Patent ID: 7126648

Claim:
A projector that modulates polarized light by at least one liquid crystal light valve and projects an image, comprising: a light source that emits a light beam; a lens array that divides the light beam into a plurality of partial light beams; a polarized light generator to which the partial light beams are incident and that generates polarized light to be emitted to the at least one liquid crystal light valve; the polarized light generator includes: a plurality of polarization separating layers that separate each of the incident partial light beams into s-polarized light and p-polarized light, respectively; a plurality of reflecting layers that reflect the s-polarized light or the p-polarized light that was separated by the polarization separating layers, the polarization separating layers and the reflecting layers are arranged alternately; and a phase plate layer that unifies the separated s-polarized light and p-polarized light into one direction of polarization; a first stationary light shielding member unmovably fixed between a light incident side of the polarized light generator and the lens array, the first light shielding member having a plurality of light shielding portions that are disposed corresponding to the reflecting layers, and the plurality of light shielding portions inhibiting the partial light beams from entering layers other than the polarization separating layers; and a second stationary light shielding member unmovably fixed between the first light shielding member and the lens array, the second light shielding member having a plurality of light shielding portions that are disposed corresponding to the reflecting layers, and the plurality of light shielding portions inhibiting the partial light beams from entering the reflecting layers.