Rear projection display

Claim 1

A rear projector that projects and displays an image, the rear projection display comprising: a screen having a front side and a back side, the screen displaying the image on the front side by light projected onto the back side; an image projector comprising a light source, a projection lens and a modulating device that modulates light emitted from the light source in accordance with image information, in which first linearly polarized light beams of the light modulated by the modulating device are directed towards a predetermined location on the screen through the projection lens; a polarizing selection element positioned at least on an optical path extending from the projection lens to a back surface on the back side of the screen, the polarizing selection element reflecting the first linearly polarized light beams emitted from the image projector through the projection lens, and letting pass therethrough linearly polarized light beams with a polarization direction perpendicular to that of the first linearly polarized light beams; and a polarizing conversion reflection element positioned on an optical path of light reflected by the polarizing selection element, the polarizing conversion reflection element converting the first linearly polarized light beams, reflected by the polarizing selection element, into second linearly polarized light beams with a polarization direction substantially perpendicular to that of the linearly polarized light beams reflected by the polarizing selection element for reflection towards the screen, at least some of the second linearly polarized light beams emitted from the polarizing conversion reflection element passing through the polarizing selection element and striking the back side of the screen.