Patent ID: 7085081

Claim:
An optical device having an optical modulator for modulating a light beam emitted from a light source according to image information, the device comprising: an optical modulator holder having a cooling chamber formed therein, the cooling chamber containing cooling fluid therein in a hermetically sealed state, and holding the optical modulator so as to be capable of transmitting heat to the cooling fluid in the cooling chamber; a plurality of fluid circulating members connected to and communicating with the cooling chamber of the optical modulator holder and adapted to guide the cooling fluid to the outside of the cooling chamber and back into the cooling chamber; fluid circulating member link sections adapted to link the plurality of fluid circulating members; a cooling fluid accumulating section arranged on a flow path of the cooling fluid of the plurality of fluid circulating members to accumulate cooling fluid; a pressurized fluid feeding section arranged on the flow path of the cooling fluid of the plurality of fluid circulating members to feed cooling fluid under pressure via the plurality of fluid circulating members and forcibly circulate it; and a heat emitting section arranged on the flow path of the cooling fluid of the plurality of fluid circulating members to emit heat from the cooling fluid, wherein the fluid circulating member link sections are arranged at least at two positions interlinking the cooling fluid accumulating section, the pressurized fluid feeding section, the heat emitting section and the optical modulator holder; and the optical modulator holder is removably fitted at least to the cooling fluid accumulating section, the pressurized fluid feeding section or the heat emitting section.