Method for manufacturing optical element, optical element, aerial image display device, and spatial input device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12449568-B2
Application number	US-202318165427-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2023
Priority date	Mar 9, 2022
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an optical element includes forming an optical element unit comprised of an optical material such as glass and having an outer shape of a regular triangle or a regular hexagon, arranging a plurality of optical element units two-dimensionally on a substrate so as to have a structure imitating a molecular structure of graphene or a carbon nanotube, and processing the substrate on which the plurality of optical element units are mounted into a desired surface shape.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing an optical element configured for use in an aerial image display device, the method comprising:
forming an optical element unit comprised of an optical material and having an outer shape of a regular triangle or a regular hexagon;
arranging a plurality of optical element units two-dimensionally on a substrate; and,
processing the substrate on which the plurality of optical element units are mounted into a desired non-planar surface shape such that the optical elements units are not deformed, and a boundary between the optical element units is displaced, so that the desired surface shape is provided.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical element units are arranged on the substrate so as to imitate a molecular structure of graphene or a carbon nanotube.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the optical element units is formed by molding a glass material or a resin material using a mold or a cast.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein the desired surface shape is a curved surface.

5. The manufacturing method according to claim 4 , wherein the optical element units are retroreflective elements.

6. The manufacturing method according to claim 4 , wherein the optical element units are micromirrors.

7. The manufacturing method according to claim 4 , wherein the optical element units are microlenses.

8. An optical element manufactured by the method according to claim 1 .

9. An aerial image display device, comprising:
a retroreflective member manufactured by the method according to claim 1 ;
a light source; and,
a beam splitter that reflects light from the light source toward the retroreflective member and transmits the light reflected by the retroreflective member.

10. A spatial input device, comprising:
an aerial image display device according to claim 9 ; and,
a detection unit that detects an approach of an object toward an aerial image displayed by the aerial image display device.

Assignees

• Alps Alpine Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ashimine Katsunari
• Yuza Shingo
• Oshima Chihiro
• Fukai Hirokuni
• Hikichi Kazuya

Classifications

• G02B3/0037

  characterized by the distribution or form of lenses · CPC title

• C03B2215/46

  Lenses, e.g. bi-convex · CPC title

• C03B11/00

  Pressing {molten} glass {or performed glass reheated to equivalent low viscosity without blowing (shaping molten glass by a press-blow process C03B9/00, e.g. C03B9/193; re-forming shaped glass C03B23/00; re-heating the performed glass C03B29/00; transporting the performed or pressed glass during its manufacture C03B35/00)} · CPC title

• B29D11/00365

  Production of microlenses (lenticular sheets B29D11/00278) · CPC title

• G02B30/56

  by projecting aerial or floating images · CPC title