Illumination device and illumination method
AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorsYusaku Shimaoka, Takamasa Yoshikawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An illumination device includes plural lamps, a prism, a first lens array, and a second lens array, wherein the first lens array is formed such that images of the lamps are formed a predetermined space apart from each other on a lens, which corresponds to a predetermined lens among plural lenses of a second lens array, by light from the lamps having passed the predetermined lens of the first lens array. All or a part of plural images formed by a lens separate from the predetermined lens of the first lens array are practically arranged among the formed images of the lamps. And the second lens array is formed such that the images formed on the second lens array are irradiated on a light-receiving surface in a predetermined relation.
Claims11
An illumination device comprising:
- a plurality of light sources, each light source for irradiating light;
- a plurality of reflectors, each reflector having a reflection surface for reflecting said light, which is irradiated from said plurality of light sources;
- a first lens array having a plurality of lenses which are arranged a predetermined space apart from said plurality of reflectors, said plurality of lenses comprising first and second lenses;
- and
- a second lens array having a plurality of lenses which are arranged a predetermined space apart from said first lens array,
- wherein said first lens array is configured such that:
- a first plurality of images are formed a first predetermined space apart from each other on said plurality of lenses of said second lens array, said first plurality of images formed from light from said plurality of light sources passing through said first lens of said first lens array,
- a second plurality of images are formed a second predetermined space apart from each other on said plurality of lenses of said second lens array, said second plurality of images formed from light from said plurality of light sources passing through said second lens of said first lens array, and
- all or a part of said second plurality of images formed by said second lens is arranged substantially among said first plurality of images formed by said first lens, and
- said second lens array is configured such that said light forming said first and second pluralities of light source images on said second lens array illuminates a light-receiving surface in a predetermined relation.
An illumination method comprising:
- a step of reflecting light irradiated from a plurality of light sources in predetermined directions with plurality of reflectors in association with the respective light sources and guiding the light to a first lens array having a plurality of lenses, which first lens array is arranged a predetermined space apart from said plurality of reflectors, said plurality of lenses comprising first and second lenses;
- a step of guiding the light from said plurality of light sources, which has passed through a first lens of said first lens array, onto a first plurality of lenses of a second lens array having a plurality of lenses to form a first plurality of images, which second lens array is arranged a predetermined space apart from said first lens array, which first plurality of images have a first predetermined space apart from each other;
- a step of guiding the light from said plurality of light sources, which has passed through a second lens of said first lens array, onto a second plurality of lenses of said second lens array to form a second plurality of images, which second plurality of images have a second predetermined space apart from each other;
- a step of configuring said first lens array such that all or a part of said second plurality of images, which are formed on said second lens array by said second lens of said first lens array, are arranged substantially among said first plurality of images, which are formed on said second lens array by said first lens of said first lens array;
- and
- a step of configuring said second lens array such that images formed on said second lens array are illuminated on a light-receiving surface in a predetermined relation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.