Projector Light Source Unit Sealing via Inclined Abutment Surfaces

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional sealing methods for projector light source units are inefficient, requiring excessive manual labor and being prone to dust intrusion due to the difficulty in ensuring airtightness between optical parts, which can lead to image quality issues.

Innovation Solution

A light source unit with a sealing member and a holding member featuring inclined abutment surfaces and an engaging mechanism that uses a flexible sealing member to ensure secure attachment and prevent dust entry, enhancing the ease of assembly and reliability of the sealing construction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If adhesive or tape is used to seal gaps between optical parts, then airtightness is achieved, but the number of manhours increases and assembly efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidassembly time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing member is pre-installed on the holding member before assembly, and the inclined abutment surfaces are pre-configured to guide the sealing member into proper position during assembly. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for post-assembly sealing operations with adhesive or tape, reducing assembly time while maintaining sealing reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The inclined abutment surfaces automatically guide the sealing member into the correct position and compression state during the assembly process itself. The structure performs its own sealing function through the mechanical compression of the sealing member between the inclined surfaces, eliminating the need for separate sealing operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If cushions are used to seal gaps between optical parts, then sealing is achieved, but the complexity of assembly increases due to the need to dispose very small cushions at multiple locations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidsealing structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple small cushion seals are replaced by a single integrated sealing member that spans multiple sealing locations. The sealing member is compressed between the inclined abutment surfaces to simultaneously seal multiple gaps between optical parts, simplifying the sealing structure from multiple discrete components to one unified component

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing member is designed with a structure that allows it to be compressed and deformed to fit multiple sealing locations simultaneously. The single sealing member effectively segments into multiple sealing contact points when compressed between the inclined abutment surfaces, providing sealing at all necessary locations without requiring multiple separate cushions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If optical parts are fixed from a direction different from the arrangement direction, then assembly flexibility is improved, but cushion attachment becomes difficult due to repulsive force

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly flexibilityVSAvoidcushion attachment ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing function is transferred from the horizontal dimension (where cushions would be attached perpendicular to the optical part arrangement) to the vertical dimension (where the sealing member is compressed between inclined abutment surfaces). This dimensional change allows the sealing member to be properly compressed and seated even when optical parts are fixed from different directions, eliminating the repulsive force problem associated with horizontal cushion attachment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS10254635B2Light source unit and projector

Publication Date: 2019.04.09 CASIO COMPUTER CO LTD

AI summary

There is provided a light source unit comprising a sealing member, a holding member on which an abutment surface is formed, which has an engaging portion and which holds a part, a case on which an abutted surface is formed which is brought into abutment with the abutment surface via the sealing member, which has an engaged portion which is brought into engagement with the engaging portion and which holds the holding member, wherein the abutment surface of the holding member and the abutted surface of the case face each other and are inclined relative to a holding surface which holds the part, and the abutted surface of the case is inclined so as to face a side where the holding member is inserted.