Patent ID: 8226244

Claim:
An image display device comprising: a plurality of solid light sources comprising a first light source for emitting red light, a second light source for emitting green light and a third light source for emitting blue light; a thermo sensor placed in the vicinity of at least the first light source; an illumination optical system for guiding light from the plurality of solid light sources; and an image display element for modulating the light from the plurality of solid light sources guided by the illumination optical system on the basis of an image signal, wherein each of the plurality of solid light sources is provided with a respective cooling unit connected to a backside thereof through a thermal conductive member, the cooling unit connected to the first light source comprising a first thermoelectric element and the cooling unit connected to the second light source comprising a second thermoelectric element, among the first and second thermoelectric elements, only the first thermoelectric element is controlled to be capable of heating and absorbing heat, whereby the first light source is controlled so that a junction temperature thereof is maintained at a constant temperature in accordance with a temperature detected by the thermo sensor, and the second thermoelectric element has a larger capacity than the first thermoelectric element and is controlled to be capable of only absorbing heat.