JP2000047115A - Fly-eye integrator, illuminating device and projection type display device using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fly-eye integrator capable of illuminating with high luminance without wastefully illuminating, and to provide an illuminating device and a projection type display device using the fly-eye integrator. SOLUTION: As for the fly-eye integrator constituted of a 1st lens plate 2 which is constituted by arranging plural lenses 2a in a plane state and a 2nd lens plate 3 which is constituted by arranging plural lenses 3a in a plane state, each lens 2a of the 1st lens plate 2 is smoothly connected to the adjacent lens 2a through the boundary part 2b.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fly-eye integrator comprising a first lens plate having a plurality of lenses arranged in a plane and a second lens plate having a plurality of lenses arranged in a plane. The present invention relates to a lighting device and a projection display device used.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, as a method for uniformly illuminating a rectangular illumination area such as a liquid crystal light valve, an illumination device using two lens plates, a so-called fly-eye integrator, and a projection display device using the same have been known. ing.

[0003] Further, as an integrator and an illuminating device having further improved illumination efficiency, a polarizing beam splitter array in which a plurality of polarizing beam splitters are joined to an exit surface of the fly-eye integrator, and a half-wavelength beam is provided at a predetermined position of the array. JP-A-8-30473 discloses a projection type display device using a polarizing device having a structure in which a plate is attached.
No. 9 publication.

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the polarizing device and the projection type display device according to the first embodiment of the above publication described as FIG. 1 of the above publication. However, the signs and the like have been partially changed.

A conventional polarizing device for a projection display device will be described with reference to FIG. Light source lamp 201 and parabolic concave mirror 20
2 constitutes a light source unit 203, and the substantially parallel light source light emitted from the light source unit 203 enters the first lens plate 3 on which the condenser lens 301 is arranged in a plane. FIG. 5 shows a perspective configuration diagram of the first lens plate 300. As shown in this figure, the first lens plate 300 is configured by arranging 4 × 5 condensing lenses 301.

The light from the light source that has entered the aperture determined by each condenser lens 301 is condensed at the focal point of each condenser lens 301. The polarization separation prism array 420 of the second lens plate 400 is arranged at the position of the focal point. In the second lens plate 400, a condensing lens array 410 constituting a fly-eye integrator together with the first lens plate 300, and a plurality of polarization beam splitters 421 and 422 in which a plurality of polarization separation films 423 and 424 are oriented in the same direction. And a λ / 2 retardation film 431 disposed on a predetermined exit side of the prism array 420, and a lens 440 disposed on the exit side.

As described above, the light from the light source that has entered the opening determined by one condenser lens 301 of the first lens plate 300 is transmitted to the condenser lens of the second lens plate 400 corresponding to the lens 301. Condensing lens 41 of array 410
1 is transmitted to one polarizing beam splitter 4 of the polarizing prism array 420 disposed on the exit surface.
The polarization beam splitter 421 of the polarization beam splitter 421 separates the polarization beam into the P-polarized light that is transmitted and travels and exits, and the S-polarized light that is reflected and enters the adjacent polarization beam splitter 422. The P-polarized light is converted into S-polarized light by passing through a λ / 2 retardation film 431 arranged on the exit surface, and illuminates the entire illumination area with S-polarized light via the exit-side lens 440.

The S-polarized light that has entered the adjacent polarization beam splitter 422 is polarized by the polarization beam splitter polarization separation section 424.
Then, the light is reflected by the lens, the traveling direction is changed, the light is emitted as S-polarized light, and the illumination area is illuminated with S-polarized light via the lens 440.

As described above, the first lens plate 300 and the second lens
By using the lens plate 400, the illumination area can be illuminated with linearly polarized light (S-polarized light in the above description) having the same vibration direction with respect to the illumination area by the number of condenser lenses 301 of the first lens plate 300 It is said that illumination with excellent uniformity and high brightness can be achieved.

[0010]

Recently, high-brightness projection has become necessary in projection-type display devices, especially for large screens. Good optical design,
In general, the illumination of the illumination area is illuminated at the very end of the area so as not to uselessly illuminate the outer peripheral portion.

However, in such a case, straight dark lines may be projected on the upper, lower, left and right ends of the projected image on the screen. The present inventors have studied a projection type display device, and the dark line is projected on a boundary straight line portion 301a between the first lens plate 300 and the condensing lens 301 adjacent to the condensing lens 301, and the boundary straight line portion is projected. 301a was found to be projected as a dark line.

In order to remove the dark line appearing at the edge of the screen, it is sufficient to illuminate the illumination area with a large area. However, doing so reduces the illumination luminance for the illumination area. Cannot satisfy the above requirements.

The present inventors have achieved the present invention by devising the lens shape constituting the first lens plate of the fly-eye integrator in order to achieve higher luminance illumination without unnecessary illumination. We were able to.

[0014]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, as a fly-eye integrator, a first lens plate in which a plurality of lenses are arranged in a plane and a plurality of lenses are provided. A fly-eye integrator comprising a second lens plate on which lenses are arranged in a plane, wherein each lens of the first lens plate is a fly-eye integrator whose boundary with an adjacent lens is smoothly connected. It is.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a fly-eye integrator according to the present invention comprises a first lens plate having a plurality of lenses arranged in a plane and a second lens plate having a plurality of lenses arranged in a plane. In the fly-eye integrator that is configured, the surface shape of each lens of the first lens plate changes so that the curvature increases smoothly toward the outside of the surface shape at the peripheral portion of the lens, and the boundary portion between the lens and the adjacent lens. In this example, the fly-eye integrator is formed in such a shape that the curvature becomes infinite.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lighting apparatus according to the present invention, comprising: a light source; a first lens plate including a plurality of lenses having the same aperture shape for dividing the light source light emitted from the light source; A second lens plate composed of a plurality of lenses arranged at the focal position of the lens of the first lens plate, wherein the surface shape of each lens of the first lens plate is the periphery of the lens. In the part, the curvature changes so as to increase smoothly toward the outside of the surface shape, and at the boundary part with the adjacent lens, the curvature is formed to be infinitely large. .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a projection type display device comprising: a first lens plate comprising a light source and a plurality of lenses having the same aperture shape for dividing the light source light emitted from the light source. And a second lens plate including a plurality of lenses disposed at a focal position of the lens of the first lens plate; and emitting light emitted from the second lens plate to red, green,
A color separation optical system that separates the light into blue light, a light valve that is arranged for each color light that receives, modulates, and emits each color light by the color separation, and modulates the modulated light from each color light valve. In a projection display device including a combining optical system and a projection optical system that projects light emitted from the combining optical system, the surface shape of each lens of the first lens plate is outside the surface shape in a lens peripheral portion. The projection type display device is formed in such a shape that the curvature changes so as to increase smoothly toward the boundary and the curvature becomes infinite at the boundary between the adjacent lenses.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a full-color projection display device.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a light source composed of a lamp 1a and a concave mirror 1b such as an elliptical mirror. The light emitted from the light source 1 is shaped (not shown) for converting the light into substantially parallel light. The light enters the first lens plate 2 through the optical system. The first lens plate 2 and the second lens plate 3
Thus, a so-called fly-eye integrator is configured, and the first lens 2 is disposed on the light source side.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the first lens plate 2. This figure shows a perspective view of the first lens plate 2 viewed from the exit surface. The first lens plate 2 has a total of 20 4 × 5 lenses 2a arranged in a plane as viewed from the exit surface side. Although the boundary portion 2b between the lenses 2a is not clear from the contents of the present invention described later, each lens shape is designed by the light valve 17B, which is an object to be illuminated.
Each of the lenses 2a has an outer shape (opening shape) having a shape similar to the outer shape (rectangle) of 17G and 17R.
Are arranged in a plane in the above arrangement.

The present invention is characterized by the shape of the surface of the lens 2a of the first lens plate 2. FIG. 3 shows the lens plate 2 cut at a thickness so that its surface shape can be easily understood.
2 shows the cross-sectional shape of the lens 2a that constitutes the above.

A similar sectional view will be described in a conventional example. In FIG. 4, each lens 301 constituting the first lens plate 300 has a spherical surface and each lens 301 has a spherical shape. A part of the lens is employed, and the adjacent lens 301 is discontinuously adjacent to the lens 301. Then, the boundary straight line portion 301 of each lens 301
“a” has a boundary shape having a rectangular shape that is the opening shape (outer shape) of the lens 301 of the first lens plate 300. In the boundary straight line portion 301a,
The adjacent lens 301 may have a step between the adjacent lenses 301 in addition to a simple spherical-spherical boundary shape in the cross-sectional shape. This discontinuity forms the linear shape of the boundary linear portion 301a as described above,
The boundary straight line portion 301a is imaged on the light valve 500 by the lens 411 of the condenser lens array 410,
That is, the linear imaging portion on the light valve 500 was projected on the screen by the projection lens.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the perspective view of the first lens plate 2 of FIG. 2, and is a view cut along the thickness direction of the lens plate 2. Each lens 2a is continuously connected at a boundary 2b with an adjacent lens 2a,
Each of the lenses 2a has a cross-sectional shape such that the curvature changes smoothly toward the outside of the surface shape at the peripheral portion of the lens, and the curvature becomes infinite at the boundary portion 2b with the adjacent lens 2a. It is characterized by being formed in.

In the present embodiment, the light source light incident surface of the first lens plate 2 is a flat surface, and a plurality of surface shapes are formed on the exit surface side, and the curvature is smooth toward the outside of the surface shape at the periphery of the lens. The configuration is such that a large lens 2a is formed.

The first lens plate 2 is usually made of plastic,
Alternatively, it is formed of glass and is manufactured by an injection molding method.

Returning to FIG. 1, the light source light incident on the first lens plate 2 is converted into a second lens plate on which a lens 3a disposed at the focal position of the lens 2a constituting the lens plate 2 is disposed in a plane. 3 and constitutes a bright spot substantially at the center of each lens 3a.

The light emitted from the luminescent spot on the second lens plate 3 is directed to a polarizing beam splitter array (PCS) composed of a plurality of polarizing beam splitters 5 arranged near the exit surface of the second lens plate 3. 4) and a half-wavelength phase plate 6 disposed on a predetermined exit surface of the polarizer.

The emitted S-polarized light passes through a field lens 7 and is reflected by a B-light reflecting dichroic mirror 11 and a G-light
An R light reflecting dichroic mirror 10 is incident on a cross dichroic mirror 9 arranged in an X-shape, and B light and
It is color-separated into mixed light of G light and R light.

The B light reflected by the B light reflecting dichroic mirror 11 and traveling therethrough passes through the bending mirror 12 and the field lens 13B, and the B light polarizing beam splitter 14B.
Is incident on.

On the other hand, the R light and G light mixed light reflected by the G light / R light reflecting dichroic mirror 10 is incident on a G light reflecting dichroic mirror 16 via a bending mirror 15, and the G light and the R light are reflected. It is separated into colors. G separated color
The light is incident on the polarization beam splitter for G light 14G via the field lens 13G, and the R light is incident on the polarization beam splitter 14R for R light via the field lens 13R.

Each color light polarizing beam splitter 14B, 1
Since the light incident on the 4G and 14R is S-polarized light, the light is reflected and emitted by the polarization splitters of the polarization beam splitters 14B, 14G and 14R, and the reflection type light valves 17B, 17G and 17R arranged near the exit surface. As illumination light.

The reflection type light valve 1 employed in the present invention
Reference numerals 7B, 17G, and 17R denote electric write-type reflective liquid crystal light valves, which have a configuration in which incident light is modulated and reflected by color signals of respective color lights, and the modulated light (P-polarized light) and the non-modulated light. The (S-polarized) mixed light is reflected and emitted.

Each of the light valves 17B, 17G, 17
The emission light of R is output from the polarization beam splitters 14B, 1 for each color.
4G and 14R, respectively, and only the modulated light is converted by the polarization splitter into the polarization beam splitters 14B, 14G and 14R.
It is detected as transmitted light of 14R. Since the unmodulated light is S-polarized light, it is reflected by the polarization splitting unit, changes the optical axis, exits the polarization beam splitters 14B, 14G, and 14R, and is discarded.

The polarization beam splitters 14B, 1 for each color light
The modulated light detected as transmitted light through 4G and 14R is converted into a cross dichroic prism 18 constituting a color combining optical system.
From the respective incident surfaces.

The cross dichroic prism 18 includes a square prism having a square cross section and a B-light reflecting dichroic film 18B and an R-light reflecting dichroic film 18R.
A prism configured to be arranged in a mold, and the incident R light and B light modulated light are reflected by the R light reflecting dichroic film 18R and the B light reflecting dichroic film 18B to change the optical axis in the same direction. Further, the incident G light modulated light travels through the prism 18 as it is, travels and exits in the same direction as the R light and B light, and color synthesis is achieved.

The synthesized light is incident on a projection lens 19 constituting a projection optical system, and is projected as a full-color image on a screen (not shown).

In the present invention, as described above, the first
As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the boundary 2b of each lens 2a is smoothly connected as the lens plate 2,
No linear discontinuity line is formed at the boundary 2b.

The lens 2a of the first lens plate 2 has a conjugate relationship with the light valves 17B, 17G, and 17R, which are objects to be illuminated, with respect to the corresponding lens 3a of the second lens plate 3, so that the lens 2a The external shape is the light valve 17
B, 17G, and 17R have similar shapes to the outer shape. As described above, the curvature of the lens 2a of the first lens plate 2 changes so as to smoothly increase toward the outside of the surface shape at the peripheral portion of the lens, and the curvature is infinite at the boundary 2b with the adjacent lens 2a. Because of the large shape, the position of the boundary 2b of the lens 2a is unclear in appearance.

The entire lens 2a is illuminated on the light valves 17B, 17G, 17R by the corresponding lens 3a.
Lens 3a and field lenses 13B, 13
The lighting efficiency of the optical design such as G, 13R is designed without waste. This is because, if the illumination area is made larger than the object to be illuminated, the illumination luminance will deteriorate. However, since there is an error in the attachment of the optical component and the like, there is a shift in the illumination position. Since there is no clear discontinuity in the portion 2b, the light valves 17B, 17
There is no possibility of illuminating the linear dark portion on G, 17R unlike the conventional example. For this reason, the light valves 17B, 17
In a projection display device configured to combine colors of emitted light from G and 17R and project it on a screen by a projection lens 19, no linear dark portion is projected near both sides of the screen.

In the present invention, the first lens plate 2
As described above, the cross section of the lens 2a changes so that the curvature increases smoothly toward the outside of the surface shape at the peripheral portion of the lens, and the boundary portion 2 with the adjacent lens 2a changes.
b, the curvature is formed to be infinite, so that the lens 2a has a smaller cross-sectional shape with respect to the incident light source light compared to a conventional example having a spherical shape.
This has the effect of reducing spherical aberration with respect to the image formation of the second lens plate 3 on the lens 3a. This means that the bright spot formed on the second lens plate 3 can be made closer to the point light source, and the light valves 17B, 17G, 1
This has the effect of achieving higher-luminance illumination of the 7R.

In the projection type display device shown in FIG. 1, the lens 2 a
This is a system in which the entrance surface of the lens plate 2 is arranged in a plane when viewed from above, but the lens surface of the lens 2a is arranged on the entrance surface and the plane is arranged on the exit side when viewed from the light source 1. It is good also as composition.

[0043]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the boundary between the lenses of the first lens plate constituting the fly-eye integrator is smoothly connected. In addition, not only high brightness can be achieved as a projection image projected on the screen, but also a drawback of projecting a linear dark portion at an end of the projection image can be eliminated.

According to the invention set forth in any one of claims 2 to 4, in addition to the above-described effects, the surface shape of each lens is such that the curvature increases smoothly toward the outside of the surface shape at the peripheral portion of the lens. The curvature is formed in such a manner that the curvature becomes infinite at the boundary with the adjacent lens, so that there is an effect that high-luminance illumination can be achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a projection display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective configuration diagram of a first lens plate according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a lighting device using a conventional first lens plate.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a conventional first lens plate.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 light source 2 first lens plate 2a lens forming first lens plate 3 second lens plate 3a lens forming second lens plate 4 polarizing beam splitter array 5 polarizing beam splitter 6 1/2 wavelength phase plate 7 field lens 9 Cross dichroic mirror (color separation optical system) 10 B light reflection dichroic mirror (color separation optical system) 11 RG light reflection dichroic mirror (color separation optical system) 12, 15 Folding mirror 16 R light reflection dichroic mirror (color separation) Optical system) 13R, 13G, 13B Field lens 14R, 14G, 14B Polarizing beam splitter 17R, 17G, 17B Reflective light valve 18 Cross dichroic prism (synthetic optical system) 18R R light reflecting dichroic film (synthetic optical system) 18B B light Reflective dichroic film ( Forming optical system) 19 projection lens (projection optical system)

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A fly-eye integrator comprising a first lens plate having a plurality of lenses arranged in a plane and a second lens plate having a plurality of lenses arranged in a plane. The fly-eye integrator is characterized in that the boundary between the lens and the adjacent lens is smoothly connected. 2. A fly-eye integrator comprising a first lens plate having a plurality of lenses arranged in a plane and a second lens plate having a plurality of lenses arranged in a plane. The surface shape of the lens is formed so that the curvature changes smoothly toward the outside of the surface shape at the peripheral portion of the lens, and the curvature becomes infinite at the boundary portion with the adjacent lens. Fly-eye integrator. 3. A light source; a first lens plate including a plurality of lenses having the same aperture shape for dividing light emitted from the light source; and a first lens plate disposed at a focal position of the lens of the first lens plate. In a lighting device including: a second lens plate including a plurality of lenses, a surface shape of each lens of the first lens plate has a curvature that smoothly increases toward the outside of the surface shape at a peripheral portion of the lens. The illumination device is characterized in that it is formed in such a shape that the curvature becomes infinite at the boundary between the adjacent lenses. 4. A light source, a first lens plate including a plurality of lenses having the same aperture shape for dividing light emitted from the light source, and a first lens plate is disposed at a focal position of the lens of the first lens plate. A second lens plate composed of a plurality of lenses; a color separation optical system that separates light emitted from the second lens plate into red, green, and blue light; A light valve arranged for each color light that is modulated and emitted, a synthesis optical system that performs color synthesis of the modulated light from each color light light valve, and a projection optical system that projects the light emitted from the synthesis optical system. In the projection type display device, the surface shape of each lens of the first lens plate changes so that the curvature increases smoothly toward the outside of the surface shape at the peripheral portion of the lens, and at the boundary portion between adjacent lenses. The curvature is infinite Projection display device, characterized in that shape being formed such that.