High speed retrofocus projection television lens systems

• US 6,301,056 B1
• Filed: 11/08/1999
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Corning Precision Lens
• Inventors: Kreitzer, Melvyn H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lester, Evelyn A
• Application Number:
  US09/435,586
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 359/648, 359/649-651, 359/753, 359/782, 359/784, 359/715, 359/716, 348/776, 348/778, 348/779, 348/781
• US Class Current: 359/649
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/04 Reversed telephoto objectives
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/16 for use in conjunction with image converters or intensifiers , or for use with projectors, e.g. objectives for projection TV

Abstract

Projection lens systems (13) for use in CRT projection televisions (10) are provided. From the screen side, the systems have three lens units (U1, U2, U3), the first two units (U1, U2) forming a retrofocus lens and the third unit (U3) being associated with the CRT during use and serving to correct field curvature. At its screen end, the first lens unit (U1) has a negative element (E1) which has a screen surface (S1) which is concave to the screen. The second lens unit (U2) has two positive subunits (U_S1, U_S2), the first subunit (U_S1) being a color correcting doublet composed of glass and the second subunit having a positive lens element (E2) at its screen end. The projection lens systems are fully color corrected, have f/#'"'"'s of 1.0 for an infinite conjugate, have half fields of view of at least 25°, and are economical to manufacture.

Claims

1. A projection lens system for use in combination with a cathode ray tube, said system producing an image, having a power Φ

₀, and comprising in order from its image side;

(a) a negative first lens unit which comprises;

(i) at least one aspheric surface and (ii) a negative lens element at the unit'"'"'s image side, said negative lens element having a power Φ

_E1 and an image side surface which is concave towards the image;

(b) a positive second lens unit which comprises in order from its image side;

(i) a positive first lens subunit which consists of a cemented color correcting doublet composed of glass and having spherical surfaces; and

(ii) a positive second lens subunit which comprises at least one lens element of weak optical power having at least one aspheric surface; and

(c) a third lens unit which is associated with the CRT during use of the lens system, has a strong negative power Φ

_U3, and contributes to the correction of the lens system'"'"'s field curvature.

2. The projection lens system of claim 1 wherein:

3. The projection lens system of claim 1 wherein all of the lens elements of the first lens unit, the second lens subunit of the second lens unit, and the third lens unit are composed of plastic.

4. The projection lens system of claim 1 wherein the clear aperture diameter of the first lens subunit of the second lens unit is less than 65millimeters.

5. The projection lens system of claim 1 wherein the first lens unit comprises two aspheric surfaces and the second lens subunit of the second lens unit comprises two aspheric surfaces.

6. The projection lens system of claim 1 wherein the concave image side surface of the negative lens element of the first lens unit is aspheric.

7. The projection lens system of claim 1 wherein:

8. The projection lens system of claim 1 wherein the negative lens element of the first lens unit is biconcave.

9. The projection lens system of claim 1 wherein:

10. The projection lens system of claim 1 wherein the second lens subunit of the second lens unit comprises a positive image side lens element.

11. The projection lens system of claim 1 wherein the lens system has a half angle field of view in the direction of the image of at least 25 degrees.

12. The projection lens system of claim 1 wherein the f-number of the lens system for an infinite conjugate is 1.0.

13. The projection lens system of claim 1 wherein the system has an MTF above 0.5 at 10 cycles/millimeter.

14. The projection lens system of claim 1 wherein the system produces an image which has a pupil area in its corner that is at least 50 percent of the pupil area on axis.

15. The projection lens system of claim 1 wherein (i) the first, second, and third lens units are the only lens units in the system, (ii) the first lens unit consists of two lens elements, and (iii) the second lens subunit of the second lens unit consists of two lens elements.

16. A projection television set comprising a cathode ray tube, a screen, and a projection lens system for projecting light from the cathode ray tube onto the screen to form an image, said projection lens system comprising the projection lens system of claim 1.

17. The projection television set of claim 16 wherein the cathode ray tube is a three inch cathode ray tube.

18. A projection television set comprising three cathode ray tubes, a screen, and three projection lens systems, one projection lens system being associated with each of the cathode ray tubes for projecting light from that tube onto the screen to form an image, each projection lens system comprising the projection lens system of claim 1.

19. The projection television set of claim 18 wherein each of the cathode ray tubes is a three inch cathode ray tube.

20. A projection lens system for use in combination with a cathode ray tube, said system producing an image, having a power Φ

₀, and consisting in order from its image side of;

(a) a negative first lens unit which comprises;

(i) at least one aspheric surface and (ii) a negative lens element at the unit'"'"'s image side, said negative lens element having a power Φ

_E1 and an image side surface which is concave towards the image;

(b) a positive second lens unit which consists in order from its image side of;

(i) a positive first lens subunit which consists of a cemented color correcting doublet composed of glass and having spherical surfaces; and

(ii) a positive second lens subunit which comprises at least one lens element of weak optical power having at least one aspheric surface; and

a third lens unit which is associated with the CRT during use of the lens system, has a strong negative power Φ

_U3, and contributes to the correction of the lens system'"'"'s field curvature.