Mirror unit and optical-scanning-type object detection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10698089-B2
Application number	US-201615747169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2016
Priority date	Jul 27, 2015
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

An optical unit contains an optical element made of resin obtained by integrally forming a reflector in which a reflecting surface which reflects a light flux is formed on an outer peripheral side surface, and a flange extending in a direction orthogonal to the reflector to support the reflector; a rotary driving body which rotates the optical element; and a connecting device which connects the flange of the optical element to the rotary driving body, the optical element being capable of rotating around a rotational axis of the rotary driving body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical unit comprising:
an optical element made of resin obtained by integrally forming a reflector in which a reflecting surface which reflects a light flux is formed on an outer peripheral side surface, and a flange extending in a direction orthogonal to the reflector to support the reflector;
a rotary driving body which rotates the optical element; and
a connecting device which connects the flange of the optical element to the rotary driving body, the optical element being capable of rotating around a rotational axis of the rotary driving body,
wherein, in the flange, three or more first convex surfaces with arc-shaped cross-section are formed on one side in a direction of the rotational axis and three or more second convex surfaces with arc-shaped cross-section are formed on another side in the direction of the rotational axis,
wherein the connecting device includes a first fixation member which simultaneously abuts the first convex surfaces with arc-shaped cross-section, a second fixation member which simultaneously abuts the second convex surfaces with arc-shaped cross-section, a pusher which pushes in a direction in which each convex surface with arc-shaped cross-section and each fixation member face each other, and a connector which connects the rotary driving body to the first or second fixation member,
wherein the flange is formed such that the rotational axis of the rotary driving body passes through a triangle formed by connecting three surface apices of the first convex surfaces with arc-shaped cross-section and a triangle formed by connecting three surface apices of the second convex surfaces with arc-shaped cross-section,
wherein a normal at an abutment point P 1 to the first convex surface with arc-shaped cross-section in the first fixation member is substantially parallel to the rotational axis and passes through an abutment point P 2 between the second fixation member and the second convex surface with arc-shaped cross-section corresponding to the abutment point P 1 , and
wherein the first or second fixation member is formed to engage with an inner peripheral side surface of the optical element.

2. The optical unit according to claim 1 , wherein the reflector is formed of a first reflector extending from the flange to one side and a second reflector extending from the flange to the other side, and a reflecting surface of the first reflector and a reflecting surface of the second reflector are inclined toward the rotational axis to face each other.

3. The optical unit according to claim 1 , wherein, as seen in the direction of the rotational axis, an inner peripheral side surface of the reflector has a regular triangular shape, and an outer periphery of the fixation member which engages with the inner peripheral side surface has a hexagonal shape.

4. The optical unit according to claim 1 , wherein, as seen in the direction of the rotational axis, an inner peripheral side surface of the reflector has a square shape, and an outer periphery of the fixation member which engages with the inner peripheral side surface has a regular octagonal shape.

5. An optical scanning type object detection device comprising:
the optical unit according to claim 1 ;
a light source; and
a light receiver,
wherein a light flux emitted from the light source is reflected by a reflecting surface of the optical unit which rotates and is projected on an object while scanning, and
wherein the light flux reflected by the object is reflected by the reflecting surface and is thereafter received by the light receiver.

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Kaneko Naoki
• Ide Yoshinori
• Tamura Yoshifumi
• Mori Hajime

Classifications

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S7/4817 Primary

  relating to scanning · CPC title

• G02B26/129

  Systems in which the scanning light beam is repeatedly reflected from the polygonal mirror · CPC title

• G02B7/1821

  for rotating or oscillating mirrors · CPC title

• G02B5/09

  Multifaceted or polygonal mirrors {, e.g. polygonal scanning mirrors; Fresnel mirrors} · CPC title