Pivot apparatus for a micromirror, and illumination apparatus having a pivot apparatus for a micromirror

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10914937-B2
Application number	US-201615241490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2016
Priority date	Sep 2, 2015
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

A pivot apparatus, in particular a pivot apparatus for a micromirror, a fixed base frame being connected, directly or indirectly via an intermediate frame, to a pivotable carrier element. Spring elements having flexural springs are respectively disposed between the base frame and carrier element, base frame and intermediate frame, and intermediate frame and carrier element. The use of flexural springs enables good thermal coupling between the individual components, and an increase in robustness. The pivot apparatus can be embodied in particular as a microelectromechanical system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pivot apparatus for a micromirror, comprising:
a carrier element that is couplable to the micromirror; and
a first spring element that includes a flexural spring and that is coupled to the carrier element; and
a base frame that is coupled to the first spring element, wherein a width of the first spring element is at least three times a thickness of the first spring element, wherein only the first spring element couples the carrier element to the base frame, wherein the first spring element is directly coupled to the carrier element and to the base frame.

2. The pivot apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
an intermediate frame;
a second spring element that includes a further flexural spring, wherein the intermediate frame is coupled to the carrier element by way of the first spring element, and the base frame is coupled to the intermediate frame by way of the second spring element.

3. The pivot apparatus as recited in claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first spring element and the second spring element includes a flexural spring made of monocrystalline silicon.

4. The pivot apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the carrier element includes a plurality of tilt elements, and each tilt element is connected to at least one flexural spring of the first spring element.

5. The pivot apparatus as recited in claim 2 , wherein the intermediate frame includes a plurality of intermediate elements, and each intermediate element of the intermediate frame is connected to at least one further flexural spring of the second spring element.

6. The pivot apparatus as recited in claim 5 , wherein each intermediate element of the intermediate frame is connected to at least one flexural spring of the first spring element.

7. The pivot apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a deflection apparatus that is designed to deflect the carrier element with respect to the base frame.

8. The pivot apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a reflection element that is connected to the carrier element.

9. The pivot apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein the reflection element includes a molybdenum-silicon coating.

10. An illumination apparatus, comprising:
a light source; and
a pivot apparatus including a carrier element that is couplable to a micromirror, a first spring element that includes a flexural spring and that is coupled to the carrier element, and a base frame that is coupled to the first spring element, and a reflection element that is connected to the carrier element, wherein a width of the first spring element is at least three times a thickness of the first spring element, wherein only the first spring element couples the carrier element to the base frame, and wherein the first spring element is directly coupled to the carrier element and to the base frame.

11. A pivot apparatus for a micromirror, comprising:
a carrier element that is couplable to the micromirror; and
a first spring element that includes a flexural spring and that is coupled to the carrier element;
a base frame that is coupled to the first spring element, wherein a width of the first spring element is at least three times a thickness of the first spring element, wherein only the first spring element couples the carrier element to the base frame;
an intermediate frame; and
a second spring element that includes a further flexural spring, wherein the intermediate frame is coupled to the carrier element by way of the first spring element, and the base frame is coupled to the intermediate frame by way of the second spring element, wherein the first spring element is directly coupled to the carrier element and to the base frame, and wherein the second spring element is directly coupled to the base frame and to the intermediate frame.

12. A pivot apparatus for a micromirror, comprising:
a carrier element that is couplable to the micromirror; and
a first spring element that includes a flexural spring and that is coupled to the carrier element;
a base frame that is coupled to the first spring element, wherein a width of the first spring element is at least three times a thickness of the first spring element, wherein only the first spring element couples the carrier element to the base frame;
an intermediate frame; and
a second spring element that includes a further flexural spring, wherein the intermediate frame is coupled to the carrier element by way of the first spring element, and the base frame is coupled to the intermediate frame by way of the second spring element, wherein a width of the second spring element is at least three times a thickness of the second spring element, and wherein only the second spring element couples the intermediate frame to the base frame.

13. The pivot apparatus as recited in claim 12 , wherein the first spring element is oriented perpendicularly to the second spring element.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Classen Johannes
• Noltemeyer Ralf
• Kaelberer Arnd
• Sudy Peter
• Artmann Hans

Classifications

• G02B26/0833 Primary

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

• G02B26/101

  with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners (colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129) · CPC title