Rod integrator, illuminator, projector, and optical device

• US 6,976,778 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2003
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kamijima, Shunji
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Han, Jason
• Application Number:
  US10/705,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20040156212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 362/318, 362551-561, 362/556, 362/558, 362581-583, 385/46, 359/742
• US Class Current: 362/583
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/008 in the form of devices for effecting sequential colour changes, e.g. colour wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0994 Fibers, light pipes optical fibers per se G02B6/02

Abstract

The invention provides a rod integrator or the like having high efficiency for light utilization and suitable for a color-recapture system. The present invention can include a rod integrator having a reflective inner circumference (reflecting surface) for emitting light incident on an incident-end opening from a light source through an emerging-end opening. An end face on the outer periphery of the emerging-end opening can be a scattering surface for reflecting the incident light on the end face toward the optical axis that agrees with the central axis of the rod integrator.

Claims

1. A rod integrator with a color wheel, comprising:

the rod integrator including an incident-end opening and an emerging-end opening, the rod integrator further including a reflecting surface, for emitting light that is incident on an incident-end opening from a light source through an emerging-end opening,

an end surface of an outer periphery of the emerging-end opening, which is on a plane that is substantially perpendicular to a central axis of the rod integrator and being a scattering surface or a blaze surface that reflects the incident light from the color wheel on the end surface toward the central axis of the rod integrator.

2. The rod integrator according to claim 1, the blaze surface of the end surface having different blaze angles depending on a position of the blaze surface in the end surface, the blaze angle being defined by a normal of the blaze surface and the central axis, the longer a distance between the blaze surface and the central axis is, the larger the blaze angle is.

3. The rod integrator according to claim 1, a reflectance of the end surface being approximately 80 percent or more.

4. The rod integrator according to claim 1, the scattering surface of the end surface including a plurality of V-grooves having a very small depth.

5. The rod integrator according to claim 1, the end surface further having a reflecting surface around the scattering surface.

6. An illuminator, comprising:

a light source that supplies light; and

the rod integrator according to claim 1, that substantially uniformizes an intensity distribution of the light from the light source.

7. A projector, comprising:

the illuminator according to claim 6;

a spatial light modulator that modulates incident light in accordance with an image signal; and

a projector lens that projects the modulated light.

8. An optical device, comprising:

the rod integrator according to claim 1; and

a light source that supplies light.