Projector and pattern filter

Abstract

Provided is a projector capable of projecting an image that is clear and suppresses reflection of foreign matter. A projector (1) is provided with a light source (11) that emits light; a pattern plate (20) that has a pattern for projection; a first lens member (21) that includes a condenser lens (211) that condenses light emitted from the light source (11) and delivers it to the pattern plate (20); and a second lens member (22) that includes a projection lens (221) for projecting the pattern of the pattern plate (20), the first lens member (21) and the second lens member (22) sandwiching the pattern plate (20) in airtight fashion and fixing it inside.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to projectors and pattern filters, and particularly to projectors and pattern filters used in vehicle interiors. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, vehicle lamps are known to include: a condenser lens that converges light emitted from a light source; a light-shielding member that allows a portion of the light converged by the condenser lens to pass through; and a projection lens that projects light passing through the light-shielding member to form an illumination pattern (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Regarding the vehicle lamp described in Patent Document 1, a condenser lens, a filter, and a projection lens are housed in a housing, and respectively embedded and fixed in the condenser lens slot, filter slot, and projection lens slot of the housing.

[0004] Furthermore, regarding the vehicle lamp described in Patent Document 1, in order to form an illumination pattern, an illumination slit through which a portion of the light focused by a condenser lens passes is provided in a filter that serves as a light-shielding component.

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-205237 Summary of the Invention

[0006] However, regarding the vehicle lamp described in Patent Document 1, the positions of the condenser lens, filter, and projection lens are fixed by the housing, resulting in poor relative positioning accuracy between the condenser lens, filter, and projection lens, which may lead to a less clear projected image. Furthermore, foreign objects such as dust may enter the space where the filter is located through the gaps between the condenser lens and the housing in the condenser lens slot, and the gaps between the projection lens and the housing in the projection lens slot, potentially obscuring the projected image.

[0007] In addition, in order to set up an illumination slit in the filter as described in Patent Document 1 for vehicle lamps, a cumbersome method is usually used to set up a light-shielding layer with a slit on the substrate by printing, photolithography, etc., which is costly.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a projector capable of projecting a clear image that suppresses the intrusion of foreign objects.

[0009] In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a projector that can be manufactured at low cost for projecting patterns in vehicle interiors, etc., and a pattern filter for the projector that can be manufactured at low cost.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, one aspect of the present invention provides a projector and a pattern filter.

[0011] [1] A projector, wherein,

[0012] The projector includes: a light source; a pattern plate having a projection pattern; a first lens component including a condenser lens for converging light emitted from the light source and directing it to the pattern plate; and a second lens component including a projection lens for projecting the pattern onto the pattern plate, the first lens component and the second lens component clamping and fixing the pattern plate inside in a sealed manner.

[0013] [2] According to the projector described in [1] above, wherein,

[0014] The pattern plate has: a transparent substrate; and an opaque film on the transparent substrate having a pattern constituting the pattern, the minimum width of the opaque film being less than 10 μm.

[0015] [3] According to the projector described in [1] or [2] above, wherein,

[0016] At least a portion of the pattern in the pattern plate contains fine details that are not distinguishable in the focused projection image, in which the brightness of the portion formed by the light-transmitting part of the pattern and the brightness of the portion formed by the light-blocking part of the pattern are represented by the fine details.

[0017] [4] A projector, wherein,

[0018] The projector includes: a light source for emitting light; a pattern filter having a pattern for projection, made of a transparent material; and a projection lens for magnifying and projecting the pattern of the pattern filter. The pattern filter has a pattern forming surface, which is a first surface with an angle greater than or equal to 75° and less than or equal to 105° relative to the thickness direction of the pattern filter, and a second surface with an angle greater than or equal to 30° and less than or equal to 60° relative to the thickness direction, respectively, configured in accordance with the pattern.

[0019] [5] According to the projector described in [4] above, wherein,

[0020] The pattern forming surface of the pattern filter is formed by a base plane consisting of the first surface, and at least one of a protrusion and a recess consisting of two opposing second surfaces disposed on the base plane.

[0021] [6] According to the projector described in [4] or [5] above, wherein,

[0022] The pattern filter is plate-shaped, with the pattern forming surface on both sides.

[0023] [7] According to the projector described in [4] or [5] above, wherein,

[0024] The pattern filter has a lens portion on the opposite side of the pattern forming surface that functions as a focusing lens to converge the light emitted by the light source.

[0025] [8] A pattern filter, which is a plate-shaped pattern filter made of transparent material having a pattern for projection by a projector, wherein,

[0026] The pattern filter has pattern forming surfaces on two sides, which are a first surface with an angle greater than or equal to 75° and less than or equal to 105° relative to the thickness direction of the pattern filter, and a second surface with an angle greater than or equal to 30° and less than or equal to 60° relative to the thickness direction, respectively, and are respectively configured with the pattern.

[0027] [9] A pattern filter, which is a pattern filter made of transparent material having a pattern for projection by a projector, wherein,

[0028] The pattern filter has: a pattern forming surface; and a lens portion disposed on the opposite side of the pattern forming surface, which functions as a focusing lens to converge light emitted from the light source of the projector. The pattern forming surface is a first surface with an angle greater than or equal to 75° and less than or equal to 105° relative to the thickness direction of the pattern filter, and a second surface with an angle greater than or equal to 30° and less than or equal to 60° relative to the thickness direction, which are respectively configured with the pattern.

[0029] The effects of the invention

[0030] According to the present invention, a projector is provided that can project a clear image that suppresses the intrusion of foreign objects.

[0031] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a projector capable of projecting patterns into a vehicle interior or the like, which can be manufactured at low cost, and a pattern filter for the projector, which can be manufactured at low cost, can be provided. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1A , Figure 1B These are oblique views of the projector involved in the embodiments of the present invention, viewed from different angles.

[0033] Figure 2A This is a side view of the projector according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the light extraction side. Figure 2B It is to utilize Figure 2A The cross-sectional view of the projector cut by the cutting line AA as recorded in the document.

[0034] Figure 3 This is an exploded perspective view of the projector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figures 4A to 4D This is a perspective view showing the process of assembling the first lens component, the pattern plate, and the second lens component into the housing.

[0036] Figure 5A It is to utilize Figure 4D The cross-sectional view shown is taken along section line BB, showing the components of the housing, the first lens component, and the second lens component. Figure 5B It is to utilize Figure 4D The cross-sectional view of the first lens component, the second lens component, and the template plate cut out by the cutting line CC shown.

[0037] Figure 6 This is a vertical cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the template involved in the present invention.

[0038] Figure 7A This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a pattern on a pattern plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7B It means to Figure 7A A schematic diagram of a projected image of a pattern.

[0039] Figure 8 This is a vertical cross-sectional view of a pattern plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the conditions under which total internal reflection occurs when the light-blocking part of a drawing is composed of protrusions that do not include two opposing inclined surfaces.

[0041] Figure 10A , Figure 10B , Figure 10C These represent entry angles θt of 90° and 140°, respectively.

[0042] A schematic diagram of the light path of the pattern plates at ° and 40°.

[0043] Figures 11A to 11E These are cross-sectional views of a template showing an example of a configuration of inclined surfaces.

[0044] Figures 12A-12C This is a vertical cross-sectional view of a modified example of a template according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 13 This is a cross-sectional view of a projector with other types of pattern filters. Detailed Implementation

[0046] [Implementation Method]

[0047] Figure 1A , Figure 1B These are oblique views of the projector 1 involved in the embodiments of the present invention, viewed from different angles. Figure 2A This is a side view of the projector 1 viewed from the light extraction side. Figure 2B It is to utilize Figure 2A The cross-sectional view of the projector 1 cut by the cutting line AA as recorded in the document. Figure 3 This is an exploded oblique view of projector 1.

[0048] Projector 1 is mainly used in the interior of a vehicle, such as in the side panels, dashboard, and doors of the vehicle, to project images onto the decorative panels and trim pieces included in the doors, floor mats, headliner, dashboard, and door interior panels.

[0049] The projector 1 includes: a light source 11 for emitting light; a pattern plate 20 having a pattern for projection; a first lens component 21 including a condenser lens 211 for converging light emitted from the light source 11 and directing it to the pattern plate 20; and a second lens component 22 including a projection lens 221 for magnifying and projecting the pattern on the pattern plate 20. Regarding the projector 1, the first lens component 21 and the second lens component 22 enclose the pattern plate 20 in a sealed manner within the first lens component 21 and the second lens component 22.

[0050] The light source 11 is a light-emitting element with an LED chip or the like. The light source 11 is mounted on the circuit board 10, and the connector 12 for transmitting power and signals to the light source 11 is connected to the circuit board 10.

[0051] The circuit board 10, on which the light source 11 is mounted, the first lens component 21, the second lens component 22, and the pattern plate 20 are housed in a housing 30 composed of components 30a, 30b, and 30c. The housing 30 has an opening 301 for extracting light from the projection lens 221, and an opening 302 for connecting a connector for an external instrument to a connector 12. The housing 30 is made of resins such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polypropylene (PP), and ABS.

[0052] Components 30a and 30b are secured by snapping together with protrusions 305 on both sides of component 30b into holes 304 in component 30a. Similarly, components 30a and 30c are secured by snapping together with protrusions 307 on both sides of component 30c into holes 306 in component 30a. The circuit board 10 is clamped and secured by components 30a and 30c.

[0053] The first lens component 21 includes: a condenser lens 211; a frame portion 212 having a box-shaped (e.g., cuboid) shape with one open surface; and a fixing portion 215 for fixing the first lens component 21 to the second lens component 22 and the housing portion 30b. The condenser lens 211 is located in the surface of the frame portion 212 opposite to the open surface. The first lens component 21 is made of resins such as polycarbonate (PC) resin and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) resin.

[0054] The second lens component 22 includes: a projection lens 221; a frame portion 222 having a box-shaped (e.g., cuboid) shape with one open surface; and a fixing portion 225 for fixing the second lens component 22 to the first lens component 21 and the housing component 30b. The projection lens 221 is located in the surface of the frame portion 222 opposite to the open surface. The second lens component 22 is made of resin such as polycarbonate resin or polymethyl methacrylate resin.

[0055] In the projector 1, regarding the first lens component 21 and the second lens component 22, the opening surface of the frame portion 212 faces the opening surface of the frame portion 222, and the edge of the opening surface of the frame portion 212, i.e., the end face 213, is fixed in a state of being in close contact with the edge of the opening surface of the frame portion 222, i.e., the end face 223, throughout the entire circumference. This seals the space containing the pattern plate 20 inside the first lens component 21 and the second lens component 22. Furthermore, to improve the fit, it is preferable to perform a grinding process on the end faces 213 and 223.

[0056] If the first lens component 21 and the second lens component 22 are made to fit together, the portions 214 extending inward from the four corners of the inner space of the frame portion 212 and the portions 224 extending inward from the four corners of the inner space of the frame portion 222 clamp and fix the four corners of the template 20 from the front and back sides.

[0057] Figures 4A to 4D This is a perspective view showing the process of assembling the first lens component 21, the template 20, and the second lens component 22 into component 30b of the housing 30.

[0058] First, such as Figure 4A , Figure 4B As shown, the second lens component 22 is assembled to component 30b of the housing 30. With the opening surface of the frame portion 222 facing upward, the fixing portion 225 is inserted into component 30b of the housing 30.

[0059] Next, as Figure 4B , Figure 4C As shown, the pattern plate 20 is embedded in the opening surface of the frame portion 222 of the second lens component 22. The pattern plate 20 is embedded in the opening surface of the frame portion 222 in such a way that the portion 224 placed inside the frame portion 222 of the second lens component 22 is embedded in the opening surface of the frame portion 222.

[0060] Next, as Figure 4C , Figure 4D As shown, the first lens component 21 is assembled into the housing component 30b. With the opening surface of the frame portion 212 facing downwards, the fixing portion 215 is inserted into the housing component 30b. At this time, the protrusion 226 of the fixing portion 225 of the second lens component 22 is inserted into the hole 216 provided in the fixing portion 215 of the first lens component 21. In addition, if the fixing portion 215 is inserted into the component 30b, the protrusions 217 provided on both sides of the fixing portion 215 are snapped into the holes 303 provided in the component 30b.

[0061] Figure 5A It is to utilize Figure 4D The cross-sectional view of the housing 30, component 30b, first lens component 21, and second lens component 22 cut through the section line BB shown.

[0062] like Figure 5A As shown, the second lens component 22 flattens the protrusion 308 on the bottom surface inside the component 30b from above, causing it to elastically deform, and thus receives an upward reaction force from the protrusion 308. On the other hand, the protrusion 217 of the first lens component 21 is engaged in the hole 303, which hinders the upward movement of the first lens component 21 and the second lens component 22, thus fixing the first lens component 21 and the second lens component 22 to the component 30b.

[0063] Figure 5B It is to utilize Figure 4D The cross-sectional view of the first lens component 21, the second lens component 22, and the template 20 cut by the cutting line CC shown.

[0064] like Figure 5B As shown, with the edge of the opening surface 213 of the frame 212 (i.e., end face 213) and the edge of the opening surface 222 (i.e., end face 223) of the frame 222 in contact, the first lens component 21 and the second lens component 22 are fixed, sealing their internal spaces. Furthermore, the template 20 is clamped and fixed by portions 214 extending inward from the four corners of the internal space of the frame 212 and portions 224 extending inward from the four corners of the internal space of the frame 222.

[0065] In the projector 1, the first lens component 21, the second lens component 22, and the pattern plate 20 are fixed in a mating state, thus achieving high relative positioning accuracy between the condenser lens 211 included in the first lens component 21, the projection lens 221 included in the second lens component 22, and the pattern plate 20. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the projection image from becoming blurry due to relative misalignment of the condenser lens 211, the projection lens 221, and the pattern plate 20.

[0066] Furthermore, the internal spaces of the first lens component 21 and the second lens component 22 are sealed, thus preventing foreign objects such as dust from intruding into the area around the pattern plate 20. Therefore, it is possible to prevent foreign objects from being projected onto the image.

[0067] Furthermore, the method of fixing the first lens component 21, the second lens component 22, and the pattern plate 20 in a state of mutual contact is not limited to the method of using a snap-fit ​​connection with the aforementioned component 30b. For example, the first lens component 21 and the second lens component 22 can be fixed using an adhesive.

[0068] Figure 6 This is a vertical cross-sectional view of a pattern plate 20a, one embodiment of the pattern plate 20. The pattern plate 20a includes: a transparent substrate 201 that allows light from a light source 11 to pass through; and an opaque film 202 that prevents light from the light source 11 from passing through. The opaque film 202 has a predetermined opening pattern constituting the pattern of the pattern plate 20a, and has an opening portion, i.e., a light-transmitting portion 203, and an unopened portion, i.e., a light-blocking portion 204.

[0069] The projected image of the projector 1 is composed of a region with higher brightness having a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the light-transmitting part 203, and a region with lower brightness having a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the light-blocking part 204.

[0070] In order to form a fine opening pattern on the opaque film 202, so that the pattern on the pattern plate 20a is fine, it is preferable to form the pattern on the opaque film 202 made of metal deposited on the transparent substrate 201 made of glass by metal etching. By forming the metal film by vapor deposition, a very thin (about 100 nm) opaque film 202 can be obtained, and the pattern can be formed with high precision by etching.

[0071] In this case, the opaque film 202 is, for example, a laminated film consisting of an opaque film 202a made of CrO and an opaque film 202b made of Cr. Furthermore, for example, the thicknesses of the opaque film 202, opaque film 202a, and opaque film 202b are 1.1 mm, 8 nm, and 62 nm, respectively, and the planar dimensions of the pattern plate 20 are 8 mm × 8 mm.

[0072] When an opaque film 202 made of metal is formed on a transparent substrate 201 made of glass, the minimum width of the opaque film 202 forming the pattern (the minimum width of the light-blocking portion 204 on which the light-transmitting portion 203 is formed on both sides) can be set to be greater than or equal to 1 μm and less than 10 μm, or more precisely, greater than or equal to 1 μm and less than or equal to 5 μm.

[0073] Furthermore, if the pattern of pattern plate 20a contains a portion that is finer than the resolution of projection lens 221, this fine portion will not be distinguishable in the focused projected image. Specifically, in the projected image, the boundary between the brighter region formed by light transmission portion 203 and the lower-brightness region formed by light blocking portion 204 cannot be visually confirmed. The brighter and lower-brightness regions are mixed together, so it is possible to visually confirm the region with a brightness between the aforementioned brightness levels (brightness lower than the brightness of the brighter region after image resolution, and brightness higher than the brightness of the lower-brightness region after image resolution).

[0074] That is, by utilizing the fine details that are not distinguishable in the focused projection image contained in the pattern of the pattern plate 20a, the brightness of the portion formed by the light-transmitting portion 203 and the brightness of the portion formed by the light-blocking portion 204 can be displayed in the projection image.

[0075] Figure 7A This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the drawing on template 20a. Figure 7B It means to Figure 7A A schematic diagram of the projected image obtained by projecting the pattern. Figure 7A The pattern includes lines and blank patterns (the second triangle from the left and the top surface of the cube) and dot patterns (the third triangle from the left and the sides of the cube). The finer the pattern, the more it exceeds the resolution of the projection lens 221. Figure 7B In the projected image shown, the gray area, which is the area of ​​brightness between the white of the region formed by the light-transmitting portion 203 (the first triangle from the left and the front of the cube) and the black of the region formed by the light-blocking portion 204 (the base portion), can be visually confirmed as the area where these fine patterns are formed. In this way, it is possible to achieve... Figure 7B The grayscale representation is indicated by the difference in brightness of the three triangles. Figure 7B The cube is an example of a three-dimensional representation.

[0076] Furthermore, if a fine pattern can be formed on the opaque film 202, the pattern plate 20 can be miniaturized. The size of the projected image is the size of the pattern on the pattern plate 20 multiplied by the magnification of the optical system. Therefore, if the pattern plate 20 can be miniaturized, the magnification can be increased while maintaining the size of the projected image. Thus, reducing the distance between the pattern plate 20 and the projection lens 221 (increasing the magnification) allows the projector 1 to be miniaturized. That is, by miniaturizing the pattern plate 20, the projector 1 can be miniaturized while maintaining the size of the projected image. For example, the width W1 in the optical axis direction of the projector 1 can be set to less than or equal to 35 mm, the width W2 in the direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction can be set to less than or equal to 13 mm, and the field of view can be set to greater than or equal to 20°.

[0077] Figure 8 This is a vertical cross-sectional view of a template 20b, which is another form of template 20. Template 20b is made of transparent resin that allows light from the light source 11 to pass through, and has on one surface: a light-transmitting portion 207 formed by a plane 205; and a light-blocking portion 208 formed by an inclined surface 206 inclined relative to the plane.

[0078] The light-blocking section 208 blocks light from the light source 11 by utilizing total internal reflection at the inclined surface 206. Therefore, the tilt angle of the inclined surface 206 is set such that light incident perpendicularly to the pattern plate 20b undergoes total internal reflection. Thus, light does not pass through the light-blocking section 208 formed by the inclined surface 206. For example, when the pattern plate 20b is made of polycarbonate (refractive index 1.6), total internal reflection occurs at an incident angle greater than or equal to 38.7°; when it is made of polymethyl methacrylate (refractive index 1.5), total internal reflection occurs at an incident angle greater than or equal to 41.8°.

[0079] The projected image of the projector 1 is composed of a region with higher brightness having a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the light-transmitting part 207 and a region with lower brightness having a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the light-blocking part 208.

[0080] Pattern plate 20b is formed by micro-processing sheet-shaped resin molded articles, etc. Therefore, pattern plate 20b can be formed at a low cost compared to pattern plate 20a, which requires complex processes such as metal film evaporation, photolithography-based resist pattern formation, and etching.

[0081] The light-shielding portion 208 is provided with protrusions formed by inclined surfaces 206. These protrusions formed by inclined surfaces 206 can be, for example, linear protrusions with a triangular cross-section formed by two opposing inclined surfaces 206, or pyramidal protrusions formed by three or more inclined surfaces 206. Furthermore, if the height of the protrusions is limited by factors such as the transferability during the molding of the pattern plate 20b (e.g., less than or equal to 30 μm), to ensure the area of ​​the light-shielding portion 208, it is sufficient to arrange multiple protrusions with relatively low heights continuously.

[0082] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the conditions for total internal reflection when the light-shielding portion 208 of the drawing plate 20b is composed of a protrusion comprising two opposing inclined surfaces 206 (e.g., a linear protrusion with a triangular cross-section formed by the two opposing inclined surfaces 206, or a pyramidal protrusion). Here, the angle of incidence of light entering the drawing plate 20b perpendicularly toward the initially incident inclined surface 206 (denoted as inclined surface 206a) is defined as θ1, the angle of incidence of light reflected from inclined surface 206a toward the subsequently incident inclined surface (denoted as inclined surface 206b) is defined as θ2, and the angle of the cross-section of the apex of the protrusion is defined as θ. t .

[0083] To ensure that light entering perpendicularly into pattern plate 20b undergoes total internal reflection at the inclined surface 206a, when pattern plate 20b is made of polycarbonate, θ1 needs to be set to be greater than or equal to 38.7°. In this case, θ t Less than or equal to 102.6°. Additionally, if pattern 20b is made of polymethyl methacrylate, θ1 needs to be set to greater than or equal to 41.8°. In this case, θ t Less than or equal to 96.4°.

[0084] Furthermore, in order to ensure that light totally reflected on inclined surface 206a is also totally reflected on inclined surface 206b, when pattern plate 20b is made of polycarbonate, θ2 needs to be set to be greater than or equal to 38.7°. In this case, θ t Greater than or equal to 85.8°. Additionally, if template 20b is made of polymethyl methacrylate, θ2 needs to be set to greater than or equal to 41.8°. In this case, θ t Greater than or equal to 87.9°.

[0085] Therefore, when the pattern plate 20b is made of polycarbonate, in order to effectively block light in the light-blocking portion 208, it is preferable to set the angle θ of the cross-section of the protruding vertex. tThe angle is set to be greater than or equal to 85.8° and less than or equal to 102.6°. Furthermore, in the case where the pattern plate 20b is made of polymethyl methacrylate, in order to effectively block light in the light-blocking portion 208, it is preferable to set the angle θ of the cross-section of the protruding vertex. t Set to greater than or equal to 87.9° and less than or equal to 96.4°

[0086] Figure 10A It represents the entry angle θ t This is a schematic diagram of the light path of the pattern plate 20b at a 90° angle. In this case, the light entering the pattern plate 20b perpendicularly strikes the inclined surface 206a at an incident angle of 45° and undergoes total internal reflection. Then, it strikes the inclined surface 206b at an incident angle of 45° and undergoes total internal reflection, returning to the light source 11 side. Angle θ t A 90° protrusion can be formed using common tools, therefore the angle θ can be said to be... t The particularly preferred value is 90°.

[0087] Figure 10B It represents the entry angle θ t This is a schematic diagram of the light path of a pattern plate 20b at an angle of 140°. In this case, light entering the pattern plate 20b perpendicularly strikes the inclined surface 206a at an incident angle of 20°, a portion of which is refracted at the inclined surface 206a and passes through the pattern plate 20b.

[0088] Figure 10C It represents the entry angle θ t This is a schematic diagram of the light path of a pattern plate 20b at an angle of 40°. In this case, light entering the pattern plate 20b perpendicularly is incident on the inclined surface 206a at an angle of 70° and undergoes total internal reflection. Then, it is incident on the inclined surface 206b at an angle of 30°, a portion of which is refracted on the inclined surface 206b and passes through the pattern plate 20b.

[0089] Figures 11A to 11E These are cross-sectional views of pattern plate 20b, which represents an example of the configuration of inclined surface 206.

[0090] Figure 11A The pattern plate 20b shown has a protrusion on one side that includes an inclined surface 206. As described above, preferably, the protrusion is a protrusion that includes two opposing inclined surfaces 206 (e.g., a linear protrusion with a triangular cross-section formed by two opposing inclined surfaces 206, or a protrusion with a square pyramid formed by four inclined surfaces 206).

[0091] Figure 11BThe pattern plate 20b shown has a recess on one side that includes an inclined surface 206. Preferably, like the protrusion, the recess is a recess that includes two opposing inclined surfaces 206 (e.g., a linear recess with a triangular cross-section formed by two opposing inclined surfaces 206, or a recess of a square pyramid formed by four inclined surfaces 206).

[0092] Figure 11C The pattern plate 20b shown has a protrusion and a recess on one side, including an inclined surface 206. Furthermore, the protrusion has poorer transferability during molding compared to the recess, thus making it easier to form a chamfer (bending) at the front end. Light is less likely to reflect at the chamfered portion; therefore, to minimize the formation of the chamfer, as... Figure 11B As shown, the preferred template 20b has only a recess.

[0093] Figures 11A to 11C The pattern plate 20b shown has one side that includes the plane 205 and the inclined surface 206, which is used to form the pattern (hereinafter referred to as the pattern forming surface). The pattern plate 20b can be mounted on the projector 1 with the pattern forming surface facing either the condenser lens 211 side or the projection lens 221 side.

[0094] Figure 11D The pattern plate 20b shown has protrusions on both sides, including inclined surfaces 206. Alternatively, the pattern plate 20b may have recesses on both sides instead of protrusions.

[0095] Figure 11E The pattern plate 20b shown has protrusions or recesses on two sides, and at least one side has both protrusions and recesses.

[0096] Figure 11D , Figure 11E The two sides of the pattern plate 20b shown constitute the pattern forming surface. In this case, in the region of the pattern plate 20b in the planar direction, the region where there is an inclined surface 206 on at least one side becomes a light blocking part 208, and the region where there is a flat surface 205 on both sides becomes a light transmitting part 207.

[0097] like Figure 11D , Figure 11E As shown, when both sides of the pattern plate 20b become pattern forming surfaces, the imaging positions of the pattern projected from one surface and the pattern projected from the other surface are different. Therefore, the width of the representation can be expanded by utilizing this difference in imaging positions. For example, it is possible to project the pattern on one surface sharply on the projection surface, while projecting the pattern on the other surface blurry. Furthermore, when it is desired to project the entire pattern of the pattern plate 20b sharply, such as... Figures 11A to 11C As shown, it is preferable to set one face as the pattern forming face.

[0098] Furthermore, the plane 205 constituting the light-transmitting portion 207 allows more light to pass through, so an angle of 90° relative to the optical axis is preferred, but not limited to this. For example, it can be formed to suppress the reflection of light incident perpendicularly to the pattern plate 20b and efficiently allow it to pass through, such as an angle greater than or equal to 75° and less than or equal to 105° relative to the optical axis. Additionally, as described above, the inclined surface 206 is preferably formed to prevent the transmission of light incident perpendicularly to the pattern plate 20b by total internal reflection at the inclined surface 206 constituting the protrusion or recess, but not limited to this. It can be formed to effectively suppress the transmission of light incident perpendicularly to the pattern plate 20b by efficient reflection of light incident perpendicularly to the pattern plate 20b by the inclined surface 206 constituting the protrusion or recess, such as an angle greater than or equal to 30° and less than or equal to 60° relative to the optical axis. Furthermore, the angles of the plane 205 and the inclined surface 206 do not need to be constant and can vary on each pattern forming surface. Typically, the template 20b is configured such that its thickness direction is parallel to the optical axis. Therefore, the aforementioned angle relative to the optical axis can also be described as the angle relative to the thickness direction of the template 20b.

[0099] Figures 12A-12C This is a vertical sectional view of a modified example of template 20b. For example... Figures 12A-12C As shown, the template 20b can also replace the inclined surface 206 which is composed of a plane and have an inclined surface composed of a curved surface.

[0100] Figure 12A , Figure 12B The inclined surface 209a shown is an inclined surface formed by a curved surface that bends outward toward the outside of the template 20b, while the inclined surface 209b is an inclined surface formed by a curved surface that bends inward toward the inside of the template 20b. Furthermore, the manner in which the curved surface forms the inclined surface is not limited to this; for example, as... Figure 12C The inclined surface 209c shown has a curved surface with a wavy cross-section, similar to the curved surface.

[0101] In the inclined surfaces 209a, 209b, 209c, etc., which are composed of curved surfaces, areas with an angle greater than or equal to 75° and 105° relative to the optical axis (thickness direction of the pattern plate 20b) of the curved surface can be used as light-transmitting parts 207, and areas with an angle greater than or equal to 30° and less than or equal to 60° relative to the optical axis can be used as light-shielding parts 208. Furthermore, areas with angles between 60° and 75° relative to the optical axis can be used as regions for representing intermediate brightness in the projected image of the projector 1, based on the brightness of the light-transmitting parts 207 and the brightness of the light-shielding parts 208. Moreover, since the angle relative to the optical axis changes continuously in the curved surface, grayscale representation with continuously changing brightness can be achieved in the projected image.

[0102] Alternatively, similar to the inclined surface 206, a surface composed of curved surfaces can be used instead of the flat surface 205. In this case, the type of curved surface is not particularly limited; areas with an angle greater than or equal to 75° and 105° relative to the optical axis (thickness direction of the pattern plate 20b) of the curved surface can be used as light-transmitting portions 207, and areas with an angle greater than or equal to 30° and less than or equal to 60° relative to the optical axis can be used as light-blocking portions 208. Furthermore, naturally, the area of ​​the curved surface replacing the flat surface 205 that functions as the light-transmitting portion 207 is larger than that of the curved surface replacing the inclined surface 206.

[0103] Template 20b includes the above-mentioned methods, for example, it can be defined as follows.

[0104] (1) A pattern filter, which is a plate-shaped pattern filter made of transparent material having a pattern for projection by a projector, having a pattern forming surface on at least one surface, the pattern forming surface being a first surface for allowing light to pass through at an angle greater than or equal to 75° and less than or equal to 105° relative to the thickness direction of the pattern filter, and a second surface for blocking light at an angle greater than or equal to 30° and less than or equal to 60° relative to the thickness direction, configured accordingly with the pattern.

[0105] (2) According to the pattern filter described in (1) above, the pattern forming surface of the pattern filter is formed by a base plane composed of the first surface, and at least one of a protrusion and a recess comprising two opposing second surfaces disposed on the base plane.

[0106] For example, in Figures 11A to 11E In the pattern plate 20b shown, plane 205 and inclined surface 206 correspond to the first and second surfaces of (1) and (2) above. Furthermore, in Figures 12A-12C The inclined surfaces 209a to 209c shown are composed of curved surfaces and may include the first and second surfaces of (1) and (2) above, depending on the shape of their curved surfaces.

[0107] Pattern plate 20b is a type of pattern filter with a pattern for projection. It is a plate-shaped pattern filter. In the projector 1, pattern filters with other shapes can also be used instead of pattern plate 20b.

[0108] Figure 13 This is a cross-sectional view of a projector 1 having a pattern filter 50 as a pattern filter in other ways. Figure 13 The position of the cross section and Figure 2B The position of the cross-section corresponds.

[0109] Similar to pattern plate 20b, pattern filter 50 is a pattern filter made of transparent material with a pattern for projector projection, characterized by having a focusing lens.

[0110] Pattern filter 50 has, for example Figures 11A to 11C The pattern plate 20b shown has an integral structure with a pattern forming surface on one side and a condenser lens. It has a pattern forming surface 500 and a condenser lens part 501, which is disposed on the opposite side of the pattern forming surface 500 and functions as a condenser lens that focuses the light emitted by the light source 11.

[0111] The pattern forming surface 500 is the same as the pattern forming surface of the pattern plate 20b. For example, it is a first surface such as a plane 205 for allowing light to pass through, with an angle greater than or equal to 75° and less than or equal to 105° relative to the thickness direction of the pattern filter 50 (the direction perpendicular to the surface of the pattern forming surface 500), and a second surface such as an inclined surface 206 for blocking light, with an angle greater than or equal to 30° and less than or equal to 60° relative to the thickness direction, which is configured accordingly with the pattern.

[0112] In the pattern filter 50, the pattern forming surface 500 and the condenser lens portion 501 are included in one component, so the projected image will not become blurry due to the relative misalignment of the pattern forming surface 500 and the condenser lens portion 501.

[0113] The pattern filter 50 is mounted on the projector 1 such that the pattern forming surface 500 faces the projection lens 221 and the condenser lens portion 501 faces the light source 11. The condenser lens portion 501 is bent in a manner that protrudes toward the light source 11.

[0114] Pattern filter 50 is used to replace the one containing Figure 1B The drawing includes the pattern plate 20 and the first lens component 21. Figure 13 As shown, the pattern filter 50 has a frame portion 502, a fixing portion 505, and a hole 506 that have the same functions as the frame portion 212, fixing portion 215, and hole 216 of the first lens component 21, respectively.

[0115] Furthermore, with the end face of the pattern forming surface 500 of the pattern filter 50 abutting against the end face 223 of the edge of the opening surface of the frame portion 222, the pattern filter 50 and the second lens member 22 are fixed, and the space including the pattern forming surface 500 inside the pattern filter 50 and the second lens member 22 is sealed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of foreign objects such as dust around the pattern forming surface 500. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the projection of foreign objects onto the projected image.

[0116] Similar to pattern plate 20b, pattern filter 50 is formed by micro-processing transparent materials such as resin molded articles. Therefore, it can be formed at a low cost compared to pattern plates that require complex processes such as metal film evaporation, formation of photolithography-based resist patterns, and etching.

[0117] The patterned filter, such as pattern plate 20b and patterned filter 50, is formed by micro-processing transparent materials. Any material that allows light emitted from the light source 11 to pass through is acceptable; transparent resins that can be injection molded, such as polycarbonate and acrylic, are particularly preferred. If injection molding is used, the manufacturing cost of the patterned filter can be further reduced.

[0118] In addition, Figure 2B In the example shown, a condenser lens 211 is used to improve the utilization efficiency of the light emitted by the light source 11 in the projector 1. However, it is also possible to directly direct the light emitted by the light source 11 onto the pattern plate 20, pattern filter 50, etc. without using the condenser lens 211. Alternatively, the light emitted by the light source 11 can be reflected by a mirror and then directed onto the pattern plate 20, pattern filter 50, etc.

[0119] (Effects of the implementation method)

[0120] Regarding the projector 1 according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the first lens component 21, the second lens component 22, and the pattern plate 20 are fixed together in a fitted state, thus achieving high relative positioning accuracy between the condenser lens 211 included in the first lens component 21, the projection lens 221 included in the second lens component 22, and the pattern plate 20. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the projection image from becoming blurry due to relative misalignment of the condenser lens 211, the projection lens 221, and the pattern plate 20. Furthermore, the internal spaces of the first lens component 21 and the second lens component 22 are sealed, thus preventing the intrusion of foreign objects such as dust into the vicinity of the pattern plate 20. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the projection of foreign objects into the projected image.

[0121] Furthermore, according to the embodiments of the present invention described above, by utilizing pattern plates 20b, pattern filters 50, and other pattern filters that can be manufactured at a lower cost compared to current methods, a projector for projecting patterns into vehicle interiors and other locations can be provided at a low cost.

[0122] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the structural elements of the above embodiments can be arbitrarily combined without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0123] Furthermore, the above embodiments do not limit the invention as described in the claims. It should also be noted that not all combinations of the features described in the embodiments are essential to the method for solving the problem of the invention.

[0124] Explanation of the label

[0125] 1 Projector

[0126] 11 Light Sources

[0127] 20-drawing template

[0128] 21. Lens component No. 1

[0129] 211 Condensing Lens

[0130] 212 frame

[0131] 22 Second lens component

[0132] 221 projection lens

[0133] 222 frame

[0134] 30 housing

[0135] 50 pattern filter

[0136] 500 pattern forming surface

[0137] 501 Condensing Lens Section

Claims

1. A projector, wherein, The projector has: A light source that emits light; A pattern board, which has a pattern for projection; A first lens component includes a condenser lens that converges light emitted from the light source and directs it toward the pattern plate; and The second lens component includes a projection lens for projecting the pattern onto the pattern plate. The first lens component and the second lens component clamp and fix the pattern plate inside in a sealed manner. At least a portion of the pattern in the template contains fine details that are not distinguishable in the focused projected image. In the projected image, the brightness of the portion formed by the light-transmitting part of the pattern and the brightness of the portion formed by the light-blocking part of the pattern are represented by the fine details.

2. The projector according to claim 1, wherein, The pattern plate has: a transparent substrate; and an opaque film on the transparent substrate having a pattern constituting the pattern. The minimum width of the opaque film is less than 10 μm.

Images