Optical device and display apparatus

A display apparatus comprising:

• a light source adapted to emit a light beam;
• an illumination optical device adapted to act upon the emitted light beam;
• a light modulation device to which the light beam emitted from the light source is applied via the illumination optical device, the light modulation device modulating the applied light beam;
• and
• a projection lens for projecting the modulated light beam,
• the illumination optical device comprising:
• a first optical block including a first lens array having a plurality of cell lenses each being substantially similar in shape to the light modulation device;
• a second optical block including a second lens array having a plurality of cell lenses corresponding to respective cell lenses of the first lens array of the first optical block, and a first converging component for converging beams that have passed through the second lens array toward the light modulation device, the cell lenses of the second optical block having substantially different aspherical surfaces in order to correct for spherical and chromatic aberrations;
• and
• a second converging component disposed in the vicinity of the light modulation device, for imaging beams that are output from the second optical block at a predetermined position.

An optical block of an optical device, comprising:

• a polarization component transmission/reflection member for transmitting a first polarization component of light and reflecting a second polarization component of light;
• a polarization component reflection member for reflecting the second polarization component that has been reflected by the polarization component transmission/reflection member;
• a polarization component conversion member for converting the second polarization component that has been reflected by the polarization component reflection member into a polarization component having a polarization direction similar to that of said first polarization component;
• a plurality of first prisms for causing the polarization component conversion member to output the converted second polarization component;
• and
• a plurality of second prisms disposed adjacent to the respective first prisms, for outputting the first polarization component;
• a first lens array disposed at a light incident side of the optical block and being formed of a collection of a plurality of lenses each corresponding to one of the plurality of first prisms;
• and
• a second lens array disposed at a light exit side of the optical block and being formed of a collection of a plurality of lenses each corresponding to one of the plurality of second prisms, the lenses of the second lens array that correspond to the first prisms having a different focal length than the lenses of the second lens array that correspond to the second prisms.

A display apparatus comprising:

• a light source adapted to emit a light beam;
• an optical device adapted to act upon the emitted light beam;
• a light modulation device to which the light beam emitted from the light source is applied via the optical device, the light modulation device modulating the applied light beam;
• and
• a projection lens for projecting the light beam modulated by the light modulation device,
• an optical block of the illumination optical device comprising:
• a polarization component transmission/reflection member for transmitting a first polarization component of light and reflecting a second polarization component of light;
• a polarization component reflection member for reflecting the second polarization component that has been reflected by the polarization component transmission/reflection member;
• a polarization component conversion member for converting the second polarization component that has been reflected by the polarization component reflection member into a polarization component having a polarization direction similar to that of said first polarization component;
• a plurality of first prisms for causing the polarization component conversion member to output the converted second polarization component;
• and
• a plurality of second prisms disposed adjacent to the respective first prisms, for outputting the first polarization component;
• a first lens array disposed of a light incident side of the optical block and being formed of a collection of a plurality of lenses each corresponding to one of the plurality of first prisms;
• and
• a second lens array disposed at a light exit side of the optical block and being formed of a collection of a plurality of lenses each corresponding to one of the plurality of second prisms, the lenses of the second lens array that correspond to the first prisms having a different focal length than the lenses of the second lens array that correspond to the second prisms.