Projector with cooler
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current projector cooling systems face challenges in improving cooling performance without increasing size or noise, particularly due to increased heat from higher luminance, and existing air or liquid cooling methods are inefficient and noisy.
Innovation Solution
A projector cooling system that utilizes a refrigerant generator to transform refrigerant into a gas, which is then used to cool the light modulators, incorporating a dustproof enclosure with a refrigerant transmissive section to manage humidity and efficiently exhaust vaporized refrigerant, reducing the need for refrigerant storage and replenishment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If air-based cooling or liquid-based cooling is used to improve cooling performance, then cooling capability increases, but the size of the projector increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs phase transition of refrigerant (liquid to gas) as the cooling mechanism. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the light source when evaporating, providing efficient cooling without requiring large cooling components. This phase-change cooling allows compact projector design while maintaining high cooling performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the refrigerant storage function from the projector by using a refrigerant generation unit that produces refrigerant on-demand from moisture in the air. This eliminates the need for storing large amounts of refrigerant in tanks, reducing projector size while ensuring continuous cooling operation.
2Temperature
If air-based cooling is used to improve cooling performance, then cooling capability increases, but noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical air-blowing system with a refrigerant-based phase change cooling system. Instead of using high-speed fans to force air circulation for cooling, the system uses the latent heat absorption of refrigerant evaporation, which operates silently without mechanical moving parts in the cooling path.
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigerant phase transition from liquid to gas provides passive cooling through evaporation, eliminating the need for noisy forced convection systems. The phase change process naturally absorbs heat from the light source without requiring high-velocity air flow or loud fans.
3Reliability
If refrigerant is stored in the projector to ensure continuous cooling, then cooling reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant generation unit automatically generates refrigerant from moisture present in the surrounding air, eliminating the need for manual refrigerant refilling or storage. The system self-sustains its cooling medium by capturing ambient moisture and converting it to refrigerant through cooling and compression processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigerant generation unit serves multiple functions: it acts as a moisture absorber, refrigerant producer, and cooling system sustainer. This multi-functional component replaces separate refrigerant storage tanks, refill mechanisms, and monitoring systems, simplifying the overall device while ensuring continuous cooling operation.
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
The system achieves enhanced cooling performance with a compact design and reduced noise, improving user convenience by eliminating the need for refrigerant storage and minimizing humidity-related issues within the projector.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger connected to the refrigerant sender, a heater configured to heat a portion of the moisture absorbing/discharging member that is a portion located in a second region different from the first region, and a second blower configured to deliver, to the heat exchanger, air around a portion of the moisture absorbing/discharging member that is the portion heated by the heater. The heat exchanger, when cooled, may generate the refrigerant from the air flowing into the heat exchanger.
Implementation Method 2
a cooler configured to cool the cooling target based on transformation of a refrigerant into a gas
Implementation Method 3
Part of a wall part that forms the dustproof enclosure is a refrigerant transmissive section that maintains dust resistance of the dustproof enclosure and allows transmission of the refrigerant into an interior of the dustproof enclosure from an exterior thereof. The refrigerant transmissive section may be formed of a porous member.
Data Source
AI summary
A projector includes a light source, a light modulator, a projection optical apparatus, a cooler configured to cool a cooling target based on transformation of a refrigerant into a gas, and a dustproof enclosure accommodating the cooling target. The cooler includes a refrigerant generator configured to generate the refrigerant and a refrigerant sender configured to send the generated refrigerant toward the cooling target. Part of a wall part that forms the dustproof enclosure is a refrigerant transmissive section that maintains dust resistance of the dustproof enclosure and allows transmission of the refrigerant into the interior of the dustproof enclosure from the exterior thereof.