Light deflector, analyzer, resin identification system, and distance measurement device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12474569-B2
Application number	US-202117504507-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2021
Priority date	Oct 30, 2020
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

A light deflector includes a movable portion including a reflector; multiple drive beams supporting the movable portion to allow the movable portion to be oscillatable; at least one supporting part supporting the multiple drive beams, the at least one supporting part including a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion different from the first connecting portion; and a stopper having one end connected to the first connecting portion and the other end connected to the second connecting portion on the at least one supporting part to be contactable with and straddle the multiple drive beams.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A light deflector comprising:
a movable portion including a reflector; multiple drive beams supporting the movable portion to allow the movable portion to be oscillatable; at least one supporting part supporting the multiple drive beams, the at least one supporting part including a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion different from the first connecting portion; and a stopper having one end connected to the first connecting portion and the other end connected to the second connecting portion, wherein the stopper straddles at least one of the multiple drive beams, wherein the stopper is wire, and wherein the stopper is an electrical connection between the first connection portion and the second connection portion.

2 . The light deflector according to claim 1 , wherein the stopper includes multiple stoppers.

3 . The light deflector according to claim 1 , wherein the stopper is disposed not to straddle the reflector.

4 . The light deflector according to claim 1 , further comprising a flexible printed circuit configured to apply voltage to the movable portion,
wherein the stopper is curved to be convex in a direction in which the reflector reflects light.

5 . The light deflector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the stopper is connected to the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion on the at least one supporting part by a wire bond, and wherein the stopper is curved to be convex in a direction in which the reflector reflects light.

6 . The light deflector according to claim 5 , wherein the wire bond is ball bond.

7 . The light deflector according to claim 5 , wherein the wire bond is wedge bond.

8 . The light deflector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one of the multiple drive beams form a meander structure, and wherein the stopper lies over the meander structure in a direction in which the reflector reflects light.

9 . The light deflector according to claim 8 , wherein the stopper lies over a turning portion of the meander structure.

10 . The light deflector according to claim 1 , further comprising a mount portion on which the at least one supporting part is stationary,
wherein the mount portion includes a lower stopper configured to restrict a movable range of the movable portion in a direction opposite to the direction in which the reflector reflects light.

11 . The light deflector according to claim 10 , wherein the lower stopper is disposed below the at least one of the multiple drive beams.

12 . The light deflector according to claim 10 , wherein the lower stopper has a sloping surface with a height decreasing from the at least one supporting part to the reflector along an oscillation axis of the movable portion.

13 . The light deflector according to claim 10 ,
wherein the mount portion further includes a base, and wherein the mount portion is a single unit in which the lower stopper is integrated with the base.

14 . An analyzer comprising the light deflector according to claim 1 .

15 . A resin identification system comprising:
a spectrometer including the light deflector according to claim 1 configured to acquire data on a resin; and a device configured to identify a composition of the resin based on the data on the resin acquired by the spectrometer.

16 . A distance measurement device comprising:
the light deflector according to claim 1 configured to emit light to an object; a photosensor configured to receive light reflected from the object; and a distance measuring circuit configured to calculate a distance to the object based on the light emitted from the light deflector and the light received by the photosensor.

17 . The light deflector according to claim 2 , wherein the multiple stoppers straddle the at least one of the multiple drive beams in a direction parallel to an oscillation axis of the movable portion.

18 . The light deflector according to claim 2 , wherein the multiple stoppers straddle the at least one of the multiple drive beams in a direction perpendicular to an oscillation axis of the movable portion.

19 . The light deflector according to claim 1 , wherein the stopper straddles the at least one of the multiple drive beams in a direction oblique to an oscillation axis of the movable portion.

20 . The light deflector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the stopper is curved to be convex in a direction in which the reflector reflects light at a central portion, and wherein the stopper is curved to be concave in the direction in which the reflector reflects light at at least one of the one end or the other end.

Assignees

• Seto Masami
• Fujishima Masayuki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Seto Masami
• Fujishima Masayuki

Classifications

• G02B26/0858

  the reflecting means being moved or deformed by piezoelectric means · CPC title

• G01S17/08

  for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) · CPC title

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01N33/442 Primary

  Resins; Plastics · CPC title

• G01S7/4817

  relating to scanning · CPC title