Projection device for projecting an original image onto a screen

• US 5,552,938 A
• Filed: 03/28/1995
• Issued: 09/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sugawara, Saburo
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, HUNG XUAN
• Application Number:
  US08/412,104
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 359/40, 359/41, 359/48, 359/49, 359/72, 359/634, 359/629, 359/636, 359/638, 359/726, 359/745, 359/748, 359/749, 359/753, 359/794, 359/798, 359/800, 359/691, 359/793, 359/40 , 359/732, 359/733, 359/736, 359/749, 359/750, 359/751, 359/752, 359/753, 359/784, 359/785, 359/793, 359/794, 359/649, 359/650, 359/651, 358/60, 358/61, 358/231
• US Class Current: 359/691
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/04 with mechanism for focusing or varying magnification
• 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 9/317 Convergence or focusing systems electronic adjustment of convergence H04N9/3185; convergence or focusing arrangements for cathode ray tubes H04N9/28; means for automatic focusing of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/53

Abstract

Disclosed is a projection optical system for projecting an original image onto a screen, including a projection lens comprising, in succession from the screen side, a first lens unit having positive refractive power, and a second lens unit having positive refractive power, and a reflecting member disposed between the first lens unit and the second lens unit of the projection lens for directing light from an illuminating light source to the original image through the second lens unit, one of a plurality of sub-lens units constituting the first lens unit being moved to thereby effect focusing.

Claims

1. A projection device for projecting an original image formed by an image information forming means onto a screen, comprising:

projection lens means having, in succession from a screen side to an original image side, a first lens unit comprising, in succession from the screen side, a front sub-lens unit of negative refractive power and a rear sub-lens unit of positive refractive power and having a positive refractive power as a whole, and a second lens unit having a plurality of lenses and having positive refractive power as a whole, wherein one of the sub-lens units is moved to effect focusing, and wherein an air gap between the front sub-lens unit and the rear sub-lens unit is changed to thereby effect focusing;

a light source for emitting a light beam; and

reflecting means disposed between the first lens unit and the second lens unit to reflect the light beam from said light source toward the second lens unit in order to illuminate the image information forming means.

2. A projection device according to claim 1, which satisfies the following conditions:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.4<

|φ

.sub.1f /φ

|<

1.5

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.8<

ν

.sub.1f /ν

.sub.1s <

1.2

where φ

is the refractive power of the entire system of said projection lens means, φ

_1f and ν

_1f are the mean values of the refractive power and the Abbe number, respectively, of the sub-lens unit moved by the focusing of the first lens unit, and is is the mean value of the Abbe number of a sub-lens unit of the first lens unit that is other than the sub-lens unit that is moved to effect focusing.

3. A projection device according to claim 2, which satisfies following condition:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.15<

d·

φ

.sub.2 <

0.30

where d is the length from the point of intersection between a reflecting surface of said reflecting means or a plane extending therefrom and the optical axis of said projection lens means to the lens surface of the second lens unit that is closest to the screen side, and φ

₂ is the refractive power of the second lens unit.

4. A projection apparatus for projecting information from an information forming means by way of a cross dichroic prism onto a screen side, said projection apparatus:

projection lens means having, in succession from the screen side to the cross dichroic prism, a first lens unit comprising a plurality of sub-lens units, and having a positive refractive power as a whole, and a second lens unit having a plurality of lenses and a positive refractive power as a whole, wherein one of the sub-lens units is moved to effect focusing;

a light source for emitting a light beam; and

reflecting means disposed between the first lens unit and the second lens unit to reflect the light beam from said light source toward the second lens unit in order to illuminate the image information forming means.

5. A projection apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first lens unit has, in succession from the screen side, a front sub-lens unit of negative refractive power and a rear sub-lens unit of positive refractive power, wherein an air gap between the front sub-lens unit and the rear sub-lens unit is changed to effect focusing.

6. A projection apparatus according to claim 5, which satisfies the following conditions:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.4<

|φ

.sub.1f /φ

|<

1.5

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.8<

ν

.sub.1f /ν

.sub.1s <

1.2

where φ

is the refractive power of the entire system of said projection lens means, φ

_1f and ν

_1f are the mean values of the refractive power and the Abbe number, respectively, of the sub-lens unit moved by the focusing of the first lens unit, and ν

_1s is the mean value of the Abbe number of a sub-lens unit of the first lens unit that is other than the sub-lens unit that is moved to effect focusing.

7. A projection apparatus according to claim 6, which satisfies the following conditions:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.15<

d·

φ

.sub.2 <

0.30

wherein d is the length from the point of intersection between a reflecting surface of said reflecting means or a plane extending therefrom and the optical axis of the projection lens means to the lens surface of the second lens unit that is nearest to the screen side, and φ

₂ is the refractive power of the second lens unit.

8. A projection device for projecting an original image formed by an image information means onto a screen, comprising:

projection lens means having, in succession from a screen side to an original image side, a first lens unit comprising, a front sub-lens unit of negative refractive power and a rear sub-lens unit of positive refractive power and having a positive refractive power as a whole, and a second lens unit having a plurality of lenses and having positive refractive power as a whole,

wherein an air gap between the front sub-lens unit and the rear sub-lens unit is changed to thereby effect focusing,

said device satisfying the following conditions;

10. A projection device according to claim 8, wherein said projection lens means has air gaps between lenses of said projection lens means and wherein a largest air gap of the air gaps resides between said first lens unit and said second lens unit.

9. 4<

|φ

_1f /φ

|<

1.5

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.8<

ν

.sub.1f /ν

.sub.1s <

1.2

where φ

is the refractive power of the entire system of said projection lens means, φ

_1f and φ

_1f are the mean values of the refractive power and the Abbe number, respectively, of the sub-lens unit moved by the focusing of the first lens unit, and ν

_1s is the mean value of the Abbe number of a sub-lens unit of the first lens unit that is other than the sub-lens unit that is moved to effect focusing, and

wherein said front sub-lens unit and said rear sub-lens unit are disposed in order from said screen side.