Patent ID: 6698891
Filing Date: 2004-03-02
Classification: G02B,G03B

Abstract:
A polarizing unit for receiving light fed from a light source and for emitting polarized illuminating light to an subject to be illuminated, said polarizing unit comprising:a polarized light converter used to obtain a specified type of polarized light and, when polarized light is incident from a side of said subject to be illuminated, to convert a phase difference between two light components whose polarized directions orthogonal to each other and to emit said polarized light to a side of said subject to be illuminated; a light guiding member having a light incident end face formed on a side of said light source and a light outgoing end face formed on a side of said subject to be illuminated and used to have incident light travel in a straight line or have internal reflection occur to guide said light; a polarized light separator to separate a specified type of polarized light from an other specified type of polarized light and to transmit the separated polarized light; and wherein said polarized light converter and said light guiding member are placed on a side of said light source in said polarized light separator.