Patent · US Expired

Optical path converting optical element, optical path converter, and optical projector and image display apparatus using said optical element

US6276803A · kind A · utility

23Cited by
8References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 14, 1997
Grant dateAug 21, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 14, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N5/7441
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A first prism array (34) formed on a prism array plate (32) is arranged so as to confront a second prism array (37) formed on a prism array plate (35). When a light ray (r) that is parallel to an optical axis is transmitted through the first prism array, the light ray r enters into the second prism array (37) while refracted. The light ray that has been refracted by the second prism array (37) becomes an original light ray (r) that is parallel to the optical axis. Therefore, the light ray (r) that has passed through an optical path converting optical element (31) becomes a light ray (r) that is shifted in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. As a result, the light is split and shuffled by the first prism array (34), so that a luminous intensity distribution thereof is uniformed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.