Rear end projection system employing aspherical lenses

Claim 2

A character projection unit for projecting on a screen images of characters on a film, including, a plurality of light sources mounted in side-by-side relation, the light sources constituting filament lamps at least some of which have misaligned filaments, a plurality of condensor lenses mounted in side-by-side relation and having oppositely disposed first and second surfaces, a first plurality of projection lenses mounted in side-by-side relation between the condensor lenses and the screen and having oppositely disposed first and second surfaces and having aperture stops of particular dimensions, means for supporting the film at a position between the condensor lenses and the projection lenses in the first plurality, at least one condensor lens plate in which is disposed the plurality of individual condensing lenses, and at least one projection lens plate in which is disposed the plurality of individual projection lenses, a plurality of complete projection systems each including an individual one of the condensor lenses formed in the condensor lens plate and a corresponding one of the individual projection lenses formed in the projection lens plate, and at least one of the lens surfaces of each of the condensor lenses and projection lenses being formed as an aspheric surface for providing for the focusing of the light from the misaligned filaments of the filament lamps on the film and for assuring the passage of substantially the entire images from the film through the apeture stops of the particular dimensions on the projector lens and for the focusing of the images from the film on the screen.

Claim 3

The lens construction of claim 1 wherein a second plurality of projection lenses are disposed between the first plurality of condensor lenses and the first plurality of projection lenses and each of the projection lenses in the second plurality is optically associated in an individual one of the projection systems with an individual one of the condensor lenses in the plurality and an individual one of the projection lenses in the first plurality.

Claim 4

The lens construction of claim 2 wherein the projection lenses in the second plurality are provided with aspheric surfaces to facilitate the focusing of the light from the source on the film and the passage of the light through the aperture of the particular dimensions in the projection lenses in the first plurality and the focusing of the images from the film on the screen.

Claim 5

The lens construction of claim 1 wherein the condensor lenses in the plurality include front and rear condensor lens surfaces and wherein the aspheric surfaces are formed on the front surfaces of the condensor lenses.

Claim 6

The lens construction of claim 1, including, means for mounting the film at a position between the condensor lenses in the plurality and the projection lenses in the first plurality, and a condensor lens plate supported on the mounting means between the condensor lenses in the plurality and the position of the film.

Claim 7

The lens construction of claim 3 wherein the condensor lenses in the plurality include front and rear condensor lens surfaces and the projection lenses in the second plurality include front and rear projection lens surfaces and wherein the aspheric surfaces are formed on the front surfaces of the condensor lenses in the plurality and the projection lenses in the second plurality.

Claim 8

The lens construction of claim 6 wherein the support means for the film includes a condensor plate.

Claim 9

The lens construction of claim 7 constructed in accordance with the following table and data and where the viewing screen for the character projection unit is designated in the table as element 14, the projection lenses in the first plurality are designated in the table as elements 40, the projection lenses in the second plurality are designated as elements 38, the film is designated as element 32, the condensor lens plate is designated as element 30, and the condensor lenses in the plurality are designated as element 28 and the light sources are designated as elements 18: __________________________________________________________________________ LENS RADII RADII THICKNESS FOR FOR AND DISTANCE CLEAR APERTURE CLEAR APERTURE ELE- FIRST SECOND BETWEEN DIAMETER FOR DIAMETER FOR MENT SURFACE SURFACE ELEMENTS FIRST SURFACE SECOND SURFACE MATERIAL __________________________________________________________________________ 14 ∞ ∞ .0000 Diagonal of screen = 1.0600 1.8552 40 .4633 -1.1360 .0570 .2080 Diagonal of .2169 Polycarbonate .4859 Aperture Stop = .2000 38 A(1) 1.7714 .1173 .3529 .3283 Polycarbonate .0791 32 -2.6030 -2.6130 .0100 .2874 .2843 Film .0000 30 -2.6130 -2.6530 .0400 .2843 .2808 Polycarbonate .0100 28 A(2) -9.1950 .0955 .2756 .2550 Polycarbonate 18 .1900 Clear aperture diameter of filament = .1092 __________________________________________________________________________ NOTES Dimensions are in inches Focal length for condensor system = 1.0422 F/no = .9833 Focal length for projection system = .7116 F/No = 2.4041 Positive radius indicates the center of curvature is to the right. Negative radius indicates the center of curvature is to the left. General equation of any aspheric surface Z is: ##STR2## - - Constants for A (1) and A(2) are as follows: ASPHERIC CURV = 1/R K A B C D A(1) 4.52209783 -.811442 2.19256E + 00 6.14583E + 00 0.00000E + 00 0.00000E + 00 A(2) 5.84274054 -.946519 -4.94153E + 00 -6.54417E + 02 0.00000E + 00 0.00000E + 00

Claim 10

A character projection unit for projecting images of characters disposed on a film in a spatial array, including, a plurality of light sources mounted in a spatial array corresponding to the spatial array of the characters on the film, the light sources constituting filament lamps at least some of which have misaligned filaments, a plurality of condensor lenses having oppositely disposed first and second lens surfaces, the condensor lenses being mounted in front of the light sources in a spatial array corresponding to the spatial array of the light sources, a first plurality of projection lenses having oppositely disposed first and second lens surfaces, the projection lenses being mounted in front of the condensor lenses in a spatial array corresponding to the array of the light sources, means for mounting the film at a position intermediate the plurality of condensor lenses and the plurality of projection lenses, and a second plurality of projection lenses disposed in front of the projection lenses in the first plurality, the projection lenses in the second plurality having aperture stops of limited dimensions, the light sources, the condensor lenses and the projection lenses in the first and second pluralities forming a plurality of separate and individually complete projection systems within a confined volume, the plurality of the individual condensor lenses being formed as a unitary condensor lens plate, the first plurality of the individual projection lenses being formed as a first unitary projection lens plate, the second plurality of the individual projection lenses being formed as a secondary unitary projection lens plate, a screen disposed at a position forward of the projection lenses in the second plurality, each of the complete projection systems including one of the individual condensor lenses in the plurality and corresponding ones of the individual projection lenses in the first and second pluralities, at least a particular one of the lens surfaces of each of at least one of the condensor lenses and the projection lens in the first plurality being aspheric to provide for the focusing of the light from the misaligned filaments of said filament lamps light sources on the film and to assure the passage of substantially the entire images from the film through the apertures of limited dimensions in the projected lenses in the second plurality and to provide for the focusing of the images on the screen.

Claim 11

A character projection unit for projecting images of characters disposed on a film in a spatial array, including, a plurality of light sources mounted in a spatial array corresponding to the spatial array of the characters on the film, the light sources constituting filament lamps at least some of which have misaligned filaments, a plurality of condensor lenses having oppositely disposed first and second lens surfaces, the condensor lenses being mounted in front of the light sources in a spatial array corresponding to the spatial array of the light sources, a first plurality of projection lenses having oppositely disposed first and second lens surfaces, the projection lenses being mounted in front of the condensor lenses in a spatial array corresponding to the array of the light sources, means for mounting the film at a position intermediate the plurality of condensor lenses and the plurality of projection lenses, and a second plurality of projection lenses disposed in front of the projection lenses in the first plurality, the projection lenses in the second plurality having aperture stops of limited dimensions, the light sources, the condensor lenses and the projection lenses in the first and second pluralities forming a plurality of separate and individually complete projection systems within a confined volume, the plurality of the individual condensor lenses being formed as a unitary condensor lens plate, the first plurality of the individual projection lenses being formed as a first unitary projection lens plate, the second plurality of the individual projection lenses being formed as a secondary unitary projection lens plate, a screen disposed at a position forward of the projection lenses in the second plurality, each of the complete projection systems including one of the individual condensor lenses in the plurality and corresponding ones of the individual projection lenses in the first and second pluralities, at least a particular one of the lens surfaces of each of at least one of the condensor lenses and the projection lens in the first plurality being aspheric to provide for the focusing of the light from the misaligned filaments of said filament lamps light sources on the film and to assure the passage of substantially the entire images from the film through the apertures of limited dimensions in the projected lenses in the second plurality and to provide for the focusing of the images on the screen.

Claim 12

The character projection unit of claim 9 wherein the aspheric surfaces are provided on the particular surface of the condensor lenses in the plurality.

Claim 13

The character projection unit of claim 9 wherein the aspheric surfaces are provided on the particular surface of the projection lenses in the first plurality.

Claim 14

The character projection unit of claim 9 wherein the condensing lenses in the plurality include front and rear condensor lens plates and the projection lenses in the first plurality include front and rear projection lens plates and wherein the aspheric surfaces are provided on the front surfaces of each of at least one of the condensor lenses in the plurality and the projection lenses in the first plurality.

Claim 15

The character projection unit of claim 10 wherein the aspheric surfaces are provided on the front surfaces of the condensor lenses in the plurality.

Claim 16

The character projection unit of claim 9 wherein the condensor lenses include front and rear condensor lens plates and the projection lenses include front and rear projection lens plates and wherein the aspheric surfaces are provided on the front surfaces of the condensor lenses in the plurality and the projection lenses in the first plurality.

Claim 17

The character projection unit of claim 12 wherein the support means for the film includes a condensor lens plate and the condensor plate is disposed between the position of the film and the condenser lenses in the plurality.

Claim 18

The character projection unit of claim 15 constructed in accordance with the following table and data and where the viewing screen for the character projection unit is designated in the table as element 14, the projections lenses in the first plurality are designated in the table as elements 40, the projection lenses in the second plurality are designated as elements 38, the film is designated as element 32, the condensor lens plate is designated as element 32, the condensor lens plate is designated as element 30, and the condensor lenses in the plurality are designated as element 28 and the light sources are designated as elements 18: __________________________________________________________________________ LENS RADII RADII THICKNESS FOR FOR AND DISTANCE CLEAR APERTURE CLEAR APERTURE ELE- FIRST SECOND BETWEEN DIAMETER FOR DIAMETER FOR MENT SURFACE SURFACE ELEMENTS FIRST SURFACE SECOND SURFACE MATERIAL __________________________________________________________________________ 14 ∞ ∞ .0000 Diagonal of screen = 1.0600 1.8552 40 .4633 -1.1360 .0570 .2080 Diagonal of .2169 Polycarbonate .4859 Aperture Stop = .2000 38 A(1) 1.7714 .1173 .3529 .3283 Polycarbonate .0791 32 -2.6030 -2.6130 .0100 .2874 .2843 Film .0000 30 -2.6130 -2.6530 .0400 .2843 .2808 Polycarbonate .0100 28 A(2) -9.1950 .0955 .2756 .2550 Polycarbonate 18 .1900 Clear aperture diameter of filament = .1092 __________________________________________________________________________ NOTES Dimensions are in inches Focal length for condensor system = 1.0422 F/no = .9833 Focal length for projection system = .7116 F/No = 2.4041 Positive radius indicates the center of curvature is to the right. Negative radius indicates the center of curvature is to the left. General equation of any aspheric surface Z is: ##STR3## - - Constants for A (1) and A(2) are as follows: ASPHERIC CURV = 1/R K A B C D A(1) 4.52209783 -.811442 2.19256E + 00 6.14583E + 00 0.00000E + 00 0.00000E + 00 A(2) 5.84274054 -.946519 -4.94153E + 00 -6.54417E + 02 0.00000E + 00 0.00000E + 00