the optical film to be cooled of the polarizing plate.

  In a more specific configuration, the area ratio of the blowing opening (85) to each nozzle blowing opening (84) is about 0.7.

  In this specific configuration, the inclination angle of the second side wall portion (83) (83) of each nozzle is larger than the draft angle during resin molding.

  According to the liquid crystal projector device of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently use the cooling air and improve the cooling effect on the image generation unit without increasing the rotation speed of the cooling fan.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid crystal projector device according to the present invention comprises a flat casing (1) comprising a lower half case (11) and an upper half case (12), and the front panel (13) of the casing (1) is provided on the front panel (13). As shown in FIG. 2, the projection window (14) is opened, and the rear panel (17) is provided with an exhaust hole (15) for hot air discharged from the built-in lamp unit. As shown in FIG. 3, the casing (1) includes an optical unit (2) for generating image light and a lamp unit (4) serving as a light source of the optical unit (2).

Optical Unit As shown in FIG. 4, in the optical unit (2), white light incident on the first field mirror (21) from the lamp unit (4) is reflected by the first field mirror (21) and is reflected by the first dichroic mirror. Incident on (22). In the first dichroic mirror (22), red light and green light are reflected, and only blue light passes through the first dichroic mirror mirror (22). The blue light that has passed through the first dichroic mirror (22) enters the second field mirror (23), is reflected by the second field mirror (23), and enters the optical device (3).

  The red light and green light reflected by the first dichroic mirror (22) enter the second dichroic mirror (27). The second dichroic mirror (27) reflects green light, and the green light reflected by the second dichroic mirror (27) enters the optical device (3).

  The red light incident on the second dichroic mirror (27) passes through the second dichroic mirror (27), is reflected by the third field mirror (26) and the fourth field mirror (25), and is reflected by the optical device (3 ).

Optical Device As shown in FIG. 5, the optical device (3) includes a color synthesis prism (30), a red video generation unit (50) and a green video generation unit (60) arranged around the color synthesis prism (30). ) And a blue image generation unit (70).

  In the red image generation unit (50), the green image generation unit (60), and the blue image generation unit (70), respectively, from the color synthesis prism (30) side, the output side polarizing plates (51) (61) (71), Pre-polarizing plates (52) (62) (72), liquid crystal panels (53) (63) (73), optical compensators (54) (64) (74), and incident side polarizing plates (55) (65) ( 75) are sequentially stacked.

  Also, in the red image generation unit (50), the green image generation unit (60) and the blue image generation unit (70), the exit side polarizing plates (51) (61) (71) and the pre-polarizing plate (52) ( 62) (72), optical compensation plates (54) (64) (74) and incident-side polarizing plates (55) (65) (75) are composed of a transparent substrate and an optical film formed on the transparent substrate. The outer peripheral portion composed only of the transparent substrate is sandwiched between the frames, and the portion where the optical film is formed is exposed from the frame.

  Blue light incident on the optical device (3) is incident on the incident-side polarizing plate (75), the optical compensator (74), the liquid crystal panel (73), the pre-polarizing plate (72), and the outgoing light of the blue image generation unit (70). The light passes through the side polarizing plate (71), becomes blue image light, and is guided to the color synthesis prism (30).

  The green light incident on the optical device (3) is incident on the incident-side polarizing plate (65) of the green image generating unit (60), the optical compensator (64), the liquid crystal panel (63), the pre-polarizing plate (62), Then, the light passes through the output-side polarizing plate (61), becomes green image light, and is guided to the color synthesis prism (30).

  Also, the red light incident on the optical device (3) is incident on the incident-side polarizing plate (55), the optical compensator (54), the liquid crystal panel (53), the pre-polarizing plate (52) of the red image generating unit (50), Then, the light passes through the output-side polarizing plate (51), becomes red image light, and is guided to the color synthesis prism (30).

  The three colors of image light guided to the color combining prism (30) are combined by the color combining prism (30), and the color image light obtained thereby is enlarged and projected onto the front screen through the projection lens (20). The

Cooling unit A cooling unit (8) for cooling the optical device (3) shown in FIG. 6 is accommodated in the lower half case (11) side of the casing (1) shown in FIG. Is located. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the cooling unit (8) includes a flat housing (80) made of synthetic resin, and two units are provided in the housing (80) toward the inside of the housing (80). The cooling fans (96) and (97) are attached.

  The upper surface of the housing (80) is formed in a flat shape, from which the red nozzle (81) used for cooling the red image generating unit (50) and the green image generating unit (60) are cooled. The green nozzle (86) used and the blue nozzle (87) used for cooling the blue image generating unit (70) protrude.

Since the red nozzle (81), the green nozzle (86), and the blue nozzle (87) have the same structure, only the structure of the red nozzle (81) will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the red nozzle (81) is formed in the shape of a truncated pyramid having openings at both ends, and the inside of each nozzle (81) is one of the nozzles (81). Is connected to the inside of the housing (80) through the opening.

  One opening of the red nozzle (81) serves as a blowing opening (84) for introducing the cooling air generated by the cooling fans (96) and (97) into the red nozzle (81). The other opening of 81) is a blowout opening (85) for discharging the cooling air in the red nozzle (81) toward the optical device (3).

  Further, the side wall of the red nozzle (81) is composed of a pair of first side wall portions (82) and (82) facing each other and a pair of second side wall portions (83) and (83) facing each other. . Each first side wall portion (82) and each second side wall portion (83) are formed in a flat plate shape, and a pair of first side wall portions (82) (82) and a pair of second side wall portions (83) ) (83) are substantially orthogonal to each other.

  The pair of first side walls (82), (82) of the red nozzle (81) protrudes vertically from the upper surface of the housing (80), and the distance between the pair of first side walls (82), (82) is It is constant from the blowing opening (84) to the blowing opening (85) of the red nozzle (81).

  On the other hand, the pair of second side wall portions (83), (83) of the red nozzle (81) protrudes from the vertical direction of the upper surface of the housing (80), and the pair of second side wall portions (83) ( The interval 83) is narrowed from the blowing opening (84) of the red nozzle (81) toward the blowing opening (85). Accordingly, the blowing opening (85) is formed smaller than the blowing opening (84).

  A direction adjusting plate (88) for adjusting the discharge direction of the cooling air is provided inside the red nozzle (81). The direction adjusting plate (88) connects the pair of second side wall portions (83) and (83) between the blowing opening (84) and the blowing opening (85), and on the blowing opening (85) side. It has a Y-shape that is split so that the thickness dimension increases.

  In addition, in the manufacturing process of the cylindrical resin molded body such as the red nozzle (81), the opening surface of the mold is usually in consideration of the draft angle for taking out the molded body from the mold. It is formed larger than the bottom surface. As a result, even in a general cylindrical molded body, the area on one end side is formed larger than the area on the other end side, and therefore the opening on one end side is larger than the opening on the other end side. There is.

  However, the area difference between the one end side and the other end side of the molded body required for taking out the molded body from the mold is the difference between the blowing opening (84) and the blowing opening (85) of the red nozzle (81). Small compared to the area difference. Specifically, the area ratio of the blowing opening (85) to the blowing opening (84) of the red nozzle (81) is about 0.7.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the red nozzle (81), the green nozzle (86) and the blue nozzle (87) of the cooling unit (8) have blowout openings respectively for the red image generation unit of the optical device (3). (50), the green image generation unit (60), and the blue image generation unit (70).

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, in the blowing opening (84) of the red nozzle (81) that discharges cooling air toward the red image generation unit (50), a pair of first side wall portions (82) (82) ) Between the pair of second side walls (83) and (83) is substantially the same as the dimension between both ends in the optical axis direction of the red image generating unit (50). It is formed larger than the dimension between both ends in the direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction.

  As shown in FIG. 10, in the blowout opening (85) of the red nozzle (81), the distance between the pair of first side walls (82) (82) is in the optical axis direction of the red image generation unit (50). Emission side polarizing plate (51), pre-polarizing plate (52), liquid crystal panel (53), optical compensator (54), and incident side which are substantially equal to the dimension between both ends and constitute red image generation unit (50) Among the polarizing plates (55), a pair of first side walls sandwiching the incident-side polarizing plate (55) and the outgoing-side polarizing plate (51) disposed on both sides in the optical axis direction of the red image generation unit (50). Portions (82) and (82) are arranged.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the exit-side polarizing plate (51), the pre-polarizing plate (52), the liquid crystal panel (53), the optical compensator (54), and the incident-side polarizing plate constituting the red image generating unit (50). The width direction of (55) is arranged in parallel with the optical axis direction of the red image generation unit (50) and the direction orthogonal to the protruding direction of the red nozzle (81).

  As described above, the output-side polarizing plate (51), the pre-polarizing plate (52), the optical compensation plate (54), and the incident-side polarizing plate (55) constituting the red image generation unit (50) are each a transparent substrate and And an optical film formed on the transparent substrate, and there is no optical film to be cooled on both sides in the width direction of the transparent substrate. In FIG. 11, the portion where the optical film is formed is shown as a hatched region.

  In the blowout opening (85) of the red nozzle (81), the distance between the pair of second side wall portions (83) is such that the output side polarizing plate (51) and the pre-polarizing plate (52 ), The optical compensator (54), and the incident-side polarizing plate (55) are smaller than the width-direction dimensions of the transparent substrates, and are substantially equal to the width-direction dimensions of the optical films. In the blowout opening (85) of the red nozzle (81), the pair of second side wall portions (83) and (83) includes an output-side polarizing plate (51) and a pre-polarized light constituting the red image generating unit (50). The plate (52), the optical compensation plate (54), and the incident-side polarizing plate (55) are disposed on both sides in the width direction of the optical film.

  The cooling air flowing from the blowing opening (84) of the red nozzle (81) toward the blowing opening (85) is concentrated in the center between the pair of second side wall portions (83) and (83), and the blowing opening (84 The air speed is increased and the cooling capacity is improved as compared with immediately after being introduced to the head.

  Then, the cooling air discharged from the blowout opening (85) of the red nozzle (81) toward the red image generation unit (50) is an emission side polarizing plate (51) constituting the red image generation unit (50), For each of the pre-polarizing plate (52), the liquid crystal panel (53), the optical compensation plate (54), and the incident-side polarizing plate (55), a pair of second side walls (83) and (83) of the blowing opening (85) It is sprayed intensively on the portion of the optical film to be cooled.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, the distance between the pair of first side walls (82) and (82) of the red nozzle (81) is constant from the blowing opening (84) to the blowing opening (85). Therefore, between the pair of first side wall portions (82) and (82), the cooling air flows uniformly from the blowing opening (84) toward the blowing opening (85) without being concentrated.

  The direction of the cooling air discharged from the red nozzle blowout opening (85) toward the red image generation unit (50) is adjusted by the direction adjusting plate (88) to form the red image generation unit (50). The emission-side polarizing plate (51), the pre-polarizing plate (52), the optical compensator (54), and the incident-side polarizing plate (55) are uniformly blown and cooled uniformly.

  The nozzle (86) that discharges cooling air toward the green image generation unit (60) and the nozzle (87) that discharges cooling air toward the blue image generation unit (70) are the same as the nozzle for red (81). The green image generating unit (60) and the blue image generating unit (70) are cooled in the same manner as the red image generating unit (50).

  In the liquid crystal projector device of the present invention as described above, the cooling unit for cooling the optical device (3) can efficiently use the cooling air to improve the cooling effect on each image generation unit. It is not necessary to increase the rotation speed of (96) and (97), and therefore, noise is not increased due to the increase of the rotation speed of the cooling fans (96) and (97).

  In addition, each part structure of this invention is not restricted to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible within the technical scope as described in a claim. For example, only one of the pair of second side walls (83) (83) constituting the nozzle (81) may be inclined within a range in which the optical film of each image generation unit can be uniformly cooled.

1 is an overall perspective view of a liquid crystal projector device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the liquid crystal projector device shown in FIG. 1. It is a top view which shows arrangement | positioning of the lamp unit with which the liquid crystal projector is equipped, and an optical apparatus. It is a top view which shows the structure of the lamp unit and optical apparatus with which this liquid crystal projector is equipped. It is a top view of an optical apparatus. It is a top view of a cooling unit. It is a front view of a cooling unit. It is a side view of a cooling unit. It is a top view of an optical apparatus and a cooling unit. It is a front view which shows the flow of the cooling air in a nozzle. It is a side view which shows the flow of the cooling air in a nozzle. It is a side view which shows the flow of the cooling air in the nozzle in the conventional liquid crystal projector apparatus. It is a top view of the cooling unit of the conventional liquid crystal projector device.

Explanation of symbols

(3) Optical device
(30) Color composition prism
(50) Red video generation unit
(51) Output-side polarizing plate
(52) Pre-polarizer
(53) LCD panel
(54) Optical compensator
(55) Incident-side polarizing plate
(60) Green image generation unit
(70) Blue image generation unit
(8) Cooling unit
(80) Housing
(81) Red nozzle
(82) First side wall
(83) Second side wall
(84) Blow opening
(85) Air outlet
(86) Green nozzle
(87) Blue nozzle

Claims (5)

An optical device (3) for generating color image light, a cooling unit (8) for air-cooling the optical device (3), and color image light generated by the optical device (3) are projected toward a screen. A projection lens (20), and the optical device (3) includes three video generation units (50), (60), and (70) to generate video light of three primary colors, and these three video generation units (50 ), (60), and (70), and a color synthesis prism (30) for synthesizing the three primary colors of video light into color video light, and each of the three video generation units (50), (60), (70) And a plurality of rectangular flat plate-like optical panels including at least one liquid crystal panel arranged on the optical axis, and the whole has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the cooling unit (8) has three images. Liquid in which three nozzles (81), (86), and (87) that should discharge cooling air toward the generating units (50), (60), and (70) are projected. In the projector apparatus,
The three nozzles (81), (86), (87) of the cooling unit (8) each have a blowing opening (84) through which cooling air is blown and a blowing opening (85) through which cooling air is blown, The flow path from the blow opening (84) to the blow opening (85) is narrowed at least in the width direction orthogonal to the optical axis of each image generation unit, and the width in the blow opening (85) is A liquid crystal projector apparatus characterized by substantially matching a width orthogonal to an optical axis of an image generation unit.   The cooling unit (8) includes one or a plurality of cooling fans and a housing (80) to which air discharged from the cooling fans is supplied, and the three nozzles (81) are provided on the surface of the housing (80). The liquid crystal projector according to claim 1, wherein a flow path from the cooling fan to each nozzle is formed in the housing (80).   Each of the three nozzles 81, 86, 87 of the cooling unit 8 has two first side wall portions 82 that are orthogonal to the optical axis of the image generating unit to be cooled and parallel to each other. (82) and two second side wall portions (83) and (83) each nozzle being parallel to the optical axis of the image generation unit to be cooled and non-parallel to each other, the first side wall portion ( The distance between (82) and (82) substantially coincides with the length dimension in the optical axis direction of each image generation unit, and the flow path is restricted by the two second side wall portions (83) (83). Alternatively, the liquid crystal projector device according to claim 2.   The polarizing plate constituting each optical image generation unit (50) (60) (70) is composed of a transparent substrate and an optical film formed on the transparent substrate, and a blowing opening (85) of each nozzle Is rectangular, each nozzle having a width in the direction parallel to the optical axis of the image generation unit to be cooled is smaller than the width in the same direction of the transparent substrate, and larger than the width in the same direction of the optical film. The liquid crystal projector device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal projector device is provided.   The liquid crystal projector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an area ratio of the blowing opening (85) to each nozzle blowing opening (84) is about 0.7.

Images