US 6,199,987 B1Granted

Optical device, and projection display device including the same

AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation

InventorsShinji Haba, Takeshi Takizawa

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Abstract

To increase the usage efficiency of the light of optical elements used in a projection display device, a polarizing conversion unit is provided. This polarizing conversion unit consists of a unit frame, two polarizing conversion element arrays, a light-shielding plate, a lens array, and clips. From the side of one open surface of the unit frame, the two polarizing conversion element arrays are inserted, and the light-shielding plate and the lens array are inserted from the side of the other open surface in this order. These optical elements are clamped by four clips from the two directions of up and down in a state of being stored in the unit frame. Since the clips are formed of an elastic body, the clips can be easily attached and detached, and the respective parts of the polarizing conversion unit can also be easily attached and detached to and from the unit frame. In addition, these optical elements may be sequentially inserted from the side of one open surface.

Claims27

Dependent claims

An optical device, comprising:

a lens array having a plurality of small lenses;
a polarizing conversion element array having a plurality of polarization separating films that separate light transmitted from said small lenses into two kinds of polarized light and a plurality of reflecting films that reflect one of said two kinds of separated by said polarization separating films, said polarizing conversion element array converting non-polarized light into one kind of linearly polarized light;
and
a jig that detachably incorporates said lens array and said polarizing conversion element array, said lens array and said polarizing conversion element array having substantially rectangular outer shapes, said jig including:
a frame having a substantially rectangular first open surface on one side of said frame and a substantially rectangular second open surface on another side of said frame, and having a hollow section inside said frame;
a partitioning projection provided on an inner peripheral surface of said frame that partitions said hollow section into a first storage section communicating with said first open surface and second storage section communicating with said second open surface;
fixing members that detachably fix said lens array, said polarizing conversion element array, and said frame in a state where said lens array and said polarizing conversion element array are stored in said frame;
and
said lens array being stored in said first storage section from said first open surface and said polarizing conversion element array being stored in said second storage section from said second open surface.

6 more elements

An optical device, comprising:

a lens array having a plurality of small lenses;
a polarizing conversion element array having a plurality of polarization separating films that separate light transmitted from said small lenses into two kinds of polarized light and a plurality of reflecting films that reflect one of said two kinds of separated by said polarization separating films, said polarizing conversion element array converting non-polarized light into one kind of linearly polarized light;
and
a jig that detachably incorporates said lens array and said polarizing conversion element array, said lens array and said polarizing conversion element array having substantially rectangular outer shapes, said jig including:
a frame having a substantially rectangular first open surface on one side of said frame and a substantially rectangular second open surface on another side of said frame, and having a hollow section inside said frame;
a projection provided close to said first open surface;
a step portion provided on an inner peripheral surface of said frame that divides said hollow section into a first storage section close to said first open surface and a second storage section larger than said first storage section close to said second open surface;
fixing members that detachably fix said lens array, said polarizing conversion element array, and said frame in a state where said lens array and said polarizing conversion element array are stored in said frame;
and
said lens array and said polarizing conversion element array being stored in said first storage section and said second storage section in a predetermined order from said second open surface.

7 more elements

A projector that projects an image, comprising:

a light source;
a first lens array having a plurality of small lenses;
an optical device including a second lens array having a plurality of small lenses;
a polarizing conversion element array having a plurality of polarization separating films that separate light transmitted from said small lenses into two kinds of polarized light and a plurality of reflecting films that reflect one of said two kinds of polarized light separated by said polarization separating films, said polarizing conversion element array converting non-polarized light into one kind of linearly polarized light;
and a jig, that detachably unites said second lens array and said polarizing conversion element array;
an optical modulation device that modulates light emitted from said optical device based on an image signal;
and
a projection optical system that projects modulated light emitted from said optical modulation device, said second lens array and said polarizing conversion element array having substantially rectangular outer shapes,
said jig including:
a frame having a substantially rectangular first open surface on one side of said frame and a substantially rectangular second open surface on another side of said frame, and having a hollow section inside said frame;
a partitioning projection provided on an inner peripheral surface of said frame that partitions said hollow section into a first storage section connected to said first open surface and second storage section connected to said second open surface;
fixing members that detachably fix said second lens array, said polarizing conversion element array, and said frame in a state where said lens array and said polarizing conversion element array are stored in said frame;
and
said second lens array being stored in said first storage section from said first open surface and said polarizing conversion element array being stored in said second storage section from said second open surface.

11 more elements

A projector that projects an image, comprising:

a light source;
a first lens array having a plurality of small lenses;
an optical device including a second lens array having a plurality of small lenses;
a polarizing conversion element array having a plurality of polarization separating films that separate light transmitted from said small lenses into two kinds of polarized light and a plurality of reflecting films that reflect one of said two kinds of polarized light separated by said polarization separating films, said polarizing conversion element array converting non-polarized light into one kind of linearly polarized light;
and a jig that detachably unites said second lens array and said polarizing conversion element array;
an optical modulation device that modulates light emitted from said optical device based on an image signal;
and
a projection optical system that projects modulated light emitted from said optical modulation device, said second lens array and said polarizing conversion element array having substantially rectangular outer shapes,
said jig including:
a frame having a substantially rectangular first open surface on one side of said frame and a substantially rectangular second open surface on another side of said frame, and having a hollow section inside said frame;
a projection provided close to said first open surface;
a step portion provided on an inner peripheral surface of said frame that divides said hollow section into a relatively small first storage section close to said first open surface and a relatively large second storage section close to said second open surface;
fixing members that detachably fix said second lens array, said polarizing conversion element array, and said frame in a state where said lens array and said polarizing conversion element array are stored in said frame;
and
said second lens array and said polarizing conversion element array being stored in said first storage section and said second storage section in a predetermined order from said second open surface.

12 more elements

A projector that projects an image, comprising:

a light source;
a first lens array having a plurality of small lenses;
an optical device including a second lens array having a plurality of small lenses;
a polarizing conversion element array having a plurality of polarization separating films that separate light transmitted from said small lenses into two kinds of polarized light and a plurality of reflecting films that reflect one of said two kinds of polarized light separated by said polarization separating films, said polarizing conversion element array converting non-polarized light into one kind of linearly polarized light;
and a jig that detachably unites said second lens array and said polarizing conversion element array;
a color light separating optical system that separates light emitted from said optical device into a plurality of color light;
a plurality of optical modulation devices that respectively modulate said plurality of color light based on an image signal;
a color light synthesizing section that synthesizes modulated light emitted from said plurality of optical modulation devices;
and
a projection optical system that projects synthesized light emitted from said color light synthesizing section, said second lens array and said polarizing conversion element array having substantially rectangular outer shapes,
said jig including:
a frame having a substantially rectangular first open surface on one side of said frame and a substantially rectangular second open surface on another side of said frame, and having a hollow section inside said frame;
a partitioning projection provided on an inner peripheral surface of said frame that partitions said hollow section into a first storage section communicating with said first open surface and second storage section communicating with said second open surface;
fixing members that detachably fix said second lens array, said polarizing conversion element array, and said frame in a state where said lens array and said polarizing conversion element array are stored in said frame;
and
said second lens array being stored in said first storage section from said first open surface and said polarizing conversion element array being stored in said second storage section from said second open surface.

13 more elements

A projector that projects an image, comprising:

a light source;
a first lens array having a plurality of small lenses;
an optical device including a second lens array having a plurality of small lenses;
a polarizing conversion element array having a plurality of polarization separating films that separate light transmitted from said small lenses into two kinds of polarized light and a plurality of reflecting films that reflect one of said two kinds of polarized light separated by said polarization separating films, said polarizing conversion element array converting non-polarized light into one kind of linearly polarized light;
and a jig that detachably unites said second lens array and said polarizing conversion element array;
a color light separating optical system that separates light emitted from said optical device into a plurality of color light;
a plurality of optical modulation devices that respectively modulate said plurality of color light based on an image signal;
a color light synthesizing section that synthesizes modulated light emitted from said plurality of optical modulation devices;
and
a projection optical system that projects synthesized light emitted from said color light synthesizing section, said second lens array and said polarizing conversion element array having substantially rectangular outer shapes,
said jig including:
a frame having a substantially rectangular first open surface on one side of said frame and a substantially rectangular second open surface on another side of said frame, and having a hollow section inside said frame;
a projection provided close to said first open surface;
a step portion provided on an inner peripheral surface of said frame that divides said hollow section into a relatively small first storage section close to said first open surface and a relatively large second storage section close to said second open surface;
fixing members that detachably fix said second lens array, said polarizing conversion element array, and said frame in a state where said lens array and said polarizing conversion element array are stored in said frame;
and
said second lens array and said polarizing conversion element array being stored in said first storage section and said second storage section in a predetermined order from said second open surface.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.