Illumination system and projector

A projector, comprising:

• a light source configured to emit a light beam along a light source optical axis;
• a color separator configured to separate the light beam emitted from said light source into three color light beams;
• first through third modulation devices configured to respectively modulate the three color light beams separated by said color separator according to image information;
• a color synthesizer configured to synthesize beams modulated by said first through third modulation devices;
• a projection lens configured to project a light beam synthesized by said color synthesizer;
• a first lens array having a plurality of small lenses configured to divide the light beam emitted from said light source into a plurality of partial light beams;
• a superimposing lens configured to superimpose the plurality of partial light beams emitted from said first lens array on said first through third modulation devices;
• and
• an entrance angle reducing system disposed between said superimposing lens and said first through third modulation devices, and configured to reduce an entrance angle of a light bundle including light rays from each of said plurality of small lenses of said first lens array, said light bundle being emitted from said superimposing lens and entering one of said first through third modulation devices via said entrance angle reducing system, said entrance angle representing an angular difference of incident light rays constituting said light bundle at one point on said modulation device, compared with an illumination system without said entrance angle reducing system.

A projector, comprising:

• an illumination system;
• a modulation device configured to modulate light emitted from said illumination system according to image information;
• and
• a projection lens configured to project and magnify the modulated light emitted from said modulation device,
• wherein said illumination system comprises:
• a light source configured to emit a light beam along a light source optical axis;
• a lens array having a plurality of small lenses configured to divide the light beam emitted from said light source into a plurality of partial light beams;
• a superimposing lens configured to superimpose the plurality of partial light beams emitted from said lens array on said modulation device;
• and
• an entrance angle reducing system disposed between said superimposing lens and said modulation device, and configured to reduce an entrance angle of a light bundle including light rays from each of said plurality of small lenses of said lens array, said light bundle being emitted from said superimposing lens and entering said modulation device via said entrance angle reducing system, said entrance angle representing an angular difference of incident light rays constituting said light bundle at one point on said modulation device, compared with an illumination system without said entrance angle reducing system.

An illumination system, comprising:

• a light source configured to emit light;
• a lens array having a plurality of lenses configured to divide the light emitted from the light source into a plurality of partial lights;
• a superimposing lens configured to superimpose the plurality of partial lights emitted from the lens array on an area to be illuminated;
• and
• a concave lens disposed between the superimposing lens and the area to be illuminated, and configured to reduce an entrance angle of a light bundle including light rays from each of the plurality of lenses of the lens array, the light bundle being emitted from the superimposing lens and entering the area to be illuminated via the concave lens, the entrance angle representing an angular difference of incident light rays constituting the light bundle at one point on the area to be illuminated, compared with an illumination system without the concave lens.

An illumination system, comprising:

• a light source configured to emit light;
• a color separator configured to separate the light emitted from the light source into a plurality of color lights;
• a plurality of modulation devices respectively configured to modulate the plurality of color lights;
• a color synthesizer configured to synthesize the plurality of color lights modulated by the plurality of modulation devices;
• a projection lens configured to project a beam synthesized by the color synthesizer;
• a lens array having a plurality of lenses configured to divide the light emitted from the light source into a plurality of partial lights;
• a superimposing lens configured to superimpose the plurality of partial lights emitted from the lens array on the plurality of the modulation devices;
• and
• a concave lens disposed between the superimposing lens and the plurality of the modulation devices, and configured to reduce an entrance angle of a light bundle including light rays from each of the plurality of lenses of the lens array, the light bundles being emitted from the superimposing lens and entering one of the plurality of the modulation devices via the entrance angle reducing system, the entrance angle representing an angular difference of incident light rays constituting the light bundle at one point on the modulation device, compared with an illumination system without the entrance angle reducing system.