Projector

• US 8,157,386 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nagarekawa, Satoru, Morikuni, Eiji, Minefuji, Nobutaka, Okoshi, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dowling, William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOWARD, RYAN D
• Application Number:
  US13/227,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20110317135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 222 Days
• Field of Search: 353/98, 353/99, 353/102, 353/81, 353/78, 353/74, 353/77, 348/756, 359/850, 359/857
• US Class Current: 353/78
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066

Abstract

In a projection optical system comprising: two lens groups, and a curved plane mirror, wherein the projection optical system including two story structure, and having bend means for bending at least two times the light incident from an electro-optic modulator.

Claims

1. A projection optical system comprising:

a plurality of lens groups including at least a first lens group and a second lens group, and

a curved mirror,

wherein the projection optical system includes a two story structure having a first story located below a second story in a first downward direction, and includes a plurality of plane mirrors that bends at least two times the light incident from a color combining system disposed upstream of the light path of the projection optical system,

the plurality of plane mirrors including

a first plane mirror disposed between the first lens group and the second lens group, the first plane mirror reflecting the light from the first lens group in a second upward direction that is opposite the first downward direction,

a second plane mirror disposed between the first plane mirror and the second lens group in such a way that a normal to a reflection plane of the second plane mirror is perpendicular to a normal to a reflection plane of the first plane mirror, and

a third plane mirror disposed between the second plane mirror and the second lens group, the third plane mirror reflecting the light from the second plane mirror toward the second lens group.

2. The projection optical system according to claim 1,

wherein the projection optical system comprises:

the first lens group, first, second and third plane mirrors, second lens group and the curved mirror being arranged in order from upstream to downstream of the light path.