Projection lens

• US 6,473,244 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2000
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sugano, Yasuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thompson, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US09/697,909
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 359/793, 359/794, 359/795, 359/790, 359/789, 359/784, 359/781, 359/772, 359/767, 359/764, 359/650, 359/651
• US Class Current: 359/794
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 used for beam splitting or combining

Abstract

A projection lens including a first lens group, a diaphragm, and a second lens group, which are disposed in that order from a screen to an image source. The first lens group includes an aspherical lens and at least one positive lens, and has a positive refractive power. The second lens group includes at least one set of combined lenses and an aspherical lens, and has a positive refractive power. A lens gap in the first lens group is moved to perform a focusing operation. It is possible to provide a wide-angle projection lens which uses few lenses and has a long back focus and focal length when BF/F is greater than 1.87, and HF2/F2 is greater than 0.22 but less than 0.57, where F denotes the focal length of the projection lens, BF denotes the distance in air from a last lens surface of the second lens group to the image source, F2 denotes the focal length of the second lens group, and HF2 denotes the location of a front principal point of the second lens group.

Claims

1. A projection lens comprising:

a first lens group, a diaphragm, and a second lens group, which are disposed in that order from a long conjugate side to a short conjugate side;

wherein the first lens group comprises an aspherical lens disposed at the long conjugate side, and at least one positive lens, so that the first lens group as a whole has a positive refractive power,

wherein the second lens group comprises at least one set of combined lenses and an aspherical lens, so that the second lens group as a whole has a positive refractive power,

wherein a focusing operation is carried out by moving a gap between predetermined lenses in the first lens group, and conditional expressions (1) and (2) are satisfied;

$\begin{array}{cc}1.87<<br><br>\mathrm{BF}/F& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(1\right)\\ 0.22<<br><br>\mathrm{HF2}/\mathrm{F2}<<br><br>0.57& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(2\right)\end{array}$

 

where F denotes a focal length of the projection lens, BF denotes a distance in air from a last lens surface of the second lens group to a small conjugate point when a projection magnification is a predetermined value, F2 denotes a focal length of the second lens group, and HF2 denotes a location of a front principal point of the second lens group.

2. The projection lens according to claim 1, wherein the aspherical lens of the first lens group is such that a negative refractive power thereof becomes stronger from an optical axis center to a vicinity thereof.

3. The projection lens according to claim 1, wherein the at least one positive lens of the first lens group is disposed in contact with the diaphragm or at a predetermined distance close to the diaphragm.

4. The projection lens according to claim 1, wherein the at least one set of combined lenses in the second lens group comprise a combination of a lens having a negative refractive power and a positive lens having a positive refractive power, which are disposed in that order from the long conjugate side to the short conjugate side, and wherein conditional expressions (3) and (4) are satisfied:

$\begin{array}{cc}55.0<<br><br>\mathrm{\nu <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>P& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(3\right)\\ \mathrm{\nu <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>N<<br><br>33.0& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(4\right)\end{array}$

where ν

P denotes an Abbe number of the positive lens having a positive refractive power of the at least one set of combined lenses of the second lens group, and ν

N denotes an Abbe number of the lens having a negative refractive power of the at least one set of combined lenses of the second lens group.

5. A projection lens comprising:

a first lens group, a diaphragm, and a second lens group, which are disposed in that order from a long conjugate side to a short conjugate side;

wherein the first lens group comprises a convex-shaped meniscus lens disposed at the long conjugate side and at least one positive lens, so that the first lens group as a whole has a positive refractive power,

wherein the second lens group comprises at least one set of combined lenses and an aspherical lens, so that the second lens group as a whole has a positive refractive power,

wherein a gap between predetermined lenses of the first lens group is moved in order to perform a focusing operation, and conditional expressions (5) and (6) are satisfied;

$\begin{array}{cc}1.87<<br><br>\mathrm{BF}/F& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(5\right)\\ 0.22<<br><br>\mathrm{HF2}/\mathrm{F2}<<br><br>0.57& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(6\right)\end{array}$

 

where F denotes a focal length of the projection lens, BF denotes a distance in air from a last lens surface of the second lens group to a small conjugate point when a projection magnification is a predetermined value, F2 denotes a focal length of the second lens group, and HF2 denotes a location of a front principal point of the second lens group.

6. The projection lens according to claim 5, wherein the meniscus lens of the first lens group is an aspherical lens, and has a negative refractive power which increases from an optical axis center to a vicinity thereof.

7. The projection lens according to claim 5, wherein the at least one positive lens of the first lens group is disposed in contact with the diaphragm or at a predetermined distance close to the diaphragm.

8. The projection lens according to claim 5, wherein a long lens gap in the projection lens is disposed behind the convex-shaped meniscus lens of the first lens group, and wherein conditional expression (7) is satisfied:

$\begin{array}{cc}0.41<<br><br>\mathrm{t1G}/\mathrm{F1P}<<br><br>0.84& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(7\right)\end{array}$

where t1G denotes a longest lens gap in the first lens group, and F1P denotes a focal length of a lens having a positive refractive power disposed closest to the diaphragm in the first lens group.

9. The projection lens according to claim 5, wherein the at least one set of combined lenses in the second lens group comprise a combination of a lens having a negative refractive power and a positive lens having a positive refractive power, which are disposed in that order from the long conjugate side to the short conjugate side, and wherein conditional expressions (8) and (9) are satisfied:

$\begin{array}{cc}55.0<<br><br>\mathrm{\nu <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>P& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(8\right)\\ \mathrm{\nu <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>N<<br><br>30.0& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(9\right)\end{array}$

where ν

P denotes an Abbe number of the positive lens having a positive refractive power of the at least one set of combined lenses of the second lens group, and ν

N denotes an Abbe number of the lens having a negative refractive power of the at least one set of combined lenses of the second lens group.

10. A projection lens comprising:

a first lens group, a diaphragm, and a second lens group, which are disposed in that order from a long conjugate side to a short conjugate side,

wherein the first lens group comprises two lens subgroups comprising two lenses, an aspherical lens disposed at the long conjugate side, and a positive lens, so that the first lens group as a whole has a positive refractive power,

wherein the second lens group comprises two lens subgroups comprising three lenses, a set of combined lenses and an aspherical lens, so that the second lens group as a whole has a positive refractive power,

wherein a gap between predetermined lenses in the first lens group is moved in order to perform a focusing operation, and conditional expressions (10) and (11) are satisfied;

$\begin{array}{cc}1.87<<br><br>\mathrm{BF}/F& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(10\right)\\ 0.22<<br><br>\mathrm{HF2}/\mathrm{F2}<<br><br>0.57& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(11\right)\end{array}$

 

where F denotes a focal length of the projection lens, BF denotes a distance in air from a last lens surface of the second lens group to a small conjugate point when a projection magnification is a predetermined value, F2 denotes a focal length of the second lens group, and HF2 denotes a location of a front principal point of the second lens group.

11. The projection lens according to claim 10, wherein the aspherical lens of the first lens group is such that a negative refractive power thereof becomes stronger from an optical axis center to a vicinity thereof.

12. The projection lens according to claim 10, wherein the positive lens of the first lens group is disposed in contact with the diaphragm or at a predetermined distance close to the diaphragm.

13. The projection lens according to claim 10, wherein a longest lens gap in the projection lens is disposed between the positive lens and the aspherical lens of the first lens group, and wherein conditional expression (12) is satisfied:

$\begin{array}{cc}0.41<<br><br>\mathrm{t1G}/\mathrm{F1P}<<br><br>0.84& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(12\right)\end{array}$

where t1G denotes a longest lens gap in the first lens group, and F1P denotes a focal length of a lens having a positive refractive power disposed closest to the diaphragm in the first lens group.

14. The projection lens according to claim 10, wherein the set of combined lenses in the second lens group comprise a combination of a meniscus lens having a negative refractive power and a positive lens having a positive refractive power, which are disposed in that order from the long conjugate side to the short conjugate side, and wherein conditional expressions (13) and (14) are satisfied:

$\begin{array}{cc}55.0<<br><br>\mathrm{\nu <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>P& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(13\right)\\ \mathrm{\nu <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>N<<br><br>30.0& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(14\right)\end{array}$

where ν

P is an Abbe number of the positive lens having a positive refractive power of the set of combined lenses of the second lens group, and ν

N denotes an Abbe number of the meniscus lens having a negative refractive power of the set of combined lenses of the second lens group.

15. A projection lens comprising:

a first lens group, a diaphragm, and a second lens group, which are disposed in that order from a long conjugate side to a short conjugate side,

wherein the first lens group comprises two lens subgroups comprising two lenses, an aspherical lens disposed at the long conjugate side, and a positive lens, so that the first lens group as a whole has a positive refractive power,

wherein the second lens group comprises either two lens subgroups or three lens subgroups, the two lens subgroups comprising three lenses, an aspherical lens disposed closest to the diaphragm, and combined lenses, and the three lens subgroups comprising four lenses, an aspherical lens disposed closest to the diaphragm, a positive lens, and combined lenses, so that the second lens group as a whole has a positive refractive power,

wherein a gap between predetermined lenses in the first lens group is moved to perform a focusing operation, and conditional expressions (15) and (16) are satisfied;

$\begin{array}{cc}1.87<<br><br>\mathrm{BF}/F& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(15\right)\\ 0.22<<br><br>\mathrm{HF2}/\mathrm{F2}<<br><br>0.57& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(16\right)\end{array}$

 

where F denotes a focal distance of the projection lens, BF denotes a distance in air from a last lens surface of the second lens group to a small conjugate point when a projection magnification is a predetermined value, F2 is a focal length of the second lens group, and HF2 is a location of a front focal point of the second lens group.

16. The projection lens according to claim 15, wherein the aspherical lens of the first lens group is such that a negative refractive power thereof becomes stronger from an optical axis center to a vicinity thereof.

17. The projection lens according to claim 15, wherein the positive lens of the first lens group is disposed in contact with the diaphragm or at a predetermined distance close to the diaphragm.

18. The projection lens according to claim 15, wherein a longest lens gap in the projection lens is disposed between the positive lens and the aspherical lens of the first lens group, and wherein conditional expression (17) is satisfied:

$\begin{array}{cc}0.41<<br><br>\mathrm{t1G}/\mathrm{F1P}<<br><br>0.84& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(17\right)\end{array}$

where t1G denotes a longest lens gap in the first lens group, and F1P denotes a focal length of the lens having a positive refractive power disposed closest to the diaphragm in the first lens group.

19. The projection lens according to claim 15, wherein the combined lenses in the second lens group comprise a combination of a meniscus lens having a negative refractive power and a positive lens having a positive refractive power, which are disposed in that order from the long conjugate side to the short conjugate side, and wherein conditional expressions (18) and (19) are satisfied:

$\begin{array}{cc}55.0<<br><br>\mathrm{\nu <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>P& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(18\right)\\ \mathrm{\nu <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>N<<br><br>30.0& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(19\right)\end{array}$

where ν

P is an Abbe number of the positive lens having a positive refractive power of the combined lenses of the second lens group, and ν

N denotes an Abbe number of the meniscus lens having a negative refractive power of the combined lenses of the second lens group.

20. The projection lens according to claim 15, wherein both surfaces of the aspherical lens in the second lens group are convex-shaped surfaces at the short conjugate side.

21. A projection lens comprising:

a first lens group, a diaphragm, and a second lens group, which are disposed in that order from a long conjugate side to a short conjugate side,

wherein the first lens group comprises either two lens subgroups or three lens subgroups, the two lens subgroups comprising two lenses, an aspherical lens disposed at the long conjugate side and a positive lens, and the three lens subgroups comprising three lenses, an aspherical lens disposed at the long conjugate side, a negative meniscus lens, and a positive lens, so that the first lens group as a whole has a positive refractive power,

wherein the second lens group comprises two lens subgroups including three lenses, a set of combined lenses and an aspherical lens disposed at a short conjugate side, so that the second lens group has as a whole a positive refractive power,

wherein a gap between predetermined lenses in the first lens group is moved to perform a focusing operation, and conditional expressions (20) and (21) are satisfied;

$\begin{array}{cc}1.87<<br><br>\mathrm{BF}/F& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(20\right)\\ 0.22<<br><br>\mathrm{HF2}/\mathrm{F2}<<br><br>0.57& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(21\right)\end{array}$

 

where F is a focal length of the projection lens, BF is a distance in air from a last lens surface of the second lens group to a small conjugate point when a projection magnification is a predetermined value, F2 is a focal length of the second lens group, and HF2 is a location of a front principal point of the second lens group.

22. The projection lens according to claim 21, wherein the aspherical lens of the first lens group is such that a negative refractive power thereof becomes stronger from an optical axis center to a vicinity thereof.

23. The projection lens according to claim 21, wherein the positive lens of the first lens group is disposed in contact with the diaphragm or at a predetermined distance close to the diaphragm.

24. The projection lens according to claim 21, wherein, in the projection lens, a longest lens gap in the projection lens is disposed between the diaphragm and the second lens group.

25. The projection lens according to claim 21, wherein a longest lens gap in the projection lens is disposed between the positive lens and the aspherical lens of the first lens group, and wherein conditional expression (22) is satisfied:

$\begin{array}{cc}0.41<<br><br>\mathrm{t1G}/\mathrm{F1P}<<br><br>0.84& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(22\right)\end{array}$

where t1G denotes a longest lens gap in the first lens group, and F1P denotes a focal length of a lens having a positive refractive power disposed closest to the diaphragm in the first lens group.

26. The projection lens according to claim 21, wherein the set of combined lenses in the second lens group comprise a combination of a meniscus lens having a negative refractive power and a positive lens having a positive refractive power, which are disposed in that order from the long conjugate aside to the short conjugate side, and wherein conditional expressions (23) and (24) are satisfied:

$\begin{array}{cc}55.0<<br><br>\mathrm{\nu <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>P& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(23\right)\\ \mathrm{\nu <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>N<<br><br>30.0& \mathrm{Conditional}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{expression}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\left(24\right)\end{array}$

where ν

P is an Abbe number of the positive lens having a positive refractive power of the set of combined lenses of the second lens group, and ν

N denotes an Abbe number of the meniscus lens having a negative refractive power of the set of combined lenses of the second lens group.

27. The projection lens according to claim 21, wherein the aspherical lens in the second lens group is a biconvex lens.