Light reflection device and mobile object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11531199-B2
Application number	US-202016952099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2020
Priority date	Nov 21, 2019
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

A light reflection device is provided with a light source configured to emit irradiation light, a reflector configured to reflect the irradiation light emitted from the light source, a housing, and a holder attached to the housing to hold the reflector. The holder is configured to restrict a movement of the reflector and allows a size of the reflector to change in contrast with the holder. A mobile object is provided with the light reflection device, a screen on which an image is formed by the irradiation light reflected by the reflector, a front windshield configured to reflect the irradiation light diverged and projected through the screen, and an imaging optical system configured to project the irradiation light emitted from the screen toward the front windshield.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light reflection device comprising:
a light source to emit irradiation light;
a reflector to reflect the irradiation light emitted from the light source;
a housing; and
a holder attached to the housing to hold the reflector,
wherein the reflector has a first plane,
the holder restricts a movement of the reflector,
the holder has a second plane contacting the first plane, and allows a size of the reflector to change in a direction parallel to the second plane in contrast with the holder, and
the reflector and the holder are disposed such that the first plane is located further from the housing than the second plane in a direction perpendicular to the first plane and the second plane.

2. The light reflection device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reflector is a light deflector to reflect the irradiation light to perform scanning in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

3. The light reflection device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reflector is disposed in a first direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and is an optical modulation element to reflect the irradiation light.

4. The light reflection device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a pressurizing member to apply pressure to the reflector against the holder such that the first plane contacts the second plane.

5. The light reflection device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the holder has an opening, and
wherein the reflector faces an inside of the housing through the opening.

6. The light reflection device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reflector is fixed to the holder at a fixed point, and
wherein the reflector or the holder has a duct and a convex portion to be slidable through the duct.

7. The light reflection device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the holder has a third plane orthogonal to the second plane and another pressurizing member to apply pressure to the reflector against the third plane in a direction parallel to the second plane.

8. The light reflection device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the holder is bonded to the housing.

9. The light reflection device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a difference between a linear expansivity of the holder and a linear expansivity of the housing is smaller than a difference between a linear expansivity of the reflector and the linear expansivity of the housing.

10. The light reflection device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a screen on which an image is formed by the irradiation light reflected by the reflector.

11. A mobile object comprising:
a light reflection device including
a light source to emit irradiation light,
a reflector to reflect the irradiation light emitted from the light source, the reflector having a first plane,
a housing; and
a holder attached to the housing to hold the reflector,

a screen on which an image is formed by the irradiation light reflected by the reflector;
a front windshield to reflect the irradiation light diverged and projected through the screen; and
an imaging optical system to project the irradiation light emitted from the screen toward the front windshield,
wherein the holder has a second plane contacting the first plane, the holder restricts a movement of the reflector and allows a size of the reflector to change in contrast with the holder,
the reflector and the holder are disposed such that the first plane is located further from the housing than the second plane in a direction perpendicular to the first plane and the second plane, and
a difference between a linear expansivity of the holder and a linear expansivity of the housing is smaller than a difference between a linear expansivity of the reflector and the linear expansivity of the housing.

12. A light reflection device comprising:
a light source to emit irradiation light;
a reflector to reflect the irradiation light emitted from the light source;
a housing; and
a holder attached to the housing to hold the reflector, the reflector having a first plane,
wherein the holder has a second plane contacting the first plane, the holder restricts a movement of the reflector and allows a size of the reflector to change in contrast with the holder,
the reflector and the holder are disposed such that the first plane is located further from the housing than the second plane in a direction perpendicular to the first plane and the second plane, and
a difference between a linear expansivity of the holder and a linear expansivity of the housing is smaller than a difference between a linear expansivity of the reflector and the linear expansivity of the housing.

13. The light reflection device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the reflector is a light deflector to reflect the irradiation light to perform scanning in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

14. The light reflection device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the reflector is disposed in a first direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and is an optical modulation element to reflect the irradiation light.

15. The light reflection device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the reflector has a first plane, and
wherein the holder has a second plane contacting the first plane, and allows a size of the reflector to change in a direction parallel to the second plane in contrast with the holder.

16. The light reflection device according to claim 15 , further comprising
a pressurizing member to apply pressure to the reflector against the holder such that the first plane contacts the second plane.

17. The light reflection device according to claim 15 ,
wherein the reflector and the holder are disposed such that the first plane is located further from the housing than the second plane.

18. The light reflection device according to claim 17 ,
wherein the holder has an opening, and
wherein the reflector faces an inside of the housing through the opening.

19. The light reflection device according to claim 15 ,
wherein the holder has a third plane orthogonal to the second plane and another pressurizing member to apply pressure to the reflector against the third plane in a direction parallel to the second plane.

20. The light reflection device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the reflector is fixed to the holder at a fixed point, and
wherein the reflector or the holder has a duct and a convex portion to be slidable through the duct.

Assignees

• Okamura Jumpei
• Yoshimura Kenichi
• Nakajima Tomohiro
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Okamura Jumpei
• Yoshimura Kenichi
• Nakajima Tomohiro

Classifications

• G02B7/181 Primary

  with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation · CPC title

• G02B27/0101 Primary

  characterised by optical features (G02B27/0172 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K2370/23

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60K2370/1529

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60K35/00

  Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles · CPC title