Patent ID: 7246907

Claim:
A projection type image display apparatus, comprising: a light source unit which emits light; three reflective type image display devices, each of which forms an optical image corresponding to an image signal; three rectangular-shaped reflective type polarizing plates as polarizers/analyzers for the reflective type image display devices which, by their diffraction function, transmit primary light polarized into a first direction and reflect secondary light polarized into a second direction virtually perpendicular to the first direction and each short side of which is inclined by substantially 45 degrees to an optical axis; three auxiliary analyzers, each of which is disposed on a light emitting side of each of said three reflective type polarizing plates, respectively, and transmits the light polarized into said second direction; a color separation unit, which separates the light emitted from said light source unit into three color light components; and a color combining unit, upon which optical images of said three color light components formed by said reflective type image display devices are incident, respectively and which combines the optical images of said three color light components; and a projection lens for projecting a color-combined optical image.