Optical deflector, analytical device, optical system, resin discrimination system, distance measuring device and moving body

Abstract

To prevent damage to a light deflector.SOLUTION: A light deflector has: a movable part that has a reflection part; a plurality of drive beams that swingably supports the movable part; a support part that supports the drive beams; and a regulation part that is provided to be contactable with the drive beams. The regulation part is connected with a first connection part provided on the support part and a second connection part provided on the support part and different from the first connection part so as to cross over the drive beams.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical deflector, an analyzing device, an optical system, a resin discrimination system, a distance measuring device, and a moving body. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the advancement of micromachining technology that applies semiconductor manufacturing technology, the development of MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) devices, which are manufactured by microfabricating silicon and glass, has progressed.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a MEMS device in which a movable part having a reflecting part and an elastic beam are integrally formed on a wafer, and the movable part is oscillated by a drive beam formed by overlaying a thin film of piezoelectric material on the elastic beam.

[0004] Optical deflectors using such MEMS devices are being considered for use in LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), which measures the distance to an object, and in resin sorting devices used to separate and recover different types of resin as recycled materials. LiDAR and other devices require the light to scan over a wide angle. Therefore, MEMS devices have been developed that have a longer moving part than conventional devices by incorporating a folded section (meander structure) into the drive beam. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in meandering-structure MEMS devices, the large acceleration caused by an impact can cause the folded part centered on the reflecting part to stretch and protrude, raising concerns that the reflecting part, the beam part, or their connections, and the connections between the beam part and the support part, may be easily damaged.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable optical deflector that is prevented from being damaged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides a liquid crystal display device including: a movable section having a reflecting section; a plurality of drive beams that support the movable section so that the movable section can swing; a support section that supports the drive beams; a part of a flexible wiring board to which a voltage for driving the movable part is applied extends in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the movable part, and the flexible wiring board is bent convexly upward in a direction in which the reflecting part reflects light so as not to come into contact with the reflecting part even when the movable part swings, In an optical deflection device having a regulating portion that is arranged so as to be in contact with the drive beam, the regulating portion is connected to a first connection portion that is arranged on the support portion and a second connection portion that is different from the first connection portion that is arranged on the support portion so as to straddle the drive beam. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present invention has the effect of providing a highly reliable optical deflector. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an optical deflector according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2-1] FIG. 2-1 is a plan view illustrating a configuration example of a movable device. [Figure 2-2] FIG. 2-2 is a plan view illustrating a configuration example of a movable device. [Figure 3-1] FIG. 3-1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of the base portion. [Figure 3-2] FIG. 3-2 is a perspective view showing another example of the configuration of the base portion. [Figure 3-3] FIG. 3-3 is a perspective view illustrating another example of the configuration of the base portion. [Figure 4-1] FIG. 4-1 is a perspective view showing another example of the configuration of the base portion. [Figure 4-2] FIG. 4-2 is a perspective view showing another example of the configuration of the base portion. [Figure 4-3]FIG. 4-3 is a perspective view showing another example of the configuration of the base portion. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of a connecting portion between a movable device and a flexible wiring board. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a modified example of the overall configuration of the optical deflector according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the optical deflector according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the overall configuration of the optical deflector according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an optical deflector according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the overall configuration of the optical deflector according to the third embodiment. [Figure 11-1] FIG. 11A is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the optical deflector according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 11-2] FIG. 11-2 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the overall configuration of the optical deflector. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the movable device. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the overall configuration of the optical deflector according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a movable device of a type with beams supported at both ends that can deflect light in two axial directions. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an optical deflector according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a movable device. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the optical deflector. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the overall configuration of the optical deflector according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 19]FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of a spectrometer system according to the sixth embodiment. [Figure 20-1] FIG. 20-1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a spectroscope. [Figure 20-2] FIG. 20-2 is a diagram showing the frame of the spectrometer. [Figure 20-3] FIG. 20-3 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the spectroscope. [Figure 20-4] FIG. 20-4 is a diagram illustrating an upper regulating member of the frame of the spectroscope shown in FIG. 20-3. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing the flow of the resin determination process according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of an automobile equipped with a lidar device as an example of a distance measuring device according to the eighth embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram of an example of a lidar device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Embodiments of an optical deflector, an analyzing device, an optical system, a resin discrimination system, a distance measuring device, and a moving body will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing, identical components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations may be omitted. Furthermore, the embodiments shown below are illustrative of an optical deflector embodying the technical concept of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below. Unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described below are intended for illustrative purposes only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the sizes and positional relationships of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0011] In the drawings shown below, for convenience, the direction parallel to the oscillation axis of the movable part of the optical deflector is defined as the X direction, the direction perpendicular to the oscillation axis of the movable part is defined as the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the X and Y directions (height direction) is defined as the Z direction. The E axis is also defined as the oscillation axis.

[0012] (First embodiment) <Example of overall configuration of optical deflector 100> 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the overall configuration of an optical deflector 100 according to a first embodiment, in which Fig. 1A is a plan view of the optical deflector 100 as seen from the +Z direction, and Fig. 1B is a side view of the optical deflector 100 as seen from the +Y direction.

[0013] 1, the optical deflector 100 is, for example, a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) device. The optical deflector 100 includes a movable device 13 and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) 170. The optical deflector 100 further includes an upper regulating portion 190 that functions as a regulating portion.

[0014] The movable device 13 has a movable section 120 having a reflecting section 14, and a pair of drive beams 130a, 130b that sandwich the movable section 120 and support the movable section 120 so that the movable section 120 can swing around the E axis. The movable device 13 also has a pair of support sections 140a, 140b that support the pair of drive beams 130a, 130b, and a base section 70 to which the pair of support sections 140a, 140b are fixed. The reflecting section 14 is formed on a surface on the +Z direction side of the movable section 120, and is an example of a reflecting section that reflects incident light.

[0015] The circuit board 180 is an example of a driving means for driving the movable device 13. The circuit board 180 can include a driving device (driving circuit) for driving the movable device 13, a control device (control circuit) for controlling the driving device, and the like.

[0016] The flexible wiring board 170 is a wiring board that is flexible and has the property of maintaining its electrical characteristics even when deformed, and is an example of an input wiring board that applies voltage from the circuit board 180 to the movable device 13.

[0017] An electrode connection portion 150 is provided on the surface of the support portion 140b of the movable device 13 on the +Z direction side. The electrode connection portion 150 is an example of a voltage input portion for inputting a voltage from the flexible wiring substrate 170 to the piezoelectric drive portions provided on the drive beams 130a and 130b. The electrode connection portion 150 is electrically connected to a wiring-side electrode portion provided at one end of the flexible wiring substrate 170 via a device-side connector 171.

[0018] Furthermore, a wiring-side electrode portion provided at the other end of flexible wiring board 170 is electrically connected to a circuit-side electrode portion 182 provided on circuit board 180 via board-side connector 181. Movable device 13 can swing movable portion 120 around the E-axis by a drive voltage applied from circuit board 180 through flexible wiring board 170, and scan the light reflected by reflecting portion 14 in a direction perpendicular to the E-axis.

[0019] Here, it is preferable to increase the swing angle of the movable part 120 in order to expand the scanning angle of the light reflected by the reflecting part 14. However, if the swing angle of the movable part 120 is increased in a configuration in which the distance between the movable part 120 and the circuit board 180 in the Z direction is short, the movable part 120 may hit the circuit board 180 on the −Z direction side of the movable part 120 when it swings widely, which may limit the swing angle of the movable part 120.

[0020] Therefore, in the embodiment, a base portion 70 is provided between the movable portion 120 and the circuit board 180 to increase the distance h between the movable portion 120 and the circuit board 180 in the Z direction, so that the movable portion 120 does not collide with the circuit board 180 even when the swing angle of the movable portion 120 increases.

[0021] Furthermore, if the distance h between the movable part 120 and the circuit board 180 in the Z direction is long, connecting the electrode connection part 150 of the movable device 13 and the circuit-side electrode part 182 of the circuit board 180 by wire bonding or the like may cause wiring such as wires used for the connection to be easily cut or the connection between the electrodes to be easily separated, which may reduce the stability of the mechanical (bonding) and electrical connection.

[0022] In the embodiment, the movable device 13 and the circuit board 180 are connected via the flexible wiring board 170, and the electrode connection part 150 of the movable device 13 and the wiring side electrode part of the flexible wiring board 170 are connected with an anisotropic conductive resin film sandwiched therebetween, thereby enabling a stable connection between the movable device 13 and the circuit board 180.

[0023] <Configuration example of the movable device 13> Next, the configuration of the movable device 13 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2-1 and 2-2.

[0024] Fig. 2-1 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a movable device 13 of a type with beams supported at both ends that can deflect light in one axial direction. As shown in Fig. 2-1, the movable device 13 has a reflecting section 14 that reflects incident light, a movable section 120 on which the reflecting section 14 is formed, drive beams 130a and 130b, and support sections 140a and 140b. Note that Fig. 2-1 illustrates a rectangular reflecting section 14, but the shape of the reflecting section 14 is not limited to this and may be other shapes such as a circle or an ellipse.

[0025] The drive beams 130a and 130b are an example of a pair of drive beams that sandwich the movable portion 120 and support the movable portion 120 so that the movable portion 120 can swing around an E axis parallel to the X axis. The drive beams 130a and 130b swing the movable portion 120, thereby changing the tilt of the reflecting portion 14 provided on the movable portion 120. The support portions 140a and 140b are an example of a pair of support portions that support the pair of drive beams 130a and 130b. The support portion 140a supports the drive beam 130a, and the support portion 140b supports the drive beam 130b.

[0026] The drive beam 130a is an example of a serpentine beam configured with a meander structure (folded structure) including multiple beam members 133. One end of the drive beam 130a is connected to the outer periphery of the movable part 120, and the other end is connected to the inner periphery of the support part 140a. Piezoelectric drive units 131a to 131d are formed on each of the multiple beam members 133 included in the drive beam 130a. Each of the piezoelectric drive units 131a to 131d is an example of a drive member and can deform the drive beam 130a.

[0027] The drive beam 130b is an example of a serpentine beam configured with a meander structure including multiple beam members 133. One end of the drive beam 130b is connected to the outer periphery of the movable part 120, and the other end is connected to the inner periphery of the support part 140b. Piezoelectric drive units 132a to 132d are formed on each of the multiple beam members 133 included in the drive beam 130b. Each of the piezoelectric drive units 132a to 132d is an example of a drive member, and can deform the drive beam 130b.

[0028] The point where the drive beam 130a is connected to the movable portion 120 and the point where the drive beam 130b is connected to the movable portion 120 are arranged in point symmetry with respect to the center of the reflector 14. Furthermore, the point where the drive beam 130a is connected to the support portion 140a and the point where the drive beam 130b is connected to the support portion 140b are arranged in a positional relationship that is point symmetric with respect to the center of the reflector 14, but they may also be arranged in a positional relationship that is line symmetric with respect to a line that is on a plane parallel to the reflector 14 and perpendicular to the E-axis (i.e., a line parallel to the Y-axis).

[0029] The support portion 140b has an electrode connection portion 150 on its surface (on the +Z direction side) for inputting a voltage from the circuit board 180 (see FIG. 1). The electrode connection portion 150 includes a positive electrode connection portion 150a to which a positive voltage is input, a GND connection portion 150b to which a GND is connected, and a negative electrode connection portion 150c to which a negative voltage is input. The positive electrode connection portion 150a, the GND connection portion 150b, and the negative electrode connection portion 150c are an example of a plurality of voltage input portions arranged in a direction intersecting the E axis (Y direction). The positive electrode connection portion 150a, the GND connection portion 150b, and the negative electrode connection portion 150c are arranged along the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of each of the plurality of beam members 133 constituting the actuation beam 130a or the actuation beam 130b.

[0030] At least one wiring 123 is provided on the surface (+Z direction side) of the movable section 120 in an area other than the reflector 14 and on the surfaces (+Z direction side) of the actuation beams 130a and 130b. When there are multiple wirings 123 provided on the surface of the movable section 120 in an area other than the reflector 14, they are preferably provided so as to surround the reflector 14. This configuration can suppress weight imbalance. The piezoelectric actuation sections 131a to 131d provided on the actuation beam 130a are electrically connected to the electrode connection section 150 provided on the support section 140b by the wiring 123 passing over the surface of the movable section 120. The wiring 123 conducts a voltage input from the electrode connection section 150 to each of the piezoelectric actuation sections 132a to 132d, and also conducts the voltage over the surface of the movable section 120 to each of the piezoelectric actuation sections 131a to 131d. The drive voltage input from the electrode connection portion 150 is applied to both the drive beams 130a and 130b via the wiring 123.

[0031] The wiring 123 includes a positive voltage conductor 123a that conducts a positive voltage, a GND conductor 123b that is connected to GND, and a negative voltage conductor 123c that conducts a negative voltage. The positive voltage conductor 123a is connected to the positive electrode connection portion 150a, the GND conductor 123b is connected to the GND connection portion 150b, and the negative voltage conductor 123c is connected to the negative electrode connection portion 150c.

[0032] Furthermore, between the support portions 140a and 140b, light passing regions 16 and 17, which are open regions free of obstacles such as supports, are provided on both sides of the movable portion 120 along the Y direction in the figure. The light passing regions 16 and 17 are portions that allow light reflected by the reflector 14 to pass when the movable portion 120 swings. The light passing regions 16 and 17 may be voids with no component present, or may include a component such as glass that transmits light in at least a portion of the void. The light passing regions 16 and 17 may be tapered, with their widths along the E axis increasing with increasing distance from the E axis.

[0033] 2-2 shows an example of the configuration of the movable device 13 in which the support portion 140a and the support portion 140b are integrated and the support portion has a frame-like shape that surrounds the movable portion 120. If the light scanned by the rotational vibration of the reflecting portion 14 does not hit the support portion 140, or if the impact of the light hitting the support portion 140 is not a concern, the support portion can be made frame-shaped. Making the support portion frame-shaped has the advantage of facilitating handling after the semiconductor wafer is diced into individual pieces, and also facilitating the work of adhering the support portion 140 to the base portion 70.

[0034] Furthermore, since wiring can be arranged on the frame-shaped support portion 140, it is possible to supply voltage from the electrode pads 150 to the piezoelectric drivers 131a to 131d without having to arrange wiring around the mirror of the reflecting portion .

[0035] The movable device 13 is formed by etching a single SOI (Silicon On Insulator) substrate and forming the reflecting section 14, actuation beam 130, electrode connection section 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.

[0036] <Configuration example of base part 70> Next, the configuration of the base 70 of the movable device 13 will be described. Fig. 3-1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the base 70. As shown in Fig. 3-1, the base 70 has side wall members 71a and 71b and a bottom member 72. The base 70 also has light passing portions 73 and 74 that allow light reflected by the reflecting portion 14 to pass through.

[0037] Sidewall member 71a is a member whose cross section perpendicular to the Z axis is U-shaped, and is fixed by adhesive or the like to the +Z side surface of bottom member 72, which is a plate-shaped member, with the open side of the U-shape facing the +X direction. Sidewall member 71b is also a member whose cross section perpendicular to the Z axis is U-shaped, and is fixed by adhesive or the like to the +Z side surface of bottom member 72, with the open side of the U-shape facing the -X direction.

[0038] The lower restricting portions 71c and 71d are disposed below the movable device 13 (in the -Z direction) and are made of the same material as the sidewall members 71a and 71b. As shown in FIG. 3-1, the lower restricting portions 71c and 71d are connected to portions of the sidewall members 71a and 71b, extend in a direction parallel to the rotation axis E of the movable device 13, and are disposed below the drive beams 130a and 130b. The lower restricting portions 71c and 71d are not present below the reflecting portion 14 so that the movable device 13 and the lower restricting portions 71c and 71d do not come into contact with each other when the movable device 13 rotates and vibrates. The drive beams 130a and 130b of the movable device 13 integrate deformation amounts due to their folded structure (meandering structure) to oscillate the reflecting portion 14, and therefore the displacement of the drive beams 130a and 130b in the Z direction increases from the support portion 140 toward the reflecting portion 14. Therefore, to prevent contact between the drive beams 130a, 130b of the movable device 13 and the lower regulating portions 71c, 71d, the movable device 13 is inclined so that its height in the Z direction decreases from the support portion 140 toward the lower portion of the reflecting portion 14.

[0039] The lower restricting portions 71c' and 71d' in FIG. 3-2 have sides that connect to the side wall members 71a and 71b and are thicker than the ends on the reflecting portion 14 side.

[0040] Furthermore, the lengths of the sides of the lower restricting portions 71c'', 71d'' in FIG. 3-3 that connect to the side wall members 71a and 71b are asymmetric in the Y-axis direction around the axis of rotation of the reflecting portion 14.

[0041] The lower regulating members 71c'', 71d'' in Figure 3-3, which correspond to the positions of the parts where the drive beams 130a, 130b of the movable device 13 shown in Figure 2-1 connect to the support parts 140a, 140b, reach the corners of the side wall members 71a and 71b of the base in the Y-axis direction.

[0042] However, the sidewall members 71a, 71b and the bottom member 72 may be an integrated member. When a metal-based material is used, such a member can be manufactured by casting, cutting, metal injection molding, or the like. When a resin-based material is used, such a member can be manufactured by injection molding, a 3D printer, or the like. The sidewall members 71a, 71b can fix the support portions 140a, 140b on their +Z side surfaces.

[0043] Light passing portions 73 and 74 are spaces formed by arranging side wall members 71a and 71b at an interval in the X direction. Light passing portion 73 is formed on the -Y side of pedestal portion 70, and light passing portion 74 is formed on the +Y side of pedestal portion 70.

[0044] The light passing portions 73 and 74 may be voids with no material present, or may include a material such as glass that transmits light in at least a portion of the void. The light passing portions 73 and 74 may also be tapered so that the width along the X-axis increases with increasing distance from the X-axis.

[0045] Here, Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing another example of the configuration of the base portion 70. As shown in Fig. 4, the side wall members 71a, 71b may be integrated with a lower restricting portion 71c. In this case, as shown in Fig. 4, the height (Z) of the lower restricting portion 71c is smallest at the bottom of the reflecting portion 14 of the movable device 13 and is inclined so that the height in the Z direction decreases from the support portion 140 of the movable device 13 toward the bottom of the reflecting portion 14, so that the movable device 13 does not come into contact with the lower restricting portion 71c when the movable device 13 rotates and vibrates.

[0046] The lower regulating portions 71c, 71d do not come into contact with each other when the movable device 13 is in a swinging or stationary state, but when acceleration due to the drop or impact is applied, even if the drive beams 130a, 130b of the movable device 13 are stretched, the lower regulating portions 71c, 71d do not displace the reflecting portions 14 of the drive beams 130a, 130b beyond the breaking limit, thereby preventing damage.

[0047] Furthermore, by sloping the lower restricting portions 71c, 71d so that their height in the Z direction decreases from the support portion 140 toward the lower portion of the reflecting portion 14, it is possible to shorten the interval between the time when the drive beams 130a, 130b of the movable device 13 start to contact the lower restricting portions 71c, 71d and the time when the drive beams 130a, 130b or the reflecting portion 14 come into contact with the lower restricting portions 71c, 71d when the drive beams 130a, 130b are stretched and the drive beams 130a, 130b or the reflecting portion 14 come into contact with the lower restricting portions 71c, 71d. In other words, there are no parts where stress is concentrated due to local stretching in parts of the drive beams 130a, 130b or the reflecting portion 14, which has the effect of eliminating specific fragile parts.

[0048] 3-2 and the lower restricting portion 71c' in Fig. 4-2 have sides that connect to the side wall members 71a and 71b that are thicker than the central portion located on the reflecting portion 14 side, and this shortens the time between when the drive beams 130a, 130b of the movable device 13 start to contact the lower restricting portion 71c' or 71d' and when the drive beams 130a, 130b or the reflecting portion 14 come into contact with the lower restricting portion 71c' or 71d'. In other words, there are no parts where stress is concentrated due to localized stretching in parts of the drive beams 130a, 130b or the reflecting portion 14, which has the effect of eliminating specific fragile parts.

[0049] Furthermore, with regard to the lower regulating portions 71c", 71d" in Figure 3-3 and the lower regulating portion 71c" in Figure 4-3, the movable device 13 shown in Figure 2-1 has an issue in that the parts where the drive beams 130a, 130b connect to the support parts 140a, 140b are prone to stress concentration and breakage. However, by positioning the lower regulating members 71c", 71d" near the drive beams 130a, 130b in correspondence with the positions prone to breakage, there is an effect of preventing breakage at the parts where the drive beams connect to the support parts, which were previously prone to breakage.

[0050] Furthermore, in the structure shown in Figure 4, when acceleration due to an impact is applied, the displacement of the mirror surface 14 in the Z-direction is smaller than in the structure shown in Figure 3-1, and furthermore, the mirror surface 14 is not accelerated and collides with the base portion 70, which particularly prevents damage to the mirror surface 14 and to the connections between the mirror surface 14 and the drive beams 130a, 130b.

[0051] <Configuration Example of Flexible Wiring Board 170> Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the flexible wiring board 170. Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of the connecting portion between the movable device 13 and the flexible wiring board 170.

[0052] 5, the optical deflector 100 includes a movable device 13, a flexible wiring board 170, and an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) 30. The movable device 13 and the flexible wiring board 170 are connected with the anisotropic conductive film 30, which is an example of an anisotropic conductive resin film, sandwiched therebetween.

[0053] Anisotropic conductive resin films are made by dispersing a large number of conductive particles inside a resin with properties such as thermosetting or UV-curing. When heated and compressed, anisotropic conductive resin films exhibit electrical anisotropy, exhibiting conductivity in the thickness direction of the compressed area while exhibiting insulation in the surface direction of the compressed area. This makes it easy to achieve electrical connection at the same time as mechanical connection (joining). There are two types of anisotropic resin films: film-like anisotropic conductive film (ACF) and paste-like anisotropic conductive paste (ACP).

[0054] The support part 140b of the movable device 13 is provided with an electrode connection part (land part) 150 for electrical connection with the flexible wiring board 170. The flexible wiring board 170 is configured to include a base film 21, a plurality of conductor wirings 22 provided on the back surface of the base film 21, and a cover film 23 that covers the conductor wirings 22. One end of the conductor wirings 22 that is not covered by the cover film 23 forms a wiring-side electrode part 24 that is connected to the electrode connection part 150 of the movable device 13.

[0055] The anisotropic conductive film 30 can achieve stable conductivity over a long period of time by being large enough to cover all of the electrode connection portions 150 and all of the terminal portions of the flexible wiring substrate 170. Furthermore, by making the length equal to or greater than the width of the flexible wiring substrate 170, the bonding strength can be improved.

[0056] The electrode connection section 150 and the wiring-side electrode section 24 are arranged opposite each other, and an anisotropic conductive film 30 is sandwiched between the two electrode sections and heat-pressed to form an electrical connection between the movable device 13 and the flexible wiring board 170. The other end of the flexible wiring board 170 is connected to an electrode of the circuit board 180.

[0057] In this embodiment, an example of connection between the movable device 13 and the flexible wiring board 170 using a film-like anisotropic conductive film 30 has been shown, but a paste-like anisotropic conductive paste (ACP) may also be used. Because ACF and ACP have electrical anisotropy, by using them, the distance between the electrodes of the movable device 13 can be narrowed to, for example, about 20 μm. Furthermore, narrowing the distance between the electrodes allows the movable device 13 and the flexible wiring board 170 to be made smaller, which contributes to miniaturization of the optical deflector 100.

[0058] <Configuration example of upper regulating portion 190> Next, the upper regulating portion 190 provided in the optical deflector 100 will be described.

[0059] 1, the upper restricting portion 190 is formed by extending a portion of the flexible wiring substrate 170. One end of the upper restricting portion 190 is bonded to an electrode (first connection portion) of the support portion 140a of the movable device 13 by ACF (anisotropic conductive resin), and the other end is bonded to an electrode (second connection portion) of the support portion 140b of the movable device 13 by ACF (anisotropic conductive resin). The upper restricting portion 190 is disposed on the rotation axis of the movable portion of the movable device 13, along the rotation axis. Furthermore, the upper restricting portion 190 is bent convexly upward (Z+ direction), which is the direction in which the reflecting portion 14 reflects light, so that the drive beams 130a, 130b and the reflecting portion 14 do not come into contact with each other even when the movable device 13 swings.

[0060] In FIG. 2-2, since the support portion 140 is frame-shaped, the support portion 140a and the support portion 140b represent the same (continuous) support member.

[0061] Upper regulating portion 190 is formed by extending a portion of flexible wiring board 170, and can be joined to movable device 13 in the process of joining the flexible wiring board to electrode connection portion 150 of support portion 140b. However, upper regulating portion 190 does not necessarily have to be formed by extending a portion of flexible wiring board 170, and flexible wiring board 170 and upper regulating portion 190 may be separate members.

[0062] <Effect of the upper regulating portion 190> When a strong impact is applied to the optical deflector 100, a large acceleration is applied, causing the drive beams 130a, 130b and the reflecting portion 14 of the movable device 13 to tend to displace significantly more than the amplitude of normal rotational vibration. The upper restricting portion 190 restricts the amount of displacement of the drive beams 130a, 130b and the reflecting portion 14 in the Z+ direction, thereby keeping the displacement of the drive beams 130a, 130b below the breaking limit. By providing the upper restricting portion 190 in this manner, damage to the mirror surface 14 and the drive beams 130a, 130b, as well as damage to the connections between the mirror surface 14 and the drive beams 130a, 130b, in particular, can be prevented, thereby increasing impact resistance in the Z+ direction.

[0063] Furthermore, since the material of the upper regulating portion 190 is flexible, even if the reflecting portion 14 of the movable device 13 hits the upper regulating portion 190 due to the reaction of the impact, the shape of the upper regulating portion 190 is restored and can be maintained.

[0064] As described above, according to this embodiment, when acceleration due to an impact is applied, the upper limiting portion 190 is provided parallel to the rotation axis of the movable portion 120 of the optical deflector 100, and the upper limiting portion 190 limits the amount of displacement of the movable portion 120 of the optical deflector 100 and the pair of drive beams 130a, 130b in the Z+ direction to less than the breaking limit, thereby preventing the movable portion 120 and the pair of drive beams 130a, 130b from popping out and increasing the impact resistance in the Z+ direction. In other words, it is possible to prevent the optical deflector 100 from being damaged.

[0065] (Variation) Here, Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a modified example of the overall configuration of the optical deflector 100 according to the first embodiment. The shape of the upper restricting portion 190 shown in Fig. 6 has a minimum width at the portion located above the reflecting portion 14 in a plan view (XY). More specifically, the shape of the upper restricting portion 190 has a minimum width over the entire upper portion of the reflecting portion 14. Furthermore, the shape of the upper restricting portion 190 functioning as a restricting portion shown in Fig. 6 has a maximum width at the joint portion.

[0066] Such an upper regulating portion 190 has the smallest width at the portion located above the reflecting portion 14, thereby reducing the portion blocking the optical path of the optical deflector 100, and the wide width of the joint portion allows the adhesive strength to be maintained.

[0067] Therefore, by providing such an upper restricting portion 190, even if the reflecting portion 14 hits the upper restricting portion 190 due to a collision, the upper restricting portion 190 will not come off at the electrode connecting portion 150, and the impact resistance of the movable device 13 will be increased.

[0068] In this embodiment, the configuration has been shown in which the pair of drive beams 130a, 130b are provided to sandwich the movable part 120 having the reflecting part 14, and the upper restricting part restricts the drive beams 130a, 130b from protruding, but the number of drive beams is not limited to two. For example, a similar configuration can be adopted for a so-called vector scan type optical deflector having three or more drive beams that sandwich the movable part 120 having the reflecting part 14 from three or more directions.

[0069] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described.

[0070] In the first embodiment, the upper regulating portion is realized by a flexible wiring board, but in the second embodiment, the upper regulating portion is realized by wire bonding, which is a difference. In the following description of the second embodiment, the description of the same parts as in the first embodiment will be omitted, and only the parts that are different from the first embodiment will be described.

[0071] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the optical deflector 100 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the optical deflector 100 includes an upper restricting portion 191 that functions as a restricting portion. The upper restricting portion 191 is wire-bonded to the electrode connecting portions 150 on the support portions 140a and 140b of the movable device 13 by a ball bonding method. The upper restricting portion 191 is made of metal, such as gold or aluminum. The upper restricting portion 191 is bent convexly upward (in the Z+ direction), which is the direction in which the reflecting portion 14 reflects light, so as not to come into contact with the reflecting portion 14 even when the movable portion 120 having the reflecting portion 14 swings.

[0072] Furthermore, by utilizing the fact that the upper restricting portion 191 of this embodiment is made of a conductor, the support portion 140a and the support portion 140b of the movable device 13 can be electrically connected.

[0073] Specifically, the upper restricting portion 191 is used as a ground line (GND). Conventionally, when the support portions 140a, 140b are not frame-shaped as shown in Fig. 1, the ground line (GND) and signal lines have to be wired around the reflecting portion 14. Therefore, by using the upper restricting portion 191 of this embodiment as a ground line (GND), the wiring around the reflecting portion 14 can be reduced.

[0074] Incidentally, even when the upper regulating portion 190 described in the first embodiment is formed of a flexible wiring board, it can be electrically joined by ACF joining to the electrode connecting portion 150, and the supporting portion 140a and the supporting portion 140b of the movable device 13 can be electrically connected. When connected by a flexible wiring board in this way, multiple wires can be electrically connected from the supporting portion 140a of the movable device 13 to the other supporting portion 140b, and therefore can be used not only as ground wiring (GND) but also as signal wiring.

[0075] Furthermore, the upper restricting portion 191 is a conductor and can electrically connect the support portions 140a and 140b of the movable device 13, so that a circuit can be formed. Such a circuit can also detect if the upper restricting portion 191 becomes detached from the support portions 140a and 140b or if the upper restricting portion 191 becomes disconnected. This circuit function allows the movable device 13 to continue operating normally while notifying the user of the abnormality, even if the upper restricting portion 191, which has a breakage prevention function, becomes detached from the support portions 140a and 140b or if the upper restricting portion 191 becomes disconnected.

[0076] Thus, according to this embodiment, by realizing the upper regulating portion 191 by wire bonding using ball bonds, it becomes easier to create a loop shape so that the upper regulating portion 191 does not come into contact with the drive beams 130a, 130b and the reflecting portion 14 when the movable device 13 is operating normally.

[0077] (Variation) Here, Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the overall configuration of the optical deflector 100 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, the wire bonding may be a wedge bond method. When the wedge bond method is applied, the rising angle of the upper regulating portion 191 from the electrode connecting portion 150 can be made lower than that of the ball bond.

[0078] Therefore, when the upper regulating portion 191 is realized by wire bonding, when determining the loop height of the upper regulating portion 191 so that the reflecting portion 14 does not hit the upper regulating portion 191 depending on the amplitude of the rotational vibration of the reflecting portion 14 of the movable device 13, it is sufficient to appropriately select either the ball bond method or the wedge bond method as the wire bonding method.

[0079] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described.

[0080] In the second embodiment, the upper regulating portion is realized by a single wire bonding, but in the third embodiment, the upper regulating portion is realized by a plurality of wire bonding, which is a difference. In the following description of the third embodiment, the description of the same parts as in the first or second embodiment will be omitted, and only the parts that are different from the first or second embodiment will be described.

[0081] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an optical deflector 100 according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the optical deflector 100 includes upper regulating portions 193 that function as regulating portions. There are two upper regulating portions 193. The upper regulating portions 193 are wire-bonded by ball bonding to electrode connecting portions 150 provided on support portions 140a and 140b of the movable device 13 of the optical deflector 100 in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the movable device 13, and the upper regulating portions 193 are arranged parallel to the rotation axis of the movable device 13 of the optical deflector. In this embodiment, two upper regulating portions 193 are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to the rotation axis of the reflecting portion 14. The upper regulating portions 193 are arranged above a part of the reflecting portion 14 in a plan view.

[0082] Thus, according to this embodiment, the presence of multiple upper regulating portions 193 has the effect of reliably preventing the drive beams 130a, 130b and reflecting portion 14 of the movable device 13 from flying out when an impact is applied.

[0083] In this embodiment, there are two upper restricting portions 193, but this is not limitative and there may be more than two upper restricting portions.

[0084] (Variation) Here, Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the overall configuration of the optical deflector 100 according to the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, the wire bonding may be a wedge bond method. As shown in Fig. 10, the presence of a plurality of upper regulating portions 193 using the wedge bond method has the effect of reliably preventing the drive beams 130a, 130b and the reflecting portion 14 of the movable device 13 from popping out when an impact is applied.

[0085] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described.

[0086] The fourth embodiment is the same as the third embodiment in that the upper regulating portion is realized by bonding multiple wires, but the installation position of the upper regulating portion is different. In the following description of the fourth embodiment, the description of the same parts as the first to third embodiments will be omitted, and only the parts that are different from the first to third embodiments will be described.

[0087] 11-1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an optical deflector 100 according to the fourth embodiment, FIG. 11-2 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the overall configuration of the optical deflector, and FIG. 12 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the movable device 13. As shown in FIGS. 11-1, 11-2, and 12, the optical deflector 100 includes an upper regulating portion 194 that functions as a regulating portion.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 11-1, the base 70 has sidewall members 71a and 71b, and light passing portions 73 and 74 that pass light reflected by the reflecting portion 14. In addition, the support portions 140a and 140b of the movable device 13 also have X-axis direction extension portions 140c and 140d. The X-axis direction extension portions 140c and 140d are parallel to the rotation axis about which the reflecting portion 14 of the movable device 13 rotates and vibrates, and are perpendicular to the electrode connection portion 150 for connecting to the flexible wiring board 170, and correspond to the shapes of the sidewall members 71a and 71b of the base 70. Therefore, the X-axis direction extension portions 140c and 140d do not cover the light passing portions 73 and 74 that are provided to pass light reflected by the reflecting portion 14.

[0089] 11-1, the upper regulating portion 194 is joined by wire bonding using a ball bonding method to an electrode connecting portion 150 provided on an extending portion of the support portions 140a and 140b of the movable device 13 of the optical deflector 100 in a horizontal direction with respect to the rotation axis of the movable device 13. The upper regulating portion 194 is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the movable device 13 of the optical deflector 100.

[0090] The drive beams 130a, 130b of the movable device 13 have a folded structure (meander structure). The upper regulating portion 194 is disposed so as to straddle the drive beams 130a, 130b. More specifically, the upper regulating portion 194 is disposed above (Z+) the folded portion of the meander structure. In this embodiment, the folded portion of the meander structure closest to the reflecting portion 14 is called the first folded portion, and the second closest folded portion is called the second folded portion. The upper regulating portion 194 is disposed on a straight line connecting the midpoint of the first folded portion and the midpoint of the second folded portion.

[0091] Furthermore, two upper restricting portions 194 are arranged so as to be symmetrical about a line perpendicular to the rotation axis passing through the center of the reflecting portion 14. The upper restricting portion 194 is arranged so as to straddle the drive beams 130a, 130b of the movable device 13 but not over the reflecting portion 14, and has a shape that is convex upward (Z+ direction), which is the direction in which the reflecting portion 14 reflects light, so as not to come into contact with the drive beams 130a, 130b even when the movable device 13 is rotationally vibrating. Therefore, the upper restricting portion 194 is outside the optical path of the optical deflector 100 and does not block light.

[0092] In this embodiment, the upper restricting portion 194 is made of metal. The upper restricting portion 194 is made of, for example, gold or aluminum. The upper restricting portion 194 is not limited to a wire-bonded metal, and may be a flexible wiring board. The upper restricting portion 194 may also be bonded with an adhesive.

[0093] 12, the drive beams 130a, 130b of the movable device 13 have a folded structure (meander structure). In the folded structure (meander structure), the drive beams 130a, 130b of the movable device 13 accumulate deformation amounts to oscillate the reflecting unit 14. Therefore, the displacement amount of the drive beams 130a, 130b in the Z direction increases from the support unit 140 toward the reflecting unit 14. Therefore, the upper restricting portion 194 has a shape having a convex loop in the upward direction (Z+ direction), which is the direction in which the reflecting unit 14 reflects light, so that the drive beams 130a, 130b of the movable device 13 do not come into contact with the upper restricting portion 195.

[0094] 11-2 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the overall configuration of the optical deflector 100 according to the fourth embodiment. Although FIG. 11-2 is a schematic view, the number of upper regulating portions 194′ functioning as regulating portions is equal to the number of folds in the fold structure (meander structure) of the drive beams 130a, 130b of the movable device 13.

[0095] When acceleration due to a drop or impact is applied to the movable device 13, the drive beams 130a, 130b of the movable device 13 are stretched to a greater extent than the amplitude of the rotational vibration. This is particularly true for a folded structure (meander structure). However, as shown in FIG. 12, by providing the upper stopper 194 approximately in the center of the folded structure (meander structure), the drive beams 130a, 130b can be prevented from being stretched beyond their breaking limit. Furthermore, by locating the upper stopper 194 above the folded portion (Z+) of the meander structure, even if an impact is applied to the movable device 13, the drive beams 130a, 130b can be prevented from being stretched beyond their breaking limit by reliably hitting the upper stopper 194.

[0096] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent damage to the drive beams 130a and 130b of the movable device 13 and the reflecting portion 14, and it is possible to reliably improve the impact resistance of the movable device 13.

[0097] Conventional optical deflector element packages have a light-transmitting lid that prevents the movable part and drive beams from protruding too far, but this could not be used in MEMS devices that scan at wide angles due to the issue of vignetting. Upper limiting portion 194 prevents drive beams 130a, 130b of optical deflector 100, which is a MEMS device, from extending and protruding too far, improving the impact resistance of movable device 13 while not blocking light, and therefore preventing degradation of the irradiation pattern when optical deflector 100 is applied to a projector, for example.

[0098] 3-1 and 4, if the base 70 has the lower restricting portion 71c and the support portions 140a, 140b have the upper restricting portions 194, the drive beams 130a, 130b can be reliably prevented from being stretched beyond their breaking limit in the Z direction when an impact is applied to the movable device 13, thereby improving impact resistance. Note that in the X and Y directions, the support portions 140a, 140b are on the same plane as the drive beams 130a, 130b on the movable device 13, so the support portions 140a, 140b act as displacement restricting portions, and the drive beams 130a, 130b are not stretched beyond their breaking limit in the Z direction when an impact is applied.

[0099] In this embodiment, one upper regulating portion 194 is provided on each of the support portions 140a and 140b, but this is not limited thereto, and two or more upper regulating portions 194 may be provided on each of the support portions 140a and 140b.

[0100] (Variation) Here, Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the overall configuration of the optical deflector 100 according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 13, the wire bonding may be a wedge bond method. As shown in Fig. 13, by providing an upper restricting portion 195 that functions as a restricting portion using the wedge bond method, it is possible to prevent damage to the drive beams 130a, 130b and the reflecting portion 14 of the movable device 13, and it is possible to reliably improve the impact resistance of the movable device 13.

[0101] As a wire bonding method, the ball bonding method has the advantage that it is easier to form a sufficient loop above (Z+) than the wedge bonding method. When determining the loop height of the upper regulating portion 195 so that the meandering drive beams 130a, 130b do not hit the upper regulating portion according to the amplitude of the rotational vibration of the reflecting portion 14 of the movable device 13, it is only necessary to appropriately select either the ball bonding method or the wedge bonding method as the wire bonding method.

[0102] In this embodiment, the movable device 13 is described as being a type of movable device with supported beams at both ends that can deflect light in one axis direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 14 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a movable device 13' with supported beams at both ends that can deflect light in two axes directions. The upper limiting member 196 provided in the movable device 13' shown in FIG. 14 is disposed substantially parallel to the meandering drive beams 130a and 130b and is located outside the optical path of the optical deflector 100. The upper limiting member 196, which functions as a limiting member, improves the impact resistance of the movable device 13' and does not block light, so that when the optical deflector 100 is applied to a projector, for example, it has the effect of not degrading the image.

[0103] Furthermore, the upper regulating member 196 may be disposed on a straight line connecting the midpoints of a plurality of folded portions (for example, the midpoint of the first folded portion and the midpoint of the second folded portion) in the meander structure as shown in FIG.

[0104] (Fifth embodiment) Next, a fifth embodiment will be described.

[0105] The fifth embodiment differs from the first to fourth embodiments in that the upper regulating portion has a lid-like shape. In the following description of the fifth embodiment, the description of the same parts as the first to fourth embodiments will be omitted, and only the parts that differ from the first to fourth embodiments will be described.

[0106] 15 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an optical deflector 100 according to the fifth embodiment, FIG. 16 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a movable device 13, and FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the optical deflector 100.

[0107] 15 to 17, the optical deflector 100 includes an upper restricting portion 197 that functions as a restricting portion. The upper restricting portion 197 is disposed so as to cover the meandering drive beams 130a and 130b of the optical deflector 100.

[0108] The upper regulating portion 197 has a lid-like shape with the YZ plane resembling an inverted concave character, and is adhered to the support portions 140a and 140b of the movable device 13 so that it does not come into contact with the drive beams 130a and 130b and the reflecting portion 14 even when the movable device 13 swings.

[0109] Additionally, the upper restricting portion 197 has a protrusion 197a that covers a part of the reflecting portion 14. This protrusion 197a presses the outer frame of the reflecting portion 14 to prevent the reflecting portion 14 from popping out.

[0110] The protrusion 197a is positioned above the part where the reflecting part 14 and the movable part 130a or 130b are connected, in a position symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis E of the movable device 13, thereby preventing the reflecting part 14 from protruding.

[0111] In the optical deflector 100 of this embodiment, the upper regulating portion 197 is not present in the portion corresponding to the light transmitting portion centered on the reflecting portion 14, but a part of the upper regulating portion 197 may be formed of a light transmitting material, for example, resin or glass. When the light transmitting portion is formed of resin or glass, a semi-cylindrical shape having a curvature concentric with the rotation center of the reflecting portion 14 of the movable device 13 is preferable because it allows light to be transmitted uniformly.

[0112] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reliably prevent the drive beams 130a, 130b and the reflecting portion 14 of the movable device 13 from flying out when an impact is applied. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the upper stop portion 197 does not deteriorate due to deformation, breakage, or the like. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the upper stop portion 197 only blocks a part of the optical path of the optical deflector 100, so there is no significant deterioration in the amount of light.

[0113] (Variation) 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the overall configuration of the optical deflector 100 according to the fifth embodiment. The optical deflector 100 shown in Fig. 18 has a flat upper restricting portion 198 that functions as a restricting portion and is disposed so as to cover the drive beams 130a and 130b having a meander structure (folded structure).

[0114] The base portion 70 has two steps in height, a step portion 75 and a step portion 76. The movable device 13 is joined to the lower step portion 75 on the inside of the base portion 70. The upper limiting portion 198 is joined to the higher step portion 76 on the outside of the base portion 70. The step portion 75 of the base portion 70 restricts the height so that the meandering structure (folded structure) drive beams 130a, 130b and the reflecting portion 14 do not come into contact with the upper limiting portion 198 even when the movable device 13 rotationally vibrates.

[0115] The upper restricting portion 198 is joined to a connecting portion that is part of the base portion 70, and the connecting portion is a single (continuous) frame-shaped support member. However, the connecting portion is not limited to the single support member, and may be separate support members.

[0116] In this embodiment, a part of the upper restricting portion 198 is disposed so as to overlap a part directly above the rotation axis of the reflecting portion 14. A part of the upper restricting portion 198 may be disposed above the connection portion between the reflecting portion 14 and the meandering structure (folded structure) drive beams 130a, 130b.

[0117] As described above, according to this embodiment, the drive beams 130a, 130b of the movable device 13 are reliably prevented from flying out when an impact is applied, and further, damage to the connection between the reflector 14 and the meandering structure (folded structure) drive beams 130a, 130b can be prevented by a part of the reflector 14 hitting the upper stopper 198. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the upper stopper 198 only blocks a part of the optical path of the optical deflector 100, so no significant deterioration in the amount of light occurs.

[0118] (Sixth embodiment) Next, a sixth embodiment will be described.

[0119] In the sixth embodiment, the optical deflector 100 of the first to fifth embodiments is applied to a spectroscope. In the following description of the sixth embodiment, the description of the same parts as those of the first to fifth embodiments will be omitted, and only the parts that differ from the first to fifth embodiments will be described.

[0120] <System configuration> 19 is a diagram showing the system configuration of a spectrometer system 300 according to the sixth embodiment. In Fig. 19, the spectrometer system 300 includes a spectrometer 302, which is an analytical device including an optical deflector 100, and a handheld device 310. Note that the spectrometer system 300 may include one spectrometer 302 for one handheld device 310, or may include multiple spectrometers 302 for one handheld device 310.

[0121] The spectrometer 302 includes a processor 306 that processes an output including the light intensity provided over time from the photodetector 214 (see FIG. 20-1 ) included in the infrared spectroscopic analysis unit 320. The communication circuit 304 outputs information relating the output including the light intensity and the time of the optical spectrum processed by the processor 306 to the outside.

[0122] The handheld device 310 includes an interface 314 and a processor 316. Note that a portable device such as a mobile phone or a smartphone can be used as the handheld device 310. The handheld device 310 may also have a camera function.

[0123] The processor 316 converts time into wavelength of light based on information relating the time of the optical spectrum processed by the processor 306 of the spectrometer 302 and the output including the light intensity, and the vibration frequency of the movable mirror of the spectrometer 302, to obtain spectroscopic information consisting of the relationship between the light intensity for each wavelength of light.

[0124] The display 312 displays information on the spectrum of light reflected by the sample 108 measured by the spectrometer 302 and analysis results such as the composition determination results of the sample 108 .

[0125] In this spectrometer system 300, the spectrometer 302 transmits data to the handheld device 310 via a communication circuit 304 using wireless serial communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The handheld device 310 receives the data from the spectrometer 302 and processes and analyzes it using a processor 316. The analysis results, such as optical spectrum information and composition determination results, are then displayed on a display 312.

[0126] <Detailed configuration of the spectrometer> Here, Fig. 20-1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the spectroscope 302, and Fig. 20-2 is a diagram showing a frame 209 of the spectroscope 302. As shown in Fig. 20-1, the spectroscope 302 includes a light source 216 and a processing unit 215a.

[0127] The light source 216 irradiates the sample 308 or the like that is the subject of spectroscopic analysis with light in a desired wavelength range. For example, the light source 216 is an LED (light emitting diode) or a halogen lamp. The light source 216 is disposed outside the outer frame 210. A light source that irradiates the subject of spectroscopic analysis with light in an appropriate wavelength range is selected and disposed as the light source 216.

[0128] The processing unit 215a performs calculations to obtain the optical spectrum based on the electrical signal input from the photodetector 214. The processing unit 215a also controls the movable device 13 of the optical deflector 100 to emit light of a desired wavelength to the photodetector 214, and further controls the irradiation of light by the light source 216, for example, the intensity of the light.

[0129] Spectrometer 302 also has entrance slit 201, concave diffraction grating 202, movable device 13, and exit slit 204. The dotted lines in the figure indicate a portion of the light beam that enters spectrometer 302, is reflected and exits inside spectrometer 302, and exits photodetector 214.

[0130] Entrance slit 201 is a narrow rectangular opening that guides light incident from tapered hole 212 in outer frame 210 into frame 209. The width of the opening in the short direction of entrance slit 201 is, for example, several tens to several hundreds of μm. Entrance slit 201 is formed by providing a rectangular through-hole in a metal substrate such as nickel. However, the material of the substrate is not limited to metal and may be a semiconductor, resin, or the like. Furthermore, entrance slit 201 is not limited to a rectangular opening and may be a circular pinhole or the like. Light that enters spectrometer 302 from entrance slit 201 enters concave diffraction grating 202.

[0131] The concave diffraction grating 202 is an optical element in which evenly spaced thin lines are formed on the surface of a metal concave mirror. However, the material of the base material of the concave diffraction grating 202 is not limited to metal, and may be semiconductor, glass, resin, etc. Furthermore, the thin lines in the concave diffraction grating 202 may be formed directly on the base material, or may be formed on a thin layer of resin or the like formed on the base material. The concave diffraction grating 202 has a light dispersion function by the diffraction grating and a light focusing function by the concave mirror. Light incident on the concave diffraction grating 202 is diffracted and dispersed by the concave diffraction grating 202, and is focused toward the movable device 13. Note that light dispersion refers to the phenomenon in which incident light is separated into individual wavelengths.

[0132] The movable device 13 is, for example, a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) mirror in which a movable part provided with a mirror part is integrally formed on a substrate with an elastic beam part as a connecting part. The mirror part reflects incident light. The movable part is rotated by the elastic motion of the elastic beam part, and the mirror surface provided on the movable part rotates accordingly.

[0133] 12 reflects the light dispersed by the concave diffraction grating 202 toward the exit slit 204. The reflection angle of the reflected light can be changed by rotating the movable part 207 having a mirror.

[0134] The exit slit 204 is a narrow rectangular opening, and acts as an opening for allowing the dispersed light to exit the spectroscope 302. The material and shape of the exit slit 204 can be the same as those of the entrance slit 201.

[0135] Exit slit 204 is placed at the imaging position of the light dispersed by concave diffraction grating 202. The imaging position of the light dispersed by concave diffraction grating 202 shifts laterally depending on the wavelength. Therefore, by changing the reflection angle using movable device 13 and changing the wavelength of the light passing through exit slit 204, it is possible to selectively emit light of a desired wavelength from the dispersed light to photodetector 214. Photodetector 214 is a photoelectric conversion element such as a photodiode, and outputs light information as an electrical signal for spectroscopic analysis, etc.

[0136] Here, the positional relationship between the frame 209 and the movable device 13 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 20-1 and 20-2.

[0137] The spectrometer 302 has a frame 209. As shown in FIGS. 20-1 and 20-2, the frame 209 is a rectangular column with a polygonal cross section and a hollow structure. The material of the frame 209 is not particularly limited and may be resin, metal, ceramic, or the like. Rectangular openings 209a to 209d that connect the outside of the frame 209 to the hollow portion inside the frame 209 are formed at predetermined positions on the surface that constitutes the frame 209.

[0138] Frame 209 has concave diffraction grating 202 disposed at the position of opening 209b. Concave diffraction grating 202 is fixed to the outer surface of frame 209. Light incident through opening 209a passes through opening 209b and enters concave diffraction grating 202 disposed outside frame 209. The light incident on concave diffraction grating 202 is diffracted and dispersed by concave diffraction grating 202, and propagates while being focused toward opening 209c.

[0139] The movable device 13 is disposed at the position of the opening 209c. The movable device 13 is fixed to the outer surface of the frame 209. The light dispersed by the concave diffraction grating 202 passes through the opening 209c and enters the movable device 13 disposed outside the frame 209. The light incident on the mirror portion 7 of the movable device 13 is reflected by the reflecting portion 14 and propagates toward the opening 209d. Note that the reflecting portion 14 of the movable device 13 rotates in the direction indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG. 20-1, but because the reflecting portion 14 rotates in the region of the opening 209c of the frame 209, the reflecting portion 14 does not come into contact with the frame 209 during rotation.

[0140] 18 corresponds to the frame 209. The shape of the upper limiting member 197 in FIGS. 15 and 16, particularly the shape of the portion of the upper limiting member 197 that does not cover the movable device 13, corresponds to the opening 209c (see FIG. 20-1) of the frame 209. Note that the reflecting unit 14 of the movable device 13 rotates in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 2-1, but since the reflecting unit 14 rotates within the thickness region of the base unit 70, the reflecting unit 14 does not come into contact with the frame 209 during rotation.

[0141] Here, FIG. 20-3 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the spectroscope 302, and FIG. 20-4 is a view showing the upper regulating member 199 of the frame 209 of the spectroscope 302 shown in FIG. 20-3.

[0142] As shown in FIGS. 20-3 and 20-4 , the spectrometer 302 has an upper limiting member 199 disposed on the side facing the movable device 13 across the frame 209, i.e., inside the frame 209. The upper limiting member 199 has a shape that does not block the optical path indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 20-3. The upper limiting member 199 has a light-transmitting portion that is smaller than the opening 209c, and is joined to the frame 209. Note that the upper limiting member 199 is not limited to a frame-like shape, and may be a separate member shaped to cover the drive beams 130a and 130b of the movable device 13.

[0143] Furthermore, the reflecting portion 14 of the movable device 13 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2-1, but since the reflecting portion 14 rotates within the thickness range of the frame 209, the reflecting portion 14 does not come into contact with the upper regulating member 199 during rotation.

[0144] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 20-2, when the reflecting portion 14 is rotationally oscillated to scan light, the base portion 70 shown in Fig. 18 has two steps, a step portion 75 and a step portion 76, so that the drive beams 130a, 130b and a part of the reflecting portion 14 do not come into contact with the upper limiting member 198 in Fig. 18 or the corresponding frame 209 in Fig. 20-2. The base portion 70 having this step is somewhat more difficult to manufacture than the base without the step portion shown in Fig. 17.

[0145] 20-3 and 20-4, the base 70 has a stepped portion-free shape as shown in Fig. 17, and a flat plate-shaped member without steps or recesses can be used as the upper limiting member 199. Both the base 70 and the upper limiting member 199 have shapes that are easy to manufacture, making it possible to realize an optical deflector that is easy to assemble at low cost.

[0146] In this embodiment, opening 209a is formed so that entrance slit 201 is positioned on the Rowland circle. Also, opening 209b is formed so that the concave surface of concave diffraction grating 202 forms part of the circumference of the Rowland circle. This makes it easy to adjust the positions and inclinations of entrance slit 201, concave diffraction grating 202, etc., which are fixed to frame 209.

[0147] In this embodiment, frame 209 is used, which has a polygonal cross section, and is configured so that the straight lines connecting adjacent vertices of the polygon are continuously joined. In other words, each surface of frame 209, which fixes optical elements such as concave diffraction grating 202 and movable device 13, is integrally formed. In this way, deformation of base materials such as frame 209 in spectrometer 302 can be suppressed.

[0148] In this embodiment, each optical element is disposed and fixed on the outer surface of the frame 209. This allows the use of a device such as a chip mounter, which is used for surface mounting electronic components on a printed circuit board, to mount optical elements such as the concave diffraction grating 202 and the movable device 13. The use of a device such as a chip mounter enables high-precision alignment of the optical elements. It also reduces individual differences between the spectrometers manufactured. It is desirable to provide a tilt correction mechanism, such as abutment portions or alignment marks, on each surface on which the optical elements are disposed to prevent the optical components from being disposed at an angle during mounting.

[0149] In this embodiment, optical elements such as the concave diffraction grating 202 and the movable device 13 are not mounted on a primary mounting substrate (carrier member) such as a printed circuit board, but are mounted directly on the frame 209. This prevents interference between the primary mounting substrates, which would limit the proximity of optical elements and the miniaturization of the spectrometer.

[0150] As a comparative example of this embodiment, for example, when a spectrometer is constructed by arranging primary mounting substrates on which each optical element is mounted so as to form a frame, it is difficult to precisely position the primary mounting substrate. Furthermore, because the configuration involves combining separate substrates, the rigidity is reduced, which can lead to deformation and other problems, compromising the stability of the spectrometer. In contrast, according to this embodiment, each optical element is mounted on frame 209, which allows each optical element to be precisely positioned, thereby achieving high precision in the spectrometer. Furthermore, the increased rigidity of the spectrometer ensures the stability of the spectrometer.

[0151] As described above, the optical deflector of this embodiment allows optical elements to be arranged closely with high alignment accuracy. Furthermore, by applying the optical deflector of this embodiment to a spectrometer, a small spectrometer can be realized with high accuracy, making it possible to provide a highly reliable spectrometer.

[0152] (Seventh embodiment) Next, a seventh embodiment will be described.

[0153] In the seventh embodiment, the spectrometer system 300 of the sixth embodiment is applied to a resin determination sensor. In the following description of the seventh embodiment, the description of the same parts as those of the first to sixth embodiments will be omitted, and only the parts that differ from the first to sixth embodiments will be described.

[0154] Used home appliances, such as air conditioners, television sets, refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, and clothes dryers, are now being recycled. At home appliance recycling plants, the used home appliances are crushed into small pieces, which are then sorted and collected by material type using magnetism, wind power, vibration, or other methods, and are then recycled as recyclable materials.

[0155] Resin materials include general-purpose resins, such as PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PS (polystyrene), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), ABS (acrylonitrile, butadiene, styrene copolymer synthetic resin), and PC (polycarbonate). Mixtures of PC and PS or PC and ABS are also common, and these resins are separated and recovered by type using a sorting device that utilizes the absorption characteristics of the resin's molecular structure in the near-infrared region (wavelength range 1 to 3 μm). Even in such sorting devices, a configuration in which a laser beam is scanned using an optical deflector such as a MEMS device is known.

[0156] The spectrometer system 300 of this embodiment can be used to select and display one spectral waveform using the functions of the handheld device 110, and to determine the composition of an unknown sample in a simple and non-destructive manner.

[0157] <Resin identification process> 21 is a flowchart showing the flow of a resin identification process according to the seventh embodiment. First, in step S1, for example, in a recycling operation, a plurality of unknown samples whose resin type to be classified or identified is unknown are provided.

[0158] In step S2, a spectrometer system 300 is provided, which includes a handheld device 310 and a spectrometer 302, with one or more infrared material classification models (multivariate classification models) stored in memory.

[0159] In step S3, the sample 308 is measured by the spectrometer system 300 to collect raw infrared data.

[0160] In step S4, multivariate processing of the raw data is performed by the processor 316 of the handheld device 310.

[0161] In step S5, the processor 316 of the handheld device 310 identifies the composition of the sample as a particular type of resin-based composite material (consistent with the material model).

[0162] In step S6, the sample 308 is further processed (e.g., stored in an appropriate location for further recycling steps). These steps S1 to S6 can be repeated for a sample containing a different resin in step S3.

[0163] For example, the spectroscopic system 300 may be used to identify the composition of resin-containing samples using classification models to determine the resins that a particular resin-containing sample may contain. For example, recycling of resin-containing samples may be based on identifying known types of resins present to determine appropriate subsequent processing, such as optimizing the processing conditions of a furnace used to process the material, to optimize material recovery.

[0164] In one exemplary method, a resin-based composite material includes carbon fibers (e.g., CRFP) that have had the resin burned off (sintered) to regenerate the carbon fibers for reuse by known methods. The appropriate sintering temperature can be determined depending on the type of resin included in the composite material.

[0165] In this way, by applying the spectrometer system of this embodiment to a resin determination sensor, it is possible to provide a highly reliable resin determination sensor.

[0166] (Eighth embodiment) Next, an eighth embodiment will be described.

[0167] The eighth embodiment is an application of the optical deflector 100 of the first to fifth embodiments to a distance measurement device. In the following description of the eighth embodiment, the description of the same parts as those of the first to fifth embodiments will be omitted, and only the parts that differ from the first to fifth embodiments will be described.

[0168] Here, Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram of an automobile equipped with a lidar device which is an example of a distance measurement device according to the eighth embodiment, and Fig. 23 is a schematic diagram of an example of the lidar device. As a distance measurement device, a LiDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) that uses a TOF (Time of Flight) method to measure the distance to an object from the time it takes for laser light emitted from a laser light source to be reflected by the object and return to a detector is known. In LiDAR, a configuration in which laser light is scanned over a wide angle using an optical deflector such as a MEMS device or a polygon mirror is known.

[0169] Fig. 22 shows an example in which a lidar device 700, which is an example of a distance measurement device, is mounted on a lighting unit including a headlight of an automobile 701. As shown in Fig. 22, the lidar device 700 is mounted on an automobile 701, which is an example of a "moving body," and measures the distance to an object 702 by optically scanning the object in the target direction and receiving reflected light from an object 702 present in the target direction.

[0170] 23, the laser light emitted from the light source device 12 passes through an incident optical system composed 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 portion 14 of an optical deflector 100. Then, the light passes through a projection lens 705, etc., which is a projection optical system, and is irradiated onto an object 702 in front of the device.

[0171] The driving of the light source device 12 and the movable device 13 is controlled by the control device 11. The light reflected by the object 702 is detected by the photodetector 709. That is, the reflected light passes through a condenser lens 706 and the like, which is an incident light detection and light receiving optical system, and is received by the image sensor 707, which outputs a detection signal to the signal processing circuit 708. The signal processing circuit 708 performs predetermined processing such as binarization and noise processing on the input detection signal, and outputs the result to the distance measurement circuit 710.

[0172] 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 from the target object 702.

[0173] The movable device 13 having the reflector 14 is less likely to break than a polygonal mirror and is small, making it possible to provide a highly durable and compact radar device. Such a lidar device 700 can be attached to, for example, a vehicle, an aircraft, a ship, a robot, etc., and can optically scan a predetermined area to determine the presence or absence of an obstacle and the distance to the obstacle. The mounting position of the lidar device 700 is not limited to the upper front of the automobile 701, but may also be mounted on the side or rear.

[0174] In the above distance measurement device, a lidar device 700 has been described as an example, but the distance measurement device may be any device that performs optical scanning by controlling a movable device 13 having a reflecting part 14 with a control device 11, and measures the distance to an object 702 by receiving reflected light with a photodetector 709, and is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0175] For example, it 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 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.

[0176] In this way, by applying the optical deflector 100 of this embodiment to a distance measurement device, it is possible to provide a highly reliable distance measurement device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0177] 14 Reflector 70 Base 71c, 71d Lower restriction part 100 optical deflector 120 Moving parts 130a, 130b Drive beam 140a,140b Support part 190~198 Regulation Department 209 frames 300 Optical System, Resin Identification System 302 Analyzers, spectrometers 310 devices 700 Distance Measuring Device 701 Mobile 710 Ranging circuit [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0178] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3552601

Claims

1. a movable part having a reflecting part; a plurality of drive beams that swingably support the movable portion; a support portion that supports the drive beam; a restricting portion provided so as to be capable of coming into contact with the drive beam, the restricting portion being configured such that a portion of a flexible wiring board to which a voltage for driving the movable portion is applied extends in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the movable portion, the restricting portion being bent convexly upward in the direction in which the reflecting portion reflects light so as not to come into contact with the reflecting portion even when the movable portion swings; In an optical deflection device having the restricting portion is connected to a first connecting portion provided on the support portion and a second connecting portion different from the first connecting portion provided on the support portion so as to straddle the drive beam; An optical deflector characterized by:

2. The restricting portion is provided in plurality.

2. The optical deflector according to claim 1, wherein:

3. The restricting portion is disposed so as not to straddle the reflecting portion.

2. The optical deflector according to claim 1, wherein:

4. the restricting portion has a minimum width at a portion located above the reflecting portion, and a maximum width at a position where the restricting portion is connected to the first connecting portion and a maximum width at a position where the restricting portion is connected to the second connecting portion; 2. The optical deflector according to claim 1, wherein:

5. the restricting portion is provided on an upper portion of the meander structure constituting the plurality of actuation beams, in a direction in which the reflecting portion reflects light; 2. The optical deflector according to claim 1, wherein:

6. The restriction portion is provided so as to pass over an upper portion of the folded portion of the meander structure.

6. The optical deflector according to claim 5, wherein:

7. The restriction portion covers an upper portion of the meander structure.

6. The optical deflector according to claim 5, wherein:

8. The restricting portion is fixed to one surface of a frame that fixes the movable portion.

8. The optical deflector according to claim 7, wherein:

9. The restricting portion is disposed inside the frame.

9. The optical deflector according to claim 8, wherein:

10. a base portion for fixing the support portion; The base portion includes a lower limiting portion that limits the downward movement range of the movable portion.

10. The optical deflector according to claim 1, wherein the optical deflector is a light deflector.

11. The lower restriction portion is disposed below the drive beam.

11. The optical deflector according to claim 10.

12. The lower restricting portion is inclined so that its height decreases from the support portion toward the lower portion of the reflecting portion.

11. The optical deflector according to claim 10.

13. The lower restriction portion is integrated with the bottom of the base portion.

11. The optical deflector according to claim 10.

14. An optical deflector comprising the optical deflector according to any one of claims 1 to 13, An analytical device characterized by:

15. a spectroscope having the optical deflector according to any one of claims 1 to 13; a device for displaying the results measured by the spectrometer; An optical system comprising:

16. a spectroscope having the optical deflector according to any one of claims 1 to 13; a device for identifying the composition of the resin based on the results measured by the spectrometer; A resin identification system comprising:

17. An optical deflector according to any one of claims 1 to 13; a distance measuring circuit for calculating distance information between the object and the object irradiated with the light scanned by the optical deflector; A distance measuring device comprising:

18. A distance measuring device according to claim 17, A moving object characterized by:

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