An image
projector (8, 68) includes a
light source (14) that illuminates a three-path reflective LCD
assembly (25, 74) that produces images for projection by a
projection lens (27). The
light source produces S-polarized light rays that are received by a spectrally selective wave plate (36) that changes a first
wavelength range of light to P-polarized light rays (34) and transmits without polarization change second and third
wavelength ranges of light. A plate-type transflective polarizing
beam splitter (40) transmits the P-polarized first
wavelength range light rays and reflects S-polarized second and third
wavelength range light rays (34). The P-polarized first
wavelength range light rays transmit through a field lens (421) and impinge on a first reflective LCD
light valve (261). The S-polarized second and third
wavelength range light rays strike a pleochroic filter (48), which divides them into second and third wavelength range light rays (44, 46) that propagate through field lenses (422, 423) and impinge on respective second and third LCD light valves (262, 263). The light rays impinging on
dark state pixels on the first LCD
light valve are reflected without polarization direction change and return toward the
light source along their original paths. However, the light rays impinging on illuminated state pixels on the first LCD
light valve are reflected with a 90° change in polarization direction and are reflected toward the
projection lens by the transflective polarizing
beam splitter. The light rays impinging on illuminated state pixels on the second and third LCD light valves are reflected with a 90° change in polarization direction, are recombined by the pleochroic filter, and transmit through the transflective polarizing
beam splitter toward the
projection lens.