Variable magnification optical system and projector

• US 8,254,039 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2009
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Fujita, Kazuhiro, Abe, Issei
• Primary Examiner(s): AMARI, ALESSANDRO V
• Application Number:
  US12/546,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20100053737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 359/432, 359/676, 359/691, 359/692, 359/726, 359/727, 353/98
• US Class Current: 359/727
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/08 Catadioptric systems used in non-imaging applications G02B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0852 having a field corrector only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0896 with variable magnification or multiple imaging planes, including multispectral systems systems with only refractive elements G02B15/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066

Abstract

A variable magnification optical system projects an image onto a screen with a sufficient magnification without requiring a large-sized mirror. The variable magnification optical system includes a first optical system through which a light beam modulated with an image signal corresponding to the image is passed; a second optical system disposed downstream of the first optical system in a direction of travel of the light beam along an optical axis; and a reflective optical element having a magnification power that is configured to reflect the light beam from the second optical system toward the screen. A magnification of the image projected on the screen is changed by moving the reflective optical element relative to the object plane, thus changing a distance between the screen and the reflective optical element, while an incident angle of the light beam on the screen is maintained substantially constant.

Claims

1. A variable magnification optical system comprising:

a reflective optical element having a positive magnification power and configured to be movable relative to an object plane; and

a refractive optical system configured to form an intermediate image between the object plane and the reflective optical element, the refractive optical system including plural refractive optical elements, wherein a substantially constant magnification of the intermediate image to the object plane is maintained before and after the magnification change applied to an image projected onto a screen by moving at least one of the plural refractive optical elements;

increasing a distance between the screen and the reflective optical element increases a magnification applied to the image projected onto the screen, and a change in distance between the screen and the reflective optical element, to effect a change in magnification applied to an image projected onto the screen, is substantially the same as a corresponding change in distance between the reflective optical element and the object plane.

2. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 1, wherein a substantially constant relative position of the intermediate image to the reflective optical element is maintained by moving at least one of the plural refractive optical elements.

3. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 1, wherein, when the reflective optical element is moved, an incident angle of a light beam reflected by the reflective optical element on a projected plane is maintained substantially constant.

4. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 1, wherein, when the reflective optical element is moved, a difference between a maximum angle and a minimum angle of a light beam that passes through the refractive optical system, forming projecting light, with respect to an arbitrary plane is maintained at a substantially constant value.

5. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 1, wherein, when the reflective optical element is moved, an incident angle of a light beam reflected by the reflective optical element that is incident on a projected plane at a maximum angle changes by 5°

or less.

6. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 1, wherein, when the reflective optical element is moved, an incident angle of a light beam reflected by the reflective optical element that is incident on a projected plane at a minimum angle changes by 5°

or less.

7. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 1, wherein, when the reflective optical element is moved, a difference between a maximum angle and a minimum angle of a light beam that passes through the refractive optical system, forming projecting light, with respect to an arbitrary plane varies by 3°

or less.

8. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 1, wherein

the plural refractive optical elements includes a first refractive optical element disposed upstream of the reflective optical element in a direction of travel of a light beam irradiated from the object plane along an optical axis,

the first refractive optical element is convex-concave, and

a distance between the first refractive optical element and the reflective optical element increases in response to increasing magnification of the image projected onto the screen.

9. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 8, wherein

the plural refractive optical elements includes:

a second refractive optical element disposed upstream of the first refractive optical element in a direction of travel of the light beam along the optical axis; and

a third refractive optical element disposed upstream of the second refractive optical element in a direction of travel of the light beam along the optical axis,

a distance between the second refractive optical element and the third refractive optical element remains constant in response to changes in magnification of the image projected onto the screen, and

a distance between the second refractive optical element and the first refractive optical element decreases in response to increasing magnification of the image projected onto the screen.

10. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 9, wherein

the second refractive optical element is biconcave, and

the third refractive optical element is convex-concave.

11. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 9, wherein

the plural refractive optical elements includes a fourth refractive optical element disposed upstream of the third refractive optical element in a direction of travel of the light beam along the optical axis, and

a distance between the fourth refractive optical element and the third refractive optical element increases in response to increasing magnification of the image projected onto the screen.

12. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 11, wherein the fourth refractive optical element is biconcave.

13. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 11, wherein

the plural refractive optical elements includes:

a fifth refractive optical element disposed upstream of the fourth refractive optical element in a direction of travel of the light beam along the optical axis; and

a sixth refractive optical element disposed upstream of the fifth refractive optical element in a direction of travel of the light beam along the optical axis,

a distance between the fifth refractive optical element and the sixth refractive optical element remains constant in response to changes in magnification of the image projected onto the screen, and

a distance between the fifth refractive optical element and the fourth refractive optical element decreases in response to increasing magnification of the image projected onto the screen.

14. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 13, wherein

the fifth refractive optical element is biconvex, and

the sixth refractive optical element is convex-concave.

15. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 13, further comprising:

an aperture disposed upstream of the sixth refractive optical element in a direction of travel of the light beam along the optical axis,

wherein a distance between the aperture and the sixth refractive optical element increases in response to increasing magnification of the image projected onto the screen.

16. A variable magnification optical system for projecting an image onto a screen, the system comprising:

a first optical system through which a light beam irradiated from an object plane is passed;

a second optical system disposed downstream of the first optical system in a direction of travel of the light beam along an optical axis; and

a reflective optical element having a magnification power that is configured to reflect the light beam from the second optical system toward the screen, wherein

a magnification of the image projected on the screen is changed by moving the reflective optical element relative to the object plane, thus changing a distance between the screen and the reflective optical element, while an incident angle of the light beam on the screen is maintained substantially constant, and

a change in distance between the screen and the reflective optical element, to effect a change in magnification applied to an image projected onto the screen, is substantially the same as a corresponding change in distance between the reflective optical element and the object plane.

17. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 16, wherein

at least one of the first optical system and the second optical system includes plural refractive optical elements, and

one or more of the plural refractive optical elements is moved along the optical axis for focusing the image, depending on an amount of movement of the reflective optical element.

18. The variable magnification optical system according to claim 16, further comprising:

a lens tube member configured to retain the second optical system and the reflective optical element,

wherein the lens tube member is moved along the optical axis in order to change the distance between the screen and the reflective optical element.

19. A variable magnification optical apparatus comprising:

a light source;

an image generation unit that receives light from the light source;

a reflective optical element having a positive magnification power and configured to be movable relative to an object plane of the image generation unit; and

a refractive optical system configured to form an intermediate image between the object plane and the reflective optical element, the refractive optical system including plural refractive optical elements, wherein

a movement of the reflective optical element effects a magnification change applied to an image projected onto a screen,

a substantially constant magnification of the intermediate image to the object plane is maintained before and after the magnification change applied to the image projected onto the screen by moving at least one of the plural refractive optical elements, and

when magnifying the image projected onto the screen, the distance between the screen and the reflective optical element is enlarged without changing the distance between the screen and the object plane.

20. A variable magnification optical apparatus for projecting an image onto a screen, the apparatus comprising:

a light source;

an image generation unit that receives light from the light source;

a first optical system through which a light beam irradiated from an object plane of the image generation unit is passed;

a second optical system disposed downstream of the first optical system in a direction of travel of the light beam along an optical axis; and

a reflective optical element having a magnification power that is configured to reflect the light beam from the second optical system toward the screen, wherein

a magnification of the image projected on the screen is changed by moving the reflective optical element relative to the object plane, thus changing a distance between the screen and the reflective optical element, while an incident angle of the light beam on the screen is maintained substantially constant, and

when magnifying the image projected onto the screen, the distance between the screen and the reflective optical element is enlarged without changing the distance between the screen and the object plane.