Patent ID: 6278500
Filing Date: 2001-08-21
Classification: G02B,H04N

Abstract:
A projector for projecting and displaying an image in accordance with a given image signal, comprising:a liquid crystal device, having a plurality of pixels, and that modulates and emits a light beam according to the given image signal;an illuminating optical system that provides a light beam to said liquid crystal device; anda projection optical system that projects a light beam emitted from said liquid crystal device;wherein said liquid crystal device includes an emergent-side substrate section, an incident-side substrate section disposed opposing said emergent-side substrate section, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between said emergent-side substrate section and said incident-side substrate section;wherein said incident-side substrate section includes an incident-side substrate, an electrode, that drives said liquid crystal layer, formed on the incident-side substrate, an incident side-glass plate, and a micro-lens array disposed between said incident side-glass plate and said incident-side substrate and having a plurality of micro-lenses that condense light beams onto said plurality of pixels;wherein a thickness Ti of said incident-side substrate section along a direction of travel of a light beam is larger than a thickness To of said emergent-side substrate section along the direction of travel of the light beam, andwherein F-numbers of said illuminating optical system and said projection optical system being taken as F.sub.L and F.sub.P, respectively, said thickness Ti and said thickness To satisfying the relationship Ti.apprxeq.To.times.(F.sub.L /F.sub.P).