Patent ID: 6042234
Filing Date: 2000-03-28
Classification: G02B,H04N

Abstract:
A polarized light illumination device comprising:a polarized light separating and synthesizing optical element having a first polarization separating film that separates light, incident from a first side, into two types of polarized lights, emits one of the two types of polarized lights toward a third side, and emits another of the two types of polarized lights toward a fourth side, and a second polarization separating film that separates light, incident from a second side, into the two types of polarized lights, emits one of the two types of polarized lights toward said fourth side, and emits another of the two types of polarized lights toward a fifth side;a first light source and a second light source that cause light to enter said first side and said second side of said polarized light separating and synthesizing optical element, respectively;a first light collecting and reflecting optical element disposed on said third side of said polarized light separating and synthesizing optical element and having a plurality of small light collecting and reflecting elements that approximately reverse a direction of travel of respective incident light and forming a focal image;a second light collecting and reflecting optical element disposed on said fourth side of said polarized light separating and synthesizing optical element and having a plurality of small light collecting and reflecting elements that approximately reverse a direction of travel of respective incident light and forming a focal image;a third light collecting and reflecting optical element disposed on said fifth side of said polarized light separating and synthesizing optical element and having a plurality of small light collecting and reflecting elements that approximately reverse a direction of travel of respective incident light and forming a focal image;a first polarization-state conversion optical element disposed between said third side of said polarized light separating and synthesizing optical element and said first light collecting and reflecting optical element;a second polarization-state conversion optical element disposed between said fourth side of said polarized light separating and synthesizing optical element and said second light collecting and reflecting optical element;a third polarization-state conversion optical element disposed between said fifth side of said polarized light separating and synthesizing optical element and said third light collecting and reflecting optical element; anda polarization conversion optical element, disposed on a sixth side of said polarized light separating and synthesizing optical element, that aligns a polarization direction of light emitted from said polarized light separating and synthesizing optical element,a first principal ray of light, which is reflected by said small light collecting and reflecting elements in said first light collecting and reflecting optical element and said third light collecting and reflecting optical element and which enters said polarization conversion optical element, and a second principal ray of light, which is reflected by said small light collecting and reflecting elements in said second light collecting and reflecting optical element and which enters said polarization conversion optical element, being in parallel with each other and do not overlap each other.