Light beam scanner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9436001-B2
Application number	US-201514753687-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2015
Priority date	Jun 30, 2014
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a light beam scanner includes a first mirror and an angular magnification unit. The first mirror makes a normal direction of a reflecting surface change repeatedly. The angular magnification unit is configured to return, when viewed from a first direction, reflected light from the first mirror to the first mirror so that light is reflected at substantially the same points on the first mirror for a plural number of times, and increase, when viewed from the first direction, an angle each time light is reflected from the first mirror, the angle being between the normal direction of the reflecting surface and a reflection direction of light. Light is emitted from the angular magnification unit after the light is reflected from the first mirror for a predetermined number of times.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light beam scanner comprising:
a first mirror in which a normal direction of a reflecting surface is changed repeatedly; and
an angular magnification unit, the angular magnification unit being configured to:
return, when viewed from a first direction, reflected light from the first mirror to the first mirror so that light is reflected at substantially the same points on the first mirror for a plural number of times, and
increase, when viewed from the first direction, an angle each time light is reflected from the first mirror, the angle being between the normal direction of the reflecting surface and a reflection direction of light, wherein

light is emitted from the angular magnification unit after the light is reflected from the first mirror for a predetermined number of times.

2. The light beam scanner according to claim 1 , wherein the angular magnification unit is configured to cause, when viewed from a second direction, an optical path of the reflected light to change each time light is reflected from the first mirror, the second direction intersecting the first direction.

3. The light beam scanner according to claim 2 , wherein the angular magnification unit is configured to:
return, when viewed from the second direction, the reflected light from the first mirror to the first mirror so that the light is reflected at substantially the same points on the first mirror for a plural number of times, and
increase, when viewed from the second direction, the angle between the normal direction and the reflection direction of light each time light is reflected from the first mirror.

4. The light beam scanner according to claim 2 , wherein the angular magnification unit is configured to adjust, when viewed from the second direction, an optical path so that the optical path is substantially fixed regardless of variation in a normal direction of the first mirror.

5. The light beam scanner according to claim 4 , wherein the angular magnification unit is configured to cause, when viewed from the second direction, at least an optical path of light incident on the first mirror before the light is reflected from the first mirror for a predetermined number of times, and an optical path of reflected light of the light incident on the first mirror to not overlap with each other.

6. The light beam scanner according to claim 2 , further comprising a light retrieving unit, the light retrieving unit being disposed, when viewed from the second direction, on an optical path resulting from the light being reflected from the first mirror for a predetermined number of times, the light retrieving unit being disposed, when viewed from the second direction, outside of an optical path resulting from the light being reflected from the first mirror less than a predetermined number of times.

7. The light beam scanner according to claim 1 , wherein the angular magnification unit comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein
the first portion is configured to cause light travelling in a third direction to deflect toward the first mirror, the first portion being configured to cause the reflected light from the first mirror to deflect in a direction opposite to the third direction, and
the second portion is configured to cause light travelling in the direction opposite to the third direction, to deflect in the third direction.

8. The light beam scanner according to claim 7 , wherein the angular magnification unit comprises a second mirror, the second mirror being disposed so that, when viewed from a second direction, the second mirror is tilted away from a direction perpendicular to the third direction.

9. The light beam scanner according to claim 8 , wherein the second mirror is disposed independent of the first mirror.

10. The light beam scanner according to claim 8 , wherein a tilt of the second mirror with respect to the third direction is adjustable.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Shiratsuchi Masataka
• Hirono Masatoshi

Classifications

• G02B26/101 Primary

  with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners (colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129) · CPC title

• G03B21/005

  Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto · CPC title

• G03B21/28

  Reflectors in projection beam {(in illumination beam G03B21/2066)} · CPC title

• H04N9/3129

  scanning a light beam on the display screen (scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161) · CPC title