Projector

• US 20020131027A1
• Filed: 02/22/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kato, Hisamaro, Takezawa, Takeshi, Hashizume, Toshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 6,805,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/122
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1046 for use with transmissive spatial light modulators
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/106 for splitting or combining a plurality of identical beams or images, e.g. image replication
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1073 characterized by manufacturing or alignment methods
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/123 The splitting element being a lens or a system of lenses, including arrays and surfaces with refractive power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/145 having sequential partially reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/149 using crossed beamsplitting surfaces, e.g. cross-dichroic cubes or X-cubes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/285 comprising arrays of elements, e.g. microprisms
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/005 Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3105 for displaying all colours simultaneously, e.g. by using two or more electronic spatial light modulators simultaneous projection in colour photography G03B33/10; beam splitting or combining systems per se G02B27/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3167 for polarizing the light beam polarizing optical systems per se G02B27/28

Abstract

The present invention provides a technique of readily manufacturing a projector. The projector comprises: an illumination optical system for emitting light; an electro-optical device for modulating the light emitted from the illumination optical system in response to image information; a projection optical system for projecting a modulated light generated by the electro-optical device; and an optical component having a rock crystal member composed of rock crystal, the optical component being located in an optical path including the illumination optical system and the projection optical system. For example, the optical component provided on a light incident side or a light exiting side of the electro-optical device has a rock crystal substrate 308G as the rock crystal member and a polarizing plate 302Go arranged on the substrate. It is preferable that a Z axis of the rock crystal substrate 308G is set to be substantially parallel to or substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.

Claims

1. A projector comprising:

an illumination optical system for emitting a light;

an electro-optical device for modulating the light emitted from the illumination optical system in response to image information;

a projection optical system for projecting a modulated light generated by the electro-optical device; and

an optical component having a rock crystal member composed of rock crystal, the optical component being located in an optical path including the illumination optical system and the projection optical system.

2. The projector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rock crystal member is disposed in such a manner that a Z axis of the rock crystal is substantially perpendicular to a center axis of a light passing through the rock crystal member.

3. The projector in accordance with claim 2, wherein the light passing through the rock crystal member is linearly polarized light, and

the rock crystal member is disposed in such a manner that the Z axis of the rock crystal is substantially parallel to or substantially perpendicular to an electric vector of the linearly polarized light.

4. The projector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rock crystal member is disposed in such a manner that a Z axis of the rock crystal is substantially parallel to a center axis of a light passing through the rock crystal member.

5. The projector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optical component comprises:

a rock crystal substrate as the rock crystal member; and

an optical element provided on the rock crystal substrate,

wherein a Z axis of the rock crystal substrate is set to be substantially parallel to a surface of the substrate.

6. The projector in accordance with claim 5, wherein

the optical element is a polarizing plate, and

the polarizing plate is provided on the rock crystal substrate in such a manner that a polarization axis of the polarizing plate is substantially parallel to or substantially perpendicular to a Z axis of the rock crystal.

7. The projector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optical component comprises:

a rock crystal substrate as the rock crystal member; and

an optical element provided on the rock crystal substrate,

wherein a Z axis of the rock crystal substrate is set to be substantially perpendicular to a surface of the substrate.

8. The projector in accordance with claim 1, wherein

the electro-optical device has a pair of substrates,

at least one of the pair of substrates is a rock crystal substrate as the rock crystal member, and

a Z axis of the rock crystal substrate is set to be substantially parallel to or substantially perpendicular to a surface of the substrate.

9. The projector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rock crystal member is a lens.

10. The projector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the illumination optical system comprises a polarized light generation section for emitting a predetermined polarized light,

the polarized light generation section comprising:

the optical component for dividing an incident light into two different polarized lights; and

a selective retardation plate for adjusting one of the two polarized lights output from the optical component to the other,

the optical component comprising;

a plurality of the rock crystal members arrayed in a predetermined direction; and

a polarization separation film and a reflection film that are alternately arranged on interfaces of the plurality of rock crystal members.

11. The projector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the illumination optical system comprises a polarized light generation section for emitting a predetermined polarized light,

the polarized light generation section comprising:

the optical component for dividing an incident light into two different polarized lights; and

a selective retardation plate for adjusting one of the two polarized lights output from the optical component to the other,

the optical component comprising;

the rock crystal member; and

a polarization separation film formed on the rock crystal member.

13. The projector in accordance with claim 12, wherein the rock crystal member is disposed in such a manner that a Z axis of the rock crystal is substantially perpendicular to a center axis of a light passing through the rock crystal member.

14. The projector in accordance with claim 13, wherein the light passing through the rock crystal member is linearly polarized light, and

the rock crystal member is disposed in such a manner that the Z axis of the rock crystal is substantially parallel to or substantially perpendicular to an electric vector of the linearly polarized light.

15. The projector in accordance with claim 12, wherein the rock crystal member is disposed in such a manner that a Z axis of the rock crystal is substantially parallel to a center axis of a light passing through the rock crystal member.

16. The projector in accordance with claim 12, wherein at least one of the color light separation optical system and the color light composition optical system comprises the optical component, and

the optical component comprises:

the four columnar rock crystal members divided by a substantially X-shaped interface; and

a selector film formed on the interface to select light having wavelength in a predetermined range.

17. The projector in accordance with claim 12, wherein at least one of the color light separation optical system and the color light composition optical system comprises the optical component, and

the optical component comprises:

the rock crystal member; and

a selector film formed on the rock crystal member to select light having wavelength in a predetermined range.

12. A projector comprising:

an illumination optical system for emitting a light;

a color light separation optical system that divides the light emitted from the illumination optical system into first through third color lights respectively having three color components;

first through third electro-optical devices that modulate the first through the third color lights divided by the color separation optical system in response to image information, so as to generate first through third modulated lights;

a color light composition optical system for combining the first through the third modulated lights;

a projection optical system for projecting composite light output from the color light composition optical system; and

an optical component having a rock crystal member composed of rock crystal, the optical component being located in an optical path including the illumination optical system and the projection optical system.