Projector with cooler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10627708-B2
Application number	US-201816232915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2018
Priority date	Dec 27, 2017
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A projector including a light source device configured to emit light, a light modulator configured to modulate the light emitted from the light source device in accordance with an image signal, a projection optical device configured to project the light modulated by the light modulator, and a cooler configured to cool a cooling target based on transformation of a refrigerant into a gas. The cooler includes a refrigerant generator configured to generate the refrigerant and a refrigerant sender configured to send the generated refrigerant toward the cooling target. The refrigerant generator includes a flow passage section through which the refrigerant flows. A portion of the inner surface of the flow passage section that is the portion facing the lower side in the gravity direction inclines with respect to the horizontal plane perpendicular to the gravity direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A projector comprising:
a light source device configured to emit light;
a light modulator configured to modulate the light emitted from the light source device in accordance with an image signal;
a projection optical device configured to project the light modulated by the light modulator; and
a cooler configured to cool a cooling target based on transformation of a refrigerant into a gas,
wherein the cooler includes
a refrigerant generator configured to generate the refrigerant, and
a refrigerant sender configured to send the generated refrigerant toward the cooling target,

wherein the refrigerant generator includes a flow passage section through which the refrigerant flows, and
wherein a portion of an inner surface of the flow passage section that is a portion facing a lower side in a gravity direction inclines with respect to a horizontal plane perpendicular to the gravity direction.

2. The projector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the flow passage section includes a pipe extending in a predetermined direction, and
wherein the predetermined direction is a direction that inclines with respect to the horizontal plane perpendicular to the gravity direction.

3. The projector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the flow passage section includes a pipe extending in a predetermined direction, and
wherein the predetermined direction is a direction that inclines with respect to a first direction parallel to an optical axis of the projection optical device and further inclines with respect to a plane perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The projector according to claim 1 ,
further comprising an enclosure accommodating the light source device, the light modulator, the projection optical device and the cooler,
wherein the flow passage section includes a pipe extending in a predetermined direction,
wherein the enclosure has a first surface extending in a first direction parallel to an optical axis of the projection optical device, and
wherein the predetermined direction is a direction that inclines with respect to at least two of the first surface, a second surface perpendicular to the first direction, and a third surface perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface.

5. The projector according to claim 4 ,
wherein the predetermined direction is a direction that inclines with respect to all the first surface, the second surface, and the third surface.

6. The projector according to claim 1 ,
further comprising an enclosure accommodating the light source device, the light modulator, the projection optical device and the cooler,
wherein the flow passage section includes a pipe extending in a predetermined direction,
wherein the enclosure has a surface extending in a first direction parallel to an optical axis of the projection optical device, the surface being a counter surface that faces an installation site where the projector is installed, and
wherein the predetermined direction is a direction that inclines with respect to the first direction in such a way that the predetermined direction separates away from the counter surface as the predetermined direction extends toward a light exiting side of the projection optical device.

7. The projector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the refrigerant generator includes
a moisture absorbing/discharging member rotating,
a first air blower configured to deliver air to a portion of the moisture absorbing/discharging member that is a portion located in a first region,
a heat exchanger connected to the refrigerant sender,
a heater configured to heat a portion of the moisture absorbing/discharging member that is a portion located in a second region different from the first region, and
a second air blower configured to deliver, to the heat exchanger, air around the portion of the moisture absorbing/discharging member that is the portion heated by the heater,

wherein the heat exchanger includes the flow passage section into which the air delivered from the second air blower flows, and
wherein the flow passage section, by cooling the air having flowed into the passage section, generates the refrigerant from the air having flowed into the flow passage section.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Sugiyama Nobuo
• Okada Naoya

Classifications

• G03B33/12

  using beam-splitting or beam-combining systems, e.g. dichroic mirrors · CPC title

• F25B19/00 Primary

  Machines, plants or systems, using evaporation of a refrigerant but without recovery of the vapour · CPC title

• G03B21/16 Primary

  Cooling; Preventing overheating · CPC title

• F25B39/028

  having distributing means · CPC title

• G03B21/145

  Housing details, e.g. position adjustments thereof · CPC title