ELECTRIC FIELD GENERATING DEVICE, LIGHT DEFLECTING DEVICE, AND IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS

Abstract

A disclosed electric field generating device includes an electric field generating unit including a substrate, line electrodes, and an electric field generating resistor and configured to generate an electric field. In the disclosed electric field generating device, the line electrodes are formed on at least one side of the substrate in parallel with each other so as to divide the side of the substrate into multiple sections; the electric field generating resistor is shaped like a strip and positioned so as to touch a part of each of the line electrodes; and some of the line electrodes have connectors for electric connection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are drawings illustrating a configuration of an exemplary electric field generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary electric field generating resistor and a pair of parallel line electrodes formed on a substrate;

FIGS. 3A through 3C are graphs showing exemplary potential gradients of electric fields generated in the exemplary electric field generating device;

FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary configuration of another exemplary electric field generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A through 5C are drawings illustrating an exemplary configuration of a first light deflecting device;

FIGS. 6A through 6C are drawings illustrating an exemplary configuration of a second light deflecting device;

FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a resistance circuit in an adjusting resistance unit of the exemplary electric field generating device;

FIG. 8 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary configuration of a third light deflecting device;

FIGS. 9A through 9C are drawings illustrating an exemplary configuration of a fourth light deflecting device;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are drawings illustrating an exemplary configuration of a fifth light deflecting device;

FIG. 11 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary configuration of a sixth light deflecting device;

FIG. 12 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary configuration of an image display apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 13 is a graph showing changes in resistance value of the exemplary electric field generating resistor in relation to the temperature.

Claims

1. An electric field generating device, comprising: an electric field generating unit including a substrate, line electrodes, and an electric field generating resistor and configured to generate an electric field; whereinthe line electrodes are formed on at least one side of the substrate in parallel with each other so as to divide the side of the substrate into multiple sections;the electric field generating resistor is shaped like a strip and positioned so as to touch a part of each of the line electrodes; andsome of the line electrodes have connectors for electric connection.

2. The electric field generating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the some of the line electrodes having the connectors are longer than other ones of the line electrodes having no connectors.

3. The electric field generating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the some of the line electrodes having the connectors are arranged so as to divide the electric field generating resistor into adjusting sections and at least one of other ones of the line electrodes having no connectors is positioned between each pair of the some of the line electrodes.

4. The electric field generating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electric field generating resistor is a thin-film resistor.

5. The electric field generating device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising: an adjusting resistance unit including adjusting resistors that are connected to the connectors of the some of the line electrodes so as to be connected in parallel with the adjusting sections.

6. The electric field generating device as claimed in claim 5, wherein a resistance value of each of the adjusting resistors is determined so that a combined resistance value of said each of the adjusting resistors and a corresponding one of the adjusting sections that is connected in parallel with said each of the adjusting resistors becomes proportional to a width of said corresponding one of the adjusting sections.

7. The electric field generating device as claimed in claim 5, wherein a resistance value of each of the adjusting resistors is changeable.

8. The electric field generating device as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of the adjusting resistors includes multiple resistors and a switching unit configured to switch the multiple resistors.

9. The electric field generating device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: a temperature measuring unit configured to measure a temperature near the electric field generating resistor; anda controller configured to cause the switching unit to switch the multiple resistors based on the measured temperature.

10. The electric field generating device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: an electric current measuring unit configured to measure an electric current flowing through the electric field generating resistor; anda controller configured to cause the switching unit to switch the multiple resistors based on the measured electric current.

11. The electric field generating device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: a temperature measuring unit configured to measure a temperature near the electric field generating resistor;an electric current measuring unit configured to measure an electric current flowing through the electric field generating resistor; anda controller configured to cause the switching unit to switch the multiple resistors based on the measured temperature and the measured electric current.

12. A light deflecting device, comprising: two of the electric field generating devices as claimed in claim 1 that are arranged at a distance so as to face each other; anda liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the two of the electric field generating devices which liquid crystal layer is made of a liquid crystal that forms a chiral smectic C phase.

13. The light deflecting device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the some of the line electrodes of one of the two of the electric field generating devices are positioned so as to substantially face the some of the line electrodes of the other one of the two of the electric field generating devices.

14. The light deflecting device as claimed in claim 12, wherein each of the connectors of the some of the line electrodes of one of the two of the electric field generating devices are electrically connected to a corresponding one of the connectors of the some of the line electrodes of the other one of the two of the electric field generating devices.

15. The light deflecting device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the line electrodes of one of the two of the electric field generating devices other than the some of the line electrodes and the line electrodes of the other one of the two of the electric field generating devices other than the some of the line electrodes are placed in different light paths.

16. The light deflecting device as claimed in claim 12, wherein each of the some of the line electrodes of one of the two of the electric field generating devices is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the some of the line electrodes of the other one of the two of the electric field generating devices by a conducting part that is formed by hardening a fluid conductive material injected into a space between said each of the some of the line electrodes and the corresponding one of the some of the line electrodes.

17. An image display apparatus, comprising: an image display device having a two-dimensional array of pixels and configured to control light according to image information;an illumination optical system configured to illuminate the image display device;the light deflecting device as claimed in claim 12 configured to deflect light emitted from the image display device; anda projection optical system configured to project the deflected light;wherein the light deflecting device is positioned between the image display device and the projection optical system.