Polarizing beam splitter assembly having reduced stress

• US 7,315,418 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Issued: 01/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Case, Marvin Jeffrey, DiZio, James P., Nelson, Maureen C., Mazurek, Mieczyslaw H., Winkler, Wendi J., Ma, Jiaying, Sherman, Audrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAVARIAS, ARNEL C
• Application Number:
  US11/095,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20060221445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 359/488, 359/495, 359/500, 359/633, 359/638, 359/813, 359/834
• US Class Current: 359/485.03
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3041 comprising multiple thin layers, e.g. multilayer stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/315 Modulator illumination systems general applications of lighting devices F21V; general optical systems G02B; lamp houses for projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/20

Abstract

A polarizing beam splitter includes a multilayer polarizing film, a first cross-linked silicone gel layer disposed on the multilayer polarizing film, a first rigid cover disposed on the cross-linked silicone gel layer, and a second rigid cover disposed adjacent to the multilayer polarizing film.

Claims

1. A polarizing beam splitter, comprising:

a multilayer polarizing film;

a first cross-linked silicone gel layer disposed on the multilayer polarizing film;

a first rigid cover disposed on the first cross-linked silicone gel layer;

a second rigid cover disposed adjacent to the multilayer polarizing film; and

a second cross-linked silicone gel layer disposed between the second rigid cover and the multilayer polarizing film, the second cross-linked silicone gel layer comprising cross-linked phenylmethylsilicone and phenylmethylsilicone oil.

2. A polarizing beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein the second cross-linked silicone gel layer has a thickness in a range from 0.5 to 150 micrometers.

3. The polarizing beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer polarizing film is a polymeric multilayer reflective polarizing film.

4. A polarizing beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein the first cover is a prism and the second cover is a prism.

5. A polarizing beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein the first cover is a glass prism and the second cover is a glass prism.

6. A polarizing beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer polarizing film is a multilayer polyester polarizing film.

7. A polarizing beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer polarizing film is a multilayer reflective polarizing film.

8. The polarizing beam splitter according to claim 7, wherein the multilayer polarizing film is a polymeric multilayer polarizing film.

9. A polarizing beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer polarizing film is a matched z-index multilayer reflective polarizing film.

10. A polarizing beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein the first cross-linked silicone gel layer comprises a cross-linked silicone gel layer having a refractive index in a range from 1.50 to 1.58.

11. A polarizing beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein the first cross-linked silicone gel layer comprises cross-linked phenylmethylsilicone.

12. A polarizing beam splitter according to claim 11, wherein the first cross-linked silicone gel layer comprises cross-linked phenylmethylsilicone and phenylmethylsilicone oil.

13. A polarizing beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein the first cross-linked silicone gel layer has a thickness in a range from 0.5 to 150 micrometers.

14. A polarizing beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein the second cross-linked silicone gel layer comprises a cross-linked silicone gel layer having a refractive index in a range from 1.5 to 1.6.

15. A method of making a polarizing beam splitter, the method comprising:

disposing a multilayer reflective polarizing film between a first rigid cover and a second rigid cover, wherein a first cross-linked silicone gel layer is between the multilayer reflective polarizing film and the first cover and a second cross-linked silicone gel layer is between the multilayer reflective polarizing film and the second cover, and wherein the second cross-linked silicone gel layer comprises cross-linked phenylmethylsilicone and phenylmethylsilicone oil.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising curing a first silicone material to form a first cross-linked silicone gel layer prior to the disposing a multilayer reflective polarizing film between a first rigid cover and a second rigid cover step.

17. A method according to claim 15, further comprising curing a first silicone material to form a first cross-linked silicone gel layer, after the disposing a multilayer reflective polarizing film between a first rigid cover and a second rigid cover step.

18. A method according to claim 15, further comprising curing a first silicone material to form a first cross-linked silicone gel layer and curing a second silicone material to form a second cross-linked silicone gel layer, prior to the disposing a multilayer reflective polarizing film between a first rigid cover and a second rigid cover step.

19. A method according to claim 15, further comprising curing a first silicone material to form a first cross-linked silicone gel layer and curing a second silicone material to form a second cross-linked silicone gel layer, after the disposing a multilayer reflective polarizing film between a first rigid cover and a second rigid cover step.

20. A method according to claim 15, further comprising combining a silicone oil with a cross-linked silicone gel to form a first cross-linked silicone gel layer.

21. A method according to claim 15, further comprising combining a silicone oil with a cross-linked silicone gel to form the first cross-linked silicone gel layer and the second cross-linked silicone gel layer.