Projector comprising an optical component having a rock crystal member

• US 6,805,444 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2002
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Takezawa, Takeshi, Hashizume, Toshiaki, Kato, Hisamaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuller, Rodney
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEVER, ANDREW T
• Application Number:
  US10/069,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20020131027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 353/20, 353/31, 353/33, 353/34, 353/37, 353/81, 353/82, 353/122, 359/500, 359/487, 349/5, 349/6, 349/7, 349/8, 349/9
• US Class Current: 353/20
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1046 for use with transmissive spatial light modulators
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/106 for splitting or combining a plurality of identical beams or images, e.g. image replication
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1073 characterized by manufacturing or alignment methods
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/123 The splitting element being a lens or a system of lenses, including arrays and surfaces with refractive power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/145 having sequential partially reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/149 using crossed beamsplitting surfaces, e.g. cross-dichroic cubes or X-cubes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/285 comprising arrays of elements, e.g. microprisms
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/005 Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto
• 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 9/3167 for polarizing the light beam polarizing optical systems per se G02B27/28

Abstract

The projector comprises: an illumination optical system for emitting light; an electro-optical device for modulating the light emitted from the illumination optical system in response to image information; a projection optical system for projecting a modulated light generated by the electro-optical device; and an optical component having a rock crystal member composed of rock crystal, the optical component being located in an optical path including the illumination optical system and the projection optical system. For example, the optical component provided on a light incident side or a light exiting side of the electro-optical device has a rock crystal substrate 308G as the rock crystal member and a polarizing plate 302Go arranged on the substrate. It is preferable that a Z axis of the rock crystal substrate 308G is set to be substantially parallel to or substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.

Claims

1. A projector comprising:

an illumination optical system for emitting a light;

an electro-optical device for modulating the light emitted from the illumination optical system in response to image information; and

a projection optical system for projecting a modulated light generated by the electro-optical device,

wherein the illumination optical system comprises a polarized light generation section for emitting a predetermined polarized light,

the polarized light generation section comprising;

an optical component for dividing an incident light into two different polarized lights; and

a selective retardation plate for adjusting one of the two polarized lights output from the optical component to the other,

the optical component comprising;

a plurality of rock crystal members composed of rock crystal and arrayed in a predetermined direction; and

a polarization separation film and a reflection film that are alternately arranged on interfaces of the plurality of rock crystal members.

2. The projector in accordance with claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of rock crystal members is disposed in such a manner that a Z axis of the rock crystal is substantially perpendicular to a center axis of a light passing through the each rock crystal member and the Z axis of the rock crystal is set to be substantially parallel to a surface of the each rock crystal member.

3. A projector comprising:

an illumination optical system for emitting a light;

an electro-optical device for modulating the light emitted from the illumination optical system in response to image information; and

a projection optical system for projecting a modulated light generated by the electro-optical device,

wherein the illumination optical system comprises a polarized light generation section for emitting a predetermined polarized light,

the polarized light generation section comprising;

an optical component for dividing an incident light into two different polarized lights; and

a selective retardation plate for adjusting one of the two polarized lights output from the optical component to the other,

the optical component comprising;

a rock crystal member composed of rock crystal; and

a polarization separation film formed on the rock crystal member.

4. The projector in accordance with claim 3,

wherein the rock crystal member is disposed in such a manner that a Z axis of the rock crystal is substantially perpendicular to a center axis of a light passing through the rock crystal member and the Z axis of the rock crystal is set to be substantially parallel to a surface of the rock crystal member.

5. The projector in accordance with claim 3,

wherein the rock crystal member is disposed in such a manner that a Z axis of the rock crystal is substantially parallel to a center axis of a light passing through the rock crystal member and the Z axis of the rock crystal is set to be substantially perpendicular to a surface of the rock crystal member.