JP5937962B2 - Projection optical system and image projection apparatus - Google Patents

Description

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

  In recent years, a display device (hereinafter referred to as a light valve) using a transmission type, reflection type dot matrix liquid crystal, DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device) or the like is used to enlarge and project an image displayed on the light valve onto a screen. Attention has been focused on an enlarged projection method that shows a large screen.

  However, in order to increase the area of the light valve itself when projecting a large screen, it is not easy to obtain a large-sized liquid crystal display device free from defects in manufacturing, and even if it is obtained, it becomes extremely expensive.

  For this reason, if an image displayed on a transmissive (or reflective) liquid crystal or DMD light valve is enlarged and projected, a powerful large screen can be obtained without being restricted by the size of the screen. Therefore, image enlargement projection devices (projectors) are used more widely in offices, schools, and homes.

  However, assuming a situation where the projector is actually used, the installation location of the projector becomes a problem.

  For example, in the case of a front type projector that projects an image forward in an office, when using it in a relatively small meeting room with a small number of people, the projection screen size, projection distance, connection with a PC, a desk that is easy to discuss Due to the layout and other factors, there were not a few restrictions on the installation location of the projector, and there were problems with poor usability. In addition, especially when projecting presentation materials on a projector and explaining it, the presenter may be forced to stand between the projector and the screen, but the shadow of the presenter is reflected on the screen at that time. As a result, there is a problem that a part of the projection screen cannot be seen by the listener.

  Recently, various devices have been devised to reduce the projection distance on a large screen. For example, in order to obtain a screen size of 50 to 60 inches diagonally, the conventional technology requires at least about 1 m with the front type. A projection distance is necessary, and at this distance, the shadow of the presenter often appears on the screen and becomes a problem.

  In addition, rear-type display devices and rear projectors have been provided in which a projector is housed in a cabinet and rear-projected onto a screen provided in front of the cabinet so that an enlarged image can be viewed from the front of the cabinet. However, there is a limit to the miniaturization of the device itself even if it is bent several times with a plane mirror etc. in the housing, in order to achieve space saving in the depth direction. There is an increasing demand to reduce the projection distance.

Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-40326 ( Patent Document 1 ) discloses a conventional technique related to a reflective imaging optical system, which can suppress the enlargement of the imaging optical system and can increase the angle of view. In order to provide an imaging optical system of a mold, as an example thereof, there is provided a reflective imaging optical system including first to fourth four reflecting mirrors, the first reflecting mirror: a concave curved surface Second to fourth reflecting mirrors: A reflecting optical system having a convex shape is employed. In addition, the reflecting surface of at least one of the reflecting mirrors is formed into a free-form surface to ensure a desired projection performance.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-174853 ( Patent Document 2 ) discloses a conventional technique related to a rear projection display, and the projection distance to the screen is shortened to limit to the rear projection display. As a method of reducing the depth of the projection, a pair of concave mirrors and a convex mirror having a diverging action are arranged on the optical path from the display optical unit to the rear reflection mirror in the order of the concave mirror and convex mirror from the display optical unit side. There is a conventional technique for shortening the distance.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-91641 ( Patent Document 3 ) discloses a conventional technique related to a video projector, and in a television receiver, the first mirror is formed in a convex shape to reduce the thickness. A rear projection video projector is described.

  As described above, as a common problem of the prior art, a wide angle is realized while maintaining imaging performance by using aspherical surfaces such as free-form surfaces. In addition to surface shape accuracy, it was necessary to tighten the accuracy of the spacing between each surface. In the type constituted by the reflecting mirror of Patent Document 1, the degree of influence due to the accuracy error of the reflecting surface increases. There has been a problem that it becomes more severe than the tolerance setting in these conventional projection optical systems.

  In addition, when constructed with only a reflecting mirror, there is a characteristic that chromatic aberration does not occur in principle, but conversely, in an image forming system in which a plurality of colors are synthesized to form a color image, color synthesis such as a cross prism or a Philips prism is performed. It is necessary to interpose a brism or the like, and chromatic aberration is generated. However, if the projection optical system is constituted by only the reflection mirror, there is a demerit that chromatic aberration correction cannot be performed.

Therefore, in the projection optical system, the projection type image display apparatus, and the image display system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-61959 ( Patent Document 4 ) , a projection optical system using a lens system and a reflecting surface having a plurality of powers. Therefore, it is possible to correct the chromatic aberration generated by the color synthesis prism or the like by the lens system. However, according to the embodiment, since 3 to 5 aspherical mirrors are used, the cost is high. As in the known example, it is necessary to set the surface accuracy and position accuracy of the reflecting surface to be extremely high, and there is a problem that the assembly accuracy of the optical system becomes severe. In addition, since the light beam emitted from the image forming element is not telecentric, the brightness on the image surface becomes non-uniform, or the angle characteristics of the film of the color synthesizing prism are larger than the divergence angle of the light emitted from the light valve. Since it must be taken widely, the separation characteristics deteriorate.

Moreover, in the projection optical system, the enlarged projection optical system, the enlarged projection apparatus, and the image projection apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-258620 ( Patent Document 5 ) , a lens system and a reflective surface having a plurality of powers are used. Although it is a projection optical system, since it is enlarged by using one rotationally asymmetric reflecting surface, the cost is reduced compared to the technique disclosed in Patent Document 4, and the assembly accuracy is loosened as a whole. However, in Examples 1 to 5, since the lens system is decentered parallel and tilted decentered with respect to the optical axis, it is very difficult to perform the alignment. Further, in Example 6, a lens system having no eccentricity is adopted, but due to the lens configuration, the diameter of the lens closest to the screen side is large, which increases the cost. . That is, since the lens system has a positive / negative / negative configuration, the diameter of the final lens becomes large, which increases costs.

One object of the present invention is to provide a projection optical system capable of forming a third image having better resolution performance .

One aspect of the present invention has a first optical system for forming a second image conjugate with the first image, and a positive power for reflecting light from the second image. A projection optical system comprising a second optical system for forming a third image conjugate with the second image, including a reflective optical element, wherein the first optical system displays the second image A lens group having a positive power, a diaphragm, and a single lens having a positive power in order from the first image side so as to be inclined and curved with respect to a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the first optical system. A lens group having a negative power and a space giving the largest lens interval on the second image side than the stop, and the lens group having a negative power is the most lens surface of the third image side is aspheric, the first light In the system, the upper non-spherical surface, characterized that you have the most separated light beams of the respective angle, a projection optical system.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a projection optical system capable of forming a third image having better resolution performance .

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating Example 1 of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the first optical system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the first optical system and the second optical system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a view of the system from above in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a situation of distortion of the enlarged image on the final conjugate plane B. FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the resolution performance of the magnified image on the final conjugate plane B. FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the first optical system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a situation of distortion of the magnified image on the final conjugate plane B. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the resolution performance of the magnified image on the final conjugate plane B. FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a projection apparatus to which the projection optical system is applied. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a projection apparatus to which the projection optical system is applied. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a third embodiment. FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of the first optical system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a situation of distortion of the magnified image on the final conjugate plane B. FIG. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the resolution performance of the magnified image on the final conjugate plane B. FIG.

(Projection optical system and image projection apparatus)
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a projection optical system and an image projection apparatus.

The first object of the embodiment of the present invention is to provide a smaller projection optical system.

A second object of the embodiment of the present invention is to provide an image projection apparatus including a smaller projection optical system.

A first aspect of an embodiment of the present invention includes a first optical system that forms a second image conjugate with the first image, and a reflective optical element that reflects light from the second image. And a second optical system that projects a third image conjugate with the second image onto a projection surface, wherein the first optical system includes a diaphragm, and the diaphragm and the first optical system. At least one optical element having a positive refractive power and at least one optical element having a negative refractive power provided between the two images, and having at least one optical element having the positive refractive power The optical element having the strongest positive refractive power in the element is provided between the diaphragm and the optical element having the strongest negative refractive power in the at least one optical element having the negative refractive power. Is a projection optical system characterized by

In a second aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of light beams emitted from an image forming element that displays image information on the conjugate plane A are incident on the conjugate plane B obliquely and the image is incident on the conjugate plane B. In a projection optical system capable of forming an enlarged image of an image formed by a forming element, the projection optical system includes at least a first optical system and a second optical system, and the plurality of light beams between the first optical system and the second optical system Has an intermediate image of the image forming element substantially converged, and the optical system having the refractive power of the first optical system is configured only by the lens system that transmits the light beam, and only by the refractive power of the first optical system. The intermediate optical image is formed, and the second optical system is a reflective optical system including a reflective mirror having a positive refractive power that reflects the light beam immediately after the intermediate image, and the first optical system includes a conjugate plane A. It consists of a lens group with positive, positive and negative refractive power in order from the side. That is a projection optical system.

According to a third aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of light beams emitted from an image forming element that displays image information on the conjugate plane A are incident on the conjugate plane B obliquely and the image is incident on the conjugate plane B. In a projection optical system capable of forming an enlarged image of an image formed by a forming element, the projection optical system includes at least a first optical system and a second optical system, and the plurality of light beams between the first optical system and the second optical system Has an intermediate image of the image forming element that is substantially converged, and the optical system having the refractive power of the first optical system is a negative lens that is rotationally symmetric with respect to the optical axis of the lens system that transmits the light beam and the first optical system. The intermediate mirror is formed only by the refractive power of the first optical system, and the second optical system has a positive refractive power that reflects the light beam immediately after the intermediate image. A reflection optical system including a reflection mirror, which transmits the light flux of the first optical system Is a projection optical system, characterized in that it is composed of a lens group having a turn positive, positive and negative refractive power from the conjugate plane A side.

A fourth aspect of the embodiment of the present invention is an image projection apparatus including the projection optical system according to any one of the first, second, and third aspects of the embodiment of the present invention. .

According to the first, second, or third aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, a smaller projection optical system can be provided.

According to the fourth aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an image projection apparatus including a smaller projection optical system.

Next, an embodiment (embodiment) of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In the first embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of light beams emitted from an image forming element that displays image information on a conjugate plane A are incident on the conjugate plane B obliquely, and the image forming element is incident on the conjugate plane B. In the projection optical system capable of forming an enlarged image of the image formed by the above, the projection optical system has at least a first optical system and a second optical system, and the plurality of light beams are substantially between the first optical system and the second optical system. An optical system having an intermediate image of a converged image forming element and having a refractive power of the first optical system is configured only by a lens system that transmits the light beam, and the intermediate optical system is formed only by the refractive power of the first optical system. An image is formed, and the second optical system is a reflecting optical system including a reflecting mirror having a positive refractive power that reflects the light beam immediately after the intermediate image, and the first optical system is arranged from the conjugate plane A side. Throw characterized by comprising a lens group having positive, positive, and negative refractive power in order. An optical system.

  According to the first embodiment of the present invention, when the lens group of the first optical system is positive, positive, and negative in order from the image forming element side, the lens diameter of the third group, particularly the size of the final lens diameter is set. Since the size can be reduced, the manufacturing error is small, the resolution performance can be improved, and the cost is reduced.

  In the second embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of light beams emitted from an image forming element that displays image information on the conjugate plane A are incident on the conjugate plane B obliquely, and the image forming element is incident on the conjugate plane B. In the projection optical system capable of forming an enlarged image of the image formed by the above, the projection optical system has at least a first optical system and a second optical system, and the plurality of light beams are substantially between the first optical system and the second optical system. An optical system having a converged intermediate image of the image forming element and having the refractive power of the first optical system has a negative refractive power that is rotationally symmetric with respect to the optical axis of the lens system that transmits the light beam and the first optical system. A reflecting mirror having a positive refractive power that forms the intermediate image only with the refractive power of the first optical system, and the second optical system reflects the light beam immediately after the intermediate image. And a lens system that transmits the light flux of the first optical system, A projection optical system, characterized in that it is composed of a lens group in sequence with positive-positive-negative refractive power from role surface A side.

  According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the lens group of the first optical system is positive, positive, and negative in order from the image forming element side. Since the size can be reduced, the manufacturing error is small, the resolution performance can be improved, and the cost is reduced.

  According to a third embodiment of the present invention, in the projection optical system according to the first or second embodiment of the present invention, the mirror having the positive refractive power of the second optical system is the light of the first optical system. The projection optical system has a curved surface shape such that the curvature becomes gentler from a point intersecting the axis toward the periphery.

  According to the third embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to correct the distortion of the magnified image on the screen and improve the resolution performance.

  According to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in the projection optical system according to the first, second, or third embodiment of the present invention, the mirror having the positive refractive power of the second optical system is an image. The projection optical system has an anamorphic polynomial free-form surface shape in which the power differs between the short axis direction and the long axis direction of the forming element.

  According to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, since the degree of freedom in design increases, the aberration correction capability can be further increased, and the resolution performance can be improved.

  According to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, in the projection optical system according to the first, second, or third embodiment of the present invention, the mirror having the positive refractive power of the second optical system is rotated. A projection optical system characterized by a symmetrical aspherical shape.

  According to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, since it has a rotationally symmetric shape with respect to a certain axis, it is easy to process a mirror having a positive refractive power, the shape error can be reduced, and the processing time can also be shortened. Go down.

  According to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, in the projection optical system according to the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth embodiment of the present invention, the lens of the first optical system is: At least one of the surfaces has an aspherical shape, which is a projection optical system.

  According to the sixth embodiment of the present invention, the resolution performance of the magnified image is improved by adopting an aspherical surface for the first optical system.

  According to a seventh embodiment of the present invention, in the projection optical system according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention, the aspherical surface of the first optical system is located in the third group. It is a system.

  According to the seventh embodiment of the present invention, since the third group of the first optical system is the group in which the angle of view of the light beam is the farthest among all the groups, by adopting an aspherical surface there, each field angle is obtained. Therefore, the resolution performance of the magnified image is further improved.

  According to an eighth embodiment of the present invention, in the projection optical system according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention, the third aspherical surface of the first optical system has at least one lens having a positive refractive power. The projection optical system is characterized by being positioned above.

  According to the eighth embodiment of the present invention, since the lens having positive power in the third group is the lens in which the angle of view of the light beam is the farthest in the third group, the light flux at each angle of view is independent. Therefore, the resolution performance of the magnified image is further improved.

  The ninth embodiment of the present invention is a projection that is the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth embodiment of the present invention. In the optical system, the intermediate image is inclined and curved with respect to a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the first optical system.

  According to the ninth embodiment of the present invention, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the curvature of the mirror having positive power of the second optical system is loosened from the optical axis toward the periphery. The curvature of field at the conjugate plane B is corrected.

  The tenth embodiment of the present invention provides a first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth or ninth implementation of the present invention. In the projection optical system according to the embodiment, the projection optical system is substantially telecentric from the image forming element to the first surface of the transmission refractive optical system.

  According to the tenth embodiment of the present invention, since the light beam emitted from the image forming element is taken into the first optical system at almost the same angle of view, the brightness of the enlarged image on the screen can be made substantially uniform. Further, when a film having an incident angle characteristic is disposed between the image forming element and the first optical system, it is only necessary to take into account the incident angle, so that the incident angle can be narrowed and the cost can be reduced. .

  The eleventh embodiment of the present invention provides a first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, Alternatively, in the projection optical system according to the tenth embodiment, a reflection mirror is arranged between the lenses of the first optical system.

  According to the eleventh embodiment of the present invention, by arranging the folding mirror in the lens of the first optical system, the optical path from the image forming element to the folding mirror is folded back into a space having a space. Therefore, the space occupation ratio of the optical system is reduced.

  A twelfth embodiment of the present invention is an image projection apparatus including the projection optical system according to any one of the first to eleventh embodiments of the present invention.

According to the twelfth embodiment of the present invention, since the projection apparatus adopting the projection optical system that does not increase the lens size even when the magnification ratio is high and the resolution performance is high, a desired magnification ratio is obtained, and It is possible to realize a projection apparatus capable of projecting at close range and suppressing costs. Further, by adopting the projection optical system according to the embodiment of the present invention for the rear projection, it is possible to realize an apparatus that can be reduced in cost and can be made thinner.

  A thirteenth embodiment of the present invention includes a first optical system that forms a second image conjugate with the first image, and a reflective optical element that reflects light from the second image. In the projection optical system including a second optical system that projects a third image conjugate with the second image onto a projection surface, the first optical system includes an aperture, and the aperture and the second At least one optical element having a positive refractive power and at least one optical element having a negative refractive power provided between the image and the image, and at least one optical element having the positive refractive power An optical element having the strongest positive refractive power is provided between the diaphragm and the optical element having the strongest negative refractive power in at least one optical element having the negative refractive power. The projection optical system is characterized.

  According to the thirteenth embodiment of the present invention, a smaller projection optical system can be provided.

  The fourteenth embodiment of the present invention is an image projection apparatus including the projection optical system according to the thirteenth embodiment of the present invention.

  According to the fourteenth embodiment of the present invention, an image projection apparatus including a smaller projection optical system can be provided.

FIG. 1 shows Example 1 of the embodiment of the present invention.

In the coordinate system in the explanatory diagram of the embodiment of the present invention , the major axis direction of the screen on the conjugate plane B is X, the minor axis direction is Y, and the normal direction of the screen is Z.

A projection optical system for projecting an image formed by the image forming element 011 on the conjugate plane A onto the screen 016 on the conjugate plane B, which is a coaxial first optical system including at least one refractive optical system. The system 013 includes a second optical system 015 including at least one reflecting surface having a positive power. The first optical system and the second optical system are arranged from the image forming element, and the first optical system and the second optical system are arranged. During the system, an image formed by the image forming element is temporarily formed as an intermediate image and enlarged and projected as a whole. In FIG. 1, the folding mirror 014 is arranged between the first optical system and the second optical system, the optical path is bent, and the space occupancy of the optical system is reduced. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not necessary. Holds.

  FIG. 4 is a view of the system viewed from above in FIG. 1, that is, in the XZ plane. The optical path folding direction of the folding mirror 043 is changed, and the folding mirror 045 parallel to the screen is arranged in the second optical system. . In FIG. 1, the optical path of the folding mirror 014 is bent in the Y direction below the first optical system 013. However, the optical system is such that the first optical system 042 is bent in the X direction as shown in FIG. Naturally, it is possible to reduce the space occupancy ratio. Further, in the second optical system, a folding mirror 045 parallel to the screen 046 may be arranged after the reflecting mirror 044 having a positive power, and this optical system is installed in one casing 047 as shown in FIG. In this case, the depth direction of the housing can be reduced.

  In the figure, only one image forming element is shown for the sake of simplicity. However, as shown in FIG. 12, a plurality of elements such as red, green, and blue are used, and light flux modulated by each element is used as a known dichroic prism or the like. Needless to say, a color image can be projected onto the screen by making the first optical system incident after color synthesis by the color synthesis means.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, if the light flux from the image forming element 1107 to the first surface of the first optical system is substantially telecentric (tenth embodiment of the present invention), an enlarged image of the image forming element on the screen 1111. The angle characteristics of the dichroic film of the color synthesizing means 1109 used in the case of color image projection using a plurality of elements as described above are considered only in terms of the divergence angle of the light emitted from the image forming elements. Narrow and easy to make the film itself. Further, in the case of an image forming apparatus using the polarization separation means 1108, the polarization separation film is also preferable because the angle characteristics can be narrowed. Of course, the embodiment of the present invention can be applied to an optical system that is not telecentric.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the first optical system according to the first embodiment.

  When the first optical system is divided before and after the stop 022 and before and after the most spaced apart lens group on the conjugate plane B side of the stop, the first optical system is divided into three lens groups. Are arranged in positive, positive, and negative power in order from the conjugate plane A side. The light beam emitted from the image forming element 021 is refracted by the first group 023 having a positive power, but the maximum angle of view of the principal ray of the light beam emitted from the stop after the first optical system is positive in the first group. And the amount of parallel decentering of the image forming element with respect to the optical axis of the first optical system. The larger the maximum angle of view, the larger the beam height with respect to the optical axis of the light beam, and the subsequent lens diameter becomes larger. However, the second group 024 arranged after the stop has positive power. This suppresses the spread of the angle of view, thereby preventing the lens diameter of the third group 025 from increasing. In particular, since the third lens group has a negative power that widens the angle of view, the size of the lens diameter of the final lens can be suppressed (first embodiment of the present invention).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the use of an aspheric lens in the first optical system increases the degree of design freedom and improves the imaging performance on the screen (sixth embodiment of the present invention). Further, the third group is a group in which the luminous fluxes at the respective angles of view are most separated, so that aberration can be independently corrected for each angle of view by using an aspheric shape at the position (seventh embodiment of the present invention). Among them, as shown in FIG. 2, the positive lens after the negative lens has the most effective aspherical aberration correction capability because the luminous flux of each angle of view is most separated (the eighth aspect of the present invention). Embodiment).

  FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the first optical system and the second optical system according to the first embodiment.

  The light beam emitted from the first optical system 033 is bent in the optical path by the folding mirror 034, enters the second optical system 035, and is enlarged and projected by the reflecting mirror having the positive power of the third optical system. Between the first optical system and the second optical system, the light beam is substantially converged to form an intermediate image 036 of the image forming element.

  In general, the distortion of the image of the image forming element 031 that is enlarged and projected onto the conjugate plane B by the positive power of the second optical system increases in proportion to the cube of the incident angle of view. That is, when light rays emitted from object points arranged at equal intervals on the image forming element form an image on the conjugate plane B by the projection optical system, the resulting image is not equal intervals, but is closer to the image point away from the optical axis. The amount of deviation increases. In the present optical system, when the curved surface of the third optical system is a spherical surface, the projected image has a large field angle, that is, the distance between the image points increases as the distance from the optical axis increases. In order to correct the distortion in the magnification projection system as described above, the reflection mirror having the positive power of the second optical system has a curved surface shape so that the positive power becomes looser as the distance from the optical axis 037 increases. (Third embodiment of the present invention). Further, if the reflecting mirror having the positive power of the second optical system is an anamorphic polynomial free-form surface, the degree of freedom in design increases, so that the aberration correction performance including the distortion aberration is improved (the fourth aspect of the present invention). Embodiment). In this description, a concave reflecting surface is used. However, this is not limited as long as it is a Fresnel reflecting mirror, a hologram reflecting mirror, or a reflecting optical element having a condensing power.

In the above description, “anamorphic polynomial free-form surface” refers to the Y direction in the vertical direction, the X direction in the left-right direction, and the Z direction in the vertical direction with respect to the projection image, “X2, Y2, X2Y, Y3, X2Y2, etc.” Z as coefficient ^{= 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 ^{· x6 + X4Y2 · x 4 y} 2 + X2Y4 · x 2 y 4 + Y6 · y 6 + ·· (1)
It is a shape represented by.

  Furthermore, the positive power becomes looser as the distance from the optical axis increases. The focal distance increases as the distance from the optical axis increases. The conjugate of the second optical system to the enlarged image formed by the reflecting mirror having the positive power. Since the focal length of the intermediate image increases as the distance from the optical axis increases, the optical path length with the reflecting mirror having the positive power of the second optical system is inclined and curved in a direction in which the light beam extends away from the optical axis (in the present invention). Ninth embodiment).

In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the first optical system uses a total of 12 lenses, including seven first group 023, one second group 024, and four third group 025. This embodiment does not depend on the number of lenses, and the first optical system uses only lenses, but it is natural that the space occupancy of the optical system can be reduced by arranging a reflecting mirror between the lenses and bending the optical path. It is. (Eleventh embodiment of the present invention)
The specifications of Example 1 are shown in Table 1.

  In Table 1, the shift is the shift eccentricity, and the tilt is the tilt eccentricity. The unit of the radius of curvature, the surface interval and the shift eccentricity is “mm”, and the unit of the tilt eccentricity is “degree”. As for the signs of shift and tilt, the positive shift in the Y-axis direction has a plus sign, and the left rotation tilt around the X-axis has a plus sign. The same applies to the following embodiments.

  [Table 1]

The aspheric surfaces used for surfaces 14, 22, and 23 are rotationally symmetric aspheric surfaces, but may be asymmetric aspheric surfaces.

As is well known, the rotationally symmetric aspherical surface has a depth Z in the optical axis direction, c a radius of paraxial curvature, r a distance in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis from the optical axis, k a conic coefficient, A, B, C,.・ If etc. are high-order aspherical coefficients,
Z = c · r ² / [1 + √ {1- (1 + k) c ² r ² }] + Ar ⁴ + Br ⁶ + Cr ⁸ ...
The shape is specified by giving values of k, A, B, C. The same applies to other embodiments below.

  Table 2 gives the aspheric coefficients of Example 1.

  [Table 2]

Table 3 gives the coefficients of the polynomial free-form surface of Example 1. The coefficient of the polynomial free-form surface corresponds to the above-described equation (1).

  [Table 3]

FIG. 5 shows the final distortion state of the magnified image on the conjugate plane B, and FIG. 6 shows the resolution performance.

  In both cases, a panel having a diagonal size of 0.7 inches and an aspect ratio of 3: 4 is assumed as an image forming element. The enlargement ratio is about 85.7 times. As shown in FIG. 5, grid images can be formed at substantially equal intervals, and it can be seen that the distortion is corrected well. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, it can be seen that the MTF value for the evaluation frequency of 0.5 c / mm is 79% or more and the resolution performance is very high. The F number of the light emitted from the image forming element is F2.8, and the thickness in the depth direction is 600 mm. The lens having the maximum diameter of the first optical system is the lens closest to the screen, and its diameter is 80 mm.

  Next, Example 2 for the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 7 shows an enlarged view of the first optical system of Example 2 and FIG.

  As in the first embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a projection optical system for projecting an image formed by the image forming element 071 on the conjugate plane A onto the screen 076 on the conjugate plane B. The projection optical system includes at least one refractive optical system. A first optical system 072 of a coaxial system including two and a second optical system 074 including at least one reflecting surface having a positive power, and the first optical system and the second optical system are arranged from the image forming element. An optical system that temporarily forms an intermediate image of an image formed by the image forming element between the first optical system and the second optical system, and projects the enlarged image as a whole. The first optical system and the second optical system By arranging a reflection mirror 073 having a negative refractive power that is rotationally symmetric between the systems, the negative refractive power of the third group of the first optical system can be reduced, and it can also serve as a folding mirror, so that space is occupied. The rate can be reduced. In FIG. 7, the first optical system 072 is bent in the height direction of the conjugate plane B, that is, the Y direction in FIG. 7, but the first optical system is bent in the depth direction of the figure, that is, in the X direction. Naturally, the space occupancy of the optical system can be made smaller.

  Table 4 shows the specifications of Example 2.

  [Table 4]

Table 5 gives the aspheric coefficients of Example 2.

  [Table 5]

Table 6 gives the coefficients of the polynomial free-form surface of Example 2. The coefficient of the polynomial free-form surface corresponds to the above-described equation (1).

  [Table 6]

FIG. 9 shows the final distortion state of the magnified image on the conjugate plane B, and FIG. 10 shows the resolution performance.

In both cases, a panel having a diagonal size of 0.7 inches and an aspect ratio of 3: 4 is assumed as an image forming element. The enlargement ratio is about 85.7 times. As shown in FIG. 8, grid images can be formed at substantially equal intervals, and it can be seen that the distortion is corrected well. In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, the MTF value for the evaluation frequency of 0.5 c / mm is 75% or more, which is good resolution performance, but is lower than that of the first embodiment. This is presumably because Example 2 has a configuration in which one lens (aspherical lens) is removed from Example 1 as described above, and thus the degree of freedom in design is reduced. The F number of the light emitted from the image forming element is F2.8, and the thickness in the depth direction is 300 mm. The lens having the maximum diameter of the first optical system is the lens closest to the screen, and its diameter is 80 mm.

  Next, Example 3 for the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 13 shows an enlarged view of the first optical system of Example 3 and FIG.

  As in the first embodiment of the present invention, a projection optical system for projecting an image formed by the image forming element on the conjugate plane A onto the screen on the conjugate plane B, including at least one refractive optical system. The first optical system is a coaxial optical system, and the second optical system includes at least one reflecting surface having a positive power. The first optical system and the second optical system are arranged from the image forming element. This is an optical system that temporarily forms an intermediate image of an image formed by the image forming element between the optical system and the second optical system, and projects the enlarged image as a whole. Here, the reflecting surface having the positive power of the second optical system has a rotationally symmetric aspherical shape.

  Further, the optical path is bent by the folding mirror, and in FIG. 13, the first optical system is bent in the height direction of the conjugate plane B, that is, the Y direction in FIG. Naturally, the space occupancy rate of the optical system can be made smaller, for example, by making it bend in the X direction.

  The specifications of Example 3 are shown in Table 7.

  [Table 7]

Table 8 gives the coefficients of the aspheric surface of Example 3.

  [Table 8]

Here, the first group is composed of eight lenses represented by surface numbers 9 to 24, the focal length of the lens system of the first group is about +55.3 mm, and the lens system of the first group is , Having a positive power of about +0.0181 mm ⁻¹ . The second group is composed of one lens represented by surface numbers 25 and 26, the focal length of the second group lens system is about +116 mm, and the second group lens system is about +0. Has a positive power of .00865 mm ⁻¹ . Similarly, the third group is composed of four lenses represented by surface numbers 27 to 34, and the focal length of the lens system of the third group is about −77.1 mm. Has a negative power of about −0.0130 mm ⁻¹ .

  FIG. 15 shows the final distortion state of the magnified image on the conjugate plane B, and FIG. 16 shows the resolution performance.

  In both cases, a panel having a diagonal size of 0.6 inches and an aspect ratio of 9:16 is assumed as an image forming element. The magnification is about 100 times (ie, an image plane with a diagonal of 60 inches and an aspect ratio of 9:16 is obtained). As can be seen from FIG. 15, the grid images can be formed at substantially equal intervals, and the distortion is corrected well (so-called TV distortion is about 0.5%). Further, as shown in FIG. 16, the MTF value for the evaluation frequency of 0.72 c / mm is 75% or more, and the resolution performance is good. The F number of the light emitted from the image forming element is F2.45, and the thickness in the depth direction is 540 mm.

It can also be employed to image projection apparatus to the projection system a projection optical system of an embodiment of the present invention (the twelfth embodiment of the present invention).

  As shown in FIG. 11, when this projection optical system is applied to a projection apparatus, an illumination light source for an image forming element is used. As the illumination light source, a halogen lamp, a xenon lamp, a metal halide lamp, an ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp, an LED, or the like is used. Usually, an illumination optical system is mounted so that high illumination efficiency can be obtained. Illustrative examples of the illumination optical system include a reflector 1102 (integrated with the light source) disposed in the vicinity of the light source 1101, and a directional light beam reflected by the reflector and having a directivity, which is called an integrator optical system. An optical system in which the illumination distribution can be uniformly obtained on the surface of the image forming element by means 1105 may be mounted, or the illumination light is colored using the color wheel 1106, and the image forming element 1107 is synchronized therewith. A color image may be projected by controlling the image. When a reflection type liquid crystal image forming element is used, more efficient illumination can be achieved by using a polarization separation means 1108 of an illumination optical path combined with PBS and a projection optical path. When a DMD panel is mounted, optical path separation using a total reflection prism is employed. Thus, an appropriate optical system may be employed according to the type of light valve.

  As described above, a plurality of image forming elements such as red, green, and blue are used to illuminate illumination light that has passed through the color filters, and the light synthesized by the color synthesizing unit is incident on the projection optical system. Needless to say, a color image can be projected on the screen.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 12, the distance from the image forming element 1207 to the first optical system first surface of the projection optical system 1210 is the color composition means for colorizing the illumination light path and the polarization separation means 1208 of the projection light path. According to 1209, a long distance must be taken, but since the first and second embodiments have an air equivalent length of 68.7 mm, a color image can be projected by the color means.

  Although the embodiments and examples of the present invention have been specifically described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and examples, and these embodiments and examples of the present invention are not limited thereto. Can be changed or modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[Appendix]
Appendix (1): a first optical system that forms a second image conjugate with the first image, and a reflective optical element that reflects light from the second image, and the second image In the projection optical system including a second optical system that projects a conjugate third image onto the projection surface, the first optical system includes a diaphragm, and the diaphragm and the second image. A strongest positive refraction in at least one optical element with positive refractive power, including at least one optical element with positive refractive power and at least one optical element with negative refractive power An optical element having a force is provided between the stop and the optical element having the strongest negative refractive power in at least one optical element having the negative refractive power. .

  The optical element having the strongest positive refractive power in the at least one optical element having the positive refractive power is the strongest negative in the at least one optical element having the negative refractive power. For example, in the first embodiment of the present invention, “the first optical system has positive / positive / negative refraction in order from the conjugate plane A side”. The lens system that transmits the light beam of the first optical system in the second embodiment of the present invention is positive, positive, negative in order from the conjugate plane A side. It is comprised of a lens group having a refractive power of "."

  Supplementary Note (2): The reflective optical element includes a mirror having a positive refractive power, and the first optical system is a coaxial optical system having an optical axis. ) Projection optical system.

  Supplementary Note (3): The supplemental note (2) is characterized in that the at least one optical element having a positive refractive power and the at least one optical element having a negative refractive power are composed of only a lens. The projection optical system described.

  Additional remark (4): The projection optical system according to additional remark (2), wherein the at least one optical element having negative refractive power includes a rotationally symmetric mirror around the optical axis.

  Supplementary Note (5): The mirror surface of the mirror having positive refractive power is a surface having a curvature that decreases from the intersection of the mirror surface and the optical axis toward the periphery of the mirror surface. The projection optical system according to (2), (3) or (4).

  Appendix (6): The mirror surface of the mirror having the positive refractive power has a first refractive power in the first direction and the first refractive power in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The projection optical system according to any one of appendices (2) to (5), which is an anamorphic polynomial free-form surface having different second refractive powers.

  Supplementary Note (7): The projection optical system according to any one of Supplementary Notes (2) to (5), wherein a mirror surface of the mirror having positive refractive power is a rotationally symmetric aspherical surface.

  Supplementary Note (8): The projection optical system according to any one of Supplementary Notes (1) to (7), wherein the first optical system includes an optical element having an aspherical surface.

  Appendix (9): The optical element having the aspherical surface is provided between the second image and the optical element having the strongest positive refractive power in the at least one optical element having the positive refractive power. The projection optical system according to appendix (8), characterized in that:

  Additional remark (10): The projection optical system according to additional remark (8) or (9), wherein the optical element having an aspheric surface includes a lens having a positive refractive power.

  Additional remark (11): The projection optical system according to any one of additional remarks (2) to (10), wherein the second image is an image inclined and curved with respect to the optical axis.

  Supplementary Note (12): The projection optical system according to any one of Supplementary Notes (1) to (11), wherein the first optical system is an optical system that is substantially telecentric with respect to the first image. .

  Appendix (13): The first optical system includes a first lens, a second lens, and a mirror provided between the first lens and the second lens. (1) The projection optical system according to any one of (12).

  Supplementary Note (14): An image projection apparatus that projects an image onto a projection surface, and includes the projection optical system according to any one of Supplementary Notes (1) to (13).

The embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a projection optical system of an image projection apparatus such as a projection apparatus. The embodiment of the present invention can be applied particularly to a projection optical system in a front projector and a projection optical system that achieves a reduction in thickness in a rear projection.

Configuration (1):
A first optical system for forming a second image conjugate with the first image; and
A second optical system that includes a reflective optical element that reflects light from the second image and projects a third image conjugate with the second image onto a projection surface
In a projection optical system including
The first optical system includes an aperture, and at least one optical element having a positive refractive power and at least one optical power having a negative refractive power provided between the aperture and the second image. Including optical elements,
The optical element having the strongest positive refractive power in the at least one optical element having the positive refractive power is the strongest negative refractive power in the diaphragm and the at least one optical element having the negative refractive power. A projection optical system provided between the optical element and the optical element.

Configuration (2):
A plurality of light beams emitted from an image forming element that displays image information on the conjugate plane A are incident on the conjugate plane B obliquely to form an enlarged image of the image formed by the image forming element on the conjugate plane B. In possible projection optics,
Having at least a first optical system and a second optical system;
An intermediate image of the image forming element in which the plurality of light beams are substantially converged between the first optical system and the second optical system;
The optical system having the refractive power of the first optical system is composed only of a lens system that transmits the light beam,
Forming the intermediate image only with the refractive power of the first optical system;
The second optical system is a reflection optical system including a reflection mirror having a positive refractive power that reflects the light beam immediately after the intermediate image,
The first optical system includes a lens group having positive, positive, and negative refractive powers in order from the conjugate plane A side.

Configuration (3):
A plurality of light beams emitted from an image forming element that displays image information on the conjugate plane A are incident on the conjugate plane B obliquely to form an enlarged image of the image formed by the image forming element on the conjugate plane B. In possible projection optics,
Having at least a first optical system and a second optical system;
An intermediate image of the image forming element in which the plurality of light beams are substantially converged between the first optical system and the second optical system;
The optical system having the refractive power of the first optical system includes a lens system that transmits the light beam and a reflecting mirror having a negative refractive power that is rotationally symmetric with respect to the optical axis of the first optical system.
Forming the intermediate image only with the refractive power of the first optical system;
The second optical system is a reflection optical system including a reflection mirror having a positive refractive power that reflects the light beam immediately after the intermediate image,
The projection optical system according to claim 1, wherein the lens system that transmits the light beam of the first optical system includes a lens group having positive, positive, and negative refractive powers in order from the conjugate plane A side.

Configuration (4):
In the projection optical system according to Configuration (2) or Configuration (3),
A projection optical system characterized in that the mirror having a positive refractive power of the second optical system has a curved surface shape such that the curvature becomes gentler toward the periphery from a point intersecting the optical axis of the first optical system.

Configuration (5):
In the projection optical system according to any one of configurations (2) to (4),
A projection optical system, wherein the mirror having positive refractive power of the second optical system has an anamorphic polynomial free-form surface shape having different powers in the minor axis direction and the major axis direction of the image forming element.

Configuration (6):
In the projection optical system according to any one of configurations (2) to (4),
The projection optical system characterized in that the mirror having positive refractive power of the second optical system has a rotationally symmetric aspherical shape.

Configuration (7):
In the projection optical system according to any one of configurations (2) to (6),
The lens of the first optical system has a projection optical system characterized in that at least one surface has an aspherical shape.

Configuration (8):
In the projection optical system according to Configuration (7),
An aspherical surface of the first optical system is located in the third group.

Configuration (9):
In the projection optical system according to Configuration (8),
A projection optical system, wherein at least one aspheric surface of the third group of the first optical system is located on a lens having a positive refractive power.

Configuration (10):
In the projection optical system according to any one of configurations (2) to (9),
The projection optical system, wherein the intermediate image is inclined and curved with respect to a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the first optical system.

Configuration (11):
In the projection optical system according to any one of configurations (2) to (10),
A projection optical system characterized by being substantially telecentric from the image forming element to the first surface of the transmission / refraction optical system.

Configuration (12):
In the projection optical system according to any one of configurations (2) to (11),
A projection optical system, wherein a reflection mirror is disposed between lenses of the first optical system.

Configuration (13):
An image projection apparatus comprising the projection optical system according to any one of configurations (1) to (12).

There is a possibility that the embodiment of the present invention can be used in a projection optical system.

011,021,031,041,071,081,131,141,1107,1207 Image forming element 012,022,032,082,132,142 Aperture 013,033,042,072,133 First optical system 014,034 , 043, 134 Folding mirror 015, 035, 135 Second optical system 016, 046, 076, 136, 1110, 1211 Screen 023, 083, 143 First group 024, 084, 144 Second group 025, 085, 145 Third Group 036 Intermediate image 037 Optical axis 044,074 Second optical system-1
045,075 Second optical system-2 (Folding mirror)
047 Case 073 Rotationally symmetric reflection mirror 1101, 1201 Light source 1102, 1202 Reflector 1103, 1203 Relay lens 1104, 1204 Polarization conversion element 1105, 1205 Illumination uniformization means 1106 Color wheel 1108, 1208 Polarization separation means 1109, 1210 Projection optical system 1206 Color separation means 1209 Color composition means

JP 2002-40326 A JP 2002-174853 A Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-91641 JP 2004-61959 A JP 2004-258620 A

Claims (3)

A first optical system for forming a second image conjugate with the first image; and a reflective optical element having a positive power for reflecting light from the second image. A projection optical system comprising a second optical system for forming a third image conjugate with the second image;
The first optical system has positive power in order from the first image side so as to bend and curve the second image with respect to a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the first optical system. A lens group, a diaphragm, a single lens having a positive power, a space giving the largest lens interval on the second image side than the diaphragm, and a lens group having a negative power ,
In the lens group having the negative power, the lens surface closest to the third image is an aspheric surface,
Within said first optical system, wherein the aspherical surface characterized that you have the most separated light beams of the respective angle, the projection optical system. The projection optical system according to claim 1,
In the lens group having the negative power, only the lens having the positive power is arranged on the third image side than the lens having the strongest negative power among the lens groups having the negative power. A projection optical system characterized by being a thing. An illumination light source, an image forming element that forms an image by receiving light from the illumination light source, and a projection optical system according to claim 1 or 2 that projects an image formed on the image forming element. A featured image projection apparatus.