Patent ID: 7008070

Claim:
An illumination device, comprising: a light source; a polarization converter that converts a light beam irradiated by the light source into a substantially uniform linear polarized light, the polarization converter being slanted relative to a central axis of the light beam irradiated by the light source and including a plurality of polarization-separating films and a plurality of light reflection films alternately arranged in a direction substantially orthogonal to the central axis of the light beam irradiated by the light source; an optical filter provided between the light source and the polarization converter and having a plurality of optical conversion layers that optically converts the incident light beam, the optical conversion layers being arranged in stripes with a pitch corresponding to the arrangement of the polarization-separating films; a holder frame that holds the optical filter; and a filter-driving mechanism that moves the holder frame in a direction in which the polarization-separating films are arranged.