Patent ID: 6915063

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a rod integrator including a quadrangular prismatic light-guiding member with a rectangular cross-sectional shape, said light guiding member having a first end surface, a second end surface opposite said first end surface, and a first side surface, a second side surface, a third side surface, and a fourth side surface between said first and second end surfaces, said light-guiding member guiding a light beam from said first end surface to said second end surface, said first, second, third, and fourth side surfaces reflecting the light beam so that the light beam is output from said second end surface; and a tubular body having a first end surrounding and contacting an end of said light-guiding member said second end surface, said tubular body having a second open end portion from which the light beam is output by reflecting the light beam from inner surfaces of said tubular body, said tubular body including, in a pinwheel shape, a first member, a second member, a third member, and a fourth member, each of which has a plate shape and a mirror surface on one side, the method comprising: disposing a first edge of said first member flush with said first side surface of said light-guiding member, bringing the second side surface of said light-guiding member adjacent to said first side surface and into contact with the mirror surface of said first member, with a second edge of said first member protruding from said third side surface of said light-guiding member, opposing said first side surface; bringing a first edge of said second member into contact with an inner surface of said first member protruding from said light-guiding member, and bringing the mirror surface of said second member into contact with said third side surface, opposing said first side surface, with a second edge of said second member protruding from the fourth side surface, opposing said second side surface of said light-guiding member; bringing a first edge of said third member into contact with an inner surface of said second member protruding from said light-guiding member, and bringing the mirror surface of said third member into contact with said fourth side surface, opposing said second side surface, of said light-guiding member; bringing a first edge of said fourth member into contact with an inner surface of said third member protruding from said light-guiding member, and bringing the mirror surface of said fourth member into contact with said first side surface of said light-guiding member; and, fixing said first member, said second member, said third member, and said fourth member to said light-guiding member, respectively.