Projection device

Abstract

Conventional projection systems had the problem that they could not be used immediately, as a location had to be secured, the projection system had to be positioned there, and a power supply had to be connected each time they were used. In addition, conventional stationary projection systems required wiring work, which resulted in significant costs and time for installation. [Solution] It has a projection unit 30 that is directly or indirectly attached to a power socket 50 for a lighting fixture and projects an image, and power is supplied to the projection unit from the power socket for the lighting fixture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a projection device that is directly or indirectly attached to a power socket for lighting fixtures provided on the ceiling or the like of a house.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, projectors for projecting those images have been used for watching movies or copying presentation materials.

[0003] For example, a projector device 1 has been proposed that is configured to be movable between an enlarged position where a second casing 1B protrudes outward from a first casing 1A and a reduced position where the second casing 1B retracts into the first casing 1A (see Patent Document 1). This projector device has the following effects. Exhaust ports 45 are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the second casing 1A so that the exhausted air does not hit people around the projector device 1. As the movable casing 1B moves to the enlarged position, the distance between the exhaust port 45 and the exhaust fan 9 increases, suppressing the generation of wind noise. As the movable casing 1B moves to the reduced position, the exhaust port 45 is closed, preventing the intrusion of dust and the like into the projector device 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, conventional projection devices, even portable ones, are of a certain size, which posed a problem as it required securing a place to set them up. In particular, in the small living spaces of Japanese houses, it was necessary to secure a place to set up the projection device, place it there, and connect the power supply each time it was used, making it impossible to use the projection device immediately. Furthermore, it was time-consuming to wire and electrically connect the power supply and projection device each time.

[0006] Furthermore, conventional stationary projection devices required wiring work, which resulted in significant costs and time-consuming installation.

[0007] In view of the circumstances described above, the present invention aims to provide a projection device that does not require consideration of the installation location and does not require wiring work.

[0008] Furthermore, these problems (issues) do not preclude the existence of other problems. Also, the embodiments of the present invention described later do not need to solve all of these problems (issues). Moreover, it is possible to extract other problems (issues) from the description, drawings, or claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] As a result of diligent research into the aforementioned problems, the inventors of this invention have discovered the following groundbreaking projection device.

[0010] A first aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is a projection device that is directly or indirectly attached to a power socket for a lighting fixture and has a projection unit that projects an image, and power is supplied to the projection unit from the power socket for the lighting fixture.

[0011] Here, "indirectly attached" in this embodiment means that the projection unit is attached to the power socket for the lighting fixture via the illumination unit, etc., as will be described later.

[0012] According to this first embodiment, it is possible to provide a projection device that does not require consideration of the installation location and does not require wiring work.

[0013] A second aspect of the present invention is the projection device according to the first aspect, characterized in that the power socket for the lighting fixture is a hook ceiling or a hook rosette.

[0014] According to this second embodiment, the projection device can be more easily attached to the power socket for the lighting fixture.

[0015] A third aspect of the present invention is a projection device according to the first aspect, characterized in that it has a lighting unit having an illumination function, and power is supplied to the lighting unit directly or indirectly from a power socket for a lighting fixture.

[0016] In this embodiment, "power is supplied indirectly to the lighting unit" means that power is supplied to the lighting unit from the power socket for the lighting fixture via a power distribution unit or the like, as will be described later.

[0017] According to this third embodiment, the projection device can be installed more easily.

[0018] A fourth aspect of the present invention is the projection apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the illumination unit and the projection unit are connected via a horizontally rotatable arm.

[0019] According to this fourth embodiment, the direction of the image projected from the projection unit can be easily adjusted.

[0020] A fifth aspect of the present invention is the projection device according to the first aspect, characterized in that it has a receiving unit for receiving video data transmitted from an external source.

[0021] According to this fifth embodiment, the video data projected from the projection unit can be easily provided externally.

[0022] A sixth aspect of the present invention is the projection apparatus according to the first aspect, characterized by having a sound output unit that outputs sound matching the video projected from the projection unit.

[0023] According to such a sixth aspect, sound synchronized with the projected video can be easily output.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a projection apparatus according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a projection apparatus according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a projection apparatus according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a projection apparatus according to Embodiment 3.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the projection apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0026] (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of the projection apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the projection apparatus according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the projection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is attached to a lighting fixture power socket 50 installed on the ceiling 100. Here, the lighting fixture power socket 50 installed on the ceiling 100 is not particularly limited. Examples of the lighting fixture power socket 50 include a pendant ceiling (such as an angular pendant ceiling body, a round pendant ceiling, a round full pendant ceiling, etc.) or a pendant rosette (such as a recessed pendant rosette, a full pendant rosette, a round full pendant ceiling, etc.).

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the projection device 1 consists of an illumination unit 10 that emits light, a projection unit 30 that projects an image, and an arm unit 20, one end of which is connected to the edge of the illumination unit and the other end of which is connected to the upper part of the projection unit 30.

[0028] The lighting unit 10 has a hook fitting at the top for connecting to a power socket 50 for lighting fixtures, and an illumination section at the bottom that can emit light from fluorescent lamps, LEDs, etc., and thus has the function of a lighting device (lighting function).

[0029] Although not shown in the diagram, the lighting unit 10 is also provided with a receiving unit that receives video data transmitted wirelessly (such as via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) from an external source. The receiving unit is not particularly limited as long as it has a receiving function. For example, the receiving unit may be a receiving circuit, or it may have a receiving function and be connected to a USB terminal. The receiving unit is electrically connected to the projection unit 30.

[0030] The projection unit 30 is not particularly limited as long as it can project the video data received by the receiving unit onto a wall or the like. The projection method is also not particularly limited; for example, LCD (transmissive liquid crystal display), DLP (Digital Lighting Processing), and LCOS (reflective liquid crystal display) can be used. In addition, the projection unit 30 may be equipped with a sound output unit that outputs sound such as a speaker. By providing a sound output unit, it is possible to easily output sound synchronized with the projected image. As a result, it is possible to output realistic video and sound.

[0031] Furthermore, the projection unit 30 may also have an input / output unit, such as a USB port, that can output power or input / output data. By providing an input / output unit, the projection device 1 can be easily connected to other devices such as a fan (circulator) or speaker.

[0032] Furthermore, the focusing of the projection unit 30 may be performed automatically, or a focusing unit may be provided on the projection unit 30 for manual focusing. Even if focusing is done manually, once focusing is performed, there is no need to refocus unless the position and angle of the projection unit 30 are changed.

[0033] The arm section 20 has two cylindrical rod-shaped members (a first rod-shaped member 21 and a second rod-shaped member 22) and a rotating section 26 that connects them so that they can rotate horizontally. The lighting section end of the first rod-shaped member 21 is provided with a lighting section-side connection section 25, which is attached to the lighting section 10 so that the arm section can rotate horizontally. On the other hand, the projection section end of the second rod-shaped member is provided with a projection section-side connection section 27, which is attached to the arm section 20 so that the projection section 30 can rotate horizontally and the elevation angle of the projection section 30 can be changed. By changing the projection direction of the projection section 30 to up, down, left, or right, images can be projected in any direction in the room (including the ceiling, floor, walls, etc.).

[0034] Furthermore, a through-hole is formed inside the arm portion 20, through which the electrical wires are routed, and the lighting portion 10 and the projection portion 30 are electrically connected. Therefore, power can be supplied from the lighting portion 10 to the projection portion 30 without the wiring being exposed.

[0035] Furthermore, since the projection unit 30 is connected (attached) to the illumination unit 10 via the arm unit 20 of this structure, the projection unit 30 can be freely positioned relative to the illumination unit 10, and the elevation angle of the projection unit 30 can be easily changed. Note that the first rod-shaped member 21, the second rod-shaped member 22, the rotating part 26, the illumination unit side connection part 25, and the projection unit side connection part 27 can be of known structure.

[0036] By configuring the projection device 1 in this way, it is possible to provide a projection device that does not require consideration of the installation location and does not require wiring work.

[0037] (Embodiment 2) In Embodiment 1, the power socket for the lighting fixture and the projection unit are indirectly connected via the lighting unit, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0038] For example, the projection device may be configured as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the projection device according to this embodiment. As shown in this figure, unlike Embodiment 1, the projection device 1A according to this embodiment has a power distribution unit 40 between the power socket 50 for the lighting fixture and the lighting unit 10A. The projection unit 30 is attached to the power distribution unit 40 via an arm unit 20A connected to the power distribution unit 40. In other words, the projection device 1A according to this embodiment consists of a power distribution unit 40, an arm unit 20A, and a projection unit 30.

[0039] The power distribution unit 40 is not particularly limited as long as it can distribute the power supplied from the lighting fixture power socket 50 to the projection unit 30 and the lighting unit 10A, and can support the lighting unit 10A, the arm unit 20A, and the projection unit 30, and known technology can be used. In addition, a through hole is formed in the arm unit 20A, and the electric wire is routed inside it so that power can be supplied from the power distribution unit 40 to the projection unit 30 without the wiring being exposed.

[0040] The lighting unit 10A is attached to the power distribution unit 40 and is not particularly limited as long as it has an illumination unit. The arm unit 20A is the same as the arm unit of Embodiment 1 except that it is attached to the power distribution unit 40. The power distribution unit side connection unit 25A, which is provided at the end of the arm unit 20A on the power distribution unit 40 side, is also attached so that the arm unit 20A can rotate horizontally. And, as in Embodiment 1, by changing the projection direction of the projection unit 30 up, down, left, or right, images can be projected in any direction in the room (including the ceiling, floor, walls, etc.). The projection unit 30 is the same as that of Embodiment 1. The power distribution unit side connection unit 25A can also be made of a known structure.

[0041] Even with this configuration of projection device 1A, it is possible to provide a projection device that does not require consideration of the installation location or wiring work.

[0042] (Embodiment 3) In the embodiments described above, the lighting unit was either part of the configuration or an external component, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0043] For example, as shown in Figure 4, the projection device 1B may be configured to be directly connected to the power socket 50 for the lighting fixture. Figure 4 is a schematic side view of the projection device 1B according to this embodiment. As shown in this figure, the projection device 1B according to this embodiment consists of a projection connection part 45, an arm part 20B, and a projection part 30.

[0044] The projection connection section 45 is not particularly limited as long as it is connected to the power socket 50 for the lighting fixture, can supply power to the projection section 30, and can support the arm section 20B and the projection section 30; known technologies can be used.

[0045] The arm section 20B consists of a rotating section 26B that can rotate horizontally, a cylindrical rod-shaped member 21B with one end connected to the rotating section 26B and the other end connected to the projection section 30, and a projection section-side connecting section 27B attached to the other end of the rod-shaped member 21B so as to change the elevation angle of the projection section 30. The rod-shaped member 21B is extendable and retractable along the axial direction, and by extending the rod-shaped member 21B vertically downward and changing the projection direction of the projection section 30 to up, down, left, or right, images can be projected in any direction in the room (including the ceiling, floor, walls, etc.). The rod-shaped member 21B and the projection section-side connecting section 27B can be made using known technologies. The projection section 30 is the same as that of Embodiment 1.

[0046] Furthermore, the arm portion 20B has a through-hole formed inside, through which an electric wire is routed, allowing power to be supplied from the lighting fixture power socket 50 to the projection portion 30. The components constituting the arm portion 20B can be those utilizing known technologies.

[0047] Even with this configuration of projection device 1B, it is possible to provide a projection device that does not require consideration of the installation location or wiring work. Furthermore, the image projected from the projector can also be used as lighting.

[0048] (Other embodiments) In Embodiment 1, the receiving unit was provided in the lighting unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. The receiving unit may be provided in the arm unit or the projection unit. Specifically, a USB terminal may be provided in the projection unit, and a receiving unit (USB type receiver) having a receiving function may be connected thereto. The projection device will have the same effect even if it is configured in this way.

[0049] In Embodiment 1, the arm portion is constructed using two cylindrical rod-shaped members, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a member with a concave cross-section may be used, and the wiring may be housed within the concave portion. Even with this configuration, the same effects as the projection device of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, by configuring the opening of the concave portion to face upwards, the wiring can be made invisible from below.

[0050] In Embodiment 1, the power socket for the lighting fixture and the projection unit were indirectly connected via the lighting unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. The power socket for the lighting fixture and the projection unit may be indirectly connected via something other than the lighting unit.

[0051] Furthermore, in Embodiment 2, the power socket for the lighting fixture and the lighting unit were indirectly connected via a power distribution unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. The power socket for the lighting fixture and the lighting unit may be indirectly connected via something other than a power distribution unit.

[0052] (Another embodiment) In the embodiments described above, the projection unit was attached directly or indirectly to the power socket for the lighting fixture, and the projection device was configured such that power was supplied to the projection unit from the power socket for the lighting fixture. However, the concept of the present invention is not limited to this.

[0053] For example, instead of the projection unit, a fan (circulator) or speaker may be attached directly or indirectly to the power socket of the lighting fixture. Such a configuration of fan (circulator) or speaker, like the projection device, eliminates the need to consider the installation location and requires no wiring work. Furthermore, similar to embodiments 1 to 3, by changing the direction of the fan (circulator) or speaker upwards, downwards, leftwards, or rightwards, it is possible to blow air or output sound in any direction within the room. Note that known technologies can be used for the fan (circulator) or speaker. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 1, 1A, 1B projection device 10, 10A Lighting section 20, 20A, 20B Arm section 21 First rod-shaped member 21B Rod-shaped member 22 Second rod-shaped member 25 Lighting unit side connection 25A Power Branch Connection 26, 26B Rotating parts 27, 27B Projection section side connection part 27 30 Projection section 40 Power distribution section 45 Projection connection section 50 Power sockets for lighting fixtures 100 ceiling

Claims

1. It is mounted directly or indirectly to the power socket of a lighting fixture and has a projection unit that projects images. A projection device characterized by supplying power to the projection unit from the power socket for the lighting fixture.

2. The projection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the power socket for the lighting fixture is a hook ceiling or a hook rosette.

3. It has a lighting unit that has a lighting function, The projection device according to claim 1, characterized in that power is supplied to the lighting unit directly or indirectly from the power socket for the lighting fixture.

4. The projection apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the illumination unit and the projection unit are connected via an arm that can rotate horizontally.

5. The projection device according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a receiving unit that receives video data transmitted from an external source.

6. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a sound output unit that outputs sound that matches the image projected from the projection unit.

Images