Movable device, image projection device, head-up display, laser headlamp, head-mounted display, distance measuring device, and moving body

Abstract

To stably rotate a mobile unit.SOLUTION: A mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a mobile unit; a driving unit connected to the mobile unit at one end thereof, the driving unit allowing the mobile unit to rotate; a supporting unit for supporting the driving unit; a connection unit connected to the supporting unit at one end thereof, the connection unit supporting the supporting unit; and a fixation supporting unit to which another end of the connection unit is connected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a movable device, an image projection device, a head-up display, a laser headlamp, a head-mounted display, a distance measuring device, and a moving object. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the advancement of micromachining technology that utilizes semiconductor manufacturing technology, there has been progress in the development of MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) devices that are manufactured by microfabricating silicon or glass.

[0003] As a MEMS device, an optical deflector has been disclosed that includes a mirror portion having a reflective surface, a first support portion surrounding the mirror portion, a torsion bar connecting the mirror portion and the first support portion, a first piezoelectric actuator connecting the first support portion and the torsion bar and using piezoelectric driving to oscillate (rotate) the mirror portion about a first axis extending in the axial direction of the torsion bar relative to the first support portion via the torsion bar, a second support portion surrounding the first support portion, and a second piezoelectric actuator formed in a meandering shape with one end connected to the first support portion and the other end connected to the second support portion, and using piezoelectric driving to oscillate (rotate) the first support portion about a second axis intersecting the first axis relative to the second support portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the state in which the fixed support body, such as the second support part, is mounted on a circuit board, a package member, etc. changes over time, and as a result, there is a concern that the rotation of the movable part, such as a mirror part, may become unstable.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to rotate a movable part stably. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A movable device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a movable part, a driving part having one end connected to the movable part and allowing the movable part to rotate, a support body supporting the driving part, a connecting part having one end connected to the support body and supporting the support body, and a fixed support body to which the other end of the connecting part is connected. The other end of the connection portion is disposed so that the support body and the movable portion are free ends. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the movable part can be rotated stably. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the movable device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an end view of the movable device along the E axis of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an end view of the movable device taken along the line PP in FIG. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating examples of loads applied to a movable device. [Diagram 5] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing examples of frequency characteristics of a movable device, where FIG. 5A is a diagram showing a case where the embodiment is not applied, and FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a case where the embodiment is applied. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating a movable device according to a first modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 13 is a plan view illustrating a movable device according to a second modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating a movable device according to a third modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a plan view illustrating a movable device according to a fourth modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 13 is a plan view illustrating a movable device according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is a plan view illustrating a movable device according to a modified example of the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12]13 is a plan view illustrating a movable device according to a third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a plan view illustrating a movable device according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14] 1 is a schematic diagram of an example optical scanning system. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an example of an optical scanning system. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an example of a control device. [Figure 17] 13 is a flowchart of an example of a process related to the optical scanning system. [Figure 18] 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of an automobile equipped with a head-up display device. [Figure 19] 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a head-up display device. [Figure 20] 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of an image forming apparatus equipped with an optical writing device. [Figure 21] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of an optical writing device. [Figure 22] 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of an automobile equipped with a laser radar device. [Figure 23] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of another example of an automobile equipped with a laser radar device. [Figure 24] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a laser radar device. [Diagram 25] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example laser headlamp. [Figure 26] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of an example of a head mounted display. [Figure 27] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a partial configuration of a head mounted display. [Figure 28] 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a packaged movable device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations may be omitted.

[0010] In the following description of the embodiment, rotation, swinging, and movement are synonymous. Among the directions indicated by arrows, the stacking direction of each layer in the piezoelectric drive unit and the like is the Z direction, and the directions perpendicular to the Z direction in a plane perpendicular to the Z direction are the X direction and the Y direction. Planar view refers to viewing an object from the Z direction.

[0011] Additionally, the direction in which the arrow points in the X direction is denoted as the +X direction, and the opposite direction of the +X direction is denoted as the -X direction, the direction in which the arrow points in the Y direction is denoted as the +Y direction, and the opposite direction of the +Y direction is denoted as the -Y direction, and the direction in which the arrow points in the Z direction is denoted as the +Z direction, and the opposite direction of the +Z direction is denoted as the -Z direction. However, these do not limit the orientation of the movable device, and the orientation of the movable device is arbitrary.

[0012] [First embodiment] <Configuration example of movable device 13> The configuration of the movable device 13 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating the movable device 13. Fig. 2 is an end view of the movable device 13 taken along the E axis in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view of the movable device 13 taken along the PP cutting line in Fig. 1.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the movable device 13 includes a mirror portion 101, driving portions 110a and 110b, a support 301, a connection portion 302, a fixed support 303, and an electrode connection portion 150. The movable device 13 includes a mirror portion 101, driving portions 110a and 110b, a support 301, a connection portion 302, a fixed support 303, and an electrode connection portion

[0014] The mirror portion 101 is an example of a movable portion having a reflecting surface 14 that reflects incident light.

[0015] The drivers 110a and 110b have one end connected to the mirror unit 101 and enable the mirror unit 101 to rotate about a first axis parallel to the Y axis. The drivers 110a and 110b each rotate the mirror unit 101 about the first axis by elastically deforming.

[0016] The support 301 is disposed around the mirror unit 101 and the driving units 110a and 110b, is connected to the other ends of the driving units 110a and 110b, and elastically supports the driving units 110a and 110b.

[0017] The connecting portion 302 has one end connected to the support 301, and elastically supports the support 301. Moreover, the other end 172 of the connecting portion 302 is connected to the fixed support 303.

[0018] Here, it is preferable that the connection region 170 between the connection portion 302 and the support 301 is a region other than the elastic support region 171 a or 171 b on the extension of the direction in which the drive portion 110 a or 110 b extends toward the support 301 .

[0019] Moreover, the other end 172 of the connection portion 302 is connected to the fixed support 303 in a direction along the E-axis that is approximately perpendicular to the first axis. The connection portion 302 is preferably provided so as to have an approximately symmetrical shape with the E-axis that passes through the center of the mirror portion 101 and is approximately perpendicular to the first axis as the central axis.

[0020] In addition, "substantially symmetrical" means that a deviation from a symmetrical shape is included to an extent that is generally recognized as an error. The meaning of "substantially" is the same in the following cases where the term "substantially" is used.

[0021] The electrode connection unit 150 is electrically connected to the driving units 110 a and 110 b and the control device 11 .

[0022] The movable device 13 is formed, for example, by forming a single SOI (Silicon On Insulator) substrate by etching or the like, and forming the reflecting surface 14, the driving parts 110a and 110b, the electrode connection part 150, etc. on the formed substrate, so that each component is integrally formed. Note that the formation of each of the above components may be performed after or during the formation of the SOI substrate.

[0023] 2, the SOI substrate on which the movable device 13 is formed includes a silicon support layer 161 made of single crystal silicon (Si), a silicon oxide layer 162 formed on the silicon support layer 161 (on the +Z direction side), and a silicon active layer 163 made of single crystal silicon formed on the silicon oxide layer 162. The silicon oxide layer 162 can also be called a BOX (Buried Oxide) layer.

[0024] Since the silicon active layer 163 has a smaller thickness in the Z direction than in the X or Y direction, a member constituted only by the silicon active layer 163 functions as an elastic portion having elasticity.

[0025] The SOI substrate does not necessarily have to be flat, and may have a curvature, etc. Also, the material used to form the movable device 13 is not limited to the SOI substrate, as long as it can be integrally molded by etching or the like and can be partially made elastic.

[0026] The mirror section 101 is composed of, for example, a circular mirror section base 102 and a reflecting surface 14 formed on the +Z side surface of the mirror section base. The mirror section base 102 is composed of, for example, a silicon active layer 163. The reflecting surface 14 is composed of a metal thin film containing, for example, aluminum, gold, silver, or the like.

[0027] Ribs 103 for reinforcing the mirror portion are formed on the -Z side surface of the mirror portion base 102. The ribs 103 are made of, for example, a silicon support layer 161 and a silicon oxide layer 162, and can suppress distortion of the reflecting surface 14 caused by movement. However, the ribs 103 are not an essential component.

[0028] The driving units 110a and 110b include two torsion bars 111a and 111b each having one end connected to the mirror unit base 102 and extending in the first axial direction to movably support the mirror unit 101, and piezoelectric driving units 112a and 112b each having one end connected to the torsion bars 111a and 111b and the other end connected to the inner periphery of the support 301.

[0029] The torsion bars 111a and 111b include a silicon active layer 163 (see FIG. 3). The piezoelectric driving parts 112a and 112b are formed by laminating a lower electrode 201, a piezoelectric part 202, and an upper electrode 203 in this order on the +Z side surface of the silicon active layer 163, which is an elastic part. The upper electrode 203 and the lower electrode 201 include, for example, gold (Au) or platinum (Pt). The piezoelectric part 202 includes, for example, PZT (lead zirconate titanate), which is a piezoelectric material.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the support 301 is a rectangular support that includes a silicon support layer 161, a silicon oxide layer 162, and a silicon active layer 163, and is formed so as to surround the mirror section 101.

[0031] Moreover, the fixed support 303 is a rectangular support that includes the silicon support layer 161 , the silicon oxide layer 162 , and the silicon active layer 163 , and is formed so as to surround the mirror section 101 , the actuators 110 a and 110 b , and the support 301 .

[0032] The electrode connection part 150 is formed, for example, on the surface on the +Z side of the fixed support 303, and is electrically connected to the upper electrode 203 and the lower electrode 201 of the piezoelectric driving parts 112a and 112b, and the control device 11 via electrode wiring such as aluminum (Al). The upper electrode 203 or the lower electrode 201 may each be directly connected to the electrode connection part 150, or may be indirectly connected by connecting the electrodes to each other, for example.

[0033] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the piezoelectric portion 202 is formed only on one surface (the +Z side surface) of the silicon active layer 163, which is the elastic portion. However, the piezoelectric portion 202 may be provided on another surface (for example, the -Z side surface) of the elastic portion, or may be provided on both one surface and the other surface of the elastic portion.

[0034] In addition, as long as the mirror unit 101 can be rotated around the first axis, the shape and number of each component are not limited to those shown in Figures 1 to 3. For example, the torsion bars 111a and 111b and the piezoelectric drivers 112a and 112b may have a curvature.

[0035] Furthermore, an insulating layer made of a silicon oxide film may be formed on at least one of the +Z side surface of the upper electrode 203 of the driving units 110a and 110b, the +Z side surface of the support 301, and the +Z side surface of the fixed support 303. In this case, electrode wiring is provided on the insulating layer, and the insulating layer may be partially removed or not formed as an opening only at the connection spot where the upper electrode 203 or the lower electrode 201 is connected to the electrode wiring. This increases the design freedom of the electrode wiring of the driving units 110a and 110b, and further suppresses short circuits due to contact between the electrodes. The silicon oxide film also functions as an anti-reflection material.

[0036] <Control by control device 11> Next, the control by the control device 11 that drives the drive units 110a and 110b of the movable device 13 will be described.

[0037] When a positive or negative voltage is applied in the polarization direction, the piezoelectric portion 202 of the driving units 110a and 110b undergoes deformation (e.g., expansion and contraction) proportional to the potential of the applied voltage, thereby exerting the so-called inverse piezoelectric effect. The driving units 110a and 110b rotate the mirror unit 101 by utilizing this inverse piezoelectric effect.

[0038] When the reflecting surface 14 of the mirror section 101 is tilted in the +Z or -Z direction with respect to the XY plane, the angle formed by the XY plane and the reflecting surface 14 is called the deflection angle. The +Z direction is a positive deflection angle, and the -Z direction is a negative deflection angle.

[0039] In the actuators 110a and 110b, when a driving voltage is applied in parallel to the piezoelectric portion 202 of the piezoelectric actuators 112a and 112b via the upper electrode 203 and the lower electrode 201, the piezoelectric portion 202 is deformed. The deformation of the piezoelectric portion 202 causes the piezoelectric actuators 112a and 112b to bend and deform. As a result, a driving force about the first axis acts on the mirror portion 101 via the twisting of the two torsion bars 111a and 111b, and the mirror portion 101 rotates about the first axis. The driving voltage applied to the actuators 110a and 110b is controlled by the control device 11.

[0040] The control device 11 can rotate the mirror section 101 around the first axis at the period of the driving voltage having a predetermined sine wave waveform by applying driving voltages having a predetermined sine wave waveform in parallel to the piezoelectric driving sections 112a and 112b of the driving sections 110a and 110b.

[0041] For example, when the frequency of the sinusoidal waveform driving voltage is set to approximately 20 kHz, which is similar to the resonant frequency of the torsion bars 111a and 111b, the mirror portion 101 can be resonantly rotated at approximately 20 kHz by utilizing the mechanical resonance caused by the twisting of the torsion bars 111a and 111b.

[0042] <Effects of the movable device 13> Next, the function and effect of the movable device 13 will be described.

[0043] Conventionally, when a movable device as a MEMS device is mounted on a circuit board or a package member, a load such as thermal stress applied to the contact surface between the Si substrate and the circuit substrate may increase with an increase in the environmental temperature due to a difference in the thermal expansion coefficient between the Si substrate of the movable device and the circuit substrate. When a load is applied to the movable device, there is a concern that the static characteristics of the movable device, such as static deformation, and the dynamic characteristics of the movable device, such as frequency response characteristics, rotation sensitivity, vibration frequency, or vibration direction, may deteriorate.

[0044] Here, Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a load applied to the movable device 13. In Fig. 4, a load is applied to the fixed support 303 in the directions of white arrows 71 and 72 from both sides of the movable device 13 in the E-axis direction.

[0045] In conventional movable devices, such loads would cause the fixed support in the movable device to be compressed in the X-direction, resulting in deformation such as bending of the central part of the movable device in the -Z direction, which could degrade the frequency characteristics of the movable device and make the rotation of the movable part of the movable device unstable.

[0046] In contrast, the movable device 13 according to this embodiment has a mirror section 101 (movable section), and driving sections 110a and 110b having one end connected to the mirror section 101 and enabling the mirror section 101 to rotate. The movable device 13 also has a support 301 that elastically supports (supports) the driving sections 110a and 110b, a connection section 302 having one end connected to the support 301 and elastically supports (supports) the support 301, and a fixed support 303 to which the other end of the connection section 302 is connected.

[0047] In the movable device 13, the support 301 supporting the driving units 110a and 110b is not directly supported by the fixed support 303, but the support 301 supporting the driving units 110a and 110b is supported by the fixed support 303 via the connection unit 302. As a result, although a mechanical stress applied to the fixed support 303 changes the support state of the connection unit 302 by the fixed support 303, the effect on the support 301, which is the free end of the connection unit 302 as seen from the fixed support 303 side, is suppressed.

[0048] Furthermore, if the frequency characteristics of the connection part 302 and the frequency characteristics of the drivers 110a and 110b are different, the connection part 302 will not resonate with the rotation of the drivers 110a and 110b. Therefore, the effect of the change in the characteristics of the connection part 302 due to the change in the support state on the rotation of the mirror part 101 connected to the free end side of the connection part 302 is suppressed.

[0049] In other words, the connection part 302 functions as a buffer structure for buffering mechanical stress and changes in the support state of the drive parts 110a and 110b. This makes it possible to suppress changes in the static and dynamic characteristics of the movable device 13 and to rotate the mirror part 101 stably even when mechanical stress is applied to the fixed support 303.

[0050] It should be noted that FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a load applied to the movable device, and the load does not necessarily make the rotation of the mirror unit 101 of the movable device 13 according to the embodiment unstable.

[0051] In addition to thermal stress, the load applied to the movable device may be mechanical stress applied to the fixed support 303, external vibration or impact, or a load on the fixed support 303 due to an increase in the rotation angle of the movable device 13.

[0052] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the frequency characteristics of a movable device. Fig. 5(a) is a diagram showing a case where the embodiment is not applied, and Fig. 5(d) is a diagram showing a case where the embodiment is applied. Fig. 5 is a simulation result showing the relationship between the frequency and the deflection angle of the mirror part (movable part) before and after a load is applied to the fixed support of the movable device.

[0053] In Fig. 5(a), the frequency characteristics of the mirror change significantly before and after the load is applied. This change occurs due to the change in rigidity of the movable device caused by the load or the occurrence of a structural collision.

[0054] Such changes in frequency characteristics can make it difficult to accurately control the rotation of the mirror. For example, the resonance frequency set to about 20 kHz may fluctuate by several hundred Hz, and the frequency response characteristics may go back and forth between softening and hardening.

[0055] 5(b), the frequency characteristics of mirror section 101 hardly change before and after the load is applied, and the graphs before and after the load are almost overlapped. Thus, even when mechanical stress is applied to fixed support 303, movable device 13 can suppress changes in the static and dynamic characteristics of movable device 13, and can rotate mirror section 101 stably.

[0056] In this embodiment, the connection region 170 between the connection portion 302 and the support 301 is a region on the extension of the direction in which the drive portion 110a or 100b extends toward the support 301, other than the elastic support region 171a or 171b.

[0057] With this configuration, the connection unit 302 and the drive unit 110a are not arranged linearly when viewed from the mirror unit 101, and the connection unit 302 and the drive unit 110b are not arranged linearly when viewed from the mirror unit 101. This prevents mechanical stress applied to the fixed support 303 from being transmitted to the drive units 110a and 110b via the connection unit 302, and suppresses changes in the static or dynamic characteristics of the movable device 13. As a result, the mirror unit 101 can be rotated more stably. Furthermore, with this configuration, no unnecessary rotational components are generated in the mirror unit 101, and the mirror unit 101 can be rotated stably with a large swing angle without being hindered by the unnecessary rotational components.

[0058] In this embodiment, the other end 172 of the connection portion 302 is connected to the fixed support 303 in a direction intersecting the first axis (the axis of rotation by the drive portions 110a and 110b).

[0059] For example, when the other end of the connection part 302 is connected to the fixed support 303 in a direction parallel to the first axis, the force accompanying the rotation of the mirror part 101 is transmitted to the fixed support 303 via the connection part 302. As a result, a load is applied to the fixed support 303, which may change the static or dynamic characteristics of the movable device 13. In particular, when the deflection angle of the mirror part 101 is large, the force accompanying the rotation of the mirror part 101 becomes large, and the influence thereof becomes significant.

[0060] By connecting the other end 172 to the fixed support 303 in a direction intersecting the first axis, the force caused by the rotation of the mirror section 101 is prevented from being transmitted to the fixed support 303, and the mirror section 101 can be rotated more stably. In particular, when the deflection angle of the mirror section 101 is large, the effect is more noticeable.

[0061] Moreover, in this embodiment, the connection portion 302 extends along the E axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis, and is connected to the fixed support 303. This configuration also prevents the force caused by the rotation of the mirror portion 101 from being transmitted to the fixed support 303, and allows the mirror portion 101 to rotate more stably. In particular, when the deflection angle of the mirror portion 101 is large, the effect is more pronounced.

[0062] It is preferable that the connecting portion 302 is provided so as to have a shape that is approximately symmetrical with respect to the E axis that passes through the center of the mirror portion 101 and is approximately perpendicular to the first axis. With this configuration, the load applied to the connecting portion 302 is distributed approximately symmetrically, so that unevenness of the load is suppressed and the mirror portion 101 can be rotated more stably.

[0063] Moreover, it is preferable that the resonance frequency of the connection part 302 is lower than the resonance frequency of the drive parts 110a and 110b. As a result, the load generated when the drive parts 110a and 110b are resonated is absorbed by the connection part 302, and therefore, the load caused by the resonance can be suitably prevented from being transmitted to the fixed support 303.

[0064] Moreover, the method of driving and controlling the movable device 13 may be either resonant driving or non-resonant driving. From the viewpoint of more suitably obtaining the effects of this embodiment, it is more preferable that the difference in the resonant frequency between the connecting portion 302 and the mirror portion 101 is 10% or more of the resonant frequency of the mirror portion 101.

[0065] <Modification of the first embodiment> Next, a modified example of the first embodiment will be described. The same components as those in the first embodiment will be given the same reference numbers, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. This also applies to other modified examples and embodiments described below.

[0066] Fig. 6 is a plan view illustrating a movable device 13a according to a first modified example. As shown in Fig. 6, the movable device 13a has a connection portion 302a. The connection portion 302a also has a first connection portion 302aa and a second connection portion 302ab. The first connection portion 302aa and the second connection portion 302ab are examples of an even number of connection portions, the number of which is two or more.

[0067] The first connecting portion 302aa and the second connecting portion 302ab each have one end connected to the support 301 and the other end connected to the fixed support 303. The first connecting portion 302aa and the second connecting portion 302ab each extend in a direction along the E-axis. Furthermore, the first connecting portion 302aa and the second connecting portion 302ab each have a bending natural resonance mode in the Z direction, which is the same as the rotation direction by the driving portions 110a and 110b.

[0068] Since the connection portion 302a is connected to the support 301 at the free end side of the connection portion 302a, which is elastically supported by the fixed support 303, the elastic support of the drive portions 110a and 110b by the support 301 does not depend on the presence or absence of mechanical stress applied to the fixed support 303.

[0069] This allows the fixed support 303 to be separated into two, improving the degree of freedom in the configuration of the movable device 13a. For example, the movable device 13a can be provided with a large-diameter mirror unit or a mirror unit that can rotate with a large swing angle as the movable part.

[0070] The same effect can be obtained when the connection portion 302a is configured to have a natural common mode of rotational torsion in the Z direction, which is the same as the direction of rotation by the drive portions 110a and 110b.

[0071] The support 301 is elastically supported by the first connecting portion 302aa and the second connecting portion 302ab, and the first connecting portion 302aa and the second connecting portion 302ab are positioned so as to sandwich the support 301 in the direction along the first axis.

[0072] With this configuration, the connecting portion 302a has a shape that is approximately symmetrical with respect to the E axis. As a result, the load applied to the connecting portion 302a is distributed approximately symmetrically, which suppresses uneven distribution of the load and allows the mirror portion 101 to rotate more stably.

[0073] In this modified example, the connection portion 302a has two connection portions, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the connection portion 302a may have an even number of connection portions, which is equal to or greater than two.

[0074] Next, Fig. 7 is a plan view illustrating a movable device 13b according to a second modified example. As shown in Fig. 7, the movable device 13b has a connection portion 302b. The connection portion 302b has a first connection portion 302ba and a second connection portion 302bb. The first connection portion 302ba and the second connection portion 302bb each have a folded structure.

[0075] 7 shows an example of a folded structure having a substantially right-angled corner shape, but the corner of the folded structure may have a curvature. The thickness of each of the first connecting portion 302ba and the second connecting portion 302bb may be constant or may gradually change. It is preferable to adjust the structure or material of the first connecting portion 302ba and the second connecting portion 302bb so that the rigidity of the fixed support 303 side is high and the rigidity of the support 301 side is low. With this configuration, the same effect as that of the movable device 13 can be obtained.

[0076] Next, Fig. 8 is a plan view illustrating a movable device 13c according to a third modified example. As shown in Fig. 8, the movable device 13c has driving units 110ca and 110cb and a connecting unit 302c. The driving unit 110ca has a piezoelectric driving unit 113a, and the driving unit 110cb has a piezoelectric driving unit 113b. The connecting unit 302c has a first connecting unit 302ca and a second connecting unit 302cb.

[0077] The actuator 110ca has a double-supported beam structure. The piezoelectric actuators 112a and 113a elastically support the torsion bar 111a from both sides along the E axis, and the piezoelectric actuators 112b and 113b elastically support the torsion bar 111b from both sides along the E axis.

[0078] The first connecting portion 302ca and the second connecting portion 302cb each have a symmetrical shape with respect to the first axis. Even with this configuration of the movable device 13c, when mechanical stress is applied to the fixed support 303, it is possible to suppress changes in the static or dynamic characteristics of the movable device 13c and to stably rotate the mirror unit 101.

[0079] Next, Fig. 9 is a plan view illustrating a movable device 13d according to a fourth modified example. As shown in Fig. 9, the movable device 13d has driving units 110da and 110db, a mirror unit 101d, a support 301d, and a connection unit 302d. The connection unit 302d has a first connection unit 302da and a second connection unit 302db.

[0080] The driving section 110da is made up of a plurality of piezoelectric driving sections 114a to 114f that are connected in a folded manner. One end of each of these is connected to a mirror section base 102d included in the mirror section 101d, and the other end is connected to a support 301d.

[0081] The driving section 110db is made up of a plurality of piezoelectric driving sections 115a to 115f that are connected in a folded manner. One end of each of these is connected to a mirror section base 102d included in the mirror section 101d, and the other end is connected to a support 301d.

[0082] In other words, the driving sections 110da and 110db have a folded structure, with one end connected to the mirror section 101d and the other end connected to the support 301, respectively.

[0083] The connection point between the driver 110da and the mirror base 102d is approximately point-symmetrical with respect to the connection point between the driver 110db and the mirror base 102d with respect to the center of the reflecting surface 14. In addition, the connection point between the driver 110da and the support 301d is approximately point-symmetrical with respect to the connection point between the driver 110db and the support 301d with respect to the center of the reflecting surface 14.

[0084] The driving units 110da and 110db are configured by laminating a lower electrode 201, a piezoelectric unit 202, and an upper electrode 203 in this order on the +Z side surface of the silicon active layer 163, which is an elastic unit. The upper electrode 203 and the lower electrode 201 contain gold (Au), platinum (Pt), etc. The piezoelectric unit 202 contains a piezoelectric material such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate).

[0085] The drivers 110da and 110db are elastically deformed when a drive voltage is applied to them, thereby rotating the mirror portion 101d around the second axis.

[0086] The first connecting portion 302da and the second connecting portion 302db each have one end connected to the support 301d, extend in a direction substantially parallel to the second axis, and have the other end connected to the fixed support 303. The connecting portion 302d has a resonance mode that rotates the support 301d around the second axis. This makes it possible to prevent unintended vibration components other than the rotation from being superimposed on the support 301d.

[0087] In this way, even if the movable device 13d has a folded structure (meander structure), when mechanical stress is applied to the fixed support 303, changes in the static or dynamic characteristics of the movable device 13d can be suppressed, and the mirror portion 101d can be rotated stably.

[0088] [Second embodiment] Next, a movable device 13e according to a second embodiment will be described.

[0089] <Configuration Example of Movable Device 13e> Fig. 10 is a plan view illustrating the movable device 13e. As shown in Fig. 10, the movable device 13e has a connection portion 302e, a movable frame 304, and frame drive units 130a and 130b. The connection portion 302e has a first connection portion 302ea and a second connection portion 302eb.

[0090] Frame body driving section 130a includes a plurality of piezoelectric frame body driving sections 131a to 131f that are connected in a folded manner. Frame body driving section 130a has one end connected to movable frame body 304 and the other end connected to fixed support body 303.

[0091] Frame body driving section 130b includes a plurality of piezoelectric driving sections 132a to 132f that are connected in a folded manner. Frame body driving section 130b has one end connected to movable frame 304 and the other end connected to fixed support 303.

[0092] The connection point between the frame body drive unit 130a and the movable frame 304 is approximately point-symmetrical with respect to the center of the reflecting surface 14 with the connection point between the frame body drive unit 130b and the movable frame 304. In addition, the connection point between the frame body drive unit 130a and the fixed support 303 is approximately point-symmetrical with respect to the center of the reflecting surface 14 with the connection point between the frame body drive unit 130b and the fixed support 303.

[0093] The frame actuators 130a and 130b are configured by laminating a lower electrode 201, a piezoelectric section 202, and an upper electrode 203 in this order on the +Z side surface of the silicon active layer 163, which is an elastic section. The upper electrode 203 and the lower electrode 201 contain gold (Au), platinum (Pt), or the like. The piezoelectric section 202 contains a piezoelectric material such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate).

[0094] The frame driving units 130a and 130b are elastically deformed when a driving voltage is applied thereto, thereby rotating the movable frame 304 around the second axis.

[0095] The first connection portion 302ea and the second connection portion eb each have one end connected to the support 301 and extend in a direction substantially parallel to the first axis, and the other end 172e is connected to the movable frame 304 in a direction intersecting the second axis. Note that the other end 172e is a general term for the other ends of the first connection portion 302ea and the second connection portion eb.

[0096] <Function and effect of the movable device 13e> As described above, the movable device 13e has the movable frame 304 and the frame drive units 130a and 130b. One end of the connection unit 302e is connected to the support 301, and the other end is connected to the movable frame 304. One end of the frame drive units 130a and 130b is connected to the movable frame 304, and the other end is connected to the fixed support 303, respectively, and enables the movable frame 304 to rotate.

[0097] When the mirror unit 101 is rotated largely by the driving units 110ca and 110cb, the connecting unit 302e suppresses the rotational movement of the supporting unit 301 by twisting the supporting unit 301 about the connecting unit 302e. This prevents crosstalk (interference) between the rotation by the frame body driving units 130a and 130b and the vibrations originating from the driving units 110ca and 110cb. In other words, the connecting unit 302e functions as a buffer structure for preventing crosstalk between the rotation by the frame body driving units 130a and 130b and the vibrations originating from the driving units 110ca and 110cb. As a result, the mirror unit 101 can be stably rotated at a large deflection angle in two orthogonal axial directions.

[0098] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connection portion 302e extends along a direction intersecting the second axis (the rotation axis of the frame driving portions 130a and 130b), and the other end 172e of the connection portion 302e is connected to the movable frame 304 in a direction intersecting the second axis. This prevents the force caused by the rotation of the mirror portion 101 from being transmitted to the movable frame 304, allowing the mirror portion 101 to rotate more stably. In particular, the effect is more pronounced when the deflection angle of the mirror portion 101 is large.

[0099] Here, it is preferable that the resonance frequency of the connection portion 302e is higher than the resonance frequency of the frame body driving portions 130a and 130b, thereby preventing crosstalk between the rotation about the first axis and the rotation about the second axis, and making it possible to stably obtain a large swing angle.

[0100] From the viewpoint of more suitably obtaining the effect of the movable device 13e, it is preferable that the region where each of the first connection portion 302ea and the second connection portion 302eb is connected to the support 301 is a region including the first axis. Also, it is preferable that each of the widths (lengths along the X direction) of the first connection portion 302ea and the second connection portion 302eb is shorter than the distance between the support 301 and the movable frame body 304.

[0101] In addition, in Fig. 10, the movable device 13e has the driving units 110ca and 110cb with a double-supported beam structure, but the present invention is not limited to this and may have a cantilever beam structure. Fig. 11 is a plan view illustrating a movable device 13f having a cantilever beam structure.

[0102] 11, the movable device 13f has a connection portion 302f, which has a first connection portion 302fa and a second connection portion 302fb. The first connection portion 302fa and the second connection portion 302fb each have one end connected to the support 301, extend in a direction substantially parallel to the first axis, and have the other end connected to the movable frame 304. The area where the first connection portion 302fa and the second connection portion 302fb are each connected to the support 301 does not include the first axis.

[0103] Such movable device 13f can also provide the same effects as those of movable device 13e described above. Note that, although the present embodiment has been described with reference to a configuration in which mirror section 101 can be rotated in two axial directions, the same effects as those described in the first and second embodiments can also be provided with a configuration in which mirror section 101 can be rotated in three or more axial directions.

[0104] [Third embodiment] Next, a movable device 13g according to a third embodiment will be described.

[0105] <Configuration example of movable device 13g> Fig. 12 is a plan view illustrating the movable device 13g. As shown in Fig. 12, the movable device 13g has a connection part 302g and driving parts 110ga, 110gb, 110gc, and 110gd. The connection part 302g has a first connection part 302ga, a second connection part 302gb, a third connection part 302gc, and a fourth connection part 302gd.

[0106] Each of the first connection portion 302ga, the second connection portion 302gb, the third connection portion 302gc, and the fourth connection portion 302gd has one end connected to the support 301 and the other end connected to the fixed support 303. These are also provided so as to be substantially point-symmetric with respect to the center of the reflecting surface 14.

[0107] Each of the driving units 110ga, 110gb, 110gc, and 110gd has one end connected to the mirror unit 101 and the other end connected to the support body 301. These are also provided so as to be substantially point-symmetric with respect to the center of the reflecting surface 14.

[0108] In this way, even if the movable device 13g has four driving units, namely driving units 110ga, 110gb, 110gc and 110gd, which are arranged so as to be approximately point-symmetrical with respect to the center of the reflecting surface 14, the same effects as those described in the first and second embodiments can be obtained.

[0109] [Fourth embodiment] Next, a movable device 13h according to a fourth embodiment will be described.

[0110] <Example of the configuration of the movable device 13h> Fig. 13 is a plan view illustrating the movable device 13h. As shown in Fig. 13, the movable device 13h has a connection portion 302h and driving portions 110ha, 110hb, and 110hc. The connection portion 302h also has a first connection portion 302ha, a second connection portion 302hb, a third connection portion 302hc, a fourth connection portion 302hd, a fifth connection portion 302he, and a sixth connection portion 302hf.

[0111] The first connection portion 302ha, the second connection portion 302hb, the third connection portion 302hc, the fourth connection portion 302hd, the fifth connection portion 302he, and the sixth connection portion 302hf have one end connected to the support 301 and the other end connected to the fixed support 303. These are also provided so as to be substantially point-symmetric with respect to the center of the reflecting surface 14.

[0112] Each of the driving units 110ha, 110hb, and 110hc has one end connected to the mirror unit 101 and the other end connected to the support 301. These are also provided so as to be substantially point-symmetric with respect to the center of the reflecting surface .

[0113] In this way, even if the movable device 13h has three driving units, namely, driving units 110ha, 110hb and 110hc, which are arranged so as to be approximately point-symmetrical with respect to the center of the reflecting surface 14, the same effects as those described in the first and second embodiments can be obtained.

[0114] In the third embodiment, a configuration having four drive units is exemplified, and in the fourth embodiment, a configuration having three drive units is exemplified, but this is not limited to these, and a configuration with even more drive units can also be used.

[0115] [Other Preferred Embodiments] The movable device 13 according to the embodiment described above can be applied to various systems and devices. Application examples of the movable device 13 to various systems and devices will be described below.

[0116] [Optical scanning system] First, an optical scanning system to which the movable device of this embodiment is applied will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 14 to Fig. 17. Fig. 14 shows a schematic diagram of an example of an optical scanning system. As shown in Fig. 14, an optical scanning system 10 is a system that optically scans a scanned surface 15 by deflecting light irradiated from a light source device 12 by a reflecting surface 14 of a movable device 13 under the control of a control device 11.

[0117] The optical scanning system 10 comprises a control device 11, a light source device 12, and a movable device 13 having a reflective surface 14.

[0118] The control device 11 is, for example, an electronic circuit unit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), etc. The movable device 13 is, for example, a MEMS device having a reflective surface 14 that is movable.

[0119] The light source device 12 is, for example, a laser device that irradiates a laser. The scanned surface 15 is, for example, a screen.

[0120] The control device 11 generates control commands for the light source device 12 and the movable device 13 based on the acquired optical scanning information, and outputs drive signals to the light source device 12 and the movable device 13 based on the control commands. The light source device 12 performs light emission based on the input drive signal. The movable device 13 rotationally vibrates the reflection surface 14 in at least one of one axial direction or two axial directions based on the input drive signal.

[0121] Thereby, for example, by controlling the control device 11 based on image information, which is an example of optical scanning information, the reflection surface 14 of the movable device 13 is rotated and vibrated back and forth in two axial directions within a predetermined range, and as a result, the irradiation light from the light source device 12 incident on the reflection surface 14 is deflected around one axis to perform optical scanning, so that an arbitrary image can be projected onto the scanned surface 15. Details of the movable device of this embodiment and details of the control by the control device will be described later.

[0122] Next, a hardware configuration of an example of the optical scanning system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a hardware configuration diagram of an example of the optical scanning system 10. As shown in Fig. 15, the optical scanning system 10 includes a control device 11, a light source device 12, and a movable device 13, which are electrically connected to each other. Among these, the control device 11 includes a CPU 20, a RAM 21 (Random Access Memory), a ROM 22 (Read Only Memory), an FPGA 23, an external I / F 24, a light source device driver 25, and a movable device driver 26.

[0123] The CPU 20 is a calculation device that reads out programs and data from a storage device such as a ROM 22 onto a RAM 21 and executes processing to realize the overall control and functions of the control device 11.

[0124] The RAM 21 is a volatile storage device that temporarily stores programs and data.

[0125] The ROM 22 is a non-volatile storage device that can retain programs and data even when the power is turned off, and stores processing programs and data that the CPU 20 executes to control each function of the optical scanning system 10.

[0126] The FPGA 23 is a circuit that outputs control signals suitable for the light source device driver 25 and the movable device driver 26 in accordance with the processing of the CPU 20 .

[0127] The external I / F 24 is, for example, an interface with an external device, a network, etc. The external device includes, for example, a higher-level device such as a PC (Personal Computer), and a storage device such as a USB memory, an SD card, a CD, a DVD, a HDD, an SSD, etc. Furthermore, the network is, for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) or a LAN (Local Area Network) of an automobile, the Internet, etc. The external I / F 24 may have a configuration that enables connection or communication with an external device, and an external I / F 24 may be provided for each external device.

[0128] The light source device driver 25 is an electric circuit that outputs a drive signal such as a drive voltage to the light source device 12 in accordance with an input control signal.

[0129] The movable device driver 26 is an electric circuit that outputs a drive signal, such as a drive voltage, to the movable device 13 in accordance with the input control signal.

[0130] In the control device 11, the CPU 20 acquires optical scanning information from an external device or a network via the external I / F 24. Note that any configuration may be used as long as the CPU 20 can acquire the optical scanning information, and the optical scanning information may be stored in the ROM 22 or FPGA 23 in the control device 11, or a storage device such as an SSD may be newly provided in the control device 11 to store the optical scanning information in the storage device.

[0131] Here, the optical scanning information is information indicating how to optically scan the scanned surface 15. For example, when an image is displayed by optical scanning, the optical scanning information is image data. For example, when optical writing is performed by optical scanning, the optical scanning information is writing data indicating the writing order and writing locations. For example, when object recognition is performed by optical scanning, the optical scanning information is irradiation data indicating the timing and irradiation range of irradiating light for object recognition.

[0132] The control device 11 can realize the following functional configuration by instructions from the CPU 20 and the hardware configuration shown in FIG.

[0133] Next, a functional configuration of the control device 11 of the optical scanning system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a functional block diagram of an example of the control device 11 of the optical scanning system.

[0134] As shown in FIG. 16, the control device 11 has a control section 30 and a drive signal output section 31 as functions.

[0135] The control unit 30 is realized by, for example, the CPU 20, the FPGA 23, etc., and acquires optical scanning information from an external device, converts the optical scanning information into a control signal, and outputs it to the drive signal output unit 31. For example, the control unit 30 acquires image data from an external device, etc. as optical scanning information, generates a control signal from the image data by performing a predetermined process, and outputs it to the drive signal output unit 31. The drive signal output unit 31 is realized by the light source device driver 25, the movable device driver 26, etc., and outputs a drive signal to the light source device 12 or the movable device 13 based on the input control signal.

[0136] The drive signal is a signal for controlling the drive of the light source device 12 or the movable device 13. For example, in the light source device 12, the drive signal is a drive voltage for controlling the timing and intensity of irradiation of the light source. Also, in the movable device 13, the drive signal is a drive voltage for controlling the timing and range of movement of the reflective surface 14 of the movable device 13.

[0137] Next, a process of optically scanning the surface 15 to be scanned by the optical scanning system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a flowchart of an example of a process related to the optical scanning system.

[0138] In step S11, the control unit 30 acquires optical scanning information from an external device or the like. In step S12, the control unit 30 generates a control signal from the acquired optical scanning information and outputs the control signal to the drive signal output unit 31. In step S13, the drive signal output unit 31 outputs a drive signal to the light source device 12 and the movable device 13 based on the input control signal. In step S14, the light source device 12 performs light irradiation based on the input drive signal. Also, the movable device 13 performs rotational vibration of the reflection surface 14 based on the input drive signal. By driving the light source device 12 and the movable device 13, light is deflected in an arbitrary direction and optical scanning is performed.

[0139] In the above-described optical scanning system 10, one control device 11 has devices and functions for controlling the light source device 12 and the movable device 13, but the control device for the light source device and the control device for the movable device may be provided separately.

[0140] In the optical scanning system 10, the function of the control unit 30 of the light source device 12 and the movable device 13 and the function of the drive signal output unit 31 are provided in one control device 11, but these functions may exist separately, for example, a drive signal output device having the drive signal output unit 31 may be provided separately from the control device 11 having the control unit 30. Note that, in the optical scanning system 10, the movable device 13 having the reflective surface 14 and the control device 11 may constitute an optical deflection system that performs optical deflection.

[0141] In this way, by applying the movable device 13 of the embodiment to an optical scanning system, it is possible to provide an optical scanning system capable of stably rotating the mirror portion 101 and stably performing optical scanning.

[0142] [Image projection device] Next, an image projection device to which the movable device of this embodiment is applied will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0143] Fig. 18 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an automobile 400 equipped with a head-up display device 500, which is an example of an image projection device. Fig. 19 is a schematic diagram of an example of the head-up display device 500. The automobile 400 is an example of a moving body.

[0144] The image projection device is a device that projects an image by optical scanning, and is, for example, a head-up display device.

[0145] 18, the head-up display device 500 is installed, for example, near the windshield (windshield 401, etc.) of an automobile 400. Projection light L emitted from the head-up display device 500 is reflected by the windshield 401 and directed toward an observer (driver 402) who is a user. This allows the driver 402 to visually recognize an image projected by the head-up display device 500 as a virtual image. Note that a combiner may be installed on the inner wall surface of the windshield, and the user may visually recognize a virtual image by the projection light reflected by the combiner.

[0146] As shown in FIG. 19, in the head-up display device 500, laser light is emitted from red, green, and blue laser light sources 501R, 501G, and 501B. The emitted laser light passes through an incidence optical system including collimator lenses 502, 503, and 504 provided for each laser light source, two dichroic mirrors 505 and 506, and a light amount adjustment unit 507, and is then deflected by a movable device 13 having a reflecting surface 14. The deflected laser light passes through a projection optical system including a free curved surface mirror 509, an intermediate screen 510, and a projection mirror 511, and is projected onto a screen. In the head-up display device 500, the laser light sources 501R, 501G, and 501B, the collimator lenses 502, 503, and 504, and the dichroic mirrors 505 and 506 are unitized as a light source unit 530 by an optical housing.

[0147] The head-up display device 500 projects an intermediate image displayed on an intermediate screen 510 onto a windshield 401 of an automobile 400, thereby allowing a driver 402 to visually recognize the intermediate image as a virtual image.

[0148] The laser beams of the respective colors emitted from the laser light sources 501R, 501G, and 501B are converted into substantially parallel beams by collimator lenses 502, 503, and 504, respectively, and are combined by two dichroic mirrors 505 and 506. The dichroic mirrors 505 and 506 are each an example of a combining unit. The combined laser beams are two-dimensionally scanned by a movable device 13 having a reflecting surface 14 after the light amount is adjusted by a light amount adjusting unit 507. The projection light L two-dimensionally scanned by the movable device 13 is reflected by a free-form surface mirror 509, whereby distortion is corrected, and then the projection light L is focused on an intermediate screen 510 to display an intermediate image. The intermediate screen 510 is composed of a microlens array in which microlenses are arranged two-dimensionally, and the projection light L incident on the intermediate screen 510 is magnified in units of the microlenses.

[0149] The movable device 13 reciprocates the reflective surface 14 in two axial directions, thereby two-dimensionally scanning the projection light L incident on the reflective surface 14. The drive control of this movable device 13 is performed in synchronization with the emission timing of the laser light sources 501R, 501G, and 501B.

[0150] The above describes the head-up display device 500 as an example of an image projection device, but the image projection device may be any device that projects an image by performing optical scanning with the movable device 13 having the reflective surface 14. For example, the present invention can be similarly applied to a projector that is placed on a desk or the like and projects an image onto a display screen, or a head-mounted display device that is mounted on a mounting member that is mounted on the observer's head or the like and projects an image onto a reflective / transmissive screen of the mounting member or projects an image using the observer's eye as a screen.

[0151] In addition, the image projection device may be mounted not only on a vehicle or a mounting member, but also on a moving body such as an aircraft, a ship, or a mobile robot, or on a non-moving body such as a work robot that operates a drive object such as a manipulator without moving from its location.

[0152] In this way, by applying the movable device 13 of the embodiment to an image projection device, it is possible to provide an image projection device capable of stably rotating the mirror portion 101 and stably performing optical scanning.

[0153] [Optical writing device] Next, an optical writing device to which the movable device of this embodiment is applied will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0154] Fig. 20 shows an example of an image forming apparatus incorporating an optical writing device 600. Fig. 21 is a schematic diagram of an example of the optical writing device.

[0155] 20, the optical writing device 600 is used as a component of an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer 650 having a printer function using laser light. In the image forming apparatus, the optical writing device 600 optically writes on a photosensitive drum, which is a scanned surface 15, by optically scanning the photosensitive drum with one or more laser beams.

[0156] As shown in Fig. 21, in an optical writing device 600, a laser beam from a light source device 12 such as a laser element passes through an imaging optical system 601 such as a collimator lens, and is then deflected in one or two axial directions by a movable device 13 having a reflecting surface 14. The laser beam deflected by the movable device 13 then passes through a scanning optical system 602 consisting of a first lens 602a, a second lens 602b, and a reflecting mirror portion 602c, and is irradiated onto a surface 15 to be scanned (e.g., a photosensitive drum or photosensitive paper), thereby performing optical writing. The scanning optical system 602 forms an image of the light beam in a spot shape on the surface 15 to be scanned. The light source device 12 and the movable device 13 having the reflecting surface 14 are driven under the control of a control device 11.

[0157] In this way, the optical writing device 600 can be used as a component of an image forming device having a printer function using laser light. In addition, by changing the scanning optical system to enable optical scanning not only in one axis direction but also in two axes directions, the optical writing device 600 can be used as a component of an image forming device such as a laser label device that deflects a laser light onto a thermal medium, optically scans the medium, and prints by heating the medium.

[0158] The movable device 13 having the reflecting surface 14 applied to the optical writing device consumes less power to drive than a rotating polygon mirror using a polygon mirror or the like, which is advantageous for saving power in the optical writing device. Also, the wind noise generated by the movable device 13 when vibrating is smaller than that of a rotating polygon mirror, which is advantageous for improving the quietness of the optical writing device. The optical writing device requires an overwhelmingly smaller installation space than a rotating polygon mirror, and the amount of heat generated by the movable device 13 is small, making it easy to reduce the size, which is advantageous for reducing the size of the image forming device.

[0159] In this way, by applying the movable device 13 of the embodiment to an optical writing device, it is possible to provide an optical writing device capable of stably rotating the mirror portion 101 and stably performing optical scanning.

[0160] [Distance measuring device] Next, a distance measuring device to which the movable device of the present embodiment is applied will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0161] Fig. 22 and Fig. 23 are schematic diagrams of an automobile in which a laser radar device, which is an example of a distance measuring device, is mounted in a lamp unit that mounts the automobile's headlights, and Fig. 24 is a schematic diagram of an example of a laser radar device.

[0162] A distance measuring device is a device that measures the distance to an object in a target direction, such as a laser radar device.

[0163] 22 and 23, a laser radar device 700 is mounted on, for example, an automobile 701, performs optical scanning in a target direction, and receives reflected light from an object 702 present in the target direction, thereby measuring the distance to the object 702. The automobile 701 is an example of a moving body.

[0164] As shown in FIG. 24, the laser light emitted from the light source device 12 passes through an incident optical system consisting of a collimator lens 703, which is an optical system that converts divergent light into approximately parallel light, and a plane mirror 704, and is scanned in one or two axial directions by a movable device 13 having a reflecting surface 14. Then, the laser light passes through a projection lens 705, which is a projection optical system, and is irradiated onto an object 702 in front of the device. The light source device 12 and the movable device 13 are controlled by the control device 11. The reflected light reflected by the object 702 is optically detected by a photodetector 709. That is, the reflected light passes through a condenser lens 706, which is an incident light detection and light receiving optical system, and is received by an image sensor 707, which outputs a detection signal to a signal processing device 708. The signal processing device 708 performs predetermined processing, such as binarization and noise processing, on the input detection signal, and outputs the result to a distance measurement circuit 710.

[0165] The distance measurement circuit 710 recognizes the presence or absence of the target object 702 based on the time difference between when the light source device 12 emits laser light and when the laser light is received by the photodetector 709, or the phase difference between each pixel of the image sensor 707 that receives the light, and further calculates distance information to the target object 702.

[0166] The movable device 13 having the reflective surface 14 is less likely to break than a polygonal mirror and is small, making it possible to provide a small, highly durable radar device. Such a laser radar device can be attached to, for example, a vehicle, an aircraft, a ship, a robot, etc., and can optically scan a specified area to determine the presence or absence of an obstacle and the distance to the obstacle.

[0167] The above distance measuring device has been described as an example of a laser radar device 700, but the distance measuring device may be any device that performs optical scanning by controlling a movable device 13 having a reflective surface 14 with a control device 11, and measures the distance to the target object 702 by receiving reflected light with a photodetector, and is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0168] For example, the present invention can be similarly applied to biometric authentication that calculates object information such as shape from distance information obtained by optically scanning a hand or face, and recognizes the target object by referring to a record, security sensors that recognize intruding objects by optically scanning a target range, and components of 3D scanners that calculate and recognize object information such as shape from distance information obtained by optical scanning, and output it as 3D data.

[0169] In this way, by applying the movable device 13 of the embodiment to a distance measuring device, it is possible to provide a distance measuring device capable of stably rotating the mirror portion 101 and stably performing optical scanning.

[0170] [Laser headlamp] Next, a laser headlamp 50 in which the movable device of the present embodiment is applied to an automobile headlight will be described with reference to Fig. 25. Fig. 25 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the laser headlamp 50.

[0171] The laser headlamp 50 includes a control device 11, a light source device 12b, a movable device 13 having a reflective surface 14, a mirror 51, and a transparent plate 52.

[0172] Light source device 12b is a light source that emits blue laser light. The light emitted from light source device 12b is incident on movable device 13 and reflected by reflection surface 14. Movable device 13 moves the reflection surface in the XY directions based on a signal from control device 11, and performs two-dimensional scanning in the XY directions with the blue laser light from light source device 12b.

[0173] The scanning light from the movable device 13 is reflected by the mirror 51 and enters the transparent plate 52. The front or back surface of the transparent plate 52 is covered with a yellow phosphor. When the blue laser light from the mirror 51 passes through the yellow phosphor coating on the transparent plate 52, it changes to white within the legally defined color range for headlights. As a result, the front of the car is illuminated with white light from the transparent plate 52.

[0174] The scanning light from the movable device 13 is scattered in a predetermined manner when passing through the phosphor of the transparent plate 52. This reduces glare on the illumination target in front of the automobile.

[0175] When the movable device 13 is applied to a headlight of an automobile, the colors of the light source device 12b and the phosphor are not limited to blue and yellow, respectively. For example, the light source device 12b may be near ultraviolet light, and the transparent plate 52 may be covered with a uniform mixture of phosphors of blue, green, and red, which are the three primary colors of light. Even in this case, the light passing through the transparent plate 52 can be converted to white light, and the front of the automobile can be illuminated with white light.

[0176] In this way, by applying the movable device 13 of the embodiment to a laser headlamp, it is possible to provide a laser headlamp capable of stably rotating the mirror portion 101 and stably scanning light.

[0177] [Head-mounted display] Next, a head mounted display 60 to which the movable device of the present embodiment is applied will be described with reference to Figs. 26-27. Here, the head mounted display 60 is a head mounted display that can be mounted on a human head, and can be shaped like glasses, for example. The head mounted display will be abbreviated to HMD hereinafter.

[0178] Fig. 26 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the appearance of the HMD 60. In Fig. 26, the HMD 60 is composed of a front 60a and a temple 60b, which are provided approximately symmetrically on the left and right sides. The front 60a can be composed of, for example, a light guide plate 61, and the optical system, control device, etc. can be built into the temple 60b.

[0179] Fig. 27 is a diagram illustrating a portion of the configuration of the HMD 60. Note that, although Fig. 27 illustrates the configuration for the left eye, the HMD 60 has a similar configuration for the right eye.

[0180] The HMD 60 includes a control device 11 , a light source unit 530 , a light amount adjustment section 507 , a movable device 13 having a reflecting surface 14 , a light guide plate 61 , and a half mirror 62 .

[0181] As described above, the light source unit 530 is a unit formed by unitizing the laser light sources 501R, 501G, and 501B, the collimator lenses 502, 503, and 504, and the dichroic mirrors 505 and 506 using an optical housing. In the light source unit 530, the three color laser beams from the laser light sources 501R, 501G, and 501B are combined by the dichroic mirrors 505 and 506. The light source unit 530 emits a combined parallel light.

[0182] The light from the light source unit 530 is adjusted in amount by the light amount adjustment section 507 and then enters the movable device 13. The movable device 13 moves the reflection surface 14 in the XY directions based on a signal from the control device 11, and performs two-dimensional scanning with the light from the light source unit 530. The drive control of this movable device 13 is performed in synchronization with the emission timing of the laser light sources 501R, 501G, and 501B, and a color image is formed by the scanning light.

[0183] The scanning light from the movable device 13 is incident on a light guide plate 61. The light guide plate 61 reflects the scanning light on its inner wall surface and guides the light to a half mirror 62. The light guide plate 61 is made of a resin or the like that is transparent to the wavelength of the scanning light.

[0184] The half mirror 62 reflects the light from the light guide plate 61 to the rear side of the HMD 60 and emits it in the direction of the eyes of a wearer 63 of the HMD 60. The half mirror 62 has, for example, a free curved surface shape. An image formed by the scanning light is formed on the retina of the wearer 63 by reflection from the half mirror 62. Alternatively, an image is formed on the retina of the wearer 63 by reflection from the half mirror 62 and the lens effect of the crystalline lens in the eyeball. Furthermore, spatial distortion of the image is corrected by reflection from the half mirror 62. The wearer 63 can observe the image formed by the light scanned in the XY directions.

[0185] Since 62 is a half mirror, an image based on light from the outside world and an image based on the scanning light are superimposed and observed by the wearer 63. By providing a mirror instead of the half mirror 62, it is possible to eliminate light from the outside world and to configure so that only the image based on the scanning light can be observed.

[0186] In this way, by applying the movable device 13 of the embodiment to a head mounted display, it is possible to provide a head mounted display capable of stably rotating the mirror portion 101 and stably performing optical scanning.

[0187] [Packaging] Next, packaging of the movable device of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0188] FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram of an example of a packaged movable device.

[0189] 28, the movable device 13 is attached to an attachment member 802 disposed inside a packaging member 801, and is packaged by covering a part of the packaging member with a transparent member 803 and sealing it. Furthermore, an inert gas such as nitrogen is sealed inside the package. This suppresses deterioration of the movable device 13 due to oxidation, and further improves durability against environmental changes such as temperature.

[0190] Although examples of embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

[0191] In the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which a reflective surface is provided on the movable part is exemplified, but this is not limited to this. The movable part may be provided with other optical elements such as a diffraction grating, a photodiode, a heater (e.g., a heater using SiN), a light source (e.g., a surface-emitting laser), etc., or may be provided with both a reflective surface and other optical elements. [Explanation of symbols]

[0192] 10 Optical Scanning System 11 Control device 12, 12b Light source device 13 Mobile Devices 14 Reflective surface 15 Scanned surface 25 Light source driver 26 Mobile Device Driver 30 Control section 31 Drive signal output section 50 Laser Headlamp 51 Mirror 52 Transparent plate 60 Head-mounted display 60a Front 60b Temple 61 Light guide plate 62 Half Mirror 63 Wearer 101 Mirror part (an example of a moving part) 102 Mirror base 110a, 110b Drive unit 111a, 111b Torsion bar 112a, 112b Piezoelectric drive unit 150 Electrode connection part 170 Connection Area 171a, 171b Elastic support area 172 Other end 301 Support 302 Connection 303 Fixed support 304 Movable frame [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0193] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-7779 A

Claims

1. A movable part; a drive unit having one end connected to the movable unit and configured to rotate the movable unit; A support body that supports the driving unit; A connection portion having one end connected to the support and supporting the support; A fixed support member to which the other end of the connection portion is connected, A movable device, characterized in that the other end of the connection portion is arranged so that the support body and the movable portion are free ends.

2. The movable device according to claim 1 , wherein the number of the connection parts is one.

3. The movable device according to claim 2 , wherein the driving portion is disposed outside a region between the movable portion and the one end of the connection portion.

4. The connection portion is provided in plurality, The movable device according to claim 1 , wherein the other ends of the plurality of connection parts are arranged on the same side with respect to the movable part.

5. 5. The movable device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion extends in a direction intersecting an axis of rotation of the driving portion, and the other end is connected to the fixed support.

6. 5. The movable device according to claim 1, wherein a resonant frequency of the connection portion is lower than a resonant frequency of the drive portion.

7. A movable device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A light source that emits light, An image projection device which projects light emitted from the light source by deflecting the light.

8. The light source is provided in plurality, The plurality of light sources emit light of different wavelengths, A combining unit that combines the plurality of light beams emitted from the plurality of light sources is further provided, 8. The image projection device according to claim 7, wherein the light combined in the combining section is deflected and projected.

9. A head-up display comprising a movable device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A laser headlamp comprising a movable device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

11. A head mounted display comprising the movable device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

12. A movable device according to any one of claims 1 to 6; A light source that emits light, A distance measuring device comprising: a light source that is deflected; a light source that is reflected by the light source; a light source that is reflected by the light source; and a distance to the object that is detected by the light source.

13. A moving object comprising at least one of the head-up display according to claim 9, the laser headlamp according to claim 10, and the distance measuring device according to claim 12.

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