Compact projection lenses for use with large format pixelized panels

• US 7,009,777 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Cannon, Bruce L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman, Scott J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Collins, Darryl J.
• Application Number:
  US10/858,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20050270658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 359/649, 359/651, 359752-756, 359/761, 359/770, 359781-783
• US Class Current: 359/649
• 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 13/18 with lenses having one or more non-spherical faces, e.g. for reducing geometrical aberration G02B13/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 9/60 having five components only

Abstract

Projection lenses for use with pixelized panels (PP) are provided. The projection lenses have first and second lens units (U1,U2), with the first lens unit having a negative or weakly positive power and the second lens unit having a positive power. The second lens unit has first and second subunits (U2S1 and U2S2) which provide positive power followed by negative power. The second subunit (U2S2) of the second unit (U2), in turn, has negative power followed by positive power. In this way, an overall short projection lens (e.g., BRL/f₀≦0.9) along with small lens elements (e.g., CA_max/f₀≦0.8) can be achieved.

Claims

1. A projection lens for forming an enlarged image of a pixelized panel on a screen, said projection lens having a long conjugate side, a short conjugate side, and an effective focal length f₀, said lens, in order from the long conjugate side to the short conjugate side, comprising:

(I) a first lens unit consisting in order from the long conjugate side to the short conjugate side of;

(A) a first lens sub-unit having a negative power and comprising a negative lens element which (i) has a short conjugate surface which is concave towards the short conjugate side and (ii) comprises at least one aspheric surface; and

(B) a second lens sub-unit;

(II) an aperture stop; and

(III) a second lens unit having a positive power, an effective focal length f_U2, and consisting in order from the long conjugate side to the short conjugate side of;

(A) a first lens sub-unit having a positive power, an effective focal length f_U2S1 and comprising a positive lens element and a negative lens element, the positive lens element having a lower dispersion than the negative lens element; and

(B) a second lens sub-unit which, in order from the long conjugate side to the short conjugate side, comprises;

a negative lens element having a focal length f_neg and a lens element which comprises an aspherical surface which has a positive on-axis power;

or

a lens element having first and second optical surfaces,—

where the first surface has a negative power θ

_neg, the second surface is an aspherical surface which has a positive on-axis power, and the first and second surfaces are separated by an axial distance t which satisfies the relationship;

t/f₀≧

0.05;

wherein;

(a) the first and second lens units are the only lens units of the projection lens;

(b) f_U2/f₀≦

1.5;

(c) f_U2S1/f₀≦

2.0; and

(d) |f_neg|≦

2.0·

f₀ or 1/|θ

_neg|≦

1.5·

f₀.

2. The projection lens of claim 1 where the second lens sub-unit of the first lens unit has a positive power.

3. The projection lens of claim 1 where the first lens sub-unit of the second lens unit has a lens surface which is closest to the aperture stop and that lens surface has a positive power.

4. The projection lens of claim 1 where in the first lens sub-unit of the second lens unit, the positive lens element is closer to the aperture stop than the negative lens element.

5. The projection lens of claim 1 where in the first lens sub-unit of the second lens unit, the positive lens element and the negative lens element comprise a cemented doublet.

6. The projection lens of claim 1 where in the second lens sub-unit of the second lens unit, the aspherical surface which has a positive on-axis power has a clear aperture and a power at the clear aperture whose magnitude is less than the on-axis power.

7. The projection lens of claim 6 wherein the power at the clear aperture is positive.

8. The projection lens of claim 1 where the second lens sub-unit of the second lens unit has a lens surface which is closest to the pixelized panel and the aspherical surface which has a positive on-axis power is that closest surface.

9. The projection lens of claim 1 where the lens has a full field of view in the direction of the long conjugate which is greater than or equal to 80 degrees.

10. The projection lens of claim 1 where the lens has a full field of view in the direction of the long conjugate which is greater than or equal to 85 degrees.

11. The projection lens of claim 1 wherein the lens has a full field of view in the direction of the short conjugate which is greater than or equal to 60 degrees.

12. The projection lens of claim 1 wherein the lens has a full field of view in the direction of the short conjugate which is greater than or equal to 65 degrees.

13. The projection lens of claim 1 where the lens has a barrel length BRL which satisfies the relationship:

BRL/f₀≦

0.9.

14. The projection lens of claim 1 where the lens has a barrel length BRL which satisfies the relationship:

BRL/f₀≦

0.85.

15. The projection lens of claim 1 where the lens has a maximum clear aperture CA_max which satisfies the relationship:

CA_max/f₀≦

0.8.

16. The projection lens of claim 1 where the lens has a maximum clear aperture CA_max which satisfies the relationship:

CA_max/f₀≦

0.75.

17. A projection lens system comprising:

(a) a pixelized panel; and

(b) the projection lens of claim 1.

18. The projection lens system of claim 17 where the pixelized panel has a diagonal which is greater than 250 millimeters.

19. The projection lens system of claim 17 further comprising a Fresnel lens between the pixelized panel and the projection lens.

20. The projection lens system of claim 17 further comprising an illumination system which comprises a light source and illumination optics which transfers some of the light from the light source towards the pixelized panel and the projection lens.

21. A projection lens for forming an enlarged image of a pixelized panel on a screen, said projection lens having a long conjugate side, a short conjugate side, and an effective focal length f₀, said lens, in order from the long conjugate side to the short conjugate side, comprising:

(I) a first lens unit consisting in order from the long conjugate side to the short conjugate side of;

(A) a negative lens element which (i) has a short conjugate surface which is concave towards the short conjugate side and (ii) comprises at least one aspheric surface; and

(B) a positive lens element;

(II) an aperture stop; and

(III) a second lens unit having a positive power, an effective focal length f_U2, and consisting in order from the long conjugate side to the short conjugate side of;

(A) a first lens sub-unit having a positive power, an effective focal length f_U2S1 and consisting in order from the long conjugate side to the short conjugate side of a positive lens element and a negative lens element which form a cemented doublet, the positive lens element having a lower dispersion than the negative lens element; and

(B) a second lens sub-unit which, in order from the long conjugate side to the short conjugate side, consists of;

a negative lens element having a focal length f_neg and a lens element which comprises an aspherical surface which has a positive on-axis power;

or

a lens element having first and second optical surfaces, where the first surface has a negative power θ

_neg, the second surface is an aspherical surface which has a positive on-axis power, and the first and second surfaces are separated by an axial distance t which satisfies the relationship;

t/f₀≧

0.05;

wherein;

(a) the first and second lens units are the only lens units of the projection lens;

(b) f_U2/f₀≦

1.5;

(c) f_U2S1/f₀≦

2.0; and

(d) |f_neg|≦

2.0·

f₀ or 1/|θ

_neg|≦

1.5·

f₀.

22. A projection lens system comprising:

(a) a pixelized panel; and

(b) the projection lens of claim 21.

23. The projection lens system of claim 22 further comprising a Fresnel lens between the pixelized panel and the projection lens.

24. The projection lens system of claim 22 further comprising an illumination system which comprises a light source and illumination optics which transfers some of the light from the light source towards the pixelized panel and the projection lens.