Projector

Claim 2

A projector comprising: a light source emitting light of undefined polarization; polarizing means for converting said light into linearly or circularly polarized light; light separating means for separating the light from said polarizing means into first, second and third colored lights having different colors from one another; three modulation means, each receiving one of said colored lights, for converting portions of light having a first linear polarization into portions of a second polarization different from said first linear polarization and for selecting one of said first and second polarizations, each modulation means comprising, disposed in succession along the optical path of the correponding colored light, a nematic type liquid crystal panel for rotating polarization directions of the portions of said first linear polarization, and polarization analyzer means for transmitting only one of said first and second polarizations, combining means for combining the colored lights passed through said nematic type liquid crystal panels projection means for projecting said combined lights; and three polarization converting means each of which is disposed between said light separating means and corresponding one of said three modulation means, for converting said linearly or circularly polarized light into the light having the first linear polarization.

Claim 3

A projector according to claim 1, wherein said polarizing means is adapted to output circularly polarized light, and each of said polarization converting means is a quarter wavelength optical phase plate.

Claim 4

A projector according to claim 1, wherein said polarizing means is adapted to output linearly polarized light and said polarization converting means rotates the direction of polarization of each of said colored lights by about 45°.

Claim 5

A projector according to claim 3, wherein each of said polarization converting means is a half wavelength optical phase plate.

Claim 6

A projector according to claim 4, further comprising detecting means for detecting any change in the temperature of a member constituting said selective polarization rotating means and wherein said optical phase plate is rotated about the optical axis thereof in conformity with an output signal from said detecting means.

Claim 7

A projector according to claim 1, wherein each of said selective polarization rotating means comprises a twisted nematic liquid crystal light valve.

Claim 8

A projector comprising: a light source emitting light of undefined polarization; polarizing means for changing said light into linearly polarized light which is polarized in a horizontal direction; light separating means for separating the light from said polarizing means into first, second and third colored lights having different colors from one another; three modulation means, each receiving one of said colored lights, for converting portions of light having a first linear polarization into portions of a second polarization different from said first linear polarization and for selecting one of said first and second polarizations, each modulation means comprising, disposed in succession along the optical path of the corresponding colored light, a nematic type liquid crystal panel for rotating polarization directions of the portions of said first linear polarization, and polarization analyzer means for transmitting only one of said first and second polarizations, wherein the direction of said first linear polarization is different from said horizontal direction, combining means for combining the colored lights, passed throug said nematic type liquid crystal panels projection means for projecting said combined lights; and three polarization converting means each of which is disposed between said light separating means and corresponding one of said three modulation means, for converting said linearly polarized light into the light having the first linear polarization.

Claim 9

A projector comprising: a light source emitting light of undefined polarization; polarizing means for changing said light into linearly polarized light which is polarized in a horizontal direction; light separating means for separating the light from said polarizing means into first, second and third colored lights having different colors from one another; three modulation means, each receiving one of said colored lights, for converting portions of light having a first linear polarization into portions of a second polarization different from said first linear polarization and for selecting one of said first and second polarizations, each modulation means comprising, disposed in succession along the optical path of the corresponding colored light, a nematic type liquid crystal panel for rotating polarization directions of the portions of said first linear polarization, and polarization analyzer means for transmitting only one of said first and second polarizations, wherein the direction of said first linear polarization is different from said horizontal direction, combining means for combining the colored lights, passed throug said nematic type liquid crystal panels projection means for projecting said combined lights; and three polarization converting means each of which is disposed between said light separating means and corresponding one of said three modulation means, for converting said linearly polarized light into the light having the first linear polarization.

Claim 10

A projector according to claim 7, wherein said polarizing means is adapted to output linearly polarized light and each of said polarization converting means rotates the direction of polarization of each of said colored lights by about 45°.

Claim 11

A projector according to claim 8, wherein each of said polarization converting means is a half wavelength optical phase plate.

Claim 12

A projector according to claim 9, further comprising detecting means for detecting any change in the temperature of a member constituting said selective polarization rotating means and wherein said optical phase plate is rotated about the optical axis thereof in conformity with an output signal from said detecting means.

Claim 13

A projector according to claim 7, wherein each of said selective polarization rotating mean comprises a twisted nematic liquid crystal light valve.

Claim 14

A projector comprising: a light source emitting light of undefined polarization; polarizing means for converting said light into linearly polarized light; light separating means for separating the light from said polarizing means into first, second and third colored lights having different colors from one another; three modulation means, one disposed in each of said colored lights, for converting portions of light having a first linear polarization into portions of a second polarization different from said first linear polarization and for selecting one of said first and second polarizations, the direction of said first linear polarization being 45° with respect to the polarization direction of said linearly polarized light, each modulation means comprising, disposed in succession along the optical path of the corresponding colored light beam, a nematic type liquid crystal panel for rotating the polarization directions of the portions of said first linear polarization direction, and polarization analyzer means for transmitting only one of said first and second polarizations; combining means for combining the colored lights; projection means for projecting said combined beams; and three polarization converting means, each of which is disposed between said light separating means and a corresponding one of said three modulation means for converting said linearly polarized light into the light having the first linear polarization by rotating the polarization direction of said linearly polarized light by 45°.

Claim 15

A projector comprising: a light source emitting light of undefined polarization; polarizing means for converting said light into linearly polarized light; light separating means for separating the light from said polarizing means into first, second and third colored lights having different colors from one another; three modulation means, one disposed in each of said colored lights, for converting portions of light having a first linear polarization into portions of a second polarization different from said first linear polarization and for selecting one of said first and second polarizations, the direction of said first linear polarization being 45° with respect to the polarization direction of said linearly polarized light, each modulation means comprising, disposed in succession along the optical path of the corresponding colored light beam, a nematic type liquid crystal panel for rotating the polarization directions of the portions of said first linear polarization direction, and polarization analyzer means for transmitting only one of said first and second polarizations; combining means for combining the colored lights; projection means for projecting said combined beams; and three polarization converting means, each of which is disposed between said light separating means and a corresponding one of said three modulation means for converting said linearly polarized light into the light having the first linear polarization by rotating the polarization direction of said linearly polarized light by 45°.

Claim 16

A projector comprising: an illuminating optical system including polarizing means for converting non-polarized polarized light from a light source into polarized light and color separating means for separating the polarized light into a plurality of lights differing in color from one another; image forming means, provided on each optical path of said plurality of lights, for forming image light by changing a polarization state of light with a member which has an optical anisotrophy and of which a direction of an optic axis is variable; and a projection optical system for combining and projecting said image lights from said image forming means provided on the respective optical paths of said plurality of lights, wherein said member having optical anistropy is adapted to receive linearly polarized light, the polarization direction of which is inclined with respect to a horizontal axis, wherein said polarizing means is adapted to produce polarized light which is P- polarized light or S-polarized light with respect to a dichroic mirror of said color separating means, and wherein polarization changing means is provided on each optical path of said plurality of lights for changing said P-polarized light or S-polarized light to said linearly polarized light the polarization direction of which is inclined with respect to the horizontal axis.

Claim 17

A projector comprising: an illuminating optical system including polarizing means for converting non-polarized polarized light from a light source into polarized light and color separating means for separating the polarized light into a plurality of lights differing in color from one another; image forming means, provided on each optical path of said plurality of lights, for forming image light by changing a polarization state of light with a member which has an optical anisotrophy and of which a direction of an optic axis is variable; and a projection optical system for combining and projecting said image lights from said image forming means provided on the respective optical paths of said plurality of lights, wherein said member having optical anistropy is adapted to receive linearly polarized light, the polarization direction of which is inclined with respect to a horizontal axis, wherein said polarizing means is adapted to produce polarized light which is P- polarized light or S-polarized light with respect to a dichroic mirror of said color separating means, and wherein polarization changing means is provided on each optical path of said plurality of lights for changing said P-polarized light or S-polarized light to said linearly polarized light the polarization direction of which is inclined with respect to the horizontal axis.

Claim 18

A projector comprising: an illuminating optical system including polarizing means for converting non-polarized light from a light source into polarized light and color separating means for separating the polarized light into a plurality of lights differing in color from one another; image forming means, provided on each optical path of said plurality of lights, for forming image light by changing a polarization state of light using a member which has an optical anisotropy and of which a direction of an optic axis is variable; and a projection optical system for combining and projecting said image lights from said image forming means provided on the respective optical paths of said plurality of lights, wherein said member having optical anisotropy is adapted to receive linearly polarized light, the polarization direction of which is inclined with respect to a horizontal axis, wherein said polarizing means is adapted to produce polarized light, the polarization direction of which is not inclined with respect to the horizontal axis, and wherein polarization changing means is provided on each optical path of said plurality of lights for changing the polarized light produced by said polarizing means to said linearly polarized light, the polarization direction of which is inclined with respect to the horizontal axis.

Claim 19

A projector comprising: an illuminating optical system including polarizing means for converting non-polarized light from a light source into polarized light and color separating means for separating the polarized light into a plurality of lights differing in color from one another; image forming means, provided on each optical path of said plurality of lights, for forming image light by changing a polarization state of light using a member which has an optical anisotropy and of which a direction of an optic axis is variable; and a projection optical system for combining and projecting said image lights from said image forming means provided on the respective optical paths of said plurality of lights, wherein said member having optical anisotropy is adapted to receive linearly polarized light, the polarization direction of which is inclined with respect to a horizontal axis, wherein said polarizing means is adapted to produce polarized light, the polarization direction of which is not inclined with respect to the horizontal axis, and wherein polarization changing means is provided on each optical path of said plurality of lights for changing the polarized light produced by said polarizing means to said linearly polarized light, the polarization direction of which is inclined with respect to the horizontal axis.

Claim 20

A projector according to claims 13 or 14, wherein said color separating means produces color lights of red, green and blue.

Claim 21

A projector according to any one of claims 13 or 14, wherein said polarizing means includes: means for separating the light from said light source into two polarized lights, the polarization direction of which are orthogonal to each other; means for causing the polarization directions of said two linearly polarized lights to coincide with each other.

Claim 22

A projector according to any one of claims 13 or 14, wherein said projection optical system includes color combining means for combining said image lights from each of said image forming means and a projection lens for projecting the combined image light.

Claim 23

A projector according to any one of claims 13 or 14, wherein said member having optical anisotropy is a twist nematic type liquid crystal in which the liquid crystal molecule closet to light incident side is orientated in 45 degrees with respect to said horizontal axis, and said twist nematic type liquid crystal is adapted to receive the linearly polarized light, the polarization direction of which coincides with the orientation direction of the liquid crystal molecule closet to the light incident side.

Claim 24

A projection according to claim 18, wherein polarization changing means is a halfwave plate in which the optic axis is oriented at 22.5 degrees with respect to the polarization direction of the polarization light produced by said polarizing means.

Claim 25

A projector according to any one of claims 13 or 14, wherein said member having optical anistrophy is a bistable type ferro-dielectric liquid crystal which is adapted to receive the linearly polarized light which is polarized in a direction in a same as an orientation direction of the liquid crystal in one of stable states.

Claim 26

A projector according to claim 20, wherein said polarization changing means is rotatable about an optical axis.

Claim 27

A projector according to claim 21, wherein temperature variation of said bistable type ferro-dielectric liquid crystal is detected and said polarization changing means is rotated about the optical axis in correspondence with the detection result.

Claim 28

A projector according to any one of claims 13 or 14, wherein said member having optical anisotrophy is a liquid crystal or PLZT.

Claim 29

A projector according to any one of claims 13 or 14, wherein said polarization changing means is a twist nematic liquid crystal.

Claim 30

A projector according to claim 14, wherein said polarizing means produces polarized light which is P polarized light or S polarized light with respect to a dichroic mirror of said color separating means.