Optics: image projectors – Miscellaneous
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-05
2004-05-11
Dowling, William C. (Department: 2851)
Optics: image projectors
Miscellaneous
C353S020000, C353S119000, C349S058000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06733141
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2001-54153, filed Sep. 4, 2001, in the Korean Industrial Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for fine-adjusting an orientation of an optical device, and more particularly, to an apparatus capable of finely and easily adjusting an orientation of an optical device with respect to an imaging device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An apparatus including an optical device requires accurate orientation alignment of the optical device therein. When light emitted from a light source inaccurately radiates onto a position of the optical device, an optical efficiency of the optical advice is lowered, thereby degrading a performance of the apparatus including the optical device.
For example, in a three-panel projection system, an inaccurate orientation adjustment of &lgr;/4-wave plates disposed in front of red, green, blue imaging apparatuses causes inappropriate polarization or produces light beams of undesired wavelengths, thereby degrading the quality of an image projected onto a screen and adversely affecting a contrast ratio (hereinafter, referred to as a “contrast”).
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a conventional fine-adjusting apparatus adjusting an orientation of a &lgr;/4-wave plate
13
with respect to an imaging device
19
. The fine-adjusting apparatus includes a &lgr;/4-wave plate base
15
into which the &lgr;/4-wave plate
13
is mounted, a base plate
17
positioned on imaging device
19
, and a bracket
11
to which the &lgr;/4-wave plate
13
is coupled.
In assembling the conventional fine-adjusting apparatus, the base plate
17
is mounted to the imaging device
19
, and the &lgr;/4-wave plate base
15
supporting the &lgr;/4-wave plate
13
is placed on the base plate
17
. After the &lgr;/4-wave plate
13
is coupled to the bracket
11
, the bracket
11
is fixed to the base plate
17
having screw apertures
10
a
,
10
b
,
10
c
, and
10
d
, and then to the imaging device
19
having screw apertures
20
a
,
20
b
,
20
c
, and
20
d
, by screws (not shown).
In the conventional fine-adjusting apparatus, the &lgr;/4-wave plate base
15
is rotated along a circle formed in the bracket
11
by inserting a sharply tipped tool into indentations
3
and
5
formed on the &lgr;/4-wave plate base
15
until the &lgr;/4-wave plate
13
is in an optimal position. Then, the &lgr;/4-wave plate
13
is fixed to a position of the bracket
11
to complete a fine adjustment. After the fine-adjustment is completed, the &lgr;/4-wave plate base
15
and the base plate
17
are bonded to each other using a bonding agent.
The conventional fine-adjusting apparatus requires an extra device for the fine-adjustment. Manually rotating the &lgr;/4-wave plate base
15
using the extra device in the conventional fine-adjusting apparatus described above may have a large variation and thus fails to accurately adjust the orientation of the &lgr;/4-wave plate base
15
with respect to the image device
19
.
The conventional fine-adjusting apparatus uses the bracket
11
to fix the &lgr;/4-wave plate base
15
holding the &lgr;/4-wave plate
13
. The structure of the bracket
11
tightens the &lgr;/4-wave plate
13
so that the stress is transferred to the &lgr;/4-wave plate
13
, thereby deteriorating the uniformity of the image projected onto the screen. In addition, the conventional fine-adjusting apparatus has a problem of difficulty in fixing the &lgr;/4-wave plate
13
on the &lgr;/4-wave plate base
15
after the &lgr;/4-wave plate
13
is fine-adjusted with respect to the &lgr;/4-wave plate base
15
.
When the conventional fine-adjusting apparatus having the above described structure is applied to adjust an orientation of an optical device, such as a &lgr;/4-wave plate, in a system, it is difficult to finely adjust the orientation and fix a position of the optical device to an image device, and thus an overall performance of the system degrades.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above and other problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a precise orientation adjusting apparatus capable of easily and finely adjusting an orientation of an optical device and capable of easily fixing a position of the optical device.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
To achieve the above and other objects, there is provided an apparatus for finely adjusting an orientation of an optical device. The apparatus includes a base plate which supports the optical device and is rotatable to the left and right, a bracket coupled to the base plate such that the base plate is rotatable with respect to the bracket, a spring disposed between the base plate and the bracket to apply an elastic force to the base plate, and an adjusting element pushing the base plate against the bracket to adjust a relative position of the optical device with respect to the bracket.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the base plate has coupling slots at upper and lower ends, and one of the coupling slots horizontally extends to allow the base plate to rotate with respect to the bracket. According to another aspect of the present invention, the bracket has coupling pins at upper and lower ends, and one of the coupling pins acts as a rotation axis of the base plate while the coupling pins engage the respective coupling slots. The base plate has on one side a screw aperture to be engaged with the adjusting element. The bracket includes a support projection supporting the spring. The adjusting element may be a screw.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5988818 (1999-11-01), Fujimori et al.
patent: 6322217 (2001-11-01), Fujimori et al.
patent: 6460998 (2002-10-01), Watanabe
patent: 6547402 (2003-04-01), Masuda
patent: 60-227211 (1985-11-01), None
Dowling William C.
Samsung Electronics Co. LTD
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