Synthetic jets to cool digital micromirror devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019242566-A1
Application number	US-201815889813-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 6, 2018
Priority date	Feb 6, 2018
Publication date	Aug 8, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for cooling a digital micromirror device are disclosed. For example, the apparatus includes a digital micromirror device (DMD), a housing coupled to the DMD, wherein a first side of the housing is coupled to a bottom of the DMD and a cooling block coupled to a second side of the housing that is opposite the first side. The cooling block includes a plate that includes a plurality of openings, a diaphragm coupled to the plate, an air inlet to generate an airflow across the plate, wherein the diaphragm creates a force to move the airflow in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction of the airflow towards the second side of the housing, and an air outlet to collect the airflow.

First claim

1 . A laser imaging module (LIM), comprising:
a digital micromirror device (DMD); a housing coupled to the DMD, wherein a first side of the housing is coupled to a bottom of the DMD; and a cooling block coupled to a second side of the housing that is opposite the first side, wherein the cooling block comprises:
a plate comprising a plurality of openings;
a diaphragm coupled to the plate;
an air inlet to generate an airflow across the plate, wherein the diaphragm creates a force to move the airflow in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction of the airflow towards the second side of the housing; and
an air outlet to collect the airflow.

2 . The LIM of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm comprises:
a movable floor that oscillates to create the force to move the airflow in the direction that is perpendicular to the direction of the airflow.

3 . The LIM of claim 2 , wherein the movable floor oscillates in between and including 1-2 millimeters in a direction towards and away the plate.

4 . The LIM of claim 2 , wherein the movable floor oscillates at a frequency in a range of in between and including 30 hertz to 10 kilohertz.

5 . The LIM of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm comprises a piezo electric diaphragm.

6 . The LIM of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm comprises:
a plurality of independent chambers, and each one of the plurality of independent chambers comprises a respective movable floor that oscillates.

7 . The LIM of claim 6 , wherein the respective movable floor for each one of the plurality of independent chambers may oscillate at a different time or a different frequency.

8 . The LIM of claim 1 , wherein the airflow is continuous.

9 . The LIM of claim 1 , wherein the airflow is moved at a velocity of in between and including 0.5 meters per second (m/s) to 2 m/s.

10 . The LIM of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings each comprise a diameter of in between and including 25 microns to 100 microns.

11 . The LIM of claim 1 , wherein the plate comprises airflow guides on opposite sides of the plate to contain the airflow over the plurality of openings of the plate.

12 . The LIM of claim 1 , wherein the plate is a rectangle and the air inlet is adjacent to a first end of the rectangle and the air outlet is adjacent to a second opposite end of the rectangle.

13 . The LIM of claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature sensing device measure a temperature of the DMD.

14 . A method for cooling a digital micromirror device (DMD), comprising:
measuring a temperature of the DMD; determining that the temperature of the DMD is above a threshold; and providing an airflow through a cooling block comprising a plate having a plurality of openings, a diaphragm coupled to the plate, an air inlet that generates the airflow across the plate, wherein the diaphragm creates a force to move the airflow in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction of the airflow towards the DMD, and an air outlet to collect the airflow.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
repeating the measuring until the temperature of the DMD is below the threshold; and stopping the airflow from moving through the cooling block.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the temperature is measured by a temperature sensing device coupled to the DMD and the cooling block.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the diaphragm creates the force by oscillating a moving floor in the diaphragm at a frequency of in between and including 30 hertz to 10 kilohertz.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the airflow is moved at a velocity of in between and including 0.5 meters per second (m/s) to 2 m/s.

19 . A laser imaging module (LIM), comprising:
a digital micromirror device (DMD); a housing coupled to the DMD, wherein a first side of the housing is coupled to a bottom of the DMD; a rectangular plate comprising a plurality of openings coupled to a second side of the housing that is opposite the first side; an air inlet coupled to a first end of the rectangular plate to generate an airflow across the rectangular plate; an air outlet coupled to a second end that is opposite the first end of the rectangular plate to collect the airflow; a pair of airflow guides on a third end and a fourth end that is opposite the third end of the rectangular plate, wherein the air inlet, the air outlet and the pair of airflow guides form a chamber to contain the airflow that moves across the rectangular plate; and a diaphragm coupled to a bottom side of the rectangular plate, wherein the diaphragm creates a force to move the airflow in a direction towards the back side of the DMD via a movable floor that oscillates at a frequency of in between and including 30 hertz to 10 kilohertz.

20 . The LIM of claim 19 , wherein the diaphragm comprises:
a plurality of independent chambers, and each one of the plurality of independent chambers comprises a respective movable floor that oscillates.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Zirilli Francisco

Classifications

• H04N1/195

  the array comprising a two-dimensional [2D] array · CPC title

• H04N9/3161

  using laser light sources (using laser beams scanning the display screen H04N9/3129) · CPC title

• G02B26/0833

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

• G02B7/1815

  with cooling or heating systems (cooling arrangements for laser mirrors H01S3/0401) · CPC title

• F21V29/505 Primary

  of reflectors · CPC title