Transmission type projector screen utilizing parallel optical sheets and prism lenses

• US 6,031,664 A
• Filed: 07/28/1997
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Goto, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahoney, Christopher E.
• Application Number:
  US08/900,942
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 359/456, 359/457, 359/460, 359/742, 359/443, 359/455
• US Class Current: 359/456
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/625 Lenticular translucent screens

Abstract

A transmission type projection screen comprises a plurality of sheets. The front sheet nearest to the front observation side is an ambient light attenuating front sheet which is provided on its surface facing the rear side with first prism lenses formed by successively and horizontally arranging unit triangular prisms. Each unit triangular prism has a sharply inclined surface inclined at an angle of about 90° to the surface of the front sheet, and a gently inclined surface inclined at an angle in the range of 5° to 40° to the surface of the front sheet. The first prism lenses are disposed with the gently inclined surfaces of the unit triangular prisms thereof facing upward. Second prism lenses may be provided on its surface facing the front observation side, each of the second prism lenses also having a sharply inclined surface and a gently inclined surface.

Claims

1. A transmission type projection screen comprising:

a plurality of parallel optical sheets arranged perpendicularly to an optical axis, said optical sheets including a front sheet having a front surface exposed directly to an observation side and a rearmost sheet having a surface facing a light source which emits light that passes substantially along said optical axis through said rearmost sheet and then through said front sheet to said observation side, said front sheet having a rear surface opposite to said front surface; and

a plurality of prism lenses formed on said rear surface of said front sheet and including unit triangular prisms extending in a first direction along said rear surface and disposed in a succeeding arrangement, wherein each of the unit triangular prisms has a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface, and wherein the angle between said second inclined surface and said rear surface is less than the angle between said first inclined surface and said rear surface, said first inclined surface being so inclined as to internally reflect an outside light coming from the observation side into each unit triangular prism, to a direction inclined to said optical axis to remove said outside light out of viewer'"'"'s sight.

2. The transmission type projection screen according to claim 1, wherein said first inclined surface makes a right angle to said rear surface.

3. The transmission type projection screen according to claim 1, wherein said second inclined surface makes an angle in the range of 5°

to 40°

to said rear surface.

4. The transmission type projection screen according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of first prism lenses are disposed with said second inclined surface facing upward.

5. The transmission type projection screen according to claim 1, wherein said unit triangular prisms include an uppermost prism, a lowermost prism and intermediate prisms between said uppermost and lowermost prisms, the second inclined surfaces of the prisms having an angle with respect to said rear surface that decreases gradually from the uppermost prism to the lowermost prism.

6. The transmission type projection screen according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second plurality of prism lenses formed on said front surface of said front sheet and including unit triangular prisms extending parallel to said first plurality of prisms and in a succeeding arrangement.

7. The transmission type projection screen according to claim 6, wherein each of the unit triangular prisms of said second plurality of prism lenses has a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface, wherein the angle between said second inclined surface and said front surface is less than the angle between said first inclined surface and said front surface.

8. The transmission type projection screen according to claim 7, wherein the angle between said first inclined surface of the second plurality of prisms and said front surface is a substantially right angle.

9. The transmission type projection screen according to claim 7, wherein the angle between said second inclined surface of the second plurality of prisms and said front surface is in the range of 5°

to 40°

.

10. The transmission type projection screen according to claim 7 wherein said second plurality of prisms are disposed with the second inclined surface thereof facing downward.

11. The transmission type projection screen according to claim 1, wherein said front sheet is made of a material containing a light absorbing dye or pigment.

12. The transmission type projection screen according to claim 1, wherein said front surface of said front sheet has an antireflection coating.

13. The transmission type projection screen according to claim 1, wherein said rearmost sheet is a Fresnel lens sheet and a lenticular lens sheet is interposed between the front sheet and the Fresnel lens sheet.