Optical: systems and elements – Lens – With support
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-17
2001-01-30
Mack, Ricky (Department: 2873)
Optical: systems and elements
Lens
With support
C359S634000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06181490
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to an optically adjusting device, and especially to an optically adjusting device adapted to be used in a projector.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the development of science, the living standard of human life grows swiftly. Many families have movie theaters at home to entertain themselves. A projector is one of the essential apparatuses to construct a home-movie theater.
FIG. 1
schematically shows the skeleton of a conventional projector. A light beam
11
from a light source is projected to a spectroscope
131
through a polarization beam splitter
12
(PBS) and a lens array
121
. The first spectroscope
131
only allows the red light beam R to pass through but reflects the green light beam G and the blue light beam B. The reflected green and blue light beams G, B will be resolved by the second spectroscope
132
. The second spectroscope
132
allows the blue light beam B to pass through and reflects the green light beam G. Therefore, as shown in
FIG. 1
, after the three basic light beams R, G, B are resolved and reflected by spectroscopes
131
,
132
and mirrors
141
,
142
,
143
, they enter into an optical combiner
17
from three different directions. The optical combiner
17
is a prismatic combiner, so called an X-cube. The X-cube
17
is used for refracting the three basic light beams R, G, B from three directions toward one direction. i.e. the direction of a focus plate
19
.
Before the three basic light beams R, G, B enter into the X-cube
17
, each of them will pass through two polarizers
15
,
16
. These two polarizers
15
,
16
are used for adjusting the amount of a light beam (R, G, or B) entering the X-cube
17
. After the three basic light beam R, G, B are refracted toward the direction of the focus plate
19
, they are mixed as a mixed light beam
20
to be projected on the focus plate
19
by a projection lens system
18
. The second polarizer
16
is usually assembled with the X-cube
17
. After the X-cube is manufactured, the second polarizer
16
needs to be adjusted to ensure that the three basic light beam R, G, B can be perfectly projected on the focus plate
19
in an equal distance.
FIG. 2
schematically shows a conventional optically adjusting device. The adjusting device includes a frame
22
for fixing an X-cube
17
therein. There are three-layer metal plates
221
, outside the frame
22
. The second polarizer
16
(not shown) is fixed on the outmost metal plate
221
. By adjusting screws
221
,
212
,
213
,
214
and screw hole
215
on the adjusting device, the position and orientation of the second polarizer
16
are adjusted so that the vector parameters of the light beams (including horizontal vector x, vertical vector y, depth vector z, spin vector &thgr;, and tilt vector &psgr;) are adjusted to ensure that the three basic light beams R, G, B can be perfectly projected on the focus plate
19
in an equal distance.
However, the conventional adjusting device still has many drawbacks. Some of them are described as follows:
1. The structure of the conventional adjusting device is very complex. The conventional adjusting device needs multi-layer metal plates to accomplish the adjustment thereby resulting in a difficulty in the manufacturing process and increasing the manufacturing cost.
2. A lot of heat will be generated from the polarizers when light beam are reflected thereon, but the conventional adjusting device can not dissipate heat easily because of its complex structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel optically adjusting device such that the aforementioned limitations and drawbacks encountered in the prior art can be overcome.
It is still an object of the present invention to provide a novel optically adjusting device having, a simple structure.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a novel optically adjusting device which can be manufactured easily.
Specifically, it is further an object of the present invention to provide a novel optically adjusting device capable of dissipating heat easily.
Specifically it is further an object of the present invention to provide a novel optically adjusting device adapted to be used in a projector.
The optically adjusting device of the present invention includes a frame having a plurality of frame members defining a space for containing an optical combiner therein, a plurality of light-receiving plates, each of which is disposed on one of the frame members for receiving a specific light beam and outputting the specific light beam to the optical combiner, and a plurality of adjusting plates, each of which is arranged between one of the frame members and a corresponding light-receiving plate for sequentially adjusting a position and orientation of the corresponding light-receiving plate with respect to the optical combiner.
The preferred embodiment of the optically adjusting device of the present invention includes a frame having two faces accompanied with three sides defining a space for containing an optical combiner therein, three light-receiving plates respectively disposed on the three sides of the frame for respectively receiving a specific light beam and outputting the specific light beam to the optical combiner, and three adjusting plates respectively arranged between the three sides of the frame and the three corresponding light-receiving plates for sequentially adjusting position and orientation of the light-receiving plates with respect to the optical combiner.
Preferably, the optical combiner is an X-cube.
According to the present invention, each of the plurality of adjusting plates is disposed on the corresponding frame member by screwing, and each of the adjusting plates includes an adjusting device for allowing a user to adjust the position and orientation of the corresponding light-receiving plate with respect to the optical combiner.
In accordance with the present invention, the adjusting device of the adjusting plate includes four adjusting nicks respectively disposed on four corners of the adjusting plate so as to allow the user to adjust the position and orientation of the corresponding light-receiving plate with respect to the optical combiner. In addition, the adjusting device of the adjusting plate further includes a plurality of springs arranged between the adjusting plate and the corresponding frame member to form a space between the adjusting plate and the corresponding frame member.
In accordance with the present invention, each of the plurality of springs is installed around a screw connecting the corresponding adjusting plate and the frame member together so that the user can adjust the position and orientation of the corresponding light-receiving plate with respect to the optical combiner by screwing.
Preferably, the plurality of springs are three springs.
According to the present invention, the plurality of frame member includes two clamping plates arranged around an upper and a bottom faces of the optical combiner.
According to the present invention, the plurality of frame members further include three locking plates respectively connectedd to the edges of the clamping plates by screwing so as to define the space for containing the optical combiner.
In accordance with the present invention, each of the plurality of adjusting plates is deposed on one of the three locking plates by screwing.
Preferably, the locking plates are metal plates, and each of the clamping plates is made of a material softer than that of the optical combiner.
According to the present invention, the light-receiving plate is a polarizer, preferably a liquid crystal display (LCD) polarizer.
According to the present invention, the specific light beam is one selected from a group consisting of red, green and blue light beam.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4319804 (1982-03-01), Lipkins
Lin Jack
Wun Mu-Jung
Lumens Mechniligy Inc.
Mack Ricky
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