JP2009222868A - Projector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a projector capable of effectively cooling an optical device group while securing stability of a body. <P>SOLUTION: The projector P equipped with a light source 2 provided in the body 1, and the optical device group 5 processing emitted light from the light source 2 according to a video signal and emitting video light includes a cooling device 11 whose coolant circuit is constituted of a compressor 12, a radiator 14, an expansion valve 16 functioning as a decompression device and a heat sink 18, which are provided in the body 1, and supplies air subjected to heat exchange with the heat sink 18 to cool the optical device group 5. The compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the heat sink 18 are arranged so that the center of gravity may be at or near the center of the body 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a projector including an optical element group that processes light emitted from a light source according to a video signal and emits video light.

  Conventionally, this type of projector, for example, a transmissive liquid crystal projector is configured by mounting a light source, an optical element group, a projection lens, and the like in a main body. The optical element group generally includes three liquid crystal panels for processing (modulating) each color light according to image information as a light valve, and polarizing plates provided on the incident side and the emission side of each panel. Then, after the light emitted from the light source is separated into each color light, it is processed (modulated) according to the video information by each liquid crystal panel of the optical element group, and is synthesized as a projected light image via a prism or the like. Then, the combined projection light image is enlarged and projected on the screen by the projection lens.

  In such a projector, the light source and the optical element group (liquid crystal panel, etc.) become a heat generation source and the inside of the main body becomes a high temperature state. Therefore, a plurality of fans are installed in the main body, and the air outside the projector ( The outside air was supplied (blowed) to the optical element group and the light source to dissipate heat. In this case, since the light source is as high as several hundred degrees Celsius, it can be sufficiently cooled by the outside air. However, the upper limit of the use temperature of the optical element group is relatively low, for example, a liquid crystal panel as the optical element group When is used, the upper limit of the use temperature is about + 70 ° C. to + 80 ° C.

  Furthermore, since a transmissive liquid crystal panel is used in a transmissive liquid crystal projector, it is necessary to cool an optical element group such as a liquid crystal panel without obstructing its optical path. That is, in a liquid crystal projector or a DLP projector (DLP (registered trademark)) using a reflective liquid crystal panel, it is possible to cool by directly installing a cooling means on the back of the liquid crystal panel (optical element group). In the transmissive liquid crystal panel, since the back surface of the panel also serves as an optical path, the cooling means cannot be directly attached to the panel, and it is necessary to attach the cooling means at a position that does not hinder the optical path. For this reason, it is difficult to provide cooling means in the main body of the projector, and the cooling method using the outside air as described above has been mainstream.

  In the method of introducing the outside air and cooling the optical element group as described above, the heat radiation amount is greatly influenced by the outside air temperature. That is, when the outside air temperature is low, the optical element group can sufficiently dissipate heat to the supplied outside air, but when the outside air temperature is high, the amount of heat radiation is secured by increasing the air volume of the fan. There was a need to do. For this reason, there have been problems such as an increase in noise caused by the operation of the fan and a significant increase in power consumption.

  In particular, in recent years, the projector-related market is strongly demanded to increase the brightness, and the method of cooling the optical element group by the outside air as described above cannot sufficiently cool the optical element group, and improvement is desired. It was.

In order to solve such problems, the projector body is provided with a cooling means for generating low-temperature air by electronic cooling, and the low-temperature air generated by the cooling means is supplied to the optical element group to cool the optical element group. However, the cooling means for cooling the optical element group by such electronic cooling is inferior in energy efficiency and the heat generating part of the electronic cooling is configured integrally, so that the cooling air is supplied to the vicinity of the cooling target. A heat dissipating means (heat sink or fan) is required, and there is a disadvantage that the degree of freedom of design is remarkably lowered due to a spatial restriction (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP-A-2005-121250

  Therefore, a cooling device in which a refrigerant circuit is configured by a compressor, a radiator, a decompression device, and a heat absorber is provided in the main body, and cold air that has exchanged heat with the heat absorber is supplied to the optical element group. The thing which cools is also devised. However, when such a cooling device is to be mounted on the main body, the total weight of the projector is remarkably increased. Specifically, since a cooling device having a weight of about 10 kg is mounted on a projector having a weight of about 30-40 kg, the influence of the cooling device on the projector is large, and the stability and performance during installation are significantly affected. There was a fear of affecting.

  The present invention has been made to solve the conventional technical problems, and provides a projector capable of effectively cooling an optical element group while ensuring stability at the time of installation. Objective.

  A projector according to the present invention includes a light source provided in a main body, and an optical element group that processes light emitted from the light source according to a video signal and emits video light, and is provided in the main body. A cooling device in which a refrigerant circuit is configured from a compressor, a radiator, a decompression device, and a heat absorber is provided, and the air exchanged with the heat absorber is supplied to the optical element group for cooling, and the center of gravity is the center of the main body, or A compressor, a radiator and a heat absorber are arranged so as to be located in the vicinity thereof.

  A projector according to a second aspect of the invention is characterized in that in the above invention, a compressor is disposed on or near the central axis of the main body.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the projector according to the first or second aspect is characterized in that a compressor is disposed at the center of the main body or in the vicinity thereof.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a projector according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the heat absorber is arranged in parallel with the optical element group, and the compressor is disposed on the opposite side of the optical element group from the projection lens. And a radiator is provided in parallel.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a projector according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, in the order of the radiator, the compressor and the light source on the side opposite to the projection lens of the optical element group, or the compressor. The radiator is arranged in the order of the light source and the outside air is ventilated in the order of the radiator, the compressor and the light source, or the compressor, the radiator and the light source in this order.

  A projector according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the projector according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the cooling device includes a heat dissipating part provided with at least a compressor and a heat dissipator, and air provided with at least a heat absorber. The air cooling unit includes a heat absorber side duct connected to the optical element group side duct provided with the optical element group, and the heat absorber is provided in the heat absorber side duct and also dissipates heat. The part is formed with a ventilation part for ventilating outside air.

  According to the present invention, in the projector including the light source provided in the main body and the optical element group that processes the light emitted from the light source according to the video signal and emits the video light, the compressor provided in the main body A cooling device having a refrigerant circuit composed of a radiator, a decompression device, and a heat absorber. The air exchanged with the heat absorber is supplied to the optical element group for cooling, and the center of gravity is at or near the center of the main body. Since the compressor, the radiator, and the heat absorber are arranged so as to be located at the position, by providing the cooling device in the main body, it becomes possible to eliminate the disadvantage that the weight balance of the main body becomes unstable as much as possible.

  In particular, if a compressor is arranged on or near the central axis of the main body as in the invention of claim 2, inconveniences that affect the operation of the projector can be avoided.

  Furthermore, if the compressor is arranged at the center of the main body or in the vicinity thereof as in the invention of claim 3, the stability at the time of installation can be further enhanced.

  Further, according to the invention of claim 4, since the heat absorber is arranged in parallel with the optical element group in each of the above inventions, and the compressor and the radiator are arranged in parallel on the side opposite to the projection lens of the optical element group, The cooling device can be easily installed in the main body without adversely affecting the image projected from the projection lens. Thereby, complication of the piping of the cooling device can be avoided and the structure can be simplified, so that the manufacturing workability can be improved.

  Further, in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the radiator, the compressor and the light source are arranged in the order opposite to the projection lens of the optical element group as in the invention according to claim 5, or the compressor. If the air is arranged in the order of the radiator and light source, and the outside air is ventilated in the order of the radiator, compressor and light source, or the compressor, radiator and light source in this order, the outside air is vented into the main body. Cooling radiators, compressors and light sources.

  In particular, when a compressor whose outer periphery temperature is lower than that of the radiator, for example, an internal low pressure type or internal intermediate pressure type compressor, is used, the low temperature compressor, radiator and light source are used. If the outside air is ventilated in the order of the compressor, the radiator, and the light source, cooling of the compressor, heat radiation of the refrigerant in the radiator, and cooling of the light source can be effectively performed.

  On the other hand, if you want to prioritize the heat dissipating capacity of the radiator, arrange the radiator, compressor, and light source in this order, and let the outside air vent in the order of the radiator, compressor, and light source. Since the introduced outside air can be flowed directly to the radiator, the heat radiation capability of the radiator can be improved.

  According to the invention of claim 6, in each of the above inventions, the cooling device comprises a heat radiating portion provided with at least a compressor and a heat radiator, and an air cooling portion provided with at least a heat absorber. A heat absorber side duct connected to the optical element group side duct provided with the optical element group, and the heat absorber is provided in the heat absorber side duct, and the heat radiating portion is provided with ventilation for passing outside air. Since the part is formed, the outside air can be ventilated to the compressor and the radiator provided in the heat radiating part. Thereby, cooling of a compressor and heat dissipation of the refrigerant | coolant in a radiator can be performed without hindrance.

  The present invention has been made for the purpose of effectively cooling an optical element group of a projector. In particular, when a cooling device in which a refrigerant circuit is configured from a compressor, a radiator, a decompression device, and a heat absorber is provided in the main body, and cold air that has exchanged heat with the heat absorber is supplied to the optical element group to be cooled, This is to solve the disadvantage that the weight balance of the main body becomes unstable due to the cooling device and adversely affects the performance. Thus, for the purpose of effectively cooling the optical element group while ensuring the stability of the main body, the compressor, the radiator and the heat absorber are arranged so that the center of gravity is located at or near the center of the main body. Realized by placing. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a transmissive liquid crystal projector P as an embodiment of the projector. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of the liquid crystal projector P of the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of the liquid crystal projector P of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the liquid crystal projector P of FIG. These show perspective views of the appearance of the liquid crystal projector P in an exploded state.

  The liquid crystal projector P of the present embodiment includes a light source 2, a uniform illumination optical system and a color separation optical system (not shown), an optical element group 5, a projection lens 10, and a cooling device for the optical element group 5 inside the main body 1. 11 is a transmissive liquid crystal projector. The main body 1 is a substantially rectangular casing made of a material excellent in heat dissipation, for example, magnesium. In FIG. 2, the main body 1 is seen through in order to explain each member provided in the main body 1. That is, in FIG. 2, the main body 1 is indicated by a broken line, and each member in the main body 1 is indicated by a solid line. Similarly, FIG. 3 shows the main body 1 in a cross-sectional plane cut out from above for the purpose of explaining the inside of the main body 1.

  The light source 2 includes a lamp such as an ultra high pressure mercury lamp and a reflector for emitting light emitted from the lamp (diverged light) forward. The light source 2 of the embodiment is formed by attaching reflectors to a plurality of (four) lamps, and is housed in a lamp box 3 provided in the main body 1.

  The uniform illumination optical system converts the light emitted from the light source 2 into a light beam having a uniform luminance distribution, and includes an integrator lens, a condenser lens, a total reflection mirror, and the like. The color separation optical system separates the light flux from the uniform illumination optical system into color lights of each color R, G, B, and separates the light flux from the uniform illumination optical system into each color. A dichroic mirror for guiding the light beam to the optical element group 5 is used.

  The optical element group 5 includes three transmissive liquid crystal panels (LCD panels) 6 which are display elements, polarizing plates provided on the incident side and the outgoing side of each liquid crystal panel, and prisms ( (Dichroic cross prism) 7 and the like (FIG. 3). The liquid crystal panel 6 processes (modulates) light, which is separated by the color separation optical system and guided to the liquid crystal panels, according to a video signal. The prism 7 combines the light of each color to form a projected light image. The prism 7 includes a reflection surface made of an X-shaped dielectric multilayer film, and light from each liquid crystal panel 6 is converted into a single light flux through the reflection surface. The projection lens 10 enlarges and projects the projection light image (image light) from the prism 7 onto the screen, and is detachably disposed in a hole (not shown) formed in the wall surface of the main body 1. . In FIG. 2, reference numeral 24 denotes a box that covers an optical path for guiding the light emitted from the light source 2 to the liquid crystal panels 6 and the polarizing plates. That is, a path (optical path) through which light passes from the light source 2 to the polarizing plate on the incident side of each liquid crystal panel 6 is formed in the box 24.

  Explaining the operation with the above configuration, the light emitted from the light source 2 is converted into a light beam having a uniform luminance distribution through the uniform illumination optical system, and is separated into each color R, G, B in the color separation optical system, respectively. The light is guided to the liquid crystal panel 6 functioning as a corresponding light valve through the polarizing plate on the incident side. Each light beam guided to the liquid crystal panel 6 is modulated in accordance with the video signal, converted into a projection light image of a single light beam by the prism 7 through the polarizing plate on the output side, and then enlarged and projected onto the screen by the projection lens 10. Is done.

  By the way, in a projector, since a light source and an optical element group serve as a heat generating source and the inside of the main body is heated, a plurality of fans are installed in the main body, and each fan supplies air (outside air) outside the main body to the optical element. The heat was supplied to the group and the light source. A specific example will be described. After air is introduced from the outside of the main body, this air is supplied to the optical element group to dissipate heat, and then the air that has passed through the optical element group is supplied to the light source to Dissipate heat. Thereafter, the air heated by the light source was discharged to the outside of the main body by the fan.

  Since the light source is as high as several hundred degrees Celsius, it is possible to sufficiently dissipate heat by supplying air after passing through the liquid crystal panel. On the other hand, the upper limit of the use temperature of the liquid crystal panel of the optical element group is a relatively low temperature of about + 70 ° C. to + 80 ° C., and the optical element group (liquid crystal panel) needs to be cooled so as to be equal to or lower than the upper limit temperature. For this reason, the heat radiation amount of the optical element group is greatly influenced by the outside air temperature. That is, when the outside air temperature is low, the temperature of the outside air supplied to the optical element group is low, so that the outside air can sufficiently dissipate heat. However, if the outside air temperature is high, the temperature of the liquid crystal panel can be maintained below the upper limit of the operating temperature unless a large amount of outside air is supplied to the optical element group by increasing the air volume of the fan. It becomes impossible. As a result, noise increases due to the operation of the fan, and power consumption due to the operation of the fan increases remarkably.

  Furthermore, although the air heated in the main body is released to the outside, there is a problem that a short cycle of the air after heat dissipation, in which the released air is sucked again by the fan, occurs. In this case, since the outside air sucked by the fan is a high temperature heated by exchanging heat with the light source, the temperature of the optical element group may rise when such a short cycle occurs, and an effective heat dissipation effect is obtained. I couldn't.

  In particular, in recent years, there has been a strong demand for higher brightness in the projector market, and it is difficult to sufficiently cool the optical element group by the above-described method of cooling the optical element group by the outside air, and improvement of the cooling method is eagerly desired. It had been.

  In order to solve such problems, the projector body is provided with a cooling means for generating low-temperature air by electronic cooling, and the low-temperature air generated by the cooling means is supplied to the liquid crystal panel (optical element group) to A cooling means for cooling the element group has also been proposed, but the cooling means for cooling the optical element group by such electronic cooling is inferior in energy efficiency and the heat generating part of the electronic cooling is integrally formed, so that the vicinity of the cooling target In addition, a heat radiating means (heat sink or fan) to the outside air is required, and there is a disadvantage that the design freedom is remarkably lowered due to a spatial restriction.

  Therefore, the liquid crystal projector P of the present invention includes a cooling device 11 in the main body 1. That is, the cooling device 11 is installed in the main body 1 of the liquid crystal projector P. The cooling device 11 is a cooling means for cooling the optical element group 5, and a refrigerant circuit is constituted by the compressor 12, the radiator 14, the expansion valve 16 as a decompression device, and the heat absorber 18. The compressor 12 used in this embodiment includes an electric element and a first and a second compression element driven by the electric element in the sealed container 12A (the electric element and each compression element are not shown). This is an internal intermediate pressure type compressor that discharges the refrigerant compressed by the first compression element into the sealed container 12A and then sucks and compresses the refrigerant into the second compression element.

  That is, the refrigerant introduction pipe 13 is connected to the refrigerant suction side (inlet of the compressor 12) of the first compression element of the compressor 12, and the refrigerant discharge side (of the compressor 12) of the second compression element of the compressor 12 is connected. A refrigerant discharge pipe 15 reaching the radiator 14 is connected to the outlet. A refrigerant pipe 17 reaching the expansion valve 16 is connected to the outlet of the radiator 14. In addition, the outlet of the expansion valve 16 is connected to the inlet of the heat absorber 18 via the refrigerant pipe 19, and the refrigerant inlet pipe 13 of the compressor 12 is connected to the outlet of the heat absorber 18 to form an annular refrigerant circuit. ing. In the cooling device 11 of this embodiment, carbon dioxide refrigerant is used as the refrigerant.

  In this embodiment, the expansion valve 16 is used as a decompression device for decompressing the refrigerant. However, the decompression device is not limited to the expansion valve 16, and any device capable of decompressing the coolant may be used. It doesn't matter what it is. For example, a capillary tube may be used as the decompression device. Further, in the embodiment, as the compressor 12, an internal intermediate pressure type multi-stage compressor including the first and second compression elements in the sealed container 12A is used. However, the compressor is not limited to the embodiment, Any material that can compress the refrigerant may be used. For example, it may be an internal low-pressure type compressor, an internal high-pressure type compressor that discharges high-pressure refrigerant into a closed container, or a single-stage compressor or a three-stage or more compressor. It is. Also, the compression format is not particularly limited.

  On the other hand, the cooling device 11 is detachably provided in the main body 1. Here, a specific configuration of the cooling device 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cooling device 11, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the cooling device 11, and FIG. 7 is a side view of the cooling device 11. 5 and 7 are broken lines for the heat absorber side duct 32 and the connection duct 33 provided with the box body 25 and the heat absorber 18 that cover the heat radiating portion 60 described later for the explanation of each member of the cooling device 11. Is shown.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the compressor 12, the radiator 14, the expansion valve 16, and the heat absorber 18 of the cooling device 11 are installed on the base 50. That is, in this embodiment, the base 50 on which the cooling device 11 is installed is configured to be detachable from the main body 1. The cooling device 11 according to the present embodiment includes a heat radiating unit 60 provided with the compressor 12 and the heat radiator 14, and an air cooling unit 62 provided with the expansion valve 26 and the heat absorber 18. Has a heat absorber side duct 32 connected to an optical element group side duct 31 described later, and the heat absorber 18 is provided in the heat absorber side duct 32. That is, in the present embodiment, the heat radiating unit 60 and the air cooling unit 62 of the cooling device 11 are provided on the base 50, and the heat absorber 18 of the air cooling unit 62 is disposed in the heat absorber side duct 32.

  The heat radiating part 60 is covered with the box body 25. The box body 25 is inserted with an opening 25A for inserting the refrigerant pipe 17 connecting the radiator 14 and the expansion valve 16 and the refrigerant introduction pipe 13 connecting the compressor 12 and the heat absorber 18. The opening 25B is formed. In this case, the air cooling part 62 will be arrange | positioned at the side wall surface side in which each opening part 25A, 25B of the box 25 was formed.

  Further, the compressor 12 and the radiator 14 in the box body 25 are provided on the side wall surface of the box body 25 at a position corresponding to a vent hole 21 formed in the cover 20 to be described later with the cooling device 11 attached to the main body 1. A ventilation port 27 is formed as a ventilation unit for ventilating the outside air. Further, an outlet 28 is formed on the side wall surface of the box opposite to the side wall surface on which the vent hole 27 is formed to discharge the outside air ventilated through the compressor 12 and the radiator 14 from the heat radiating unit 60. A fan 14 </ b> F of the radiator 14 is installed in the box body 25 in contact with the outlet 28. In the present embodiment, the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the fan 14F are arranged in the order of the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the fan 14F in the path from the ventilation port 27 of the heat radiating unit 60 in the box 25 to the outlet 28. Is arranged in. As a result, the outside air that has flowed into the heat radiating part 60 in the box body 25 from the ventilation port 27 passes through the compressor 12 and the heat radiator 14 in order, and then is sucked into the fan 14F. The liquid is discharged to the outside of the box 25 and to the side where the light source 2 is located in the main body 1.

  Further, an exhaust port 1B for exhausting the air in the main body 1 is formed on the side wall surface opposite to the side where the cooling device 11 of the light source 2 in the main body 1 is provided, and this exhaust port 1B. A plurality of (three in the embodiment) fans 8 are installed in the main body 1 corresponding to the above. Each fan 8 sucks air in the main body 1 and discharges it to the outside of the main body 1.

  That is, outside air is introduced into the main body 1 from the vent hole 21 by the operation of the fan 14F and the fan 8, and is discharged from the exhaust port 1B. Specifically, when the fan 14 </ b> F and each fan 8 are operated, outside air is sucked into the main body 1 from the vent hole 21 formed in the cover 21. The outside air flows into the heat radiating portion 60 in the box body 25 from the air vent 27, sequentially passes through the compressor 12 and the heat radiator 14 provided therein, and is sucked into the fan 14F. Thus, the compressor 12 heated by the operation can be cooled by ventilating the outside air around the compressor 12. Further, heat can be radiated by flowing outside air after passing through the compressor 12 to the radiator 14.

  On the other hand, the outside air passing through the radiator 14 and sucked into the fan 14 </ b> F is discharged from the heat radiating unit 60 through the outlet 28 and passes through the light source 2 in the main body 1. As a result, the light source 2 is cooled by releasing heat to the ventilated outside air. At this time, since the light source 2 is very hot as described above, even the air (outside air) that has passed through the radiator 14 and is heated by the refrigerant is extremely cooler than the temperature of the light source 2, so It is possible to sufficiently cool the outside air after passing through the vessel 14. The air heated to a high temperature by the light source 2 is then sucked into the fan 8 and discharged from the exhaust port 1B to the outside of the main body 1.

  In FIGS. 5 to 7, 40 is a handle for carrying the base 50 on which the cooling device 11 is placed. Reference numeral 45 denotes a vibration isolating material for absorbing vibration generated from the compressor 12, and is made of a vibration absorbing material such as a rubber material. In other words, the leg portion of the compressor 12 is fixed to the base 50 via the vibration isolator 45 so that the vibration of the compressor 12 is not easily transmitted to the base.

  Incidentally, the base 50 is slidable with respect to the main body 1. In this embodiment, a plurality of rollers 54 are attached to the bottom surface of the base 50, and guide rails 52 corresponding to the respective rollers 54 are formed on the bottom surface of the main body 1 where the base 50 is attached. Further, the guide rail 52 is formed with a positioning portion 53 for holding the cooling device 11 at a predetermined mounting position of the main body 1. The positioning portion 53 is formed by recessing a part of the guide rail 52.

  In this case, in order to attach the cooling device 11 to the main body 1, each roller 54 on one end side of the base 50 is placed on the guide rail 52 on the front end side (that is, the front side in FIGS. 1 and 2) formed on the main body 1. When the base 50 is placed and moved in the direction in which the base 50 is housed in the main body 1, that is, toward the end of the guide rail, the roller 54 slides on the guide rail 52. When the cooling device 11 reaches a predetermined mounting position of the main body 1, each roller 54 reaches the positioning portion 53 and falls into the positioning portion 53. Thereby, the sliding movement of the roller 54 is prevented, and the roller 54 can be stably held by the positioning portion 53.

  In addition, a plurality of vibration isolating materials 55 are provided on the bottom surface of the main body 1 where the base 50 is located, and the base 50 is attached to the main body 1 via these vibration isolating materials 55. The vibration isolator 55 is provided to prevent the vibration of the cooling device 11, particularly the vibration of the compressor 12, from being transmitted to the main body 1 through the base 50.

  On the other hand, the main body 1 is formed with an opening 1A for attaching and detaching the cooling device 11 provided on the base 50, and the opening 1A is configured to be openable and closable by the cover 20 described above.

  By the way, the liquid crystal projector P includes the compressor 12 and the radiator 14 of the cooling device 11 so that the center of gravity of the projector P is located at or near the center of the main body 1 in a state where the cooling device 11 is attached to the main body 1. And the heat absorber 18 shall be arrange | positioned. In particular, the compressor 12 that is the heaviest among the constituent members of the cooling device 11 and that generates vibration due to operation is located on or near the central axis of the main body 1 and the center of the main body 1 or It is arranged in the vicinity.

  In this case, in the liquid crystal projector P of the present embodiment, the central axis of the main body 1 is a line that is parallel to the optical axis of the projection lens 10 and passes through the center of the main body 1. This is a point where diagonal lines of the main body 1 constituted by a rectangular housing intersect. That is, in the present embodiment, since the one-dot chain line shown in FIG. 3 is the central axis of the main body 1 and the point C is the center of the main body 1, the compressor 12 is on the central axis of the main body 1 and the center of the main body 1. It is arranged in the vicinity.

  On the other hand, the cool air cooled by the heat absorber 18 of the air cooling unit 62 of the cooling device 11 is supplied to the optical element group 5 through the duct 30. The duct 30 connects the above-described optical element group side duct 31 provided with the optical element group 5, the heat absorber side duct 32 provided in the cooling device 11 to which the heat absorber 18 is attached, and both the ducts 31, 32. It consists of a connecting duct 33. That is, the heat absorber side duct 32 is connected to the optical element group side duct 31 via the connection duct 33. Further, in this state where the heat absorber side duct 32 and the optical element group side duct 31 are connected by the connecting duct 33 and the duct 30 is formed, the duct 30 has a sealed or semi-sealed structure. The duct 30 is installed so as not to obstruct the light emitted from the light source 2 and guided to the optical element group, and the projection light image sent to the projection lens 10 after being processed by the optical element group. Needless to say.

  The connecting duct 33 is for preventing inconvenience that the vibration of the cooling device 11, in particular, the vibration of the compressor 12 of the cooling device 11 is transmitted to the projector P through the optical element group side duct 31. Made of wood.

  Thus, the optical element group side duct 31 and the heat absorber side duct 32 are connected via the connection duct 33 and attached to the main body 1. Thereby, the air heat-exchanged with the heat absorber 18 can be supplied to the optical element group 5 and cooled.

  In this case, when the cooling device 11 provided in the base 50 reaches a predetermined mounting position by the above-described sliding operation of the base 50, the opening 32A of the heat absorber-side duct 32 becomes the optical element group-side duct. It fits in the connecting duct 33 attached to the opening of 31. As a result, the heat absorber side duct 32 is connected to the optical element group side duct 31 via the connection duct 33. The connecting duct 33, which is a connecting portion of the ducts 31 and 32, is in a state where the cooling device 11 is attached to the main body 1, that is, the heat absorber side duct 32 is connected to the optical element group side duct 31 via the connecting duct 33. It is comprised so that it may be located in the said opening 1A formed in the main body 1 in the state connected with.

  Further, with the cooling device 11 attached to the main body 1 in this way, the heat absorber side duct 32 and the optical element group side duct 31 are juxtaposed in the horizontal direction, and the projection lens 10 of the optical element group 5 and On the opposite side, the compressor 12 and the radiator 14 are arranged in parallel. Furthermore, in the liquid crystal projector P of the present embodiment, the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the light source in the main body 1 on the side opposite to the projection lens 10 of the optical element group 5 with the cooling device 11 attached to the main body. 2, the outside air from the vent hole 21 is ventilated in the order of the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the light source 2, as described above.

  On the other hand, the bottom surface of the heat absorber side duct 32 is inclined low in a direction different from the direction of the optical element group side duct 31. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the bottom surface of the heat absorber side duct 32 opposite to the side where the connecting duct 33 is provided, that is, the bottom surface opposite to the side where the optical element group side duct 31 is located is provided. An inclined portion 35 that is inclined lower than the other surfaces is formed. The inclined portion 35 is a condensed water receiving portion provided in order to prevent inconvenience that condensed water that condenses in the heat absorber 18 and falls as water droplets flows to the optical element group 5.

  That is, moisture contained in the air circulating in the duct 30 condenses on the heat absorber 18 by exchanging heat with the refrigerant in the heat absorber 18. In this case, even when the optical element group 5 and the heat absorber 18 are arranged in the duct 30 having a substantially hermetically sealed structure as in the present embodiment, about several grams of water is recovered by one use of the projector P. Is done. Moisture in the air condenses in this heat absorber 18, and when it collects, it becomes condensed water. This condensed water enters the optical element group 5, damages the optical element group 5, and emits light from the light source 2. There was a risk of problems such as hindering the processing of steel.

  Therefore, by forming an inclined portion 35 that is inclined low in a direction different from the direction of the optical element group side duct 31 on the bottom surface of the heat absorber side duct 32, the dew condensation water that has fallen from the heat absorber 18 flows into the inclined portion 35. Will be. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the dew condensation water from the heat absorber 18 from entering the optical element group side 31 where the optical element group 5 is provided.

  With the above configuration, the cooling operation of the optical element group 5 using the cooling device 11 of the present embodiment will be described. When the compressor 12 is driven, low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant is sucked from the refrigerant introduction pipe 13 into the first compression element (not shown) on the lower stage side in the sealed container 12A, and is compressed to the intermediate pressure there. The The refrigerant that has been compressed to an intermediate pressure is discharged into the sealed container 12A. Thereby, the inside of the sealed container 12A becomes an intermediate pressure. Thereafter, the refrigerant is sucked into a second compression element (not shown) on the higher stage (not shown), compressed, discharged to the outside of the compressor 12 at high temperature and pressure.

  Then, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 12 flows into the radiator 14 through the refrigerant discharge pipe 15 and radiates heat by exchanging heat with the surrounding air. The refrigerant radiated by the radiator 14 enters the expansion valve 16 through the refrigerant pipe 17 and is decompressed in the process of passing through the expansion valve 16, and in this state, the heat absorber provided in the duct 30 through the pipe 19. 18 flows into.

  The refrigerant flowing into the heat absorber 18 takes the heat from the air in the duct 30 and evaporates there. On the other hand, the air that has been deprived of heat by the refrigerant in the heat absorber 18 and is cooled is supplied to the optical element group 5 by a fan (not shown) installed in the duct 30. Thus, the optical element group 5 is cooled by releasing heat to the supplied air (cold air). The air heated by the optical element group 5 then returns to the heat absorber 18, where it is cooled by exchanging heat with the refrigerant flowing through the heat absorber 18, and the circulation supplied to the optical element group 5 is repeated again.

  On the other hand, the refrigerant evaporated by exchanging heat with the air in the duct 30 by the heat absorber 18 is then sucked into the first compression element of the compressor 12 from the refrigerant introduction pipe 13 and is repeatedly compressed.

  As described above, the cooling device 11 is provided in the main body 1, heat exchange with the heat absorber 18 is performed, and the cooled air (cold air) in the duct 30 can be supplied to the optical element group 5 to be cooled. As a result, the optical element group 5 can be cooled without being affected by the outside air temperature, and the optical element group 5 can always be maintained at an optimum constant temperature.

  In addition, since it is possible to always supply the optical element group 5 with the cold air exchanged with the heat absorber 18, the heat radiation amount is remarkably improved as compared with the conventional case where the outside air is supplied to the optical element group. Therefore, the fan installed in the main body 1 can be downsized to reduce the installation space, and the fan air volume can be reduced to reduce noise. Furthermore, the energy efficiency can be remarkably improved as compared with the case where the optical element group is cooled by electronic cooling. Thereby, it is possible to efficiently cool the optical element group while solving the problem of energy efficiency.

  Furthermore, heat exchange between the air heated by the heat generated by the optical element group 5 and the refrigerant flowing through the heat absorber 18 of the cooling device 11 allows the heat of the optical element group 5 to be conveyed by the refrigerant to the radiator 14. Since the optical element group 5 is cooled by electronic cooling, the degree of freedom in spatial layout design is also improved.

  In particular, in the transmissive liquid crystal projector P as in this embodiment, since a transmissive liquid crystal panel is used as the liquid crystal panel of the optical element group 5, the liquid crystal panel must be cooled without obstructing its optical path. That is, in a liquid crystal projector or a DLP projector (DLP (registered trademark)) using a reflective liquid crystal panel, cooling means such as a cooler can be directly installed on the back surface of the liquid crystal panel (optical element group) for cooling. Although it is possible, in the transmissive liquid crystal panel, since the back surface of the panel also becomes an optical path, the cooling means cannot be directly attached to the panel, and it is necessary to attach the cooling means at a position that does not interfere with the optical path. For this reason, it has been difficult to arrange the cooling means in the main body.

  On the other hand, according to the present invention, the cooling device 11 is provided in the main body 1, and air (cold air) in the duct 30 cooled by exchanging heat with the heat absorber 18 is supplied to the optical element group 5. Since it can cool, the optical element group 5 can be cooled effectively without obstructing the optical path by the cooling means. In particular, the heat absorber 18 is arranged in parallel with the optical element group 5, and the compressor 12 and the radiator 14 of the cooling device 11 are arranged in parallel on the opposite side of the optical element group 5 from the projection lens 10. The cooling device 11 can be easily installed in the main body 1 without adversely affecting the projected image, and the inconvenience that the piping of the cooling device 11 becomes complicated can be avoided. As a result, the structure can be simplified and the manufacturing workability can be improved.

  Furthermore, the weight of the main body 1 can be obtained by arranging the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the heat absorber 18 of the cooling device 11 so that the center of gravity of the projector P is located at or near the center of the main body 1 as in the present invention. The projector P can be installed without the balance becoming unstable. That is, since the cooling device 11 having a weight of about 10 kg is usually mounted in the main body of the projector having a weight of about 30 to 40 kg, the influence of the cooling device 11 on the main body 1 is large, The stability and performance could be adversely affected.

  However, as described above, the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the heat absorber 18 are arranged in consideration of the center of gravity of the projector P being located at or near the center of the main body 1, so that the weight balance of the main body 1 is not good. The inconvenience that becomes stable can be eliminated as much as possible.

  Particularly, the compressor 12 that is the heaviest among the constituent members of the cooling device 11 and that generates vibrations during operation is disposed on the central axis of the main body 1, thereby adversely affecting the operation of the projector P. Inconvenience can be avoided. Furthermore, the stability can be further improved by arranging the compressor 12 in the vicinity of the center of the main body.

  Further, the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the light source 2 are arranged in this order on the side of the optical element group 5 opposite to the projection lens 10, and the outside air is ventilated in the order of the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the light source 2. Thus, it is possible to cool the radiator 14, the compressor 12, and the light source 2 by passing outside air into the main body 1.

  In particular, when an internal intermediate pressure type compressor 12 whose outer peripheral temperature is lower than the temperature of the radiator 14 is used as in the present embodiment, the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the light source 2 having a low temperature are used. If it arrange | positions in order and an external air shall ventilate in order of the compressor 12, the heat radiator 14, and the light source 2, cooling of the compressor 12, heat dissipation of the refrigerant | coolant in the heat radiator 14, and cooling of the light source 2 will be performed effectively. be able to.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the air vent 27 is formed in the box body 25 as a ventilation portion for ventilating the outside air to the compressor 12 and the radiator 14 of the heat radiating portion 60, so that the outside air is ventilated to the heat radiating portion 60. Therefore, the cooling of the compressor 12 and the heat dissipation of the refrigerant in the radiator 14 can be performed without any trouble.

  In this embodiment, the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the light source 2 are arranged in this order on the opposite side of the optical element group 5 from the projection lens 10, and the air hole 21 formed in the cover 20 enters the main body 1. The sucked outside air is ventilated in the order of the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the light source 2, and then discharged to the outside of the main body 1 from the vent hole 22. It is not limited. In particular, in the inventions of claims 1 to 4 and claim 6, any arrangement or ventilation direction of the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the light source 2 may be used.

  However, when an internal intermediate pressure type compressor is used as the compressor 12 as in the present embodiment, the intermediate pressure refrigerant is discharged into the sealed container 12A so that the outer periphery of the compressor 12 (that is, the hermetically sealed) is discharged. Since the temperature increases in the order of the outer wall surface of the container 12A), the radiator 14, and the light source 2, the compressor 12 having the lowest temperature is disposed on the windward side, and the light source 2 having the highest temperature is disposed on the leeward side. That is, it is desirable to arrange the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the light source 2 in this order, and to vent the outside air in the order of the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the light source 2. Further, when using an internal low pressure type compressor, similarly to the internal intermediate pressure type compressor 12 of the embodiment, the temperature in the order of the outer wall surface of the sealed container 12A of the compressor 12, the radiator 14, and the light source 2 is increased. Therefore, the compressor 12 having the lowest temperature is arranged on the windward side, and the light source 2 having the highest temperature is arranged on the leeward side, that is, the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the light source 2 are arranged in this order. It is preferable to ventilate the compressor 12, the radiator 14, and the light source 2 in this order.

  On the other hand, when a compressor on the internal high-pressure side is used as the compressor, a high-pressure refrigerant is discharged into the sealed container 12A. Therefore, the temperature of the outer wall surface of the sealed container 12A of the compressor 12 and the radiator 14 is almost the same. The order of the radiator, the compressor, and the light source may be the same, or the order of the compressor, the radiator, and the light source may be the same. On the other hand, when it is desired to prioritize the heat dissipation capability of the radiator 14 over the heat dissipation of the compressor 12, the radiator 14, the compressor 12, and the light source 2 are arranged in this order so that the radiator 14 is sucked from the vent hole 21. Since the outside air can be directly ventilated, the heat dissipation capability of the radiator 14 can be improved.

  In the first embodiment, the compressor 12 is disposed in the vicinity of the center of the main body 1. However, the projector of the present invention is not limited to the above-described arrangement. In the invention of claim 1, any arrangement is possible as long as the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the heat absorber 18 of the cooling device 11 are arranged so that the center of gravity is located at or near the center of the main body. There is no problem. For example, the present invention is effective even in an arrangement as shown in FIGS. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the liquid crystal projector P of the present embodiment, and FIG. 9 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the liquid crystal projector P is disassembled. 8 and 9 having the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 7 have the same or similar functions or effects, and thus the description thereof is omitted here. Further, FIG. 9 shows the main body 1 in a plane cross-section cut along the upper side, similarly to FIG.

  In the liquid crystal projector P of the present embodiment, the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the heat absorber 18 of the cooling device 11 are arranged so that the center of gravity is located at the center of the main body 1 or in the vicinity thereof, as in the above embodiment. These are arranged so as to be located on the central axis of the main body 1 or in the vicinity thereof. In this embodiment, the cooling device 11 is arranged on the base 50 as in the first embodiment. Thus, in addition to arranging the compressor 12, the radiator 14 and the heat absorber 18 of the cooling device 11 so that the center of gravity is located in the center of the main body 1 or in the vicinity thereof, these are the central axes of the main body 1. By arranging at or near the top, it is possible to avoid inconveniences that adversely affect the operation of the projector P as in the above-described embodiment. In this case, only the compressor 12 can be arranged more stably than the one arranged on the central axis of the main body 1 as in the above embodiment.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the transmissive liquid crystal projector P is used as an example of the projector. However, the projector of the present invention is not limited to this, and a light source and light emitted from the light source are provided in the main body. The present invention is effective for any projector as long as it is provided with an optical element group that is processed according to image information and a projection lens that projects a processed projection light image onto a screen. . For example, the present invention may be applied to a reflective liquid crystal projector or a DLP projector (DLP (registered trademark)).

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the carbon dioxide refrigerant has been described as the refrigerant sealed in the cooling device. Thus, when a carbon dioxide refrigerant is used for the cooling device 11, it is advantageous for downsizing the device. However, the refrigerant is not limited to the carbon dioxide of the embodiment, and the present invention is effective even when another existing refrigerant is used.

1 is a perspective view of an external appearance of a liquid crystal projector according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied (Embodiment 1). FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of the liquid crystal projector of FIG. 1. It is a top view of the liquid crystal projector of FIG. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a state where the liquid crystal projector of FIG. 1 is disassembled. It is a perspective view explaining schematic structure of the cooling device of the liquid crystal projector of FIG. It is a top view of the cooling device of FIG. It is a side view of the cooling device of FIG. (Example 2) which is a top view of the liquid crystal projector of the other Example of this invention. FIG. 9 is an external perspective view showing a state where the liquid crystal projector of FIG. 8 is disassembled.

Explanation of symbols

P liquid crystal projector 1 main body 1A opening 1B exhaust port 2 light source 3 lamp box 5 optical element group 6 liquid crystal panel (including polarizing plate)
7 prism 8 fan 10 projection lens 11 cooling device 12 compressor 13 refrigerant introduction pipe 14 radiator 14F fan 15 refrigerant discharge pipe 16 expansion valve (decompression device)
17, 19 Refrigerant piping 18 Heat absorber 20 Cover 21 Ventilation hole 23 Fan 24, 25 Box 27 Ventilation hole 28 Outlet 30 Duct 31 Optical element group side duct 32 Heat absorber side duct 33 Connection duct 35 Inclined portion 40 Handles 45, 55 Anti-vibration material 50 Base 52 Guide rail 53 Positioning part 54 Roller 60 Heat radiation part 62 Air cooling part

Claims (6)

In a projector comprising a light source provided in a main body and an optical element group that processes light emitted from the light source according to a video signal and emits video light,
A cooling device in which a refrigerant circuit is configured from a compressor, a radiator, a decompression device, and a heat absorber provided in the main body;
The air exchanged with the heat absorber is supplied to the optical element group for cooling, and the compressor, radiator and heat absorber are arranged so that the center of gravity is located at the center of the main body or in the vicinity thereof. Projector.   The projector according to claim 1, wherein the compressor is disposed on or near the central axis of the main body.   The projector according to claim 1, wherein the compressor is arranged at a center of the main body or in the vicinity thereof.   4. The heat absorber according to claim 1, wherein the heat absorber is arranged in parallel with the optical element group, and the compressor and radiator are arranged in parallel on the opposite side of the optical element group from the projection lens. A projector according to any one of the above.   On the side of the optical element group opposite to the projection lens, the radiator, the compressor and the light source are arranged in this order, or the compressor, the radiator and the light source are arranged in this order, and the outside air is disposed in the radiator, the compressor and the light source. The projector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein ventilation is performed in the order of the light source, or in the order of the compressor, the radiator, and the light source.   The cooling device includes a heat radiating portion provided with at least the compressor and a heat radiator, and an air cooling portion provided with at least the heat absorber. The air cooling portion is an optical device provided with the optical element group. A heat-absorber-side duct connected to the element group-side duct; the heat-absorber is provided in the heat-absorber-side duct; and the heat radiating portion has a ventilation portion for ventilating outside air The projector according to claim 1, wherein:

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