Patent ID: 8070294

Claim:
A projector comprising: a light source; an optical modulator that modulates a light beam irradiated from the light source in accordance with image information; a first lens array having a plurality of first lenses in a plane substantially orthogonal to an optical axis of the light beam irradiated from the light source; a second lens array having a plurality of second lenses corresponding to the plurality of first lenses of the first lens array; and a polarization converter disposed on a light beam emitting-side of the first lens array, the polarization converter including: a polarization separating layer; a reflection layer; and a phase layer disposed at a position corresponding to either the polarization separating layer or the reflection layer, wherein the first lens has a first focal position in a first direction and a second focal position in a second direction, the first focal position being at or near the center of the second lens in the optical axis direction of the light beam irradiated from the first lens, and the second focal position being at or near the center of the polarization separating layer in the optical axis direction of the light beam irradiated from the first lens, the first direction is a lengthwise direction of the polarization separating layer in a plane substantially orthogonal to the optical axis of the light beam irradiated from the light source, and the second direction is orthogonal to the optical axis of the light beam irradiated from the light source and the first direction, the polarization separating layer and the reflection layer being alternately arranged in the second direction.