Patent ID: 7213920

Claim:
An image display device comprising: a spheroidal reflecting mirror having an open end; a light source provided at a first focal point of the spheroidal mirror; a polarization changing element provided at the open end of the spheroidal mirror; a reflection type polarization selecting element provided near a second focal point of the spheroidal mirror; a first fly-eye integrator upon which light having passed by the reflection type polarization selecting element is incident; a second fly-eye integrator upon which the light having passed by the first fly-eye integrator is incident; a reflection type spatial light modulating element illuminated with the light having passed by the fly-eye integrator to modulate the illumination light correspondingly to an image to be displayed; a light selecting element for splitting the light reflected by the reflection type spatial light modulating element into light to be returned to the second fly-eye integrator and light to be directed to a projection optical element correspondingly to the modulation by the reflection type spatial light modulating element; a reflector to reflect the light returned by the light selecting element to the second fly-eye integrator, to thereby direct the light back to the reflection type spatial light modulating element; and a projection optical system that projects the light incident via the projection optical element as image projection light, wherein the reflection type polarization selecting element and reflector being disposed inside a minimum circle of confusion defined by light emitted from the light source and condensed by the spheroidal reflecting mirror to near the second focal point.