JP2008268978A - Projection optical system, magnification projection optical system, magnification projection apparatus, and image projection apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a projection optical system that can increase a projection screen in size, employ an imaging optical system including a reflecting surface in order to reduce a projection space outside a projection apparatus, and correct chromatic aberration, and an image projection apparatus using the projection optical system. <P>SOLUTION: In the projection optical system, first and second optical systems 17 and 19 are arranged on a projection side of a light valve 15 sequentially from the side of the light valve 15, wherein: the first optical system 17 includes at least one dioptric system and has positive power; the second optical system 19 includes at least one reflecting surface having power and has positive power. The image formed by the light valve 15 is formed as an intermediate image Iint in the optical paths of the first and second optical systems, and the intermediate image Iint is magnified to be projected on a screen 21. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a projection optical system, an enlargement projection optical system, an enlargement projection apparatus, and an image projection apparatus.

Liquid crystal projectors, widely known as image projection devices, have recently been increasing the resolution of liquid crystal panels,
Improvements in brightness and price reductions are being made in line with higher efficiency of light source lamps.
In addition, compact and lightweight image projection devices using DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device) have become widespread, and these image projection devices are widely used not only in offices and schools but also at home. In particular, front-type projectors have improved portability and have been used for small meetings of several people.

A projector that is an image projection apparatus is required to be able to project an image on a large screen (enlarge the projection screen) and to make the “projection space required outside the projector” as small as possible.

In order to reduce the projection space outside the projector while enlarging the projection screen, the optical path of the imaging light beam that forms the projected image should be “retracted inside the image projection device” as much as possible. As an image projection apparatus having such a device, those described in Patent Documents 1 to 5 are known.

The image projection apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes first to fourth reflecting mirrors in order to suppress an increase in the size of the imaging optical system and widen the angle of view, and the first reflecting mirror has a concave shape and a second shape. ~ 4th mirror as convex surface
These reflecting mirrors constitute an imaging optical system. In addition, at least one of the first to fourth reflecting mirrors has a free-form surface to ensure projection performance.

The image projection apparatus described in Patent Document 2 is a surface projection type display in which a projection distance to a screen is shortened, and an imaging optical system is configured by a pair of a concave mirror, a “convex mirror having a diverging action”, and a projection lens. ing.

The image projection apparatus described in Patent Document 3 is a “video projector”, and the first mirror surface in the imaging optical system is formed in a convex shape to reduce the thickness of the apparatus.

The image projection methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 3 have an advantage that, in order to enlarge and project the light valve image on the screen, the image is formed only by the reflecting mirror, and chromatic aberration does not occur in principle. . However, if the red, green, and blue images are displayed separately on the three light valves and are combined on the screen as in the three-plate type instead of the single-plate type, a cross prism, a Philips prism, etc. In this case, the chromatic aberration is generated at the time of the color synthesis, but the chromatic aberration cannot be corrected by the imaging optical system using only the reflecting surface.

In the image projection apparatus described in Patent Document 4, the light beam from the image display panel is sequentially applied to the screen by an enlargement projection optical system including an imaging lens system having a positive power and a reflection optical system including a curved mirror having a negative power. The light is guided to form an image.

The height of the screen and the imaging lens system are set so as to be shifted from each other, folded back by a mirror, and guided to the screen. For this reason, the optical path length of the imaging light flux is different between the upper side and the lower side of the center portion of the enlarged projection image on the screen (corresponding to the center portion of the image display panel). As a result, so-called “trapezoidal distortion” occurs. To do.

The trapezoidal distortion can be corrected by “keystone correction”, but the keystone correction tends to cause image quality deterioration of the enlarged image on the screen.

As a configuration to reduce the trapezoidal distortion, a “convex mirror between the imaging lens system and the screen,
A configuration is known in which the lens is decentered with respect to the optical axis of the imaging lens. When the convex mirror is arranged eccentrically, a convex mirror is arranged on the imaging lens system "on the imaging lens side than the focal position on the screen side", and the focal position of the projection lens is extended by the negative refractive power of the convex mirror. .

In order to realize a thin and large screen enlargement projection device with such a configuration, there is a method of increasing the negative power of the convex mirror to widen the angle of view, but the shape accuracy and assembly tolerance of the convex mirror are severe. And distortion increases.

Increasing the distance between the imaging lens and the convex mirror can weaken the refractive power of the convex mirror and reduce distortion. However, as the distance between the imaging lens and the convex mirror increases, the convex mirror becomes larger. As a result, the cost of the mirror increases, and the enlargement projection device tends to increase in size.

In Patent Document 5, an enlargement projection optical system is configured only by a reflection mirror. As described above, when obtaining desired optical performance without using the lens optical system, it is necessary to set the surface accuracy and position accuracy of each reflecting surface to be extremely high, and the assembling accuracy of the magnifying projection optical system becomes severe. .

JP 2002-40326 JP 2002-174853 A Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-91641 JP 2001-264627 A JP 2002-296503 A

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and employs an imaging optical system including a reflecting surface in order to reduce the projection space outside the projection apparatus while increasing the size of the projection screen. While
It is an object of the present invention to realize a projection optical system that can also correct chromatic aberration, an enlarged projection optical system, an enlarged projection apparatus, and an image projection apparatus using such a projection optical system.
Another object of the present invention is to reduce the thickness of the image projection apparatus and to project a large screen without distortion.

The projection optical system according to claim 1 is an image projection apparatus that irradiates a light valve that forms an image in accordance with a modulation signal with illumination light from a light source and enlarges and projects an image formed on the light valve by a projection optical system. The projection optical system for enlarging and projecting the image formed on the light valve has the following characteristics.

That is, the first and second optical systems are arranged in the first and second order from the light valve side on the light valve projection side (projection light beam traveling side).
The “first optical system” includes one or more refractive optical systems and has a positive power.
The “second optical system” includes one or more reflecting surfaces having power and has positive power.
The image formed by the light valve is once formed as an “intermediate image” on the optical paths of the first and second optical systems by the action of the first and second optical systems, and this intermediate image is further enlarged. Projected onto a display surface such as a screen.

In the projection optical system according to claim 1, a negative value is used to “close the imaging position of the intermediate image to a reflecting surface having a positive power in the second optical system” on the optical paths of the first and second optical systems. An optical element having the following power can be provided on the “light valve side of the intermediate image” (claim 2).
In this case, the second optical system can have at least “a reflecting surface having a positive power and a reflecting surface having a negative power”.

In the projection optical system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, one or more of the reflecting surfaces of the second optical system can be configured as a free-form surface (claim 4).
5. The projection optical system according to claim 1, wherein the “reflecting surface having a positive power for first reflecting the light beam after forming the intermediate image” is preferably formed as a free-form surface. ).

In the projection optical system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the first optical system can be configured by "only a refractive optical system" (Claim 6), or has a "rotationally symmetric axis". It can also be constituted by a “reflecting surface and a refractive optical system”.

In the projection optical system according to claim 6 or 7, the refractive optical system can have an “aspherical refractive surface” as a free-form surface (claim 8).

The image projection apparatus according to the present invention is an "image projection apparatus that irradiates a light valve that forms an image according to a modulation signal with illumination light from a light source and enlarges and projects an image formed on the light valve by a projection optical system". The projection optical system for enlarging and projecting the image formed on the light valve has any one of claims 1 to 8 (claim 9).

The magnifying and projecting optical system according to claim 10 is an image displayed on the image display panel on the screen by guiding the light beam from the image display panel to the screen and projecting it from a direction inclined with respect to the normal line of the screen. Is an enlarged projection optical system that forms an enlarged image of the above.

The “image display panel” is a light valve (LV) such as various transmissive or reflective liquid crystal panels, a digital micromirror device (DMD), or the like.

The magnifying projection optical system according to claim 10 has the following characteristics.
That is, the enlargement projection optical system has a reflection optical system and a transmission optical system.
The “reflective optical system” is composed of a plurality of reflective surfaces having power, and a rotationally asymmetric reflective surface is 1
Includes more than surface. The “rotationally asymmetric reflection surface” is a reflection surface in which the shape of the reflection surface does not have a rotational symmetry axis.
The “transmission optical system” is constituted by a transmission surface having refractive power and includes one or more aspheric surfaces.

In the magnifying projection optical system according to claim 10, “a diaphragm is provided between the first surface from the image display panel side in the transmission optical system and the first surface from the screen side in the reflection optical system, and is arranged on the screen side. It is preferable that the optical element is configured so that the image of the stop is formed at a negative reduction magnification ”.

The magnifying projection optical system according to claim 12 has the following characteristics.
That is, it has “a transmission optical system composed of a plurality of transmission surfaces”, “a reflection optical system composed of a plurality of reflection surfaces”, and “aperture”. The power of the reflecting surface having the power incident on is negative.

In the magnifying projection optical system according to claim 12, it is preferable that the reflecting surface subsequent to the “reflecting surface having negative power on which the light beam having passed through the aperture first enters” has positive power (claim 1).
3).

The reflecting optical system in the magnifying projection optical system according to claim 12 or 13 includes "a plurality of reflecting surfaces having power and includes at least one rotationally asymmetric reflecting surface", and the transmitting optical system includes "transmitting with refractive power" Preferably, it is composed of a surface and includes at least one aspherical surface.

The magnifying projection optical system according to claim 15 has the following characteristics.
That is, an intermediate image of a negative magnification (an intermediate image of an image panel generated on the optical path of the imaged light beam by the magnifying projection optical system) of the image display panel that generates a light beam from the image display panel side to the screen, and the screen An intermediate image of negative magnification of the screen generated by the light flux from the side to the image display panel (the intermediate image of the screen generated on the optical path when light is virtually incident on the enlargement projection optical system from the screen side) Incidentally, the position and shape of the screen image at this time is a reduced image formed on the image display panel).

The magnifying projection optical system according to claim 15 can have a “reflective optical system composed of a plurality of reflecting surfaces” and a “transmissive optical system composed of a plurality of transmitting surfaces” (claim 16). In this case, The magnifying projection optical system has a “diaphragm”, and among the reflecting surfaces in the reflecting optical system, the power of the “reflecting surface having the power at which the light beam that has passed through the iris first enters” can be made negative.
7). In this case, it is preferable that the “reflecting surface following the reflecting surface having a negative power on which the light beam having passed through the aperture first enters” has a positive power.

The magnifying projection optical system according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the reflection optical system is "a structure including a plurality of reflection surfaces having power and including one or more rotationally asymmetric reflection surfaces", and transmission optics. The system can be “configured by a transmissive surface having refractive power and including one or more aspheric surfaces” (claim 19).

In the magnifying projection optical system according to any one of claims 10, 11, 14, and 19, the “rotationally asymmetric reflection surface” included in the reflection optical system may be disposed on the most screen side in the projection optical path. Preferred (claim 20).

In the magnifying projection optical system according to any one of claims 10 to 14 and 16 to 19, it is preferable that the transmission optical system includes a "rotationally asymmetric transmission surface having refractive power" (claim 21).

The magnifying projection optical system according to any one of claims 10 to 14 and 16 to 21, wherein an optical axis of the transmission optical system is a light guide optical path (an optical path from the image display panel to the screen) with respect to the image display panel position. Further, it can be set eccentrically within a plane including the principal ray optical path from the center of the image display panel to the center of the magnified image on the screen.

The reflection optical system in the magnifying projection optical system according to any one of claims 10 to 14 and 16 to 22 can be configured as a "unit".

The magnifying projection device according to claim 24 displays an image on an image display panel, illuminates the image display panel with light from a light source, and guides a light beam from the illuminated image display panel to a screen by an magnifying projection optical system. And an enlarged projection device that projects an enlarged image of the image displayed on the image display panel on the screen by projecting from a direction inclined with respect to the normal line of the screen, and as an enlarged projection optical system. The magnifying projection optical system according to any one of 10 to 23 is used.

Supplementing the inventions according to claims 10 to 24 slightly, the “transmission surface” included in the “transmission optical system” described above may be not only a lens surface but also a Fresnel lens surface.
In addition, a configuration in which the reflection of light on the reflection surface included in the reflection optical system satisfies the “total internal reflection condition” may be employed. As described above, when the reflection surface is the “total internal reflection surface”, the “surface that takes in the light beam from the transmission optical system” is the transmission surface. In this case, it is preferable to make the light beam incident on the transmission surface perpendicular to the surface because no aberration occurs during the incidence.

The “image display panel” used in the magnifying projection apparatus is not limited to one. Using three image display panels, each R (red), G (green), and B (blue) color component image is displayed on a “different image display panel” for each color, and light from these image display panels is displayed. Needless to say, the image can be synthesized and guided to the screen by the enlarged projection optical system, and a color image can be displayed on the screen.

In the magnifying projection optical system of the present invention, the imaged light beam is projected from the direction inclined with respect to the screen normal, and is imaged on the screen. It is possible to effectively reduce the “distortion of the display image that occurs when tilted with respect to the screen normal”.

In addition, the transmission surface having the refractive power of the transmission optical system can be easily realized by a lens system, can be easily made into a cell, and can be easily assembled, resulting in a cost reduction effect. Further, an asymmetrical aberration component can be corrected by the rotationally asymmetric reflecting surface included in the reflecting optical system.

If the magnifying projection optical system is configured with only the refracting surface, the array of refracting surfaces will extend in one direction.
Although the three-dimensional structure of the optical system cannot be reduced in size, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the optical path is folded by a combination of the transmission surface and the reflection surface, and the optical system can be reduced in size.

For example, if the optical path of the transmission optical system is set parallel to the screen and the optical path is bent toward the screen on the image side of the transmission optical system, a thin configuration can be realized even with an optical system having the same optical path length.

As in the magnifying projection optical system according to claim 10, an aperture is disposed between the first surface on the image display panel side in the transmission optical system and the first surface on the screen side in the reflection optical system. When the image of the stop is formed once in the entire optical system by the light beam, the image forming position of the stop image becomes the exit pupil on the screen side. The aperture image is a real image and has a negative reduction magnification. By forming the image of the aperture at a reduced magnification, the effective diameter of the light beam on the reflective surface after the aperture image can be kept small, and the size of the reflective surface can be reduced.

The stop can be arranged in the transmission optical system or “between the transmission optical system and the reflection optical system”. The “reflecting surface having power” on which the light passing through the stop first enters is in the reflecting optical system. It is difficult to integrate the reflection optical system and the transmission optical system, and the transmission optical system and the reflection optical system are assembled separately. At this time, assembling errors are attached to each of the transmission optical system and the reflection optical system.
It is difficult to completely eliminate the “relative misalignment” of both optical systems. Given the relative misalignment, from the viewpoint of tolerance sensitivity, the “reflecting surface with power” has a negative power. It should be a reflective surface.

The case where the light beam emitted from the transmission optical system is a divergent light beam is rare, and is usually condensed. At this time, if the power of the surface having the first reflected power in the reflective optical system is positive, it acts in the direction in which the light beam is more focused. On the other hand, if the power of the surface is negative, it acts in a direction in which the light beam is condensed. When both are compared, the “change in the state of the light beam due to the relative positional deviation between the transmission optical system and the reflection optical system” is large in the former, and the assembly tolerance becomes severe.
By making the power of the reflecting surface negative, the assembly tolerance can be relaxed.

If a reflecting surface having a positive power is arranged subsequent to the reflecting surface having a negative power, separation of light beams having different angles of view can be suppressed, and the reflecting surface that receives these light beams can be miniaturized.

The sum of the distortion aberration from the image display panel to the intermediate image and the distortion aberration from the intermediate image to the screen by “making the aperture and the shape and position of the intermediate image of the screen substantially coincide” as in the invention of claim 15. Can be made close to 0, and an image with little distortion can be formed on the screen.

When the final surface on the imaging optical path is a rotationally asymmetric reflecting surface as in the invention described in Item 20, the degree of freedom of the surface shape that can be taken corresponding to the irradiation position of each light flux is increased. The residual aberration of the light flux at each image height position reaching the final surface is easily corrected by giving a shape suitable for each incident position.

When a rotationally asymmetric transmission surface is used in the transmission optical system as in the invention described in claim 21, aberrations that cannot be generated by a rotationally symmetric transmission surface can be generated. It can be used to cancel other aberrations.

If the optical axis of the transmissive optical system is decentered within the plane including the light guide optical path with respect to the position of the image display panel as in the twenty-second aspect of the invention, it occurs on the decentered reflective surface in the reflective optical system. Aberrations opposite to the generated aberrations can be generated in the transmission optical system, and both can be canceled.

The projection optical system according to claim 25 has first and second optical systems.
The “first optical system” includes at least one refractive optical system and has a positive power.

The “second optical system” includes at least one reflecting surface having power, and has a positive power as a whole.

These first and second optical systems are arranged in the order of the first and second optical systems from the side close to the object plane, so that the object image is once formed as an intermediate image and then formed as a normal image. Configured.

The projection optical system according to claim 25 has the following characteristics.
That is, in the first optical system, the other optical element is decentered in parallel and / or tilted at one or more positions with respect to the optical axis of “the optical element having the refractive power closest to the object side”. Yes. That is, parallel eccentricity or tilt eccentricity is performed in “optical element units”.

A projection optical system according to a twenty-sixth aspect includes first and second optical systems.
The “first optical system” includes at least one refractive optical system and has a positive power.

The “second optical system” includes at least one reflecting surface having power, and has a positive power as a whole.

These first and second optical systems are arranged in the order of the first and second optical systems from the side close to the object plane, so that the object image is once formed as an intermediate image and then formed as a normal image. Configured.

The projection optical system according to claim 26 has the following characteristics.
That is, in the first optical system, each element of the first optical system is not “tilt decentered” with respect to the optical axis of “an optical element having a refractive power closest to the object side”.

In the projection optical system according to claim 26, “the first optical system is composed of two or more groups, and 2
A configuration in which at least one of the above groups is parallelly decentered ”(claim 27).

In the projection optical system according to any one of claims 25 to 27, it is preferable that at least one of the reflecting surfaces included in the second optical system is a “free curved surface” (claim 28). In this case, among the reflecting surfaces included in the second optical system, “only the reflecting surface closest to the normal image forming position side” can be a free-form surface.

30. In the projection optical system according to any one of claims 25 to 29, it is preferable that the “reflecting surface having a positive power on which a light beam incident on the second optical system is reflected for the first time” is a rotationally symmetric surface. (Claim 30). In this case, the rotationally symmetric reflective surface can be a “spherical reflective surface” (
Claim 31).

In the projection optical system according to any one of claims 25 to 31, "the first optical system can be configured by only a refractive optical system" (claim 32). In this case, the refractive optical system in the first optical system can be “not including an aspherical shape” (Claim 33).

An image projection apparatus according to a thirty-fourth aspect is an image projection apparatus for guiding a light beam from an image display panel to a screen by a projection optical system and forming a normal image of an image displayed on the image display panel on the screen. The projection optical system according to any one of claims 25 to 33 is mounted as the projection optical system.

To supplement the invention described in claims 25 to 34 a little, in the image projection apparatus using the projection optical system described in claims 25 to 33, the object for displaying the projected object image is a liquid crystal panel or the like. Of course, it is possible to use image display means of a type illuminated with light from an external light source such as a light valve, DMD, slide film, etc., as well as a two-dimensional array of light emitting diodes, plasma display, EL Needless to say, self-luminous image display means such as a light emitting element array can be used.

In addition to the lens, the “refractive optical system” can also be a “light transmission element exhibiting a diffractive action”.

Hereinafter, reference techniques similar to the present invention will be described as reference techniques S1 to S14.
The projection optical system of the reference technique S1 “projects the light beam from the object surface to be projected onto the projection surface via the transmission type refractive optical system and the reflection type refractive optical system including one or two reflecting mirrors. Projection optical system "having the following characteristics.

  The “transmissive refractive optical system” has a plurality of transmissive refractive elements.

  “Transmissive refraction element” means “all optical elements that exhibit a refractive action of light at the boundary surface of a light-transmitting medium”, and a typical element is a lens. It can also be a “transmission element”.

  The reflection mirror that forms the “reflection-type refractive optical system” means all optical elements that exhibit the catadioptric action of light at the reflection boundary surface, and can also be a “light-reflective optical element that exhibits a diffraction action”.

  The distance from the projection object surface to the first surface of the transmissive refractive optical system is substantially telecentric.

  The “projected object plane” is a plane on which an image to be projected is displayed as an object, and what constitutes the substance of this plane is a light valve such as a liquid crystal panel, a DMD, a slide film, etc. It is possible to use an image display means that is illuminated with light from an external light source, and furthermore, a self-luminous image display such as a two-dimensional array of light emitting diodes, a plasma display, an EL light emitting element array, etc. Means can be used.

  The intermediate image plane of the object surface to be projected is located closer to the reflective refractive optical system than the transmissive refractive optical system, and the intermediate image on the intermediate image plane is re-imaged as a normal image on the projection plane via the reflecting mirror. Is done.

At least one reflection mirror (if the reflection type refractive optical system is constituted by one reflection mirror, the reflection mirror; if the reflection type refractive optical system is constituted by two reflection mirrors, one or more reflection mirrors; The reflection mirror is an anamorphic polynomial free-form surface having different powers in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.
Light rays from the reflective refractive optical system to the projection surface are guided with an inclination with respect to the normal line of the projection surface.

  The transmission refractive optical system is decentered with respect to the normal line of the projection object surface, and the plurality of transmission refractive elements included in the transmission refractive optical system are configured without being decentered from each other.

  The projection optical system of the reference technique S2 “projects the light beam from the object surface to be projected onto the projection surface via the transmission type refractive optical system and the reflection type refractive optical system composed of one or two reflecting mirrors. A transmissive refractive optical system having a plurality of transmissive refracting elements, and substantially telecentric from the projection object surface to the first surface of the transmissive refractive optical system. An intermediate image plane of the object surface to be projected is positioned on the reflective refractive optical system side of the system, and the intermediate image on the intermediate image plane is re-imaged as a normal image on the projection plane via the reflection mirror, and at least 1 The reflecting mirrors are anamorphic polynomial free-form surfaces with different powers in the vertical and horizontal directions. Light rays from the reflective refractive optical system to the projection surface are guided with an inclination with respect to the normal line of the projection surface. This is the same as the projection optical system of Reference Technology S1.

  The feature of the projection optical system of the reference technique S2 is that “the transmission refractive optical system is decentered with respect to the normal of the object surface to be projected, and the plurality of transmission refractive elements included in the transmission refractive optical system are in group units. The level is configured without being eccentric from each other. "

  The projection optical system of the above-described reference technique S1 or S2 is “a catadioptric refractive optical system has two reflecting mirrors arranged in the first and second order from the transmission refractive optical system side, and the object to be projected An intermediate image plane is positioned between the first and second reflecting mirrors, the first reflecting mirror is an axisymmetric reflecting surface with negative power, and the second reflecting mirror is powered in the vertical and horizontal directions. Can be different anamorphic polynomial free-form surfaces (reference technique S3).

  The projection optical system of the reference technique S1, S2 or S3 is an anamorphic having different powers in the vertical and horizontal directions in the transmissive refractive optical system as “a means for correcting the aspect ratio of the intermediate image of the projection target surface”. A polynomial free-form surface (reference technique S4).

  It is not impossible to perform the “aspect ratio of the intermediate image” by the shape of the reflection mirror of the reflective refractive optical system. However, it is desirable to determine the shape of the reflection mirror of the reflective refractive optical system mainly with distortion correction as the center. Therefore, it is desirable that the aspect ratio can be adjusted in advance in the transmissive refractive optical system, and it is effective to use the polynomial free-form surface as means for correcting the aspect ratio in the transmissive refractive optical system.

  The adoption of a polynomial free-form surface in a transmissive refractive optical system is not limited to one surface, but in a reference specific example described later, a sufficient correction effect can be obtained by using only one polynomial free-form surface in a transmissive refractive optical system. It was. The polynomial free-form surface employed in the transmissive refractive optical system may be employed at a position close to the projection object surface, but is preferably employed at a position close to the projection surface side in order to enhance the correction effect. Incidentally, in the reference specific example, a polynomial free-form surface is adopted as the final surface of the transmissive refractive optical system.

  Any one projection optical system of the reference techniques S1 to S4 preferably has “the NA on the projection object surface side in the transmissive refractive optical system is larger than the NA on the intermediate image plane side” (reference technique S5).

  When a transmissive refractive optical system is configured, the NA on the projection object plane side (referred to as “NA1”) is determined by the orientation distribution characteristics of the illumination system, but the NA on the intermediate image plane side (referred to as “NA2”). Can be changed depending on the arrangement of the transmissive refractive optical system. In order to increase the projection magnification, it is effective to increase the power of the reflective refracting optical system. However, if this is done, the focal length of the image side of the reflective refracting optical system is shortened. It is closer to the reflection mirror side of the reflection type refractive optical system, so that only a small-sized regular image can be formed, that is, the enlargement magnification is reduced. In order to clear this problem, attention was paid to the NA2 of the light beam incident on the reflective refractive optical system, and it was found that making NA2 smaller than NA1 had a special effect in increasing the projection optical system magnification. It was.

  In any one of the projection optical systems of the above-described reference techniques S1 to S5, the intermediate image plane can be “inclined and curved with respect to the principal ray of the light beam emitted from the center of the projection target surface” (reference technique S6). ). In this way, the degree of freedom with respect to the intermediate image plane is increased, and the design of the entire optical system is facilitated.

  In any one of the projection optical systems of the reference techniques S1 to S6, “a principal ray emitted from the center of the object surface to be projected and a principal ray emitted from the periphery of the object surface to be projected on the final surface of the transmission refractive optical system; Are preferably substantially parallel ”(reference technique S7).

  In any one projection optical system of the reference techniques S1 to S7, “intermediate image magnification: M1 is 1 to 5” is preferable (reference technique S8). In any one projection optical system of the reference techniques S1 to S8, the projection magnification can be 40 or more (Reference technique 9). In this case, it is preferable that the projection angle θ relative to the projection plane is greater than 5 ° (Reference Technique 10).

  In order to realize an enlargement projection optical system for enlarging and projecting an image of an object surface of 0.9 inch diagonally on a 60 inch screen with “thinness: 500 mm or less”, the NA2 is about 0.005 to 0.01. It turned out that it would be good to be. If NA2 is made too small, the entire length of the transmissive refracting system is extended. Therefore, considering that the overall size of the apparatus is reduced, NA2 is preferably about 0.005 to 0.01.

  When NA2 is 0.01 or more, the transmission type refraction system becomes compact. However, as NA increases, it tends to be difficult to correct distortion of the projection screen or to ensure magnification performance. Of course, when the screen size is smaller than 60 inches, the upper limit of NA2 may be 0.01 or more.

  The image projection apparatus of the reference technique S11 is an “image projection apparatus that enlarges and projects an image displayed on the projection object surface onto the projection surface by the projection optical system”, and any of the reference techniques S12 to S10 as the projection optical system 1 is used. The image projection apparatus of the reference technique S11 can be configured as a front projector type (reference technique S13), or can be configured as a rear projector type having a folding mirror that folds the imaging optical path (reference technique S14). It goes without saying that the image projectors described in other claims can be similarly made into a front projector type and a rear projector type.

In the above description, the “anamorphic polynomial free-form surface having different power in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction” refers to the vertical direction (considering the vertical direction and the horizontal direction based on the projected image) as the Y direction and the horizontal direction. The direction is the X direction, the depth of the curved surface is Z, and "X2, Y2, X2Y, Y3, X2Y2, etc."
^{Z = X2 · x 2 + Y2} · y 2 + X2Y · x 2 y + Y3 · y 3 + X4 · x 4 + X2Y2 · x 2 y 2 + Y4 · y 4 +
X4Y · x ⁴ y + X2Y3 · x ² y ³ + Y5 · y ⁵ + X6 · x ⁶ + X4Y2 · x ⁴ y ² + X2Y4 · x ² y ⁴ + Y6 · y ⁶ + · ·
(1)
It is a shape represented by.

As described above, according to the present invention, a novel projection optical system, enlarged projection optical system, enlarged projection apparatus, and image projection apparatus can be realized.

The projection optical system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is constituted by the first and second optical systems, and images formed by the light valves are obtained by the first and second optical systems. Since the intermediate image is formed as an intermediate image on the optical path, and the intermediate image is further enlarged and projected, a large projection magnification can be realized, and the first optical system includes a refractive optical system. Also, chromatic aberration can be corrected using the chromatic dispersion characteristics, and the optical path of the imaging light beam is folded back by the reflecting surface including the second optical system, so that a compact configuration can be achieved.

Therefore, the image projection apparatus according to claim 9 using the projection optical system of the present invention can be configured compactly, and the optical path of the imaging light beam can be made long in the apparatus space, so that the projection space outside the apparatus can be reduced while reducing the projection space. A size image can be projected and displayed.

The magnifying projection optical system according to any one of claims 10 to 23 can project an image on the image display panel as a “large screen with little distortion” on the screen. The magnifying projection device according to claim 24 to be used can be realized thinly.

The projection optical system according to any one of claims 25 to 33, wherein an intermediate image is formed by the first optical system and is enlarged and projected by the second optical system, whereby the magnification of the synthesis of the optical system By adding a refractive optical system to the first optical system, it is possible to correct chromatic aberration by using chromatic dispersion characteristics even when a color separation prism is used. Further, by causing the lens elements constituting the refractive optical system to be decentered in parallel or tilt, it is possible to “effectively generate reverse distortion in the intermediate image” so as not to cause distortion in the projected image. Therefore, the image projection apparatus according to claim 34 can project at a close distance at a desired magnification.

  Further, any one projection optical system of the reference techniques S1 to S10 can project a large screen without distortion, and the image projection apparatus of the reference techniques S11 to S14 can be configured to be thin.

  FIG. 1 schematically shows the main part of an image projection apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

A “light valve” indicated by reference numeral 15 is a liquid crystal panel in this embodiment, and is simply referred to as a panel 15 hereinafter. The light source indicated by reference numeral 10 is a light emitting unit 1 composed of a lamp and a reflector.
1 and an illumination optical system 12 that uses a light beam from the light emitting unit 11 as an illumination light beam. The illumination light beam from the light source 10 is applied to the panel 15.

The panel 15, which is a light valve, is “image-formed according to the modulation signal”, and the formed image transmits the illumination light beam from the light source 10 in two-dimensional intensity modulation. The light beam transmitted through the panel 15 is projected and imaged on the screen 21 by a “projection optical system” constituted by the first optical system 17 and the second optical system 19, and “an image formed on the panel 15”. A magnified image of is displayed.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a portion of the projection optical system in FIG.

On the projection side of the panel 15, which is a light valve, there are first and second optical systems 17 and 19 arranged in the first and second order from the panel 15 side. The first optical system 17 is refracted. The optical system (lens) has positive power, and the second optical system 19 has a reflecting surface having power and has positive power.

The image formed by the panel 15 is formed as an intermediate image Iint on the optical paths of the first and second optical systems 17 and 19, and an “image obtained by further enlarging the intermediate image Iint” is formed on the screen 21. Projected and imaged.

Although the first optical system 17 is shown as one lens in FIG. 2, specifically, “various forms including refractive optical system”, for example, a configuration using a plurality of lenses, a combination of a lens and a mirror, A configuration in which the reflecting surface and the refracting surface are integrated is possible as appropriate.

The first optical system 17 has a positive power as a whole, and as shown in FIG.
The intermediate image Iint formed by the optical system 17 is “an inverted image of the image formed on the panel 15”.
It is. The magnification of the intermediate image Iint is preferably about 1 to several times that of the image on the panel 15. When the intermediate image Iint is a reduced image, in order to obtain a “display image with a large magnification” as the entire first and second optical systems, a large magnification is required for the second optical system, and aberration correction is performed. It becomes difficult to achieve a balance between the large magnification and the like.

On the other hand, if the magnification of the intermediate image Iint is too large, the size of the second optical system is increased, and the projection optical system, and hence the image projection apparatus, is increased in size.

In FIG. 2, from positions A and B on the panel 15 corresponding to two points of the maximum image height on the + side (position: a in FIG. 1) and the maximum image height on the − side (position: b in FIG. 1). The optical path of the light beam which goes to the said position: a and b is shown typically.

The intermediate image Iint does not necessarily have to be “planarly formed”, and the image projected on the screen 21 by the composite optical system of the first optical system 17 and the second optical system 19 is “a satisfactory image”. It is only necessary to ensure the performance of the synthetic optical system as a whole. Therefore, the first optical system 17
There are no particular restrictions on the imaging performance of the.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the intermediate image I formed by the first optical system 17 is used.
The light beam that forms the int is reflected by the second optical system 19 to return the optical path, and the projection image is projected in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the light beam forming the intermediate image Iint.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the second optical system 19 is an example of a single concave mirror. However, the form of the second optical system is not limited to this, and includes two or more reflecting surfaces. It is also possible to include a refractive optical system together with the reflecting surface.

In the configuration of FIGS. 1 and 2, the direction of the finally projected light beam is made “reverse to the direction of FIG. 1” by “adding one more reflective surface” to the second optical system. You can also. 1 and FIG. 2, a refractive optical system (lens system) is arranged as a part of the second optical system between the position where the intermediate image Iint is formed and the reflecting surface 19, and reflection is performed. The surface 19 can be “captured light more efficiently”.

As shown in FIG. 2, the light beam starting from position A on panel 15 is intermediate image Iint.
The light beam collected with a center of gravity at the position A ′ and condensed is spread at the same divergence angle as the converging angle, reflected by the second optical system 19 having a positive power, and screen 21 in FIG. Upper position: Forms an image at a.

Similarly, the light beam starting from the position B on the panel 15 gathers so as to have the center of gravity at the position B ′ in the intermediate image Iint, and the condensed light beam spreads at the same divergence angle as the converging angle.
Is imaged at a position b on the screen 21 in FIG.

By forming the intermediate image Iint, it is possible to “locally narrow” the effective area of the reflecting surface 19 that contributes to the image formation of the light beams from the positions A and B on the panel 15. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the imaging performance with respect to the light beam from the position: A is affected by the shape of the “reflection area A ″” of the second optical system 19, and the connection with respect to the light beam from the position: B is affected. The shape of the “reflection area B ″” affects the image performance.

Therefore, it is possible to optimize the surface shapes of the reflection regions A ″ and B ″ by the configuration shown in FIGS. Furthermore, the condensing characteristic to each part on the screen 21 can be controlled by “locally changing” the shape of the concave surface in the second optical system 19.
In particular, the effect can be maximized by making the concave surface a free-form surface.

What is necessary is just to perform optimal specification setting by simulation methods, such as the ray tracing method known conventionally. Since the optimization can be performed by the reflecting surface, it is possible to design to improve the other light collecting characteristics while suppressing the occurrence and increase of chromatic aberration.

Since the first optical system 17 includes a refractive optical system, it is possible to correct “a chromatic aberration that cannot be corrected only by the reflecting surface” by the refractive optical system.

  Further, various aberrations that affect the projected image projected on the screen 21 and cannot be corrected only by the reflecting surface of the second optical system are corrected by actively incorporating a refractive optical system into the second optical system. You may do it.

In the configuration as shown in FIG. 1, in order to increase the imaging magnification of the second optical system 19, the intermediate image Iin
The position where t is formed may be close to the reflecting surface of the second optical system 19. This will be described with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 15 denotes a panel, reference numeral 17A denotes a first optical system (lens), reference numeral 19A denotes a second optical system (concave mirror), and reference numeral 21 denotes a screen.

According to the notation of the specification of the optical system, the radius of curvature of the i-th surface counted from the panel side is Ri (i
= 1 to 3 i = 1 is the incident side surface of the first optical system 17A, i = 3 is the reflecting surface of the second optical system 19A), and the surface interval between the i-th surface and the i + 1-th surface Is Ti (i = 0 to 3 where i = 0 is between the panel 15 and the incident side surface of the first optical system 17A, and i = 3 is between the second optical system 19A and the screen 21).

The specifications of the optical system in FIG. 3 are as follows.
i Ri (mm) Ti (mm) Material 0 85
1 65 25 BK7
2-55 225
3-135-400.

  The object height in the panel 15 is ± 7.5 mm.

If the projection image is set to be optimally formed at the image height position 0 (P point on the screen 21),
Position on the panel 15, which is an object: Position on the screen 21: a starting from A and B: a
, B reaches about 208 mm.

Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the first optical system 17B and the second optical system 19B are used, the power of the first optical system 17B is relaxed, and the position of the intermediate image Iint is shifted from the first optical system 17B. While maintaining the positional relationship so that the light condensing property at the image height of 0 is maintained, the second
When the positive power in the optical system 19B is adjusted, the specifications of these optical systems are as follows.
i Ri ′ (mm) Ti ′ (mm) Material 0 85
1 65 25 BK7
2-60 225
3-98-400.

  The object height in the panel 15 is ± 7.5 mm.

4 illustrates the optical arrangement different from that of FIG. 3 for the sake of explanation. As is apparent from the above description, the arrangement of the optical system is the same as that of FIG. The only difference is the curvature of the exit side surface of the first optical system 17B and the curvature of the reflection surface of the second optical system 19B.

At this time, the position on the screen 21 starting from the positions A and B on the panel 15:
The interval between the principal rays reaching a ′ and b ′ is about 362 mm, which is shown in FIG.
The enlargement ratio is improved over m). That is, the positive power in the first optical system is weakened and the intermediate image Iint approaches the “reflecting surface having positive power” of the second optical system 19B. As a result, the enlargement ratio is increased. As described above, the enlargement ratio can be improved only by changing the radius of curvature of the refracting surface / reflecting surface without changing the optical arrangement.

In order to embody the above description, on the optical paths of the first and second optical systems, “to bring the image formation position of the intermediate image closer to the reflecting surface having positive power in the second optical system, An optical element having a negative power ”may be provided on the light valve side of the intermediate image.

In order to bring the position of the intermediate image closer to the reflecting surface having a positive power in the second optical system, an optical element having a negative power provided on the light valve side of the intermediate image may be a concave lens, a Fresnel concave lens, a convex reflection A mirror or a composite system of these can be considered.

Actually, it is necessary to secure the condensing characteristics at each image height position and correct the distortion of the image plane, but by increasing the number of refracting and reflecting surfaces to increase the degree of freedom of design, etc. Optimization design may be performed by simulation using a ray tracing method known from the above.

FIG. 5 schematically shows an embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention. In order to avoid complications, the same reference numerals as those in FIG.
In this embodiment, the second optical system 190 includes a reflective surface 192 having a positive power and a reflective surface 191 having a negative power.

The light beam from the panel 15 becomes an image light beam by the action of the first optical system 17, but the intermediate image Iin.
Before t is imaged, it enters the reflecting surface 191 having a negative power and is reflected toward the reflecting surface 192. The intermediate image Iint is formed at an intermediate portion between the reflecting surface 191 and the reflecting surface 192. The intermediate image Iint is further magnified by the positive power of the reflecting surface 192, and the screen 21
The image on the panel 15 is projected on the top.

In other words, the reflecting surface 191 of the second optical system 190 has the effect of bringing the position where the intermediate image Iint is formed closer to the reflecting surface 192 having the positive power of the second optical system 190 in the invention of claim 2. It is an example of "an optical system with negative power having".

As the reflecting surface 191, a reflecting optical element having a diverging power, such as a convex reflecting surface, a Fresnel convex reflecting mirror, or a hologram reflecting mirror having a positive power, can be used as appropriate.

In order to move the position of the intermediate image away from the light valve, the projection optical system must be somewhat larger, but by constructing the above "optical system with negative power" with a reflecting mirror, a layout that turns the optical path back. It can be adopted, and the size of the entire optical system can be reduced.

  The “optical element having negative power for bringing the imaging position of the intermediate image close to the reflecting surface having positive power in the second optical system” according to claim 2 or claim 3 is used. Makes it possible to adjust the degree of “divergence” of the incident light beam to the “reflecting surface having positive power in the second optical system”, and to reduce the “effective reflection area” of the reflecting surface having positive power. It becomes possible.

By adjusting the effective reflection area of the reflecting surface having the positive power and providing the shape of the reflecting surface locally, that is, “setting of a free-form surface”, the light condensing characteristics and distortion can be controlled more finely.
By adopting the configuration as described above, a wider angle can be obtained than in the conventional projection optical system.

By configuring at least one of the various reflecting surfaces described in the above embodiment as a free-form surface, the degree of freedom of design is increased and various aberrations can be easily corrected (claim 4).

The so-called “free-form surface” is a surface including “non-rotationally symmetric surface shape” such as an anamorphic surface or an XY polynomial surface.

If all surfaces (refractive surface, reflective surface) included in the projection optical system are configured with free-form surfaces,
Although extremely good imaging characteristics can be realized, the required accuracy such as relative position error and eccentricity error of each surface becomes strict, so the larger the number of free-form surfaces, the better. It is better to set the number of

As explained above, the light beam that formed the intermediate image Iint then becomes a divergent light beam,
Is incident on a reflecting surface (concave mirror) having positive power in the optical system. Accordingly, the divergent light beam from each position of the intermediate image Iint is reflected by the local reflection region of the concave mirror and forms an image on the screen. In other words, the light beam that forms an image at each position on the screen corresponds to a “local reflection region for each image height” in the concave mirror.

For this reason, the surface of the concave mirror (the reflecting surface on which the light beam that formed the intermediate image is reflected first after the intermediate image is formed) is a free-form surface, and the curved surface of the reflecting surface for each “reflection region for each image height”. By adjusting the shape, various aberrations can be corrected most effectively, and the performance can be improved.

Considering surface processing and assembly, the number of free-form surfaces should be as small as possible, and it is most effective to preferentially apply to a reflecting surface (concave mirror) having a positive power immediately after forming an intermediate image. . In addition to the adjustment of the reflection region, the shape setting of “a free curved surface capable of adjusting the local shape of the concave surface having the light condensing power” enables the design to further improve the characteristics such as the light condensing characteristic and the image distortion.

The magnification of the intermediate image only needs to be “approximately 1 to several times”, and the imaging magnification of the first optical system related to the formation of the intermediate image does not need to be large. Therefore, the first optical system has been conventionally used. Optimization is possible with a configuration using only a certain refractive optical system (claim 6). If the first optical system is composed only of a refractive optical system, the optical design of the first optical system is facilitated, and the tolerances can be relaxed with respect to surface processing and assembly.

It is also possible to increase the number of refracting surfaces and the like to increase the degree of design freedom, thereby distributing tolerances and improving performance.

In the invention described in claim 6, the first optical system is configured by “refractive optical system only”, but when further performance improvement is desired, “the degree of freedom in the configuration of the first optical system can be further improved”. Necessary.

In order to further improve the performance as described above, it is preferable that the first optical system is “configured by a reflecting surface having a rotationally symmetric axis and a refractive optical system”. A “reflecting surface having a rotationally symmetric axis” is relatively easy to make and is extremely effective in improving the degree of freedom in design without impairing workability and assembly. The degree of freedom is further improved by making the reflecting surface having the rotational symmetry axis an aspherical surface. In addition, by providing the reflecting surface with a degree of freedom of shift eccentricity and tilt eccentricity, a design with improved degree of freedom becomes possible.

An aspherical shape can also be used in the refractive optical system. By adopting such a configuration, the degree of freedom in design is improved, and a higher performance projection optical system can be realized.

Various processing methods such as a conventionally known polishing process, a molding process using a mold, and a precise shape transfer process can be employed for processing the reflecting surface. Further, the refractive transmission surface and the reflection surface may be integrated to form an internal total reflection structure.

With reference to FIG. 1, one embodiment of an image projection apparatus will be described.
As the lamp of the light emitting unit 11 in the light source 10, a halogen lamp, a xenon lamp, a metal halide lamp, an ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp, or the like can be used.

In order to obtain high illumination efficiency, a reflector provided integrally with the lamp is used in the vicinity of the lamp. Although not shown in FIG. 1, “a well-known illuminance uniformizing unit called an integrator optical system” is used so that a “directed light beam” reflected by a reflector can be irradiated onto the panel 15 with uniform light intensity. Can be used to illuminate the panel surface with a uniform illumination distribution.

In the case of using a “reflective liquid crystal light valve” instead of the transmissive liquid crystal panel 15 illustrated as a light valve in FIG. 1, a polarization beam splitter or the like is used to separate the illumination optical path from the projection optical path. "Efficient lighting" is possible.

Further, when a “digital micromirror device (DMD)” is used as a light valve, an “optical path separation optical system using an oblique incident optical system or a total reflection prism” is used. Thus, an appropriate optical system can be employed according to the type of light valve.

In a front type projector, it is preferable to shift the projection image upward so that the projection image is not shaded by the projector. That is, the light valve 15 is shifted (downward in the figure) in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the projection optical system (the optical axis of the first optical system 17), and the light beam enters from below the projection optical system. I try to let them.

As the shift amount of the light valve 15 increases, it is necessary to increase the effective angle of view as a specification required for the first optical system 17. The above-mentioned shift amount of the light valve 15 is set to an appropriate size as necessary, the intermediate image Iint is once formed by the first optical system 17, and the light valve is formed by the second optical system 19 having a positive power. The image formed in 15 is displayed on the screen 2
1 is enlarged and projected.

In the rear pro type, it is natural that a plane mirror can be arranged in the projection optical path, and the optical path can be bent to further reduce the space occupation ratio.

For the sake of simplicity, only one panel 15 is shown above, but three panels for red, green, and blue are used, and light beams modulated by each panel are combined with a known dichroic prism or other color composition. After the colors are synthesized by the means, the light is incident on the first optical system 17 and the like, so that the screen 2
Needless to say, a color image can be projected onto the image 1.

  Embodiments related to the inventions described in claims 10 to 24 will be described below.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the reference beam of the light beam group directed from the image display panel indicated by reference numeral 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as panel 1) to the “screen” indicated by reference numeral 2 has a normal line and a predetermined inclination. Incident on the screen 2. The “reference light beam” is the principal light beam of the light beam guided from the center of the panel 1 to the screen 2.

The panel 1 is a reflective liquid crystal panel, and linearly polarized illumination light is converted into a polarization beam splitter 10.
The light beam irradiated through A and modulated by the panel 1 becomes an imaging light beam through the polarizing beam splitter 10A.

In the light propagation, when the panel 1 side is called “upstream” and the screen 2 side is called “downstream”, the transmission optics includes “a transmissive surface having refractive power and including one or more aspheric surfaces” on the downstream side of the panel 1. The system 3 is arranged, and a “reflection optical system” having a plurality of reflecting surfaces 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 is arranged downstream thereof.

The imaging light beam from the panel 1 propagates through the transmission optical system 3 and the reflection surface 4 constituting the reflection optical system.
Is guided to the screen 2 through .about.8. Of the reflecting surfaces 4 to 8 constituting the reflecting optical system, the reflecting surface 8 is a “rotationally asymmetric reflecting surface”.

Although it is preferable to give the light beam condensing function to the transmission optical system 3, in this embodiment, the "loading magnification magnification" in the transmission optical system 3 is relaxed, and in particular, "the diameter of the lens on the downstream side is not increased. " Accordingly, the magnification optical function as the magnification projection optical system is entirely or substantially equivalent to the reflection optical system.

The rotationally asymmetric reflecting surface 8 corrects “asymmetrical aberration (in the figure, aberration due to asymmetry in the vertical direction of the reference axis)” and decenters the optical axis of the transmission optical system 3 with respect to the panel 1. By setting (in this embodiment, the optical axis is decentered upward in the figure from the center of the panel 1), the correction effect of the asymmetric aberration is enhanced. That is, both the transmission optical system 3 and the reflection optical system are “shared in the correction of asymmetric aberration”.

The transmission optical system 3 is assembled “coaxially” to facilitate cell formation.
As in this embodiment, when the enlarged projection optical system is composed of a transmission optical system and a reflection optical system,
It is easier to assemble the optical system than when all the optical surfaces are made of reflecting surfaces, the “optical path folding effect” by the reflecting surfaces can be utilized, and the entire system can be downsized.

A “diaphragm” indicated by reference numeral 9 is provided on the downstream side of the transmission optical system 3 and upstream of the reflection surface 4, and the image I 9 of the aperture 9 is “negative reduction magnification” by the reflection surface downstream of the aperture 9. An image is formed on the imaging optical path. That is, the “reduction magnification image I9” of the diaphragm 9 is the reflection surfaces 4 and 5 of the reflection optical system.
, 6 and 7, an inverted image is formed between the reflecting surface 7 and the rotationally asymmetric reflecting surface 8.

In this way, when the power is arranged such that the image I9 of the diaphragm 9 forms an image with a reduced magnification, the diaphragm 9
Since the light beam incident on the reflecting surface (the reflecting surface 8 in the embodiment being described) on the downstream side of the image I9 does not spread greatly, the reflecting surface can be reduced in size.

As described above, the image I9 of the stop 9 is in the optical path of the reflecting optical system (the reflecting surface 7 and the rotationally asymmetric reflecting surface 8).
The image forming position is the “screen-side pupil”, that is, the “exit pupil” of the magnifying projection optical system.

The imaging light beam forms an intermediate image of the panel 1 on the optical path in the reflection optical system. This intermediate image is a “real image with a negative magnification” and is an isometric image, like the image I9 of the stop 9. In the embodiment shown in the figure, the intermediate image of the panel 1 is formed near the reflecting surface of the reflecting surface 7. That is, the intermediate image of panel 1 is
It is formed by the transmission optical system 3 and the reflection surfaces 4 to 6.

The image formed on the screen 2 is an “magnified image of the intermediate image of the panel 1 by the reflecting surface 7 and the rotationally asymmetric reflecting surface 8”, and the image forming magnification at this time is also negative. Thus, the light beam from the panel 1 forms an intermediate image as an inverted image, and further forms an image on the screen 2 as an upright image with the inverted image inverted. At that time, the trapezoidal distortion generated in the intermediate image cancels out the trapezoidal distortion generated when the image is formed on the screen, and a display image with little trapezoidal distortion can be obtained.

When the transmission optical system 3 is formed into a cell as a unit, relative position adjustment between the cell-formed transmission optical system 3 and the reflection optical system remains as position adjustment in the enlargement projection optical system. At this time, if the power of the reflecting surface 4 on the most upstream side in the reflection optical system is positive, the transmission optical system 3
When the light beam emitted from the light beam is a condensed light beam, the light beam is further condensed by the positive power of the reflecting surface 4.

In this embodiment, “power of the reflecting surface 4” is negative. When the power of the reflecting surface 4 is positive, the aberration that occurs when the relative position between the transmission optical system 3 and the reflection optical system is “deviation” increases. In other words, when the amount of deviation between the transmission optical system 3 and the “reflection optical system” is the same, the amount of change in aberration with respect to the amount of deviation is large.

As in the embodiment, when the power of the reflecting surface 4 is negative, the “aberration change amount with respect to the shift amount” is small. Accordingly, the accuracy of the relative positional relationship between the transmission optical system 3 and the reflection optical system becomes moderate, and the optical system can be easily assembled.

After making the power of the reflection surface 4 negative, the power of the reflection surface 5 arranged downstream is positive. If a negative power reflecting surface continues on the upstream side in the reflecting optical system, the divergence of the incident light beam becomes excessive, and an “aperture image” cannot be formed in the reflecting optical system.

Making the power of the reflecting surface 5 positive is important for making the imaging light beam reflected by the reflecting surface 5 converge and tend to form the image I9 of the stop 9 in the optical path of the reflecting optical system. That is, the combined power of the optical system (reflecting surfaces 4 to 7) provided between the stop 9 and the stop image I9 is positive.

The reflecting surface 5 as well as the reflecting surface 4 may have negative power and the power of the reflecting surface 6 on the downstream side may be positive. However, it is necessary to increase the power of the reflecting surface 6 or the distance between the surfaces becomes long. As a result, the amount of aberration increases, the optical system becomes larger, and the number of components increases, so there is not much merit.

In the magnifying projection optical system in which both the panel 1 and the screen 2 perform “oblique projection” in a plane, in the present invention, “an intermediate image of the negative magnification of the panel 1 that generates a light beam directed from the panel 1 side to the screen 2”, The optical systems on the upstream and downstream sides of the intermediate image plane are configured so that the positions and shapes of the “intermediate image of negative magnification of the screen 2 that generates a light beam traveling from the screen 2 side to the panel 1” are substantially the same. ing.

The “light beam from the screen 2 side toward the panel 1” refers to a virtual light beam that is used when ray tracing is performed with the screen as the object plane and the panel as the image plane when designing an enlarged projection optical system.

In the reflection optical system portion, the rotationally asymmetric reflection surface 8 is preferably disposed at a position closest to the screen 2 on the most downstream side in the optical path of the imaging light beam, as in this embodiment. The incident positions of the “respective light beams corresponding to different angles of view” on the reflecting surfaces 4 to 8 are such that the overlapping area is wide in the upstream and the “overlapping area” decreases in the downstream.

Since the rotationally asymmetric reflecting surface has a high degree of freedom of the surface shape that can be taken with respect to the incident position, the rotationally asymmetric reflecting surface 8 is located on the most downstream side, and at this surface position, “the respective light beams corresponding to different angles of view overlap each other. If the “region” is reduced, it is possible to give the rotationally asymmetric reflecting surface 8 a “surface shape suitable for correcting the residual aberration of the light flux at each angle of view” by the optical system upstream of the rotationally asymmetric reflecting surface 8. A high aberration correction effect can be realized.

Contrary to the above, if a rotationally asymmetric reflecting surface is provided on the upstream side of the reflecting optical system, the light beams with different angles of view are incident on the same position of the reflecting surface. It is difficult to obtain a “reflecting surface shape solution” that simultaneously corrects aberrations of each of the light beams.

In this embodiment, the transmission optical system 3 can also share “correction of asymmetrical aberration components”. In such a case, in order to increase the correction effect, the transmission optical system 3 is provided with a “rotationally asymmetric transmission surface”. Rotationally asymmetric surfaces “correct aberration components that are difficult to correct with rotationally symmetric aspheric surfaces”
It is effective to do.

The reflective optical system is composed of a plurality of reflective surfaces 4 to 8. However, when these are integrated as a unit, the relative positional accuracy between the reflective surfaces can be easily obtained, and the enlarged projection optical system can be easily assembled. become. The integration of the reflecting surfaces can be realized by, for example, a molding method, but is not limited thereto, and may be realized by other appropriate methods.

In other words, the position where the diaphragm 9 is disposed is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 1, and may be provided between the surfaces of the transmission optical system 3, for example. In this case, a part of the transmission optical system also participates in the image formation of the aperture image.

The image display panel is not limited to one, and three image display panels are used, and R (red), G (green),
Each color component image of B (blue) is displayed on a different image display panel for each color, and the light from these image display panels is combined and guided to the screen by an enlarged projection optical system, and a color image is displayed on the screen. It can also be configured to.

In such a case, in FIG. 1, a combination of a polarizing beam splitter between the panel 1 and the transmission optical system 3 and a dichroic prism (which is widely known in a color image projection apparatus) can be used. .
Further, the screen does not necessarily have to be a plane.

As described above, the enlarged projection optical system according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 guides the light flux from the image display panel 1 to the screen 2 and projects it from the direction inclined with respect to the normal line of the screen 2. An enlarged projection optical system that forms an enlarged image of the image displayed on the image display panel 1 on the screen 2, and includes reflection optical systems 4 to 8 and a transmission optical system 3, and the reflection optical system has power. The transmission optical system 3 includes a transmission surface having refractive power, and includes one or more aspheric surfaces (claim 10).

A diaphragm 9 is provided between the first surface from the image display panel side in the transmission optical system 3 and the first surface from the screen side in the reflection optical system, and the diaphragm 9 is arranged by optical elements 4 to 7 arranged on the screen side. The image I9 is formed at a negative reduction magnification (claim 11).

1 also includes a transmission optical system 3 including a plurality of transmission surfaces and a plurality of reflection surfaces 4 to 4.
The reflecting surface 4 having a power at which a light beam that has passed through the aperture 9 is first incident is negative among the reflecting surfaces of the reflecting optical system. 12)
The reflecting surface 5 following the reflecting surface 4 having negative power on which the light beam having passed through the diaphragm 9 first enters has positive power (claim 13), and the reflecting optical system includes a plurality of reflecting surfaces 4 having power. To 8 and includes a rotationally asymmetric reflecting surface 8, and the transmission optical system 3 includes a transmission surface having refractive power and includes one or more aspheric surfaces.

The magnification projection optical system of FIG. 1 also generates a negative magnification intermediate image of the image display panel that generates a light beam from the image display panel 1 side to the screen 2 and a light beam from the screen 2 side to the image display panel 1. The position and shape of the intermediate image of the negative magnification of the screen 2 substantially match (claim 15).
The reflecting optical systems 4 to 8 made up of a plurality of reflecting surfaces and the transmitting optical system 3 made up of a plurality of transmitting surfaces (Claim 16), having a diaphragm 9, and among the reflecting surfaces in the reflecting optical system, The power of the reflecting surface 4 having the power at which the light beam that has passed through the diaphragm is first incident is negative (claim 17), and the reflection following the reflecting surface 4 having the negative power at which the light beam that has passed through the diaphragm 9 is first incident. The surface 5 has positive power (Claim 18), the reflection optical system is constituted by a plurality of reflection surfaces having power, includes a rotationally asymmetric reflection surface 8, and the transmission optical system 3 is constituted by a transmission surface having refractive power. And includes at least one aspheric surface (claim 19).

Further, the rotationally asymmetric reflective surface 8 is disposed “most on the screen 2 side” on the projection optical path (Claim 20), and the transmission optical system 3 includes a rotationally asymmetric transmission surface having refractive power (Claim 21). The optical axis of the transmission optical system 3 is set eccentric with respect to the position of the image display panel 1 within the plane including the light guide optical path (claim 22). Further, the reflection optical system can be integrally formed as a unit (claim 23).

Therefore, by adding various known light sources to the enlarged projection optical system whose embodiment is shown in FIG. 6, an image is displayed on the image display panel 1, and the image display panel 1 is illuminated with light from the light source. Illuminated, the light flux from the illuminated image display panel 1 is guided to the screen 2 by the enlarged projection optical system, projected from the direction inclined with respect to the normal line of the screen 2, and projected onto the image display panel 1 on the screen 2. An enlargement projection apparatus for projecting an enlarged image of a displayed image, the enlargement projection apparatus using the enlargement projection optical system according to any one of claims 9 to 23 as an enlargement projection optical system (claim 24). realizable.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention described in claims 25 to 34 will be described.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of an image projection apparatus having the projection optical system according to the 25th aspect. A portion of the projection optical system is enlarged and shown in FIG.

In FIG. 8, a portion denoted by reference numeral 71 represents a first optical system disposed on the object side, and a portion denoted by reference numeral 72 represents a second optical system disposed on the image side. The first optical system 71 includes lenses 711 to 716 and has a stop S immediately after the lens 713. The lens 713 is a “junction lens”.
Reference numerals 721 and 722 denote two reflecting surfaces constituting the second optical system.

The object side of the first optical system 71 is “reflective liquid crystal panel as described with reference to FIG.
It is assumed that the linearly polarized illumination light is irradiated through a polarizing beam splitter, and the reflected light beam modulated by the liquid crystal panel becomes an image forming light beam through the polarizing beam splitter. A splitter is shown.

The light beam from the object side projects an image on a projection surface (screen shown in FIG. 7) (not shown) via the first optical system 71 and the second optical system 72, but the intermediate image of the object is a reflection surface 721. 722
An image is formed at a position between and a normal image is formed on the projection surface by the reflection surface 722.

As the “object for displaying the image to be projected”, the “light valve 15 shown in FIG. 1 is configured to illuminate the light beam from the light emitting unit 11 by the lamp and the reflector with the illumination optical system 12. Can be used. Specific examples of the light emitting unit include a halogen lamp,
A xenon lamp, a metal halide lamp, an ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp, or the like is suitable. The illumination optical system can also be equipped with an “integrator optical system that makes the intensity of the light beam reflected by the reflector and having directivity uniform with respect to the light valve”.

As the above object, “obliquely incident optical system” or total reflection prism with respect to the DMD panel,
A system that performs optical path separation can also be used. Of course, self-luminous objects such as LED arrays, EL arrays, and plasma displays can also be used.

That is, the projection optical system in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is a refractive optical system (lens 711).
And the like, and a first optical system 71 having a positive power and a second optical system 72 having a positive power as a whole including at least one reflecting surface having a power (eg 721). The first optical system is arranged in the order of the first and second optical systems from the side close to the object plane, and the object image is once formed as an intermediate image and then formed as a normal image, and the first optical Other optical elements 712 to 7 with respect to the optical axis of the optical element 711 having the refractive power closest to the object side in the system
16, 721, 722 are parallel eccentric and / or tilt eccentric (claim 25).

  The configuration related to claims 26 to 34 will be described later as a specific embodiment.

FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of an image projection apparatus having a projection optical system of a reference example described later.
FIG. 13 shows an enlarged portion of the projection optical system.
In FIG. 13, the part denoted by reference numeral 100 is “modulated by the liquid crystal panel 1 by irradiating the reflective liquid crystal panel with linearly polarized illumination light via a polarization beam splitter. The reflected light beam is an object-side portion of a type that becomes an imaging light beam through a polarizing beam splitter, and the image display surface of the reflective liquid crystal panel is a “projected object surface”. In the figure, the symbol PB indicates a polarizing beam splitter. The configuration on the object side is not limited to this, and “the light valve 15 is configured to illuminate the light beam from the light emitting unit 11 by the lamp and the reflector with the illumination optical system 12, or integrated with this, as described with reference to FIG. -An optical system with an optical system "can be used, or an optical system that can perform optical path separation with an oblique incident optical system or a total reflection prism with respect to a DMD panel can be used. LED arrays, EL arrays, plasma displays Self-luminous objects such as these can also be used.

A portion denoted by reference numeral 120 represents a “transmissive refractive optical system”, and a portion denoted by reference numeral 130 represents a “reflective refractive optical system”.

The transmissive refractive optical system 120 includes lenses 121 to 127. Lens 123
The lens 126 is a cemented lens, and the whole is composed of nine lenses. The reflective refractive optical system 130 includes a first reflective mirror 131 (only a reflective surface is shown), and a second reflective mirror 1.
32 (only the reflecting surface is shown).

That is, in the projection optical system shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the light beam from the object surface to be projected is arranged in the first and second order from the transmission type refractive optical system 120 and the transmission type refractive optical system side. The light is guided and projected onto a projection surface (not shown) through a reflective refractive optical system 130 including two reflecting mirrors 131 and 132.

The transmissive refractive optical system 120 has a plurality of transmissive refractive elements 121 to 127, as shown in the figure.
From the projection object surface to the first surface of the transmissive refractive optical system (the object side surface of the lens 121) is “substantially telecentric” as shown in the figure, and the two reflecting mirrors 131 in the reflective refractive optical system 130 are shown. , 132, the intermediate image plane of the object surface to be projected is positioned, and the intermediate image on the intermediate image plane is re-imaged as a normal image on the projection plane via the second reflecting mirror 132.

  As shown in a reference specific example which will be described later, the first reflecting mirror 131 is a negative power axisymmetric reflecting surface, and the second reflecting mirror 132 is an “anamorphic polynomial having different powers in the vertical and horizontal directions. A light beam that is a “free-form surface” and reaches the projection surface (not shown) from the second reflecting mirror 132 is guided with an inclination with respect to the normal line of the projection surface.

The transmission refractive optical system 120 is decentered with respect to the normal line of the projection object surface, but the plurality of transmission refractive elements 121 to 127 included in the transmission refractive optical system are configured without being decentered from each other. ing.

The lens 123 and the lens 126 are cemented lenses, and these cemented lenses 123 and 126.
Each constitutes a “group unit” of the lens, but these cemented lenses are “configured without decentering each other at the group unit level”.

Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the image plane of the intermediate image formed between the reflecting mirrors 132 and 133 is “inclined and curved with respect to the principal ray of the light beam emitted from the center of the projection target surface”. On the final surface (exit side surface of the lens 127) of the transmissive refractive optical system, “the principal ray emitted from the center of the projection object surface and the principal ray emitted from the periphery of the projection object surface are substantially parallel”.

  The image projection apparatus of FIG. 12 is a “front projector type”, but of course, it can be a “rear projector type” by adding a reflecting mirror that bends the optical path in the imaging optical path.

Specific examples will be given below.
In the specifications of the optical system, the surface number is the 0th object surface (the surface on which the image to be projected is displayed).
The surfaces are sequentially counted as a first surface, a second surface, and so on. Through all examples, the first side and the second side
The surfaces are surfaces of the “polarization beam splitter” on the liquid crystal panel side and the projection optical system side.

The first embodiment is a specific embodiment of the image projection apparatus / projection optical system shown in FIGS. That is, a first optical system 71 including at least one refractive optical system and having a positive power, and a second optical system 72 including at least one reflecting surface having a power and having a positive power as a whole. The first optical system is arranged in the order of the first and second optical systems from the side close to the object plane, and the object image is once formed as an intermediate image and then formed as a normal image. The other optical element 71 with respect to the optical axis of the optical element 711 having the refractive power closest to the object side in FIG.
2 to 716, 721, and 722 are parallel eccentricity and / or tilt eccentricity.
The magnification of the intermediate image is about 3 times.

  The specifications of Example 1 are shown in Table 1.

In Table 1, “shift” indicates the amount of shift eccentricity, and “tilt” indicates the amount of tilt eccentricity. The unit of curvature radius, surface spacing and shift eccentricity is “mm”, and the unit of tilt eccentricity is “degree”.
It is. The same applies to the following embodiments.

The reflecting surface of the second reflecting mirror, which is the 18th surface, is an “anamorphic polynomial free-form surface having different powers in the vertical direction and the left-right direction” represented by the above-described equation (1). Are listed in Table 2.

In the above notation, for example, “1.14641E-11” means “1.14641 × 10 ⁻¹¹ ”. The same applies to the following.

As described above, the first optical system is composed of seven lenses, and the second optical system is composed of two reflecting surfaces, but the reflecting surface 721 is a spherical surface and the reflecting surface 722 is a polynomial free-form surface. It is.

The image plane (screen) of the normal image is a plane parallel to the left-right direction in FIG. Although the difference is large, it tends to be a “projection image with a distorted bottom dent”, but the distortion of the intermediate image is set to be opposite to correct the distortion on the final image plane.

FIG. 11 shows an “image distortion state” on the final image plane. FIG. 11 shows a state of distortion when an image displayed on a liquid crystal panel having a diagonal of about 0.9 inches is projected on the screen by being enlarged to about 60 inches. As shown in the figure, it can be seen that the grid images can be formed at substantially equal intervals, and the trapezoidal distortion is well corrected. Projection size is 1200mm x 900m
The size m and the enlargement ratio are 65 times or more, and the distortion is 0.5% or less, which is very good.

Example 2 is a specific example of the image projection apparatus / projection optical system shown in FIG. FIG.
The projection optical system part of the image projection apparatus is shown enlarged.

The first optical system 81 is composed of six lenses 811 to 816, and the second optical system 82 is composed of two reflecting surfaces 821 and 822. A diaphragm not shown is a lens 813.
And the lens 814.

As in the first embodiment, the intermediate image is formed as a reverse image by the first optical system 81 in the middle of the reflecting surfaces 821 and 822. The reflecting surface 821 having a positive power that first reflects the light side incident on the second optical system 82 has a rotationally symmetric aspherical shape, and the reflecting surface 822 has a polynomial free-form surface. This is an example in which a design with a higher degree of freedom is possible by adopting a rotationally symmetric aspherical shape.

  The specifications of Example 2 are shown in Table 3.

The aspherical surface to be rotated used in the sixteenth surface is such that Z is the depth in the optical axis direction, c is the paraxial radius of curvature, r is the distance in the optical axis orthogonal direction from the optical axis, k is the conic constant, A, A well-known aspherical expression in which B, C,...
Z = c · r ² / [1 + √ {1- (1 + k) c ² r ² }] + Ar ⁴ + Br ⁶ + Cr ⁸
The shape is specified by giving k, A, B, and C. The same applies to the following other embodiments.

  Table 16 gives the coefficients of the aspheric surface of the sixteenth surface.

  Table 5 gives the values of the coefficients of the polynomial free-form surface of the 17th surface.

Example 3 is a specific example of the image projection apparatus / projection optical system shown in FIG.
The first optical system 91 is composed of five lenses 911 to 915, and the second optical system 92 is composed of two reflecting surfaces 921 and 922. The lens 913 is a cemented lens.
A diaphragm (not shown) is disposed between the lens 913 and the lens 914.

As in the first and second embodiments, the intermediate image is formed between the reflecting surfaces 921 and 922. An intermediate image is formed as a reverse image by the first optical system. Further, the reflecting surface 921 having a positive power that first reflects the light side incident on the second optical system has a spherical shape, and the reflecting surface 922 has a polynomial free-form surface.

  The specifications of Example 3 are shown in Table 6.

As is clear from Table 6, the first surface of lens 911 (the third surface in Table 6) is tilted by 2.2 degrees, but lenses 912 to 915 are tilted eccentrically with respect to the optical axis of lens 911. In other words, the lenses 911 to 915 are only eccentrically parallel to the optical axis of the lens 911.
The refractive optical system includes a set of cemented lenses 913 that act as a group.

  Table 17 shows the coefficient values of the polynomial free-form surface of the sixteenth surface.

In the fourth embodiment, the optical system configuration (FIG. 10) is the same as that of the third embodiment described above, but the specifications are different.

  The specifications of Example 4 are shown in Table 8.

  Table 9 shows the coefficient values of the polynomial free-form surface of the sixteenth surface.

The fifth embodiment also has different specifications with the same optical system configuration (FIG. 10) as the third embodiment described above.

  Table 10 shows the data of Example 5.

  Table 11 shows the coefficient values of the polynomial free-form surface of the sixteenth surface.

As described above, the first to fifth embodiments include at least one refractive optical system, include a first optical system having a positive power, and at least one reflecting surface having a power. The first optical system is arranged in the order of the first and second optical systems from the side close to the object plane, and the object image is once formed as an intermediate image and then formed as a normal image. Composed of
The other optical element is decentered parallel and / or tilted at one or more positions with respect to the optical axis of the optical element having the refractive power closest to the object side in the first optical system. Item 25) In Examples 3 to 5, each element of the first optical system 91 is tilt-shifted with respect to the optical axis of the optical element 911 having the refractive power closest to the object side in the first optical system 91. It is not cored (Claim 26).

In Examples 3 to 4, the first optical system 91 is composed of two or more groups, and a lens 913 forming one group as a cemented lens among the two or more groups is parallel decentered (invoice) Item 27).

In each of Examples 1 to 5, one or more of the reflecting surfaces included in the second optical system are free-form surfaces (Claim 28), and a regular image is formed among the reflecting surfaces included in the second optical system. Only the reflection surface closest to the position side is a free-form surface (Claim 29). In Examples 1 to 5, the reflection surface having a positive power for reflecting the light beam incident on the second optical system for the first time is rotationally symmetric. In the first, third, and fifth embodiments, the rotationally symmetric reflecting surface is a spherical reflecting surface (claim 31).

In each of the first to fifth embodiments, the first optical system is composed only of a refractive optical system (Claim 32), and the refractive optical system in the first optical system does not include an aspherical shape (Claim). 33).

Therefore, an image projection apparatus in which an object is combined with the projection optical system of the above embodiment constitutes a specific embodiment of the image projection apparatus according to claim 34.

  Reference specific examples given below are specific examples of the projection optical system / image projection apparatus whose embodiments have been described above with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13.

  Table 12 shows the specifications of the reference specific examples.

  Table 13 gives the aspheric coefficients of the seventh and fifteenth surfaces.

  Table 14 gives the values of the coefficients of the polynomial free-form surfaces of the 19th and 21st surfaces.

The MTF performance on the screen by the projection optical system of the reference specific example is 60% or more at a frequency of 0.5 c / mm, and the distortion is 2% or less.
In the reference specific example, the size of the screen for projecting the normal image is 60 inches, and the “maximum width in the direction perpendicular to the screen” of the projection optical system is 472 mm.

As shown in FIG. 14, the screen has ± 1.0Y, ± 0.5Y, 0.0Y, ± 1.0X, ± 0.5X, 0 in the X direction (left and right direction) and Y direction (up and down direction). When a 0.0X grid-like line was set and the MTF value for the evaluation frequency: 0.5 c / mm was examined, it was as shown in Table 15.

FIG. 15 shows the frequency at X = 0.0X: ± 1.0 Y in the range of 0 to 0.5 c / mm.
MTF characteristics in the sagittal direction (s) and the meridional direction (m) at 0.0Y. FIG. 16 shows a frequency at X = 0.5X: ± 1.0 in a range of 0 to 0.5 c / mm.
The MTF characteristics in the sagittal direction (s) and the meridional direction (m) at 0Y and 0.0Y are shown. FIG. 17 shows the frequency at X = 1.0X: ± 1.0Y in the range of 0 to 0.5c / mm, MT in sagittal direction (s) and meridional direction (m) at 0.0Y.
F characteristics are shown. As is clear from these figures, Example 6 has good MTF characteristics.

The projection optical system of the reference specific example has a reflection-refractive-type refractive optical system having two reflecting mirrors arranged in the first and second order from the transmission-type refractive optical system side, and an intermediate image of the projection object surface. The surface is located between the first and second reflecting mirrors, the first reflecting mirror is an axisymmetric reflecting surface with negative power (the 22nd surface), and the second reflecting mirror is in the vertical and horizontal directions. And an anamorphic polynomial free-form surface (23rd surface) with different power (reference technique S3), and as means for correcting the aspect ratio of the intermediate image of the projection object surface, It has an anamorphic polynomial free-form surface (19th surface) whose power differs in the left-right direction (reference technique S4).

Further, the NA (= 0.143) on the projection object plane side in the transmissive refractive optical system is larger than the NA (= 0.01) on the intermediate image plane side (Reference Technique 6), and the magnification of the intermediate image: M1 (= 1.5) is in the range of 1 to 5 (reference technique S8), the projection magnification (= 75 times) is 40 or more (reference technique S9), and the projection angle with respect to the projection plane: θ (= 11 degrees) Is greater than 5 ° (reference technique S10).

It is a figure for demonstrating one Embodiment of a projection optical system and an image projection apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the projection optical system of embodiment shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating invention of Claim 2. It is a figure for demonstrating invention of Claim 2. It is a figure for demonstrating invention of Claim 3. It is a figure for demonstrating one Embodiment of an expansion projection optical system. It is a figure for demonstrating one Embodiment of an image projection apparatus. It is a figure which expands and shows the projection optical system part in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating another form of implementation of an image projection apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the other form of implementation of an image projection apparatus. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state of distortion on a screen in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the other form of implementation of an image projection apparatus. It is a figure which expands and shows the projection optical system part in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the evaluation point of MTF on the screen regarding a reference specific example. It is a figure which shows the MTF characteristic regarding a reference specific example. It is a figure which shows the MTF characteristic regarding a reference specific example. It is a figure which shows the MTF characteristic regarding a reference specific example.

Explanation of symbols

L1 1st lens L2 2nd lens L3 3rd lens 1 Image display panel 2 Screen 3 Transmission optical system 4-8 Reflective surface which comprises reflective optical system 8 Rotationally asymmetrical reflective surface 9 Aperture I9 Aperture image

Claims (34)

In an image projection apparatus that irradiates illumination light from a light source to a light valve that forms an image according to a modulation signal, and projects an image formed on the light valve in an enlarged manner by a projection optical system, the light valve is formed on the light valve. A projection optical system for enlarging and projecting an image,
The first arranged in the first and second order from the light valve side on the projection side of the light valve.
And a second optical system,
The first optical system includes one or more refractive optical systems and has a positive power,
The second optical system includes one or more reflecting surfaces having power, has positive power,
A projection optical system characterized in that an image formed by the light valve is formed as an intermediate image on the optical paths of the first and second optical systems, and the intermediate image is further enlarged and projected. The projection optical system according to claim 1,
On the optical path of the first and second optical systems, an optical element having negative power for bringing the imaging position of the intermediate image closer to the reflecting surface having positive power in the second optical system is provided as the intermediate image. A projection optical system having a light valve side of the projection optical system. In the projection optical system according to claim 2,
A projection optical system, wherein the second optical system has at least a reflecting surface having a positive power and a reflecting surface having a negative power. The projection optical system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A projection optical system, wherein at least one of the reflecting surfaces of the second optical system is a free-form surface. In the projection optical system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A projection optical system, characterized in that a reflecting surface having a positive power that first reflects a light beam after forming an intermediate image is formed as a free-form surface. In the projection optical system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A projection optical system, wherein the first optical system is composed of only a refractive optical system. In any one of claims 1-5,
A projection optical system, wherein the first optical system includes a reflecting surface having a rotationally symmetric axis and a refractive optical system. The projection optical system according to claim 6 or 7,
A projection optical system, wherein the refractive optical system has an aspherical refractive surface. In an image projection apparatus that irradiates illumination light from a light source to a light valve that forms an image in accordance with a modulation signal, and enlarges and projects an image formed on the light valve by a projection optical system.
An image projection apparatus comprising: the projection optical system for enlarging and projecting the image formed on the light valve, according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The light beam from the image display panel is guided to the screen, projected from a direction inclined with respect to the normal line of the screen, and an enlarged image of the image displayed on the image display panel is formed on the screen. A projection optical system,
A reflection optical system and a transmission optical system;
The reflective optical system includes a plurality of reflective surfaces having power, and includes one or more rotationally asymmetric reflective surfaces,
The magnifying projection optical system is characterized in that the transmissive optical system includes a transmissive surface having refractive power and includes at least one aspheric surface. The magnification projection optical system according to claim 10,
An aperture is provided between the first surface from the image display panel side in the transmission optical system and the first surface from the screen side in the reflection optical system. The optical element disposed on the screen side causes the image of the aperture to be negative. An enlarged projection optical system characterized in that an image is formed at a reduction magnification. The light beam from the image display panel is guided to the screen, projected from a direction inclined with respect to the normal line of the screen, and an enlarged image of the image displayed on the image display panel is formed on the screen. A projection optical system,
A transmission optical system comprising a plurality of transmission surfaces;
A reflective optical system comprising a plurality of reflective surfaces;
With an aperture,
An enlarging projection optical system characterized in that, of the reflecting surfaces in the reflecting optical system, the power of the reflecting surface having the power at which the light beam that has passed through the aperture first enters is negative. The magnification projection optical system according to claim 12,
An enlargement projection optical system characterized in that a reflecting surface following a reflecting surface having negative power on which a light beam having passed through a diaphragm first enters has positive power. The enlarged projection optical system according to claim 12 or 13,
The reflective optical system is composed of a plurality of reflective surfaces having power, and includes one or more rotationally asymmetric reflective surfaces,
The transmission optical system is constituted by a transmission surface having a refractive power, and includes at least one aspheric surface. The light beam from the image display panel is guided to the screen, projected from a direction inclined with respect to the normal line of the screen, and an enlarged image of the image displayed on the image display panel is formed on the screen. A projection optical system,
Position and shape of the negative magnification intermediate image of the image display panel that generates a light flux from the image display panel side to the screen and the negative image intermediate image of the screen that generates a light flux from the screen side to the image display panel Is an enlarged projection optical system characterized by substantially matching. The enlarged projection optical system according to claim 15,
A reflective optical system comprising a plurality of reflective surfaces;
A magnifying projection optical system comprising: a transmission optical system comprising a plurality of transmission surfaces. The enlarged projection optical system according to claim 16, wherein
An enlarging projection optical system having a stop, wherein a reflecting surface having a power at which a light beam that has passed through the stop first enters among reflecting surfaces in the reflecting optical system is negative. The enlarged projection optical system according to claim 17,
An enlargement projection optical system characterized in that a reflecting surface following a reflecting surface having negative power on which a light beam having passed through a diaphragm first enters has positive power. The magnification projection optical system according to any one of claims 16 to 18,
The reflective optical system is composed of a plurality of reflective surfaces having power, and includes one or more rotationally asymmetric reflective surfaces,
The transmission optical system is constituted by a transmission surface having a refractive power, and includes at least one aspheric surface. The magnification projection optical system according to any one of claims 10, 11, 14, and 19,
An enlarged projection optical system characterized in that the rotationally asymmetric reflection surface is disposed on the most screen side in the projection optical path. In the magnification projection optical system according to any one of claims 10 to 14, 16 to 19,
An enlarged projection optical system, wherein the transmission optical system includes a rotationally asymmetric transmission surface having refractive power. In the magnification projection optical system according to any one of claims 10 to 14 and 16 to 21,
An enlarged projection optical system, wherein an optical axis of a transmission optical system is set eccentric with respect to an image display panel position in a plane including a light guide optical path. In the expansion projection optical system according to any one of claims 10 to 14 and 16 to 22,
An enlarged projection optical system, wherein the reflection optical system is configured as a unit. An image is displayed on the image display panel, the image display panel is illuminated with light from a light source, a light beam from the illuminated image display panel is guided to the screen by an enlarged projection optical system, and the normal line of the screen is displayed. An enlarged projection device that projects from an inclined direction and projects an enlarged image of the image displayed on the image display panel on the screen,
An enlargement projection apparatus using the enlargement projection optical system according to any one of claims 10 to 23 as an enlargement projection optical system. A first optical system including at least one refractive optical system and having a positive power;
A second optical system including at least one reflecting surface having power and having positive power as a whole,
Arranged in order of the first and second optical systems from the side close to the object plane,
The object image is once formed as an intermediate image and then formed as a normal image,
In the first optical system, other optical elements are decentered parallel and / or tilted at one or more positions with respect to the optical axis of the optical element having the refractive power closest to the object side. Characteristic projection optical system. A first optical system including at least one refractive optical system and having a positive power;
A second optical system including at least one reflecting surface having power and having positive power as a whole,
Arranged in order of the first and second optical systems from the side close to the object plane,
The object image is once formed as an intermediate image and then formed as a normal image,
In the first optical system, each element of the first optical system is not tilt decentered with respect to the optical axis of the optical element having the refractive power closest to the object side in the first optical system. . The projection optical system according to claim 26,
A projection optical system, wherein the first optical system is composed of two or more groups, and at least one of the two or more groups is decentered in parallel. In the projection optical system according to any one of claims 25 to 27,
A projection optical system, wherein one or more of the reflecting surfaces included in the second optical system is a free-form surface. The projection optical system according to claim 28, wherein
A projection optical system characterized in that, of the reflection surfaces included in the second optical system, only the reflection surface closest to the imaging position side of the normal image is a free-form surface. The projection optical system according to any one of claims 25 to 29,
A projection optical system characterized in that a reflection surface having a positive power on which a light beam incident on the second optical system is reflected for the first time is a rotationally symmetric surface. The projection optical system according to claim 30,
A projection optical system characterized in that the rotationally symmetric reflecting surface is a spherical reflecting surface. The projection optical system according to any one of claims 25 to 31,
A projection optical system, wherein the first optical system comprises only a refractive optical system. The projection optical system according to claim 32,
A projection optical system, wherein the refractive optical system in the first optical system does not include an aspherical shape. An image projection apparatus that guides a light beam from an image display panel to a screen by a projection optical system, and forms a normal image of an image displayed on the image display panel on the screen,
An image projection apparatus comprising the projection optical system according to any one of claims 25 to 33 as the projection optical system.

Images