JP4047713B2 - Cooling device for optical equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cooling device for an optical apparatus including a light source that emits high heat and a drive circuit thereof, such as a liquid crystal projector or a projection (DLP) projector.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The projector is a video projection device that projects a video source having a diagonal number of several centimeters to a magnification of several 10 to several hundred times with a powerful lamp light source. An optical mechanism unit that converts the signal output from the circuit into a real image (this optical mechanism unit includes the lamp light source unit), a drive circuit that drives the light source lamp, cooling means that cools the light source lamp, and cooling the drive circuit In general, a cooling means having a forced air cooling structure with a fixed fan and an air passage is provided.
[0003]
FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a cooling structure of a conventional light source lamp, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram viewed from the top showing a cooling structure of a conventional light source lamp. 5 and 6, 11 is a light source lamp, 12 is a reflector, 13 is a lamp optical axis, 14 is a blowing fan, 15 is an air path forming body of the blowing fan 14, and 16 is a blowing formed by the air path forming body 15. An air path, 17A is an air flow. In FIG. 5, the expression is such that the blowing air passage 16 of the blowing fan 14 is arranged on the lamp optical axis 13, but FIG. 5 is a schematic view seen from the side, and is actually As shown in FIG. 6, when viewed from the top, the lamp optical axis 13 and the blowing air passage 16 are disposed obliquely (this is the same in the following embodiments of the present invention). ).
[0004]
The light source lamp 11 is air-cooled by an air flow 17 </ b> A sent out from the blowing fan 14. The air sent out from the blowing fan 14 is directed in the direction of the light source lamp 11 by the blowing air passage 16 having a fixed structure.
[0005]
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a cooling structure of a conventional light source lamp driving circuit. In FIG. 7, 31 is a light source lamp driving circuit (circuit board), 32 is a lamp driving IC, 33 'is a heat sink of the lamp driving IC, 34' is an air path forming body, and 35 is an air path forming body 34 '. Are an exhaust air passage (suction air passage), 36 is an exhaust fan (suction fan), 37 is an exhaust port net, and 17B is an air flow.
[0006]
The air passage forming body 34 ′ forms an exhaust air passage 35 that connects the drive circuit 31 and the exhaust fan 36, and the drive circuit 31 is cooled by the air flow 17 </ b> B drawn by the exhaust fan 36 and passes through the exhaust fan 36. The air flow is exhausted from the exhaust port net 37 to the outside of the device. The air sucked by the exhaust fan 36 is directed by the position of the exhaust fan 36, and the exhaust fan 36 has a fixed structure.
[0007]
As a technique for cooling the light source of the projector, a cooling structure for the light source lamp of the projector that controls the direction of cooling air is known (see Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, (1) reflector is known. The direction of the cooling air flowing on the curved outer surface opposite to the reflecting surface of the lamp is controlled, and the lamp cap protruding from the curved outer surface and the lamp heat dissipating section separately provided in the same direction are selectively cooled, and the reflector is overheated. It is shown that the cooling is prevented, and (2) the direction of the cooling air is adjusted by a manual adjustment mechanism.
[0008]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-302522
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Image projector equipment initially used a large-diameter lens and had a relatively large housing, so heat countermeasures were not a problem.
[0010]
However, recent projectors tend to use extremely high-power lamps in order to improve their performance, but on the other hand, there is also a demand for downsizing of the equipment, which makes it relatively difficult to include high heating elements. As a result, the heat dissipation capability is weakened, resulting in an adverse effect on the life and performance, and it is necessary to cope with the temperature rise inside the device.
[0011]
In addition to the general usage method in which the projector device is installed with the bottom surface of the device's housing facing downward, the projector is suspended from the ceiling with the device upside down. It has been demanded that this method can be used.
[0012]
In a general projector device, an image is projected on a screen above the device in a flat position. On the other hand, when the device is arranged near the ceiling in the room, the image is projected on the screen below the device, so that the device is turned upside down by 180 ° and used in a suspended position.
[0013]
Further, even in a projector device provided with a lens shift mechanism that can adjust the projected image up and down, normally, when hung from the ceiling, from the viewpoint of the appearance design of the device, similarly, the upper and lower portions 180 are not shown. ° Invert and use in a suspended position.
[0014]
However, since the temperature distribution inside the equipment changes between the flat position and the ceiling position, the cooling structure that supports only the flat position deviates from the temperature range in which the light source lamp operates properly in the ceiling position. Or the cooling of the circuit becomes insufficient, which may cause the deterioration of the lamp used or the abnormal operation of the integrated circuit of the circuit, etc. There is a problem that the device itself becomes dangerous.
[0015]
As a supplementary explanation here, the temperature distribution changes due to the change in the direction of gravity depending on the posture despite air cooling by forced convection. In the light source lamp, convection of the enclosed gas occurs in the lamp, and in the drive circuit. This is because stagnation of air-cooled air occurs due to unevenness caused by the components mounted on the substrate, and this generally causes a portion at the upper part in the direction of gravity to have a high temperature.
[0016]
In Patent Document 1, no consideration is given to the change in temperature distribution inside the device between the above-described flat position and ceiling position.
[0017]
The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances as described above. The purpose of the present invention is to switch between suitable cooling modes according to a general flat position and a ceiling position in which the device is vertically inverted. And the switching of the cooling mode according to the posture of the device is not performed by the user but automatically performed by the device itself.
[0018]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a light source that emits high heat and a drive circuit thereof, a light source cooling unit that cools the light source by an air flow, and a circuit cooling unit that cools the drive circuit by an air flow, and In the optical equipment that can take the flat posture and the ceiling suspension posture installed upside down as the installation posture of the optical device itself,
The gravity direction determining member that selectively takes the first position and the second position according to the flat position and the suspended position, and the heat from the heat source when the gravity direction determining member takes one position. A shape memory alloy member to be supplied, and a light source cooling means and a circuit according to the use state of the flat position and the use state of the ceiling position by changing the shape according to the temperature of the shape memory alloy member. The wind direction of the cooling means is automatically changed to a suitable one.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0020]
1 to 4 relate to a cooling apparatus for an optical apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the optical apparatus is, for example, a liquid crystal projector, and a light source lamp and its lamp are provided inside the casing of the optical apparatus. A drive circuit and respective cooling means are arranged, and the optical apparatus can take a flat position and a ceiling position installed upside down.
[0021]
FIG. 1 shows the cooling structure of the light source lamp in the flat position in the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows the cooling structure of the light source lamp in the ceiling position in the present embodiment.
[0022]
1 and 2, 11 is a light source lamp, 12 is a reflector, 14 is a blowing fan, 15 is an air path forming body of the blowing fan 14, 16 is a blowing air path formed by the air path forming body 15, and 17C and 17D. Is an air flow, 18 is a wind direction switching member rotatably disposed in the blowing air passage 16, and 19 is an urging spring for controlling the rotational position of the wind direction switching member 18 (here, a normal spring metal). 20 is a shape memory alloy member for controlling the rotational position of the wind direction switching member 18 (here, a helical spring formed of a shape memory alloy), and 21 is a shape memory alloy member 20. A heat induction member having one end connected and fixed, 22 a gravity direction determination member whose base end portion is rotatably held by the heat induction member 21, and 23 a free-standing side of the gravity direction determination member in a flat position Stopper bearing, 24 is a driving heat source plate positioned on the lower side of the light source lamp 11 in the flat position.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 1, when the device is in a flat position, the gravitational direction determination member 22 is supported by the stopper 23 on the free end side and is separated from the driving heat source plate 24. Further, when the device is in a flat posture, the air direction switching member 18 in the blowing air passage 16 whose rotation range is restricted by the air passage forming body 15 is moved by the urging spring 19. Is pressed against the bottom surface 15a side (the bottom surface side in the flat position), and the direction of the air sent out from the blowing air passage 16 is set to a predetermined direction (air is blown around the upper side in the gravity direction of the light source lamp 11). Stipulated). Then, the air flow 17C sent from the blowing fan 16 via the blowing air passage 16 is blown around the upper side of the light source lamp 11, so that the light source lamp 11 is effectively cooled.
[0024]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, when the device is used in a suspended position, the gravity direction determining member 22 is rotated by its own weight, and its free end is in contact with the driving heat source plate 24. It becomes. The driving heat source plate 24 is heated by the light source lamp 11, and the heat of the driving heat source plate 24 is transmitted to the shape memory alloy member 20 through the gravity direction determination member 23 and the heat induction member 21, thereby The shape memory alloy member 20 is heated and deformed. Due to the deformation of the shape memory alloy member 20, the air direction switching member 18 in the blowing air passage 16 is pressed against the ceiling 15 b side (the ceiling side in the flat position) of the air passage forming body 15. The direction of the air sent out from the air is defined to be a predetermined direction (so that air can be blown around the upper side of the light source lamp 11 in the gravity direction). Therefore, the air flow 17D sent out from the blowing fan 16 via the blowing air passage 16 is blown around the upper side of the light source lamp 11, and thereby the light source lamp 11 is effectively cooled.
[0025]
As described above, air is blown from the blowing fan 16 centering on the upper side of the light source lamp 11 in the gravitational direction when the device is used in a flat position or in a ceiling position. The light source lamp 11 is effectively air-cooled with an adaptive wind direction corresponding to the posture in any of the flat position and the suspended position.
[0026]
When the ceiling is in a suspended position, the above operation cannot be performed because the driving heat source plate 24 is at a low temperature when the internal temperature of the device is not increased. However, in this case, there is no problem because the lamp temperature is low. .
[0027]
FIG. 3 shows the cooling structure of the driving circuit (light source lamp driving circuit) in the flat position in the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 shows the cooling structure of the driving circuit in the ceiling position in the present embodiment. .
[0028]
3 and 4, 17E and 17F are air flows, 31 is a light source lamp driving circuit (circuit board), 32 is a lamp driving IC, and 33 is a driving heat source plate fixed to the lamp driving IC (here, , 34 is a fixed air passage forming body, 36 is an exhaust fan (suction fan), 37 is an exhaust port net, and 38A and 38B are winded at one end thereof. The movable air path forming bodies 39A and 39B rotatably held at the end of the path forming body 34 are rotatably held at the other ends of the movable air path forming bodies 38A and 38B, respectively. , A fan holding member for holding / supporting the exhaust fan 36, 40A and 40B are stoppers for restricting the movable range of the movable air path forming bodies 38A and 38B, and 41 is for controlling the rotational position of the movable air path forming bodies 38A and 38B. Energizing bar for 42 is a shape memory alloy member (in this case formed of a shape memory alloy) for controlling the rotational position of the movable air path forming bodies 38A and 38B. The leaf springs 43 and 43 are gravity direction discriminating members whose base end portions are rotatably held and whose base end portions are connected to the shape memory alloy member 42.
[0029]
As shown in FIG. 3, when the device is in the flat position, the gravity direction determining member 43 is in a state of being separated from the driving heat source plate 33. Further, when the device is in the flat position, the movable air path forming bodies 38A and 38B are rotated by the biasing spring 41 as shown in FIG. 3, and the movable air path forming body 38A is stopped by the stopper 40A. This regulates the air direction of the air sucked by the exhaust fan 36 to a predetermined value (so that air is sucked around the upper side in the gravity direction of the drive circuit 31). The drive circuit 31 is sucked around the upper side in the gravity direction of the drive circuit 31 by the air flow 17E drawn by the exhaust fan 36 and is effectively cooled. The passed air flow is exhausted from the exhaust port net 37 to the outside of the device.
[0030]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, when the device is used in a suspended position, the gravity direction determining member 43 is rotated by its own weight and is in contact with the driving heat source plate 33. The driving heat source plate 33 is heated by the driving circuit 31 (mainly by the lamp driving IC 32), and the heat of the driving heat source plate 33 is transmitted to the shape memory alloy member 42 via the gravity direction determining member 43. Thereby, the shape memory alloy member 42 is heated and deformed. Due to the deformation of the shape memory alloy member 42, the movable air path forming bodies 38A and 38B are shifted to a rotating state as shown in FIG. 4, and the movable air path forming body 38B is pressed against the stopper 40B. The air direction of the air sucked by the exhaust fan 36 is defined to be a predetermined one (so that the air is sucked around the upper side of the driving circuit 31 in the gravity direction). Accordingly, the drive circuit 31 is sucked around the upper side in the gravity direction of the drive circuit 31 by the air flow 17F drawn by the exhaust fan 36, and is effectively cooled.
[0031]
As described above, air is sucked by the exhaust fan 36 around the upper side in the gravitational direction of the drive circuit 31 when the apparatus is used in a flat position or in a ceiling position. Therefore, the drive circuit 31 can be effectively air-cooled with an adaptive wind direction corresponding to the posture in either the flat position or the ceiling position.
[0032]
When the ceiling is in a suspended position, the above operation cannot be performed because the driving heat source plate 33 is at a low temperature when the internal temperature of the device is not increased, but in this case, the temperature of the driving circuit 31 is also low. No problem.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to switch to a cooling mode suitable for each of the flat position and the ceiling position, and therefore, suitable air cooling can be performed in either the flat position or the ceiling position. Optical equipment can be provided. In addition, the switching of the cooling mode according to the posture of the device is not performed by the user, but automatically by the device itself, so that there is no inconvenience to the user and there is room for erroneous operation by the user. Therefore, there is no possibility that the cooling performance is deteriorated due to an inappropriate cooling mode due to an erroneous operation. Moreover, since the cooling mode is switched using the gravity direction determining member and the shape memory alloy member, a separate switching drive source is not required, and the mechanism can be realized with a simple structure. In general, optical devices such as liquid crystal projectors and projection projectors that can take a flat position and a ceiling-mounted posture have a cooling device that can take a cooling mode according to the posture of the device, so that the light source lamp and drive circuit It is possible to provide a highly reliable device for heat dissipation that can ensure the life and performance.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a cooling structure of a light source lamp in a flat position in an optical device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a cooling structure of a light source lamp in a ceiling position in an optical device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a cooling structure of a drive circuit in a flat position in the optical device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a cooling structure of the drive circuit in the ceiling position in the optical device according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a cooling structure of a conventional light source lamp.
6 is an explanatory diagram viewed from above the cooling structure of the light source lamp of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing a cooling structure of a conventional drive circuit.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Light source lamp 12 Reflector 14 Blowing fan 15 Air path formation body 16 Blowing air path 17A, 17B, 17C, 17D, 17E, 17F Air flow 18 Air direction switching member 19 Energizing spring 20 Shape memory alloy member 21 Heat induction member 22 Gravitational direction Discriminating member 23 Stopper 24 Heat source plate 31 for driving Light source lamp driving circuit 32 Lamp driving IC
33 Heat source plate for driving 34 Air path forming body 36 Exhaust fan 37 Exhaust port nets 38A, 38B Movable air path forming bodies 39A, 39B Fan holding members 40A, 40B Stopper 41 Energizing spring 42 Shape memory alloy member 43 Gravity direction discriminating member

Claims (4)

A light source that emits high heat and its drive circuit, a light source cooling unit that cools the light source by an air flow, a circuit cooling unit that cools the drive circuit by an air flow, and an installation posture of the optical device itself, In optical equipment that can take a flat position and a suspended position installed upside down,
A gravity direction determining member that selectively takes the first position and the second position according to the flat position and the ceiling position;
A shape memory alloy member to which heat from a heat source is supplied when the gravity direction determining member takes one position;
By changing the shape according to the temperature of the shape memory alloy member, the air direction of the light source cooling means and the circuit cooling means is automatically changed according to the use state of the flat position and the use state of the ceiling position. A cooling apparatus for optical equipment, wherein In claim 1,
The optical memory cooling device, wherein the shape memory alloy member is supplied with heat from a heat source through the gravity direction determining member. In Claim 1 or 2,
The light source cooling means includes a blowing fan, and a wind direction switching member disposed rotatably in the blowing air passage of the blowing fan is selectively rotated by the shape memory alloy member, thereby changing the wind direction described above. A cooling apparatus for optical equipment, which is automatically changed. In Claim 1 or 2,
The circuit cooling means includes an exhaust fan installed rotatably, and the exhaust fan is selectively rotated by the shape memory alloy member to automatically change the wind direction. A cooling device for optical equipment.

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