JP5992167B2 - Optical member storage container - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a storage container used when transporting an optical member that can be suitably used for a projector or the like.

  An optical member in which an optical element (for example, a polarizing plate) is bonded to a substrate suitably used for a projector or the like needs excellent optical characteristics such as heat resistance, refractive index, transparency, and polarization due to heat radiation problems of a light source lamp. It is. In particular, in order to maintain the optical characteristics, optical elements including optical elements are required to be considered so that foreign matters such as dust and dust do not adhere thereto, and manufacturing and packing are performed in a clean room. . Furthermore, when the optical element is a polarizing plate or a wave plate, if the polarizing plate is scratched, the polarizing effect will be significantly affected, and the optical element will not be filled when incorporated in a projector or the like. There is a particular need for an optical member storage container that can prevent scratches on the polarizing plate due to vibration during handling and transport of the product.

  A conventional optical member storage container will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a conventional optical member storage container. The optical member storage case 11c has a storage portion group 13c in which a plurality of storage recesses 12c each having a substantially octagonal shape that can store the optical members 1 are integrally formed by connecting the side portions to each other. An optical member is stood and stored in the storage recess 12c, and the optical member 1 and the optical member storage case 11c are covered with a lid (not shown in FIG. 8) to prevent intrusion of dust or dust. Yes. As described above, the storage recess 12c of the optical member storage case has a substantially plane octagonal shape, and thus has a function as positioning when the optical member is inserted. Further, the side portions of the storage recess 12c are integrally formed by connecting each other, so that the optical members 1 can be stored without contacting each other while the interval between the adjacent optical members 1 is narrowed. In addition, since many optical members can be stored, it has been used as an optical member storage container having a low packing cost.

  However, the optical member storage container in such a conventional configuration has a configuration in which the edge portion and the side surface of the optical member are in contact with the storage portion. Furthermore, there is a problem in that the optical element bonded to the substrate comes into contact with the housing recess, the optical element is damaged, and the optical elements are significantly reduced.

  In Patent Document 1, an optical member can be taken in and out as a storage container for solving such a problem and obtaining an optical member of high optical quality that is free of dust and dust and has no scratches on the optical element. A storage container comprising an optical member storage case having a recess-shaped storage section and a lid that covers the container so as to hold the optical member inside the optical member storage section and the optical member storage section of the lid body. There has been proposed an optical member storage container having a portion and holding and fixing an optical member by the convex portion. Patent Document 2 discloses a storage container including an optical member storage case having a recess-shaped storage section into which an optical member can be taken in and out, and a lid that covers the container, and the optical member storage case has a concave shape. An optical member storage container is proposed in which a double-sided adhesive tape affixed to the bottom surface portion is bonded to one side surface of an optical member, and is further clamped by a convex portion inside the optical member storage portion of the lid, thereby fixing the optical member. Has been.

JP 2006-182363 A JP 2000-296894 A

  However, the optical member storage container described above is an invention that prevents the optical element from contacting the storage portion by fixing the optical member, and since the optical member and the storage container are physically in contact with each other, the optical member In this state, a load is applied to the sandwiching portion. Therefore, there is a problem in that the optical member is further damaged due to further load applied to the holding portion of the optical member due to the deflection or deformation of the storage container due to the overlapping of the storage containers. Further, since the shape of the storage recess is designed on the assumption that the optical member is fixed, there is a problem that the optical element comes into contact with the storage portion when the fixing is released, and the optical element is damaged.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and in an optical member storage container for storing an optical member having an optical element bonded to a substrate, there is no adhesion of foreign matters such as dust and dust, and the optical element is not damaged. An object of the present invention is to provide an optical member storage container that prevents the optical element from being scratched in order to obtain a high-quality optical member that does not exist.

  That is, as a result of intensive studies to enable the present invention to prevent the optical element from being damaged in the optical member storage container that stores the optical member having the optical element bonded to the substrate, Even if the optical member is not fixed, only the substrate of the optical member is in contact with the storage container, and the optical element has a storage recess shape that does not contact the storage container, thereby preventing the optical element from being damaged. It has been found out that it can be done, and the present invention has been completed.

According to the present invention, (1) at least one surface of the transparent substrate (A) is left with all edges of the one surface, and has an area of 60% to 95% with respect to the area of the one surface. Optical member storage having a storage recess for storing an optical member for a projector to which an optical element (B) made of a polarizing plate or a wavelength plate is bonded, with one of the surfaces adjacent to the one surface as a bottom surface. The housing, wherein the housing recess is formed in a substantially polygonal shape having at least four sides in a plan view, and contacts the transparent substrate (A) end on the optical element (B) bonding surface side. The angle formed between the side of the recess and the longitudinal direction of the transparent substrate (A) is the end of the transparent substrate (A) on the bonding surface side of the optical element (B) and the transparent substrate (A). The side that cuts the end of the optical element (B) opposite to the bonding surface and the transparent substrate The housing recess is formed to be larger than the angle between the longitudinal direction of A), said housing recess optical member storage case, characterized in that does not contact the optical element (B) is provided,
(2) The optical member storage case according to (1), wherein a plurality of the storage recesses are integrally formed by connecting side portions.
(3) The optical member storage case according to (1) or (2), the optical member storage case, the storage recess of the optical member storage case, and the lid member that covers the optical member stored in the storage recess. An optical member storage container characterized by comprising:
(4) A polarizing plate or a wave plate having an area of 60% to 95% with respect to the area of the one surface, leaving all edges of the one surface on at least one surface of the transparent substrate (A). An optical member storage container according to (3) is provided, in which an optical member for a projector to which an optical element (B) made of is bonded is stored.

  The optical member storage container of the present invention is obtained by forming a storage recess so that the optical element of the optical member having the optical element bonded to the substrate does not come into contact with the storage container. Even if the optical member moves in the storage container due to the vibration, the storage container has a shape in which only the substrate comes into contact, so that the optical element of the optical member can be prevented from being damaged. In addition, the optical member is not fixed more than necessary, and the storage concave portion is formed in a specific shape, and the optical member is sandwiched by the storage container and is not loaded. Therefore, there is no fear that the load on the optical member increases due to the deformation of the storage container, it is not necessary to give the storage container a rigidity effect more than necessary, and the cost and the quality of the storage container are excellent.

(A) is a top view which shows one Embodiment of an optical member. (B) is X-X 'sectional drawing of (a) which shows one Embodiment of an optical member. It is a disassembled perspective view of the optical member storage container concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the optical member storage case which shows 1st Embodiment. It is a top view of an accommodation crevice showing a 1st embodiment. It is a top view of the optical member storage case which shows 2nd Embodiment. It is a top view of an accommodation crevice showing a 2nd embodiment. (A)-(i) is a top view of the accommodation recessed part of the optical member storage case in other embodiment which shows the form which can be implemented by this invention. It is a top view which shows the conventional optical member storage container.

  The optical member storage container of the present invention has a storage recess formed so that the flat rectangular parallelepiped (B) of the optical member in which the flat rectangular parallelepiped (B) is bonded to the flat rectangular parallelepiped (A) does not come into contact with the storage container. The present invention relates to an optical member storage container. Details of the present invention will be described below.

  First, an optical member used in the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In each figure, the same numerals indicate the same objects. 1A is a plan view showing an embodiment of the optical member of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is an XX ′ sectional view of FIG. 1A showing an embodiment of the optical member. is there.

  The optical member used in the present invention is an optical member having a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole and having light transmitting surfaces on the front and back main surfaces. The flat cuboid shape as used herein means a flat cuboid (B) that leaves all edges of one surface of the flat cuboid (A) on at least one surface of the flat cuboid (A). Is a bonded optical member.

The flat rectangular parallelepiped (A) used in the present invention is a substrate having optical elements that can be suitably used as an optical member. Examples of the substrate include a transparent substrate mainly composed of an inorganic compound such as quartz, calcite, sapphire, and glass. Moreover, the transparent board | substrate which consists of an organic compound which has an optical element which can be used for an optical member as an alternative of an inorganic compound is mentioned. Examples of the organic compound include cycloolefin resins, acrylic resins, and polycarbonate resins because of problems of refractive index, transparency, and heat resistance when used in projectors. Among these, an inorganic compound is preferable from the viewpoint of optical properties and heat resistance, and further, crystal or glass excellent in cost is preferable.
In addition, the board | substrate mentioned above does not necessarily need to be colorless and transparent, and is suitably selected according to a use application.

  The thickness of the substrate used in the present invention is, for example, 300 μm to 3000 μm, preferably 400 μm to 2500 μm. Furthermore, it is preferably 500 μm to 2000 μm. The projector tends to be downsized, and if the thickness of the substrate is more than 3000 μm, it is not suitable for downsizing the projector and is not excellent in cost, and is not suitable as a substrate for an optical member for the projector. Moreover, if the thickness of the substrate is less than 300 μm, the strength of the optical member for a projector as a substrate is insufficient, which is not preferable.

The flat rectangular parallelepiped (B) used in the present invention is an optical element having an optical element that can be suitably used as an optical member. Examples of the optical element include a polarizing plate and a wave plate. The polarizing plate here is formed by laminating a plurality of protective films and / or retardation films on one or both sides of a polarizer. Moreover, the case where a polarizer is handled as a polarizing plate alone is also included. As the polarizer, for example, an iodine-based polarizer or a dye-based polarizer obtained by dyeing a PVA-based film with iodine or an organic dye, and K having excellent polarization stability under severe environmental conditions such as high temperature and high humidity. Type grid polarizers and wire grid type polarizers in which fine metal wires are regularly arranged in one direction. Particularly preferred are K type polarizers and wire grid type polarizers having excellent heat resistance. Examples of the protective film include cellulose acetate resin, cycloolefin resin, polypropylene resin, acrylic resin, polycarbonate resin, and polyester resin. Examples of the retardation film include cellulose acetate resins, cycloolefin resins, acrylic resins, polycarbonate resins, and polyester resins.
The term “wave plate” as used herein is formed by laminating a retardation film having birefringence or a transparent substrate having an inorganic compound as a main component on one or both sides of the retardation film. Examples thereof include a plate, a 1 / 2λ wavelength plate, a 1 / 4λ wavelength plate, and a 1 / 8λ wavelength plate. Examples of inorganic compounds include quartz, calcite, sapphire, and glass. Examples of the retardation film include cellulose acetate resin, cycloolefin resin, acrylic resin, and polycarbonate resin.

  The thickness of the optical element used in the present invention is, for example, 40 μm to 1500 μm, preferably 45 μm to 1000 μm. Furthermore, it is preferably 50 μm to 500 μm. The projector tends to be downsized, and if the thickness of the optical element is thicker than 1500 μm, it is not suitable for downsizing the projector and is not excellent in cost. Therefore, it is not suitable as the optical element of the optical member for the projector. Further, if the thickness of the optical element is less than 40 μm, the heat resistance and mechanical strength are insufficient, so that it is not suitable as an optical element for an optical member for a projector.

  As described above, the optical member of the present invention has a configuration in which an optical element is bonded to the substrate while leaving all edges of one surface of the substrate on at least one surface of the substrate. Hereinafter, the flat rectangular parallelepiped (A) is a substrate, and the flat rectangular parallelepiped (B) is an optical element.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the optical member used in the present invention is an optical member 1 in which the optical element 2 is bonded to at least one surface of the substrate 3 leaving all edges of the one surface. It has become. As described above, when the optical element 2 is bonded to at least one surface of the substrate 3 leaving all edges of the one surface, the bonding of the optical element 2 bonded to the substrate 3 is performed. A surface is smaller than the area of the bonding surface of the board | substrate 3, and points out the state bonded so that the board | substrate 3 may protrude over the perimeter of the optical element 2. FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, when the cross-sectional view of the optical member 1 is viewed, a rectangular optical element 2 is similarly bonded on one surface of the rectangular substrate 3. When the optical member having such a shape is used, an optical member storage container having a storage recess in which the optical element does not contact the storage container is effective.

As for the optical element used for this invention, the optical element whose area is smaller than the bonding surface of a board | substrate is bonded by the said board | substrate bonding surface. The area of the optical element with respect to the substrate area is, for example, 50% to 98%, preferably 60% to 95%, and more preferably 65% to 90%. When the area of the optical element with respect to the substrate area is 50% or less, the effective area of the light incident surface is small, which is not suitable as an optical member for a projector. Further, when the area of the optical element with respect to the substrate area is 98% or more, the optical element comes into contact with the storage concave portion of the optical member storage container, and the optical element may be damaged.
The planar shape of the optical element bonded to the substrate is preferably a quadrangle, and more preferably a quadrangle having the same aspect ratio as the optical element bonding surface of the substrate.

  The substrate of the optical member used in the present invention is preferably chamfered at the ridge portion of the substrate for the purpose of suppressing the generation of foreign matter due to cutting or the like by contact with the case. Although there is no restriction | limiting in particular in the ridge shape which chamfers, It is better to give it to circular arc shape preferably.

As shown in FIG. 2, the optical member storage container used in the present invention includes an optical member storage case 11a having a storage recess 12a for storing the optical member 1, the optical member storage case 11a, and the optical member storage case 11a. And the lid 14 covering the optical member 1 housed in the housing recess 12a. Examples of the resin used for the optical member storage case and the lid include polyethylene terephthalate resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, polystyrene resin, polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, and vinyl chloride resin. Particularly preferably, polyethylene terephthalate resin or polystyrene-based resin can be suitably used as a storage container for optical members from the viewpoint of integral three-dimensional molding processability and a buffering effect on the optical element to be stored. The optical member storage container of the present invention is preferably transparent so that the optical characteristics of the optical element can be inspected in a state where the optical member is stored in the storage recess.
Various additives can be added to the resin depending on the purpose. For example, for the purpose of antistatic treatment, a conductive material such as a carbon material may be added to impart conductivity. In order to screen for defects in the optical member, the optical member is stored in the storage recess. Since annealing is performed, an additive for improving heat resistance may be added.

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Referring to FIG. 3, the optical member storage case 11a has a plane substantially hexagonal storage recess 12a that can store the optical member 1, and the storage recess 12a is integrally formed by connecting the storage recesses 12a to each other. It is formed and has the accommodating part group 13a. The storage recess 12a has a size that allows the optical member 1 to be easily inserted and removed and a structure in which most of the volume of the optical member 1 is stood and stored. The above-described dimensions that allow the optical member to be easily taken in and out refer to a state in which there is appropriate play rather than a state in which all the substrate end portions of the optical member are always in contact with the storage recesses in plan view. In addition, the structure in which most of the volume of the optical member is stowed and stored means that the optical member is stood with any surface adjacent to the bonding surface of the optical element as a bottom surface, and 40% or more of the volume of the optical member is The state stored in the storage recess.
In addition, although the said storage part group 13a of FIG. 3 is formed in the state to which the said storage recessed part 12a adjoined, it is good also as a shape which has a strip | belt-shaped connection part between the said adjacent storage recessed parts 12a. Furthermore, in this embodiment, although the said storage recessed part 12a is formed in substantially parallel, it is not limited to this structure.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the storage recess 12a of the optical member storage case 11a. According to FIG. 4, the optical member 1 is stored upright in the storage recess 12 a, and the storage recess 12 a is formed in a substantially hexagonal polygon. The storage recess 12a is formed in a shape that does not come into contact with the optical element 2 of the optical member 1, that is, in the plan view, the storage recess 12a that contacts the substrate end 31 on the optical element bonding surface side. An angle α formed by a side and the longitudinal direction of the substrate 3 is a side that forms the optical element end 21 on the surface opposite to the bonding surface between the substrate end 31 and the substrate 3 on the optical element bonding surface side. And an angle β formed by the longitudinal direction of the substrate 3. An angle α formed by the side of the housing recess 12a that contacts the substrate end 31 on the optical element bonding surface side and the longitudinal direction of the substrate 3 is the substrate end 31 on the optical element bonding surface side. When the angle β between the side of the optical element end 21 opposite to the bonding surface with the substrate 3 and the longitudinal direction of the substrate 3 is smaller, the optical element 2 comes into contact with the side surface of the housing recess 12a. However, the optical elements of the optical element 2 are remarkably lowered and cannot be used as an optical member for a projector.
In FIG. 4, all the substrate end portions 31 of the optical member 1 are in contact with the storage recess 12 a, but this is an example that is easy to understand the present invention, and all the substrate end portions 31 are not necessarily shown. Need not be in contact.

  A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Referring to FIG. 5, the optical member storage case 11b has a storage recess 12b having a substantially planar shape that can store the optical members 1, and the storage recess 12b is integrally formed by connecting the storage recesses 12b to each other. And has a housing group 13b. The storage recess 12b has a size that allows the optical member 1 to be easily taken in and out, and has a structure in which most of the volume of the optical member 1 is stood and stored. The above-described dimensions that allow the optical member to be easily taken in and out refer to a state in which there is appropriate play rather than a state in which all the substrate end portions of the optical member are always in contact with the storage recesses in plan view. In addition, the structure in which most of the volume of the optical member is stowed and stored means that the optical member is stood with any surface adjacent to the bonding surface of the optical element as a bottom surface, and 40% or more of the volume of the optical member is The state stored in the storage recess. 5 is formed in a state in which the storage recesses 12b are adjacent to each other, it may have a shape having a belt-like connecting portion between the adjacent storage recesses 12b. Furthermore, in this embodiment, although the said storage recessed part 12b is formed substantially parallel, it is not limited to this structure.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the storage recess 12b of the optical member storage case 11b. According to FIG. 6, the optical member 1 is stored upright in the storage recess 12 b, and the storage recess 12 b is formed in a substantially oval shape. The storage recess 12b is formed so as not to contact the optical element 2 of the optical member 1, that is, the storage recess 12b contacts the substrate end 31 on the optical element bonding surface side in a plan view. The portion is formed to have a curved shape. If the storage recess 12b is not curved so as not to contact the optical element 2 even if it contacts the substrate end 31 on the optical element bonding surface side, the optical element 2 is formed on the side surface of the storage recess 12b. Are in contact with each other, the optical elements of the optical element 2 are remarkably lowered, and cannot be used as an optical member for a projector.
In FIG. 6, the entire substrate end 31 of the optical member 1 is in contact with the storage recess 12b. However, this is an example that is easy to understand the present invention. Need not be in contact.

  Further, a part of the storage recess of the optical member storage case that can be implemented in the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIGS. 7A to 7I are plan views of the storage recesses of the optical member storage case. 7A is a view of a substantially rectangular storage recess, FIG. 7B is a view of a substantially pentagonal storage recess, and FIGS. 7C to 7E are views of a substantially hexagonal storage recess. FIG. 7 (f) is a diagram of a substantially octagonal storage recess. All of the above-described plan views of the storage recesses are views of a substantially polygonal storage recess formed by supporting the substrate end of the optical member at four points. 7 (g) to 7 (i) are views of a storage recess having a curved shape of the optical member storage case in plan view.

  The optical member storage case of the present invention is formed as described above in the first embodiment of FIG. 3 and the second embodiment of FIG. 5, so that the optical member can be taken in and out when the optical member is stored in the storage recess. In addition, the optical members can be stored without being in contact with each other while the interval between adjacent optical members is narrowed, so that the number of optical members stored is large, and the packaging cost can be reduced. Furthermore, the removal of the adhering foreign matter by air blow or the like after opening the package can be performed while being stored, and the cleaning can be simplified.

Further, the storage recess of the optical member storage case of the present invention is formed on the substrate by forming it as described above in the first embodiment of FIG. 4, the second embodiment of FIG. 6, and the practical example of FIG. Since the optical element of the optical member to which the optical element is bonded does not come into contact with the storage container, even if the optical member moves in the storage container due to vibration during handling or transportation of the package, the storage container only contacts the substrate, It is possible to prevent the optical element of the optical member from being damaged. Furthermore, since the optical member is sandwiched between the storage containers and is not subjected to a load, the load on the optical member increases due to the deformation of the storage container, and the optical member is not damaged. Therefore, the optical member storage container of the present invention can easily provide an optical member with high optical quality free from dust, dust, and the like and free from scratches on the optical element for subsequent processing.
Although not particularly shown in the drawings, the shape of the optical member storage case and the lid may be designed so that the optical member storage containers can be stacked in a plurality of stages. Further, there is no particular limitation on the structure and number for fitting the optical member storage case and the lid.

  As described above, the present invention can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the gist and main features thereof. For this reason, the above-described embodiment is merely an example in all respects and should not be interpreted in a limited manner. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims.

  The present invention can be suitably used for a storage container used when storing an optical member having an optical element bonded to a substrate.

1: Optical member 2: Optical element 3: Substrate 11a, 11b, 11c: Optical member storage case 12a, 12b, 12c: Optical member storage case storage recess 13a, 13b, 13c: Optical member storage case storage unit group 14: Cover 21: Optical element end 31: Substrate end α: Angle formed between the side of the housing recess that contacts the substrate end on the optical element bonding surface side and the longitudinal direction of the substrate β: Optical element bonding surface side The angle formed by the side of the end of the optical element opposite to the bonding surface between the substrate end of the substrate and the substrate and the longitudinal direction of the substrate

Claims (4)

An optical system comprising a polarizing plate or a wave plate having an area of 60% to 95% with respect to the area of the one surface, leaving all edges of the one surface on at least one surface of the transparent substrate (A). An optical member storage case having a storage recess for storing an optical member for a projector to which an element (B) is bonded, with one of the surfaces adjacent to the one surface being a bottom surface, Is formed in a substantially polygonal shape having at least four sides or more in plan view, and the side of the housing recess that contacts the end of the transparent substrate (A) on the bonding surface side of the optical element (B) and the transparent substrate The angle formed by the longitudinal direction of (A) is the opposite surface to the bonding surface between the end of the transparent substrate (A) on the bonding surface side of the optical element (B) and the transparent substrate (A). The side of the edge of the optical element (B) and the longitudinal direction of the transparent substrate (A) An optical member housing case the housing recess formed to be larger than angle formed, said housing recess is characterized in that it does not contact with the optical element (B).   The optical member storage case according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the storage recesses are integrally formed by connecting side portions.   3. The optical member storage case according to claim 1, and the lid that covers the optical member storage case, the storage recess of the optical member storage case, and the optical member stored in the storage recess. Optical member storage container. An optical system comprising a polarizing plate or a wave plate having an area of 60% to 95% with respect to the area of the one surface, leaving all edges of the one surface on at least one surface of the transparent substrate (A). The optical member storage container according to claim 3, wherein an optical member for a projector to which the element (B) is bonded is stored.