Patent ID: 8654444

Claim:
An optical element, comprising: a first color-selective dichroic filter having a first input surface, disposed to transmit a first light beam perpendicular to the first input surface; a second color-selective dichroic filter having a second input surface, disposed to transmit a second light beam perpendicular to the second input surface; a third color-selective dichroic filter having a third input surface, disposed to transmit a third light beam perpendicular to the third input surface; a first reflective polarizer disposed to intercept the first light beam and the second light beam at an angle of approximately 45 degrees; a second reflective polarizer disposed to intercept the third light beam at an angle of approximately 45 degrees; a reflector disposed so that a line normal to the reflector intercepts the second reflective polarizer at an angle of approximately 45 degrees; and a first, a second, a third, and a fourth retarder disposed facing each of the first, second and third color-selective dichroic filters, and the reflector, respectively, wherein the first and second reflective polarizers and the retarders are disposed to convert a second polarization state of the first, second and third light beam into a first polarization state of the first, second and third light beams, respectively, and wherein each reflective polarizer comprises a polymeric multilayer optical film having blue layers disposed proximate at least one of the first, second and third color-selective dichroic filters.