Patent ID: 7085034

Claim:
An optical device constituted including a plurality of optical modulators for forming optical images by modulating light beams emitted from a light source according to image information, the device comprising: a plurality of optical modulator holders respectively having cooling chambers, in which cooling fluid is sealed, for holding the plurality of optical modulators so as to allow them to transmit heat to the cooling fluid contained in the cooling chambers; a plurality of fluid circulating members communicated with the cooling chambers of the optical modulator holders for guiding the cooling fluid to the outside of the cooling chambers and again guiding the cooling fluid into the inside of the cooling chambers; a color combining optical device having a plurality of light-incident surfaces, on which the plurality of optical modulator holders are respectively attached, for combining the light beams modulated by the plurality of optical modulators; a fluid branching section arranged on the flow paths of cooling fluid formed by the plurality of fluid circulating members and adapted to store cooling fluid therein and allow the cooling fluid to branch to each of the plurality of optical modulator holders to flow into each of the cooling chambers; a fluid feed-in section arranged on the flow paths of cooling fluid formed by the plurality of fluid circulating members and adapted to accumulate the cooling fluid therein and to collectively feed the cooling fluid flowed out from the cooling chambers through the plurality of fluid circulating members; and a fluid pressurizing/feeding section arranged on the flow paths of cooling fluid formed by the plurality of fluid circulating members for feeding in the cooling fluid from the inside of the fluid feed-in section through the plurality of fluid circulating members and pressurizing and feeding the fed cooling fluid to the inside of the fluid branching section through the plurality of fluid circulating members so as to force the circulation of the cooling fluid; wherein the fluid branching section and the fluid pressurizing/feeding section are arranged one on the other on one of the surfaces of the color combining optical device intersecting the plurality of light-incident surfaces; and the fluid feed-in section is fitted to the other one of the surfaces of the color combining optical device intersecting the plurality of light-incident surfaces.