Light source unit having a microlens array for converting excitation light into plural light ray bundles and projector including the light source unit

A light source unit comprising:

• an excitation light source;
• a luminescent plate comprising a luminescent material layer, wherein an entirety of the luminescent material layer has a predetermined shape and becomes luminous by use of light emitted from the excitation light source as excitation light;
• a microlens array which is disposed between the excitation light source and the luminescent plate and which converts light emitted from the excitation light source into a plurality of bundles of light rays to be shone onto the luminescent plate;
• and
• a collective lens which is disposed in proximity to the luminescent plate and which collects the plurality of bundles of light rays and shines the collected bundles of light rays onto the luminescent material layer with center positions of the collected bundles of light rays superposed on one another;
• wherein:
• a surface of the luminescent plate is a reflecting plane and the luminescent material layer having the predetermined shape is provided on the reflecting plane;
• the microlens array comprises a plurality of micro convex lenses which are arranged in a matrix;
• each of the plurality of micro convex lenses has a same shape as the predetermined shape of the luminescent material layer, and each of the plurality of bundles of light rays converted by the microlens array has a same sectional shape as the predetermined shape of the luminescent material layer;
• and
• the collective lens collects and superposes the plurality of bundles of light rays having the same sectional shape so as to be shone onto the predetermined shape of the luminescent material layer over a range having a similar size to the predetermined shape of the luminescent material layer.