Optical: systems and elements – Prism
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-12
2001-11-20
Spyrou, Cassandra (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Prism
C359S254000, C359S833000, C359S900000, C349S058000, C353S081000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06320709
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method for installing an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal panel, CCD device, or a panel employing an illuminant, to a prism, such as a dichroic prism or a polarization beam splitter, and a manufacturing method for a projector that employs the foregoing method.
2. Description of Related Art
As a conventional method for installing an electro-optical device, such as a liquid crystal panel to a prism, there are methods whereby an electro-optical device is directly attached to a prism, or a method such as that disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-10994.
The technology disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-10994 will be briefly explained in conjunction with FIG.
13
and FIG.
14
.
First, a liquid crystal panel unit
70
R is installed to a light incident surface
72
R of a prism composite
72
of a projector.
The panel unit
70
R is formed of a fixing frame member
76
on an innermost side that is adhesively fixed to the light incident surface
72
R of the prism composite
72
, a panel frame assembly
73
on an outermost side that holds and retains a liquid crystal panel
80
R, and an intermediate frame member
77
disposed between the fixing frame member
76
and the panel frame assembly
73
. The panel frame assembly
73
has a first frame member
74
and a second frame member
75
, the liquid crystal panel
80
R being sandwiched between these frame members
74
and
75
.
Engaging lugs
77
b
protuberantly provided outward at the four corners of the intermediate frame member
77
are adhesively fit in engaging holes
74
b
formed at the four corners (of the first frame member
74
) of the panel frame assembly
73
, and the intermediate frame member
77
and the panel frame assembly
73
are adhesively fixed with a spacer
78
which is shaped in a substantially triangular prism and installed between the intermediate frame member
77
and the panel frame assembly
73
.
The configuration is accomplished by an installing method illustrated by a simplified flowchart in FIG.
14
.
First, the fixing frame member
76
is positioned and adhesively fixed to the light incident surface
72
R of the prism composite
72
(step S
1
of FIG.
14
). Then, the intermediate frame member
77
is positioned on the outer side of the fixing frame member
76
, which has been adhesively fixed, and secured with four screws
79
by inserting them in tapped holes
77
a
and
76
a
(step S
2
of FIG.
14
).
After that, engaging holes
74
b
provided in the first frame member
74
of the panel frame assembly
73
holding and retaining the liquid crystal panel
80
R are filled with an adhesive agent, then the engaging lugs
77
b
of the intermediate frame member
77
are fit in the engaging holes
74
b
thereby to mount the panel frame assembly
73
on the intermediate frame member
77
(step S
3
of FIG.
14
). The foregoing steps S
1
through S
3
constitute a panel mounting process.
Next, the liquid crystal panel
80
R is lit under this condition (step S
4
of
FIG. 14
) to perform focus adjustment and alignment adjustment of the liquid crystal panel
80
R (steps S
5
and S
6
of FIG.
14
). Steps S
4
through S
6
are carried out mainly to adjust the position or tilt of the liquid crystal panel
80
R on or with respect to an optical axis. The foregoing steps S
4
through S
6
constitute a position adjustment process.
Then, the adhesive agent charged in the engaging holes
74
b
is hardened to temporarily fix the intermediate frame member
77
and the panel frame assembly
73
(step S
7
of FIG.
14
). After that, a displacement amount of the position of a pixel of the liquid crystal panel
80
R is checked (step S
8
of FIG.
14
). As a result, if the displacement amount exceeds a permissible range (if the displacement is unacceptable), then the panel frame assembly
73
is detached (step S
12
of
FIG. 14
) and returned to step S
3
mentioned above. These steps S
7
and S
8
constitute a temporary fixing process.
If the displacement amount is within the permissible range (if the displacement amount is acceptable), then an adhesive agent is applied to the spacer
78
(step S
9
of FIG.
14
), and the spacer
78
is installed to a predetermined guiding portion formed between the preliminarily fixed intermediate frame member
77
and the panel frame assembly
73
(step S
10
of FIG.
14
).
Then, the adhesive agent between the spacer
78
, the panel frame assembly
73
, and the intermediate frame member
77
is hardened to firmly fix the panel frame assembly
73
to the prism composite
72
step S
11
of FIG.
14
). Steps S
9
through S
11
constitute a final fixing process.
According to the conventional method set forth above, however, there is a danger in that the liquid crystal panel is displaced in the final fixing process since the panel frame assembly is temporarily fixed after adjusting the position of the liquid crystal panel in relation to the prism, then the final fixing is performed at a different position from the position of the temporary fixing.
Furthermore, the temporary fixing process and the final fixing process respectively require time for hardening the adhesive agent, presenting poor operation efficiency and a complicated operation process because of different hardening positions.
In addition, the provision of the temporarily fixed portions results in many bonded locations which are susceptible to contraction that takes place when the adhesive agent hardens, frequently causing an error in the position of the liquid crystal panel.
Furthermore, since the temporary fixing and the final fixing are performed at different positions, it is very likely that the heat generated by a projector in operation causes the liquid crystal panel to be displaced. For this reason, there has been room for improvement in achieving a projector that remains free from displacement of a liquid crystal panel over an extended time of use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention to provide a method for installing an electro-optical device to a prism and a manufacturing method for a projector, wherein a temporary fixing step is excluded from the process for fixing an electro-optical device, such as a liquid crystal panel to a prism so as to complete an adhesive agent hardening operation in a single step. Thus, only a spacer is used for adhesively fixing a panel frame assembly for holding an electro-optical device, such as a liquid crystal panel to a prism so as to permit improved positional accuracy of the electro-optical device, improved efficiency of the fixing operation, and a simpler fixing operation process.
To fulfill the object mentioned above, the present invention employs the following:
First, the process may include the following steps (1) through (3).
(1) A spacer mounting step for mounting a spacer via an adhesive agent between an electro-optical device frame assembly, which holds an electro-optical device, and a prism. (2) A position adjusting step for adjusting a position where the electro-optical device frame assembly is installed to the prism after the spacer mounting step. (3) An electro-optical device frame assembly fixing step for fixing the electro-optical device frame assembly by hardening the adhesive agent after the position adjusting step.
After the spacer mounting step of (1), an electro-optical device frame assembly with the spacer attached thereto is formed, then the spacer is attached to the prism thereby to secure the electro-optical device frame assembly to the prism.
More specifically, in the foregoing process, the electro-optical device frame assembly retaining the electro-optical device is supported and secured to a prism only by the spacer via an adhesive agent. In other words, the process of fixing the electro-optical device frame assembly to the prism, i.e. the process of hardening the adhesive agent, can be completed in one step which involves only the spacer. This makes it possible to reduce the positional dis
Fujimori Motoyuki
Iinuma Kazuyuki
Kitabayashi Masashi
Cherry Euncha
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Seiko Epson Corporation
Spyrou Cassandra
LandOfFree
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