Patent ID: 6992833

Claim:
A color combining optical system which combines first color light, a second color light, and a third color light emerging from respective color modulators comprising: a first optical element which has a first optical film reflecting light component of a first polarizing direction of the first and second color lights and transmitting light component of a second polarizing direction of the first and second color lights different from the first polarizing direction of the first and second color lights and combines the first and second color lights each having different polarzing directions by the first optical film, wherein the first optical film is also configured to act as an analyzer of the first and second color lights polarized by a corresponding light modulation device; and a second optical element which has a second optical film reflecting light in a specific wavelength region and transmitting light in other wavelength regions and combines the third color light transmitted through a separate polarizing plate with the first and second color lights combined by the first optical element, wherein the separate polarizing plate analyzes the third color light.