Projector Light-Shielding Plate Segmentation for Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Increasing light emission intensity in projector apparatuses leads to higher temperatures and damage in light-shielding plates, limiting high luminance and definition due to ineffective heat dissipation and material degradation.
Innovation Solution
The use of multiple light-shielding plates disposed at predetermined gaps along the optical axis of the rod lens to shield unnecessary light, with one plate having a larger opening and the other a smaller one, sharing heat generation and improving heat dissipation through cooling air, and using materials like pure aluminum with reduced reflectance to manage temperature rise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the light emission intensity of the light source is increased to achieve high luminance, then the light quantity passing through the rod lens increases, but the temperature of the light-shielding plate increases causing material degradation and deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The light-shielding plate is divided into multiple separate plates (first light-shielding plate and second light-shielding plate) arranged at different positions along the optical axis. This segmentation distributes the heat generation across multiple components, preventing excessive temperature concentration in a single plate and enabling better heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The light-shielding plates are arranged in the optical axis direction (adding a dimensional aspect), creating a distributed structure along the light path. This spatial distribution allows each plate to handle a portion of the heat load and enables cooling air to flow through gaps between plates, improving thermal management.
2Manufacturing precision
If a light-shielding plate is provided to shield unnecessary light, then the image quality is improved, but the light energy received by the light-shielding plate increases causing deformation and deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The light-shielding function is divided between multiple plates positioned at different locations. Each plate handles a portion of the unnecessary light, distributing the thermal load and preventing any single plate from experiencing excessive temperature that would cause deformation or material deterioration.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple light-shielding plates act as intermediate structures between the light source and the rod lens. These plates progressively filter unnecessary light while allowing cooling air to pass through, serving as thermal intermediaries that protect the optical system from excessive heat.
3Temperature
If the plate thickness of the light-shielding plate is increased to improve heat dissipation, then the heat resistance is improved, but the improvement amount of the heat dissipation effect is small in the steady state
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the thickness of a single light-shielding plate, the invention uses multiple thinner plates arranged in sequence. This segmented approach achieves comparable or superior heat dissipation while maintaining structural integrity and avoiding the complexity of designing and manufacturing excessively thick plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat dissipation strategy transitions from increasing thickness (one dimension) to distributing plates along the optical axis (another dimension). This dimensional shift provides more effective thermal management by creating airflow pathways and distributing heat load across multiple surfaces exposed to cooling air.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively suppresses temperature rise in light-shielding plates, ensuring high luminance and reliability of the projector apparatus by distributing heat and reducing material degradation.
Implementation Method 1
a rod lens which equalizes illuminance of illumination light incident on the micromirror device
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of light-shielding plates which shields unnecessary light not incident on the rod lens among the illumination light
Implementation Method 3
improving heat dissipation through cooling air
Data Source
AI summary
An illumination optical system of a projector apparatus includes a rod lens which equalizes illuminance of illumination light incident on a micromirror device from lamps, and a plurality of light-shielding plates that shields unnecessary light not incident on the rod lens among the illumination light. The plurality of light-shielding plates is disposed on the incidence side of the rod lens such that each light-shielding plate is provided at a predetermined gap in an optical axis direction of the rod lens. Openings of each light-shielding plate are formed such that a light-shielding plate disposed on an emission side has a smaller passage area of illumination light than on an incidence side.