Image projector including a projecting section, a support section, and an exterior section

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12439009-B2
Application number	US-202217732594-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2022
Priority date	May 14, 2021
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

An image projector includes a projecting section, a support section, an exterior section, a first heat conductor, and a second heat conductor. The projecting section projects an image, and includes an image forming section that forms the image. The support section supports the projecting section, and includes a projecting section placement face on which the projecting section is disposed. The exterior section covers the projecting section and the support section. The first heat conductor is disposed between the projecting section and the support section. The second heat conductor is disposed between the support section and the exterior section. The first heat conductor is disposed so as to at least partially overlap the image forming section in a plan view of the projecting section placement face.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image projector comprising:
a projecting section configured to project an image, the projecting section including an image forming section configured to form the image;
a support section configured to support the projecting section, the support section including a projecting section placement face on which the projecting section is disposed;
an exterior section configured to cover the projecting section and the support section;
a first heat conductor disposed between the projecting section and the support section, the first heat conductor being disposed so as to at least partially overlap the image forming section in a plan view of the projecting section placement face;
a second heat conductor disposed between the support section and the exterior section;
control circuitry configured to control operation of the projecting section;
a control board including the control circuitry; and
a fourth heat conductor disposed between the control board and the exterior section to be in contact with each of the control board and the exterior section.

2. The image projector of claim 1 , wherein;
the second heat conductor is disposed so as to at least partially overlap the first heat conductor in the plan view of the projecting section placement face.

3. The image projector of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third heat conductor disposed between the support section and the second heat conductor so as to at least partially overlap each of the first heat conductor and the second heat conductor in the plan view of the projecting section placement face.

4. The image projector of claim 1 , wherein:
the projecting section includes a light emitting section, and
the first heat conductor is disposed so as to at least partially overlap the light emitting section in the plan view of the projecting section placement face.

5. The image projector of claim 1 , further comprising:
a battery,
wherein the support section includes a first face and a second face opposite to the first face,
wherein the battery is disposed on the first face of the support section, and
wherein the projecting section and the control board are disposed on the second face of the support section.

6. The image projector of claim 1 , further comprising:
an operation section;
an operation processing section configured to output, to the control circuitry, a signal corresponding to an operation input with the operation section; and
a first heat insulator disposed between the operation processing section and the control board,
wherein the support section includes a control board placement face on which the control board is disposed, and
wherein the operation processing section is disposed so as to at least partially overlap the control board in a plan view of the control board placement face.

7. The image projector of claim 6 , further comprising:
a battery; and
a second heat insulator in contact with each of the battery and the support section.

8. The image projector of claim 1 , wherein;
the first heat conductor has a thermal conductivity of at least 1.5 watts per meter kelvin.

9. The image projector of claim 1 , wherein;
the second heat conductor includes copper foil.

10. The image projector of claim 1 , wherein;
the exterior section includes a contact face formed as at least one of a matte finished face or an embossed face.

11. An image projector, comprising;
a projecting section configured to project an image, the projecting section including an image forming section configured to form the image;
a support section configured to support the projecting section, the support section including a projecting section placement face on which the projecting section is disposed;
an exterior section configured to cover the projecting section and the support section;
a first heat conductor disposed between the projecting section and the support section, the first heat conductor being disposed so as to at least partially overlap the image forming section in a plan view of the projecting section placement face;
a second heat conductor disposed between the support section and the exterior section; and
a main body including the exterior section to house the projecting section and the support section in a space covered by the exterior section,
wherein the main body further includes a projection into which a part of the space covered by the exterior section projects, and in which the projecting section is disposed,
wherein the projection includes a first portion, a second portion facing the first portion, and a third portion intersecting each of the first portion and the second portion, and
wherein the second heat conductor is disposed so as to at least partially overlap the third portion in a plan view of the third portion.

12. The image projector of claim 11 , wherein:
the first heat conductor has a thermal conductivity of at least 1.5 watts per meter kelvin.

13. An image projector, comprising:
a projecting section configured to project an image, the projecting section including an image forming section configured to form the image;
a support section configured to support the projecting section, the support section including a projecting section placement face on which the projecting section is disposed;
an exterior section configured to cover the projecting section and the support section;
a first heat conductor disposed between the projecting section and the support section, the first heat conductor being disposed so as to at least partially overlap the image forming section in a plan view of the projecting section placement face;
a second heat conductor disposed between the support section and the exterior section;
a control board configured to control operation of the projecting section; and
a board temperature detection circuit configured to output temperature information of the control board,
wherein the projecting section includes a light emitting section, and
wherein based on the temperature information of the control board, the control board controls an amount of light emitted by the light emitting section.

14. The image projector of claim 13 , wherein;
the control board executes control to change the amount of the light emitted by the light emitting section and keep the amount of the light unchanged until a particular standby time elapses after the change in the amount of the light.

15. The image projector of claim 13 , further comprising:
a detection circuit temperature output section configured to output temperature information of the board temperature detection circuit.

16. The image projector of claim 13 , further comprising:
a light emission control circuit configured to control light emission of the light emitting section; and
a light emission temperature output section configured to output temperature information of at least one of the light emission control circuit or the light emitting section,
wherein the light emission control circuit controls the light emission of the light emitting section based on the temperature information of at least one of the light emission control circuit or the light emitting section.

17. The image projector of claim 16 , wherein:
the light emission control circuit executes control to maintain the amount of the light emitted by the light emitting section to at least a particular light amount.

18. The image projector of claim 16 , further comprising:
a battery;
a charge and discharge control circuit configured to control charge and discharge of the battery; and
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Assignees

• Midorikawa Ruki
• Takahashi Tomoko
• Yoneda Yu
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Midorikawa Ruki
• Takahashi Tomoko
• Yoneda Yu

Classifications

• G03B21/16

  Cooling; Preventing overheating · CPC title

• G03B21/145

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

• H04N9/3173

  wherein the projection device is specially adapted for enhanced portability · CPC title

• H05K7/20418

  the radiating structures being additional and fastened onto the housing · CPC title

• H04N9/3164

  using multiple light sources · CPC title