# US 12,222,509 B2 · Light flux diameter expanding element and image display device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,222,509 B2 - Document ID: US12222509B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/110,181 - Filed: 2023-02-15 - Published: 2023-06-22 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-29 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Osamu Yokoyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222509B2 ## CPC - G02B 27/0172: {characterised by optical features} - G02B 5/1842: {Gratings for image generation (G02B5/1847 takes precedence)} - G02B 5/1866: {Transmission gratings characterised by their structure, e.g. step profile, contours of substrate or grooves, pitch variations, materials (G02B5/1809, G02B5/1828, G02B5/1833, G02B5/1838 and G02B5/1847 take precedence)} - G02B 6/124: Geodesic lenses or integrated gratings - G02B 26/105: {with one or more pivoting mirrors or galvano-mirrors (G02B26/101 takes precedence)} - G02B 2005/1804: {Transmission gratings} - G02B 2027/011: {comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion} - G02B 2027/0112: {comprising device for genereting colour display} - G02B 2027/0118: {comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility} - G02B 2027/013: {comprising a combiner of particular shape, e.g. curvature} - G02B 2027/0178: {Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C)} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract A light flux diameter expanding element includes a light guiding plate with a light input face and a light output face, and with a thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.8 mm; a diffraction grating on the input side; and a diffraction grating on the output side, and is provided so as to have the same grating period as that of the diffraction grating on the input side, in which a forming region of the diffraction grating on the input side is smaller than that of the output side, and a grating period of the diffraction grating on the input side is a period in which a small diffraction angle in diffraction angles of +1-st order diffracted light and −1-st order diffracted light, which are diffracted in the diffraction grating on the input side, in the light guiding plate becomes larger than a critical angle of the light guiding plate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A light flux diameter expanding element comprising: a first light guiding plate with a thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.8 mm that has: a first input portion into which a first light is incident, the first input portion having a plurality of diffraction gratings that diffracts the first light; and a first output portion having a plurality of diffraction gratings that emits the first light diffracted by the first input portion; and a second light guiding plate with a thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.8 mm that has: a second input portion into which a second light is incident, the second input portion having a plurality of diffraction gratings that diffracts the second light; and a second output portion having a plurality of diffraction gratings that emits the second light diffracted by the second input portion, wherein the second light includes a wavelength being larger than a wavelength of the first light, a length of an interval at which the diffraction gratings is repeated in the second input portion of the second light guiding plate is longer than a length of an interval at which the diffraction gratings is repeated in the first input portion of the first light guiding plate, a length of an interval at which the diffraction gratings is repeated in the second output portion of the second light guiding plate is longer than a length of an interval at which the diffraction gratings is repeated in the first output portion of the first light guiding plate, the first input portion of the first light guiding plate diffracts a part of the first light in a first direction as a first diffracted light and diffracts another part of the first light in a second direction different from the first direction as a second diffracted light, and the first output portion of the first light guiding plate emits both the first diffracted light and the second diffracted light. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The light flux diameter expanding element according to claim 1, wherein, in the first light guiding plate, the width between the diffraction gratings in the first input portion is equal to the width between the diffraction gratings in the first output portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The light flux diameter expanding element according to claim 1, wherein, in the second light guiding plate, the width between the diffraction gratings in the second input portion is equal to the width between the diffraction gratings in the second output portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The light flux diameter expanding element according to claim 1, wherein, the second input portion of the second light guiding plate diffracts a part of the second light in the first direction as the first diffracted light and diffracts anther part of the second light in the second direction as the second diffracted light. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The light flux diameter expanding element according to claim 4, wherein, the second output portion of the second light guiding plate emits both of the first diffracted light and the second diffracted light. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The light flux diameter expanding element according to claim 1, wherein, both of the first light and the second light are incident on the first input portion of the first light guiding plate, the first input portion of the first light guiding plate transmits the second light, and the second input portion of the second light guiding plate diffracts the second light transmitted by the first input portion of the first light guiding plate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The light flux diameter expanding element according to claim 6, wherein, the first output portion of the first light guiding plate emits the first light toward the second output portion of the second light guiding plate, and the second output portion of the second light guiding portion emits both of the first light and the second light. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The light flux diameter expanding element according to claim 6, wherein, in the first light guiding plate, a diffraction angle of the first diffracted light is larger than a critical angle of the first light guiding plate, and in the first light guiding plate, a diffraction angle of the second diffracted light is larger than the critical angle of the first light guiding plate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The light flux diameter expanding element according to claim 1, wherein in the first light guiding plate, a region of the first input portion is smaller than a region of the first output portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The light flux diameter expanding element according to claim 1, wherein in the first light guiding plate, a diffraction efficiency of the diffraction gratings in the first output portion is lower than a diffraction efficiency of diffraction gratings in the first input portion. ### Claim 11 A light flux diameter expanding element comprising: a first light guiding plate with a thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.8 mm that has: a first input portion into which a first light is incident, the first input portion having a plurality of diffraction gratings that diffracts the first light; and a first output portion having a plurality of diffraction gratings that emits the first light diffracted by the first input portion; and a second light guiding plate with a thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.8 mm that has: a second input portion into which a second light is incident, the second input portion having a plurality of diffraction gratings that diffracts the second light; and a second output portion having a plurality of diffraction gratings that emits the second light diffracted by the second input portion, wherein, the second light includes a wavelength being larger than a wavelength of the first light, a grating period of the diffraction gratings in the second input portion of the second light guiding plate is larger than a grating period of the diffraction gratings in the first input portion of the first light guiding plate, a grating period of the diffraction gratings in the second output portion of the second light guiding plate is larger than a grating period of the diffraction gratings in the first output portion of the first light guiding plate, the first input portion of the first light guiding plate diffracts a part of the first light in a first direction as a first diffracted light and diffracts another part of the first light in a second direction different from the first direction as a second diffracted light, and the first output portion of the first light guiding plate emits both the first diffracted light and the second diffracted light. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The light flux diameter expanding element according to claim 11, wherein in the first light guiding plate, the grating period of the diffraction gratings in the first input portion is equal to the grating period of the diffraction gratings in the first output portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The light flux diameter expanding element according to claim 11, wherein the second light guiding plate, the grating period of the diffraction gratings in the second input portion is equal to the grating period of the diffraction gratings in the second output portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The light flux diameter expanding element according to claim 11, wherein the second input portion of the second light guiding plate diffracts a part of the second light in the first direction as the first diffracted light and diffracts another part of the second light in the second direction as the second diffracted light. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The light flux diameter expanding element according to claim 14, wherein the second output portion of the second light guiding plate emits both of the first diffracted light and the second diffracted light. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The light flux diameter expanding element according to claim 14, wherein, in the first light guiding plate, a diffraction angle of the first diffracted light is larger than a critical angle of the first light guiding plate, and in the first light guiding plate, a diffraction angle of the second diffracted light is larger than the critical angle of the first light guiding plate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The light flux diameter expanding element according to claim 11, wherein in the first light guiding plate, a region of the first input portion is smaller than a region of the first output portion.