Cooling a digital micromirror device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10120162-B2
Application number	US-201615342579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2016
Priority date	Nov 3, 2016
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for cooling a digital mirror device are disclosed. For example, the apparatus includes a digital mirror device (DMD), a thermal pad, wherein a first side of the thermal pad is coupled to a bottom of a housing of the DMD and a cooling block coupled to a second side of the thermal pad that is opposite the first side. The cooling block includes a plate that includes a plurality of openings that generates a liquid jet of a liquid that is forced through the plurality of openings towards a side of the cooling block coupled to the thermal pad.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for cooling a digital mirror device (DMD), comprising:
measuring a temperature of the DMD;
determining that the temperature of the DMD is above a threshold; and
providing a liquid through a cooling loop to a cooling block of the DMD, the cooling block comprising a plate having a plurality of openings that generates a liquid jet of the liquid that is forced through the plurality of openings towards a side of the cooling block coupled to the DMD, wherein the liquid is delivered through the plurality of openings at 0.3 gallons per minute (qpm) to 0.5 gpm at 19 pounds per square inch (psi) to 50 psi, wherein the plurality of openings has a diameter of 0.25 millimeters (mm) to 0.5mm.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
repeating the measuring until the temperature of the DMD is below the threshold; and
stopping the liquid from moving through the cooling block.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is measured by a heat sensing device coupled to the DMD and the cooling block.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid comprises a coolant comprising at least one of: a mixture of water and ethylene glycol or Fluorinert.

5. A laser imaging module (LIM), comprising:
a digital mirror device (DMD);
a thermal pad, wherein a first side of the thermal pad is coupled to a bottom of a housing of the DMD;
a cooling loop that delivers a liquid; and
a cooling block coupled to the thermal pad and the cooling loop, wherein the cooling block comprises:
a plate comprising a plurality of openings, wherein a diameter of each one of the plurality of openings is 0.25 millimeters (mm) to 0.5 mm to deliver 0.3 gallons per minute (gpm) to 0.5 gpm of the liquid at 19 pounds per square inch (psi) to 50 psi through the plurality of openings towards a side of the cooling block coupled to the thermal pad.

6. The LIM of claim 5 , further comprising:
a copper block coupled to the thermal pad; and
a thermoelectric cooling device coupled to the copper block and the cooling block.

7. The LIM of claim 5 , wherein the liquid comprises a coolant comprising at least one of: a mixture of water and ethylene glycol or Fluorinert.

8. The LIM of claim 5 , wherein the thermal pad comprises at least a layer of Indium.

9. The LIM of claim 8 , wherein the thermal pad further comprises a layer of aluminum nitride.

10. The LIM of claim 5 , wherein the cooling block further comprises:
an uneven surface on an inner portion of the side of the cooling block coupled to the thermal pad.

11. The LIM of claim 10 , wherein the uneven surface comprises at least one of: a plurality of surface members or a rough surface.

12. The LIM of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of surface members comprises at least one of: a plurality of pins or a plurality of fins.

13. The LIM of claim 5 , further comprising:
a heat sensing device measure a temperature of the DMD.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Zirilli Francisco
• Monahan Michael B
• Bradway Jeffrey John

Classifications

• B41J2/435

  characterised by selective application of radiation to a printing material or impression-transfer material · CPC title

• G02B26/0833

  the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD (G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B) · CPC title

• G02B7/1815 Primary

  with cooling or heating systems (cooling arrangements for laser mirrors H01S3/0401) · CPC title

• B41J2/442

  using lasers · CPC title