This application claims the priority benefit of China application serial no. 202310065178.3 filed on Feb. 6, 2023. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
The invention relates to an optical module and a projection device, and in particular to an optical module including a heat conduction structure and a projection device having the optical module.
A general projection device (such as a projector) may convert an illumination beam into an image beam, and then project the image beam out of the projection device to display an image screen. The projection device usually has an optical coupler, and the optical coupler contains an optical element (such as a phosphor wheel) inside to further process the beam (such as conversion or combination of the beam).
In order to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the optical element and causing damage, the inside of the optical coupler must be in a completely airtight state. However, in this way, it is difficult for the heat generated by the optical element during operation to be discharged out of the optical coupler, which may cause the temperature inside the optical coupler to be too high. If a cooling element (such as a fan or cooling fins) is mounted inside the optical coupler, since the optical coupler itself is airtight and does not readily dissipate heat, and the space inside the optical coupler is extremely limited, the heat dissipation issue may not be effectively solved.
The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Further, the information disclosed in the Background section does not mean that one or more problems to be resolved by one or more embodiments of the invention was acknowledged by a person of ordinary skill in the art.
The invention provides an optical module and a projection device that may make the optical module obtain good heat dissipation.
Other objects and advantages of the invention may be further understood from the technical features disclosed in the invention.
To achieve one or part or all of the above objects or other objects, an embodiment of the invention provides an optical module. The optical module includes a base body, a driving device, a phosphor disk, and at least one heat conduction structure. The base body includes a base and a support. The support has a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to each other, and the first end portion is connected to the base. The driving device is disposed at the second end portion of the support. The phosphor disk is connected to the driving device, and the driving device is suitable for driving the phosphor disk to rotate. The heat conduction structure is disposed on the support.
To achieve one or part or all of the above objects or other objects, an embodiment of the invention provides a projection device. The projection device includes a light source, a light valve, a projection lens, and an optical module. The light source is configured to provide an illumination beam. The light valve is configured to convert the illumination beam into an image beam. The projection lens is configured to project the image beam out of the projection device. The optical module is located on a transmission path of the illumination beam, and includes a base body, a driving device, a phosphor disk, and at least one heat conduction structure. The base body includes a base and a support. The support has a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to each other, and the first end portion is connected to the base. The driving device is disposed at the second end portion of the support. The phosphor disk is connected to the driving device, and the driving device is suitable for driving the phosphor disk to rotate. The heat conduction structure is disposed on the support.
Other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will be further understood from the further technological features disclosed by the embodiments of the present invention wherein there are shown and described preferred embodiments of this invention, simply by way of illustration of modes best suited to carry out the invention.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. The components of the present invention can be positioned in a number of different orientations. As such, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. On the other hand, the drawings are only schematic and the sizes of components may be exaggerated for clarity. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” and “mounted” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. Similarly, the terms “facing,” “faces” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect facing, and “adjacent to” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass directly and indirectly “adjacent to”. Therefore, the description of “A” component facing “B” component herein may contain the situations that “A” component directly faces “B” component or one or more additional components are between “A” component and “B” component. Also, the description of “A” component “adjacent to” “B” component herein may contain the situations that “A” component is directly “adjacent to” “B” component or one or more additional components are between “A” component and “B” component. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The heat conduction structure 150 is disposed on the support 124 and extended from the second end portion 1242 to the first end portion 1241 to guide the heat generated by the phosphor disk 140 and the driving device 130 during operation away from the phosphor disk 140 and the driving device 130. The heat conduction and heat dissipation methods of the optical module 100 are described in more detail below.
The optical module 100 of the present embodiment further includes a cover body 110 and a sealing structure 160 to protect the phosphor disk 140. The cover body 110 is assembled on the base 122 and has an accommodating space S. At least a portion of the support 124, the driving device 130, and the phosphor disk 140 are located in the accommodating space S. The cover body 110 has an opening 112 (
As shown in
In addition, the optical module 100 of the present embodiment further includes at least one heat dissipation structure 170. The heat dissipation structure 170 is, for example, a set of heat dissipation fins, but the type of the heat dissipation structure 170 is not limited thereto. The heat dissipation structure 170 is located outside the cover body 110 and disposed below the second side 1222 of the base 122, and the heat conduction structure 150 adjacent to the second side 1222 of the base 122 is connected to the heat dissipation structure 170. After the heat generated by the phosphor disk 140 and the driving device 130 is transferred to the heat conduction structure 150 adjacent to the second side 1222, the heat exchange of the heat conduction structure 150 may be accelerated by the heat dissipation structure 170, thereby improving the heat dissipation performance of the optical module 100.
When the heat conduction structure 150 is disposed at the support 124, the heat conduction structure 150 may also be in contact with the driving device 130 to provide another heat conduction path, so that the heat generated by the phosphor disk 140 and the driving device 130 is directly discharged out of the cover body 110 via the heat conduction structure 150. For example, the at least one heat conduction structure 150 located at the second surface 1244 of the support 124 may be in contact with a side of the driving device 130 aligned with or protruded beyond the second surface 1244 of the support 124.
In addition, the design of the invention is not limited to the heat dissipation of the phosphor disc 140, but may also be used to dissipate heat for other optical elements (such as filter wheels), and the object of heat dissipation is not limited thereto.
The thermal interface layers 185 and 186 (thermal conductivity greater than 1 W/mK) of the present embodiment may be layered structures or colloids, the thermal interface layer 185 is disposed between the back side 1301 and the support 124 in a filling or coating manner and in contact with the back side 1301 and the support 124, and the thermal interface layer 186 is disposed between the annular side surface 1302a and the inner wall of the open hole 1245 via a filling or coating method and in contact with the annular side surface 1302a and the inner wall. That is to say, the thermal interface layers 185 and 186 may be disposed in the gap between the driving device 130 and the support 124. In this way, the overall thermal resistance increased due to the existence of buffer members 192 is reduced, and different heat conduction paths are provided (i.e., heat may be transferred from the driving device 130 to the support 124 via the thermal interface layer 185), so that the heat generated by the phosphor disk 140 and the driving device 130 may be discharged out of the cover body 110 (
Based on the above, the embodiments of the invention have at least one of the following advantages or functions. The phosphor disk of the optical module is connected to the driving device, the driving device is disposed at the support, and the support is connected to the base body. Since the support is equipped with a heat conduction structure, not only the heat generated by the driving device may be discharged via the support and the heat conduction structure, but the heat generated by the phosphor disk may also be discharged via the driving device, the support, and the heat conduction structure, thereby effectively improving the heat dissipation capability of the optical module. In addition, the heat conduction structure may also be combined with the heat dissipation structure to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the heat conduction structure and further improve the heat dissipation performance of the optical module.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form or to exemplary embodiments disclosed. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art. The embodiments are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its best mode practical application, thereby to enable persons skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use or implementation contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents in which all terms are meant in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated. Therefore, the term “the invention”, “the present invention” or the like does not necessarily limit the claim scope to a specific embodiment, and the reference to particularly preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention does not imply a limitation on the invention, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The invention is limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Moreover, these claims may refer to use “first”, “second”, etc. following with noun or element. Such terms should be understood as a nomenclature and should not be construed as giving the limitation on the number of the elements modified by such nomenclature unless specific number has been given. The abstract of the disclosure is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract, which will allow a searcher to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure of any patent issued from this disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Any advantages and benefits described may not apply to all embodiments of the invention. It should be appreciated that variations may be made in the embodiments described by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. Moreover, no element and component in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element or component is explicitly recited in the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202310065178.3 | Feb 2023 | CN | national |