Polymer dispersed liquid crystal color projection display apparatus

• US 5,245,449 A
• Filed: 08/30/1990
• Issued: 09/14/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited (AGC, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited (AGC, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gunjima, Tomoki, Ooi, Yoshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Heyman, John S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Tai V.
• Application Number:
  US07/574,811
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 350/331 R, 350/333, 350/334, 350/339 F, 350/337, 350/338, 350/345, 350/346, 350/347 V, 350/172, 350/166, 350/174, 350/356, 353/31, 353/34, 353/37, 353/122, 358/60, 358/61, 358/236
• US Class Current: 349/10
• 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

Abstract

A liquid crystal color projection display apparatus having a projection light source, a plurality of liquid crystal display elements for separately modulating lights of a plurality of colors from the projection light source and an optical projection system for projecting light to a projection screen, wherein a liquid crystal and polymer composite put between a pair of substrates each equipped with an electrode is used as the liquid crystal display element, in which a liquid crystal material is dispersed and held in a polymer matrix and the refractive index of the polymer matrix substantially agrees with the ordinary light refractive index (n_o) of the liquid crystal material used, a dichroic mirror is used for color splitting or color synthesis and the dependence of dichroic mirror'"'"'s spectral characteristics upon the state of polarization is decreased. Clear color images of high purity and excellent hue can be obtained. Size and the cost of the liquid crystal display apparatus can be reduced.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal color projection display apparatus comprising:

a single projection light source;

a color splitting means comprised of a mirror and two dichroic mirrors which product three kinds of color light having different wavelength regions from said projection light source;

three liquid crystal display elements which are transparent-scattering type liquid crystal display elements and which respectively modulate the three kinds of color light which are split from the light of said projection light source;

a color synthesis means comprising a mirror and two dichroic mirrors for synthesizing light outgoing from the liquid crystal display elements;

an optical projection system for projecting the synthesized light onto a projection screen; and

wherein the colored light travels straight along an optical axis which is perpendicular to the surface of said liquid crystal display elements and wherein each of the mirrors has essentially a same light incident angle θ and

wherein said incident angle θ

is between 15° and

35°

with respect to the normal to the surface of said mirrors.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the incident angle is approximately 30°

.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal display elements are comprised of:

a liquid crystal and polymer composite placed between a pair of substrate provided with electrodes; and

wherein a liquid crystal material is dispersed and held in a polymer matrix which substantially agrees with the ordinary refractive index (n_o) of the liquid crystal material used.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:

the optical path length on the optical axis between one surface of the mirrors and an adjacent mirror is approximately equal to the optical path length between said adjacent mirror and another adjacent mirror.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:

the optical path length on the optical axis between one of the dichroic mirrors and an adjacent mirror is equal to the optical path length between said adjacent mirror and another adjacent mirror such that all dichroic mirrors are placed on top of rectangular triangles.

6. An apparatus as in claim 5 wherein:

the optical axis of light from the light source is parallel to the optical axis of light from the optical projection system; and

the optical path from the light source to the optical projection system is in the shape of the letter Z.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the color splitting wavelength from the dichroic mirrors for a split blue color is 510 nm and for the green color is 560 nm and for a red color is 600 nm.

8. The liquid crystal color projection display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a light curable or heat curable resin is used as the material for forming the polymer matrix.

9. The liquid crystal color projection display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the liquid crystal material is used as a solvent for the liquid crystal and polymer composite and the light curable resin is cured by exposure to light.

10. The liquid crystal color projection display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a cell is formed by using a sealing material, a non-cured mixture of the liquid crystal material and the polymer matrix is injected through and injection port, said injection port is sealed and then the mixture is cured under irradiation of light or heating.

11. The liquid crystal color projection display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein active elements are disposed to one of said substrates.

12. The liquid crystal color projection display apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the active elements are thin film transistors.

13. The liquid crystal color projection display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the thin film transistors are polysilicon thin film transistors.

14. The liquid crystal color projection display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a device for diminishing scattered light is disposed in the optical projection system or between the optical projection system and the projection screen.

15. The liquid crystal color projection display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the device for diminishing the scattered light is an aperture or a spot.