projector

Abstract

This projector provides a device that can reduce color unevenness in projected images while miniaturizing the device configuration. [Solution] The projector of the present invention comprises a light source device that emits first and second light, first and second light modulators that modulate the first and second light, respectively, a first adjusting means for adjusting the optical path of the first light in a first light guide optical system that guides the first light to the first light modulator, a second adjusting means for adjusting the optical path of the second light in a second light guide optical system that guides the second light to the second light modulator, a photosynthesis element that synthesizes the light emitted from each light modulator, and a projection optical device that projects the synthesized light. The first light guide optical system includes an optical member conjugate to the first light emission surface of the light source device and an optical member not conjugate to it. The second light guide optical system includes an optical member conjugate to the second light emission surface of the light source device and an optical member not conjugate to it. The first adjusting means adjusts the illumination area of ​​the first light by adjusting the position of each optical member, and the second adjusting means adjusts the illumination area of ​​the second light by adjusting the position of each optical member.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a projector.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a liquid crystal projector that reduces color unevenness of a projected image by adjusting the position and range of an illumination area for a liquid crystal panel by means of adjustment means.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] [Figure 1] This figure shows the schematic configuration of the projector according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows the schematic configuration of the projector according to the second embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows the schematic configuration of the projector according to the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The projector of this embodiment is an example of a projector that uses a liquid crystal panel as an optical modulation device. In the following drawings, the dimensions of each component may be shown on a different scale to make them easier to see.

[0008] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the projector 100 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the projector 100 of this embodiment is a projection-type image display device that displays images on a screen SCR. The projector 100 comprises a light source device 10, a uniform illumination optical system 30, a color separation optical system 40, light modulation devices 4R, 4G, 4B, a color synthesis optical system (photosynthesis element) 50, and a projection optical device 60. The projector 100 is a three-chip projector having three light modulation devices.

[0009] The light source device 10 includes, for example, a light-emitting light source such as a lamp or an LED element, and emits white illumination light WL from the light emission surface 10a. The illumination light WL is separated into blue light LB, red light LR, and green light LG by the color separation optical system 40, which will be described later. In other words, the illumination light WL includes blue light LB, red light LR, and green light LG. Therefore, the light source device 10 of this embodiment can be rephrased as emitting green light (first light in the first wavelength band) LG, blue light (second light in the second wavelength band) LB, and red light (third light in the third wavelength band) LR from the light emission surface 10a.

[0010] The illumination light WL is incident on the uniform illumination optical system 30. The uniform illumination optical system 30 comprises a lens integrator 31, a polarization conversion element 32, and a superimposed lens 33.

[0011] The lens integrator 31 has a front multi-lens 31a and a rear multi-lens 31b. The front multi-lens 31a has a plurality of first small lenses 31am for dividing the illumination light WL into a plurality of partial ray beams.

[0012] The surface of the first small lens 31am, which is the lens surface of the pre-stage multi-lens 31a, and the respective image-forming regions of the optical modulators 4R, 4G, and 4B are conjugate to each other. Therefore, the shape of each of the first small lenses 31am is approximately similar to the shape of the image-forming regions of the optical modulators 4R, 4G, and 4B. As a result, each of the partial light beams emitted from the pre-stage multi-lens 31a is efficiently incident on the respective image-forming regions of the optical modulators 4G, 4B, and 4R.

[0013] The secondary multi-lens 31b has multiple second small lenses 31bm corresponding to the multiple first small lenses 31am of the primary multi-lens 31a. Together with the superimposing lens 33, the secondary multi-lens 31b images the images of each first small lens 31am of the primary multi-lens 31a near the respective image forming areas of the optical modulators 4R, 4G, and 4B. The secondary multi-lens 31b has an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 10a that emits illumination light WL in the light source device 10.

[0014] The illumination light WL that has passed through the lens integrator 31 is incident on the polarization conversion element 32. The polarization conversion element 32 is constructed by arranging a polarization separation film and a 1 / 2 phase difference plate in an array. The polarization conversion element 32 converts the illumination light WL into a predetermined polarization component.

[0015] More specifically, the polarization conversion element 32 converts the polarization directions of the blue light LB, red light LR, and green light LG separated from the illumination light WL, as described later, to the polarization direction that passes through the incident polarizer plate located on the light incident side of the optical modulators 4R, 4G, and 4B, which will be described later. By aligning the polarization direction of the illumination light WL using the polarization conversion element 32 in this way, the loss that occurs when the illumination light WL is polarized, as described later, can be reduced, thereby further improving the light utilization efficiency.

[0016] The illumination light WL that has passed through the polarization conversion element 32 is incident on the superimposed lens 33. The superimposed lens 33 works in cooperation with the lens integrator 31 to equalize the illuminance distribution of the illumination light WL in the illuminated area.

[0017] The white illumination light WL emitted from the light source device 10 and passing through the uniform illumination optical system 30 enters the color separation optical system 40. The color separation optical system 40 separates the illumination light WL into red light LR, green light LG, and blue light LB. The color separation optical system 40 includes a front-stage dichroic mirror 41, a first mirror 42, a rear-stage dichroic mirror 43, a second mirror 44, a third mirror 45, a first relay lens 51, a second relay lens 52, a third relay lens 53, and a fourth relay lens 54.

[0018] The front-stage dichroic mirror 41 has a function of separating the illumination light WL into red light LR and green light LG and blue light LB. The front-stage dichroic mirror 41 transmits the red light LR and reflects the green light LG and the blue light LB. The rear-stage dichroic mirror 43 has a function of separating the light reflected by the front-stage dichroic mirror 41 into green light LG and blue light LB. The rear-stage dichroic mirror 43 reflects the green light LG and transmits the blue light LB.

[0019] The first mirror 42 is disposed in the optical path of the red light LR. The first mirror 42 reflects the red light LR transmitted through the front-stage dichroic mirror 41 toward the optical modulation device 4R. The second mirror 44 and the third mirror 45 are disposed in the optical path of the blue light LB. The second mirror 44 reflects the blue light LB transmitted through the rear-stage dichroic mirror 43 toward the third mirror 45. The third mirror 45 reflects the blue light LB incident from the second mirror 44 toward the optical modulation device 4B. The green light LG is reflected by the rear-stage dichroic mirror 43 and enters the optical modulation device 4G.

[0020] The first relay lens 51 is disposed on the optical paths of the green light LG and the blue light LB separated by the front-stage dichroic mirror 41. The first relay lens 51 functions as a condenser lens that condenses the green light LG onto the optical modulation device 4G.

[0021] The second relay lens 52 is disposed on the optical path of the blue light LB that has passed through the rear-stage dichroic mirror 43 and is located on the light incident side of the second mirror 44. The second relay lens 52 condenses the blue light LB and forms an intermediate image of the blue light LB in the vicinity of a third relay lens 53 described later. The third relay lens 53 is disposed on the optical path of the blue light LB reflected by the second mirror 44. The third relay lens 53 functions as a lens that forms an image of the intermediate image of the blue light LB formed by the second relay lens 52 on the light modulation device 4B. In the present embodiment, the first relay lens 51 and the second relay lens 52 have a function of compensating for light loss of the blue light LB caused by the optical path length of the blue light LB being longer than the optical path lengths of the red light LR and the green light LG.

[0022] The light modulation device 4G modulates the green light LG according to image information input from an image input device (not shown) and forms image light corresponding to the green light LG. The light modulation device 4B modulates the blue light LB according to image information input from an image input device (not shown) and forms image light corresponding to the blue light LB. The light modulation device 4R modulates the red light LR according to image information input from an image input device (not shown) and forms image light corresponding to the red light LR. As the image input device, for example, a personal computer or a portable terminal device or the like is used.

[0023] For each of the light modulation devices 4B, 4G, 4R, for example, a transmissive liquid crystal panel is used. Also, a pair of polarizing plates (not shown) are disposed on the incident side and the emission side of the liquid crystal panel. The pair of polarizing plates transmit linearly polarized light in a specific direction.

[0024] On the incident side of the light modulation device 4G, a field lens 10G that collimates the green light LG incident on the light modulation device 4G is disposed. On the incident side of the light modulation device 4B, a field lens 10B that collimates the blue light LB incident on the light modulation device 4B is disposed. On the incident side of the light modulation device 4R, a field lens 10R that collimates the red light LR incident on the light modulation device 4R is disposed.

[0025] The projector 100 of this embodiment includes a first light guide optical system 70, a first adjustment means 71, a second light guide optical system 80, a second adjustment means 81, a third light guide optical system 90, and a third adjustment means 91.

[0026] The first light guide optical system 70 is an optical system that guides the green light LG emitted from the light source device 10 to the light modulation device (first light modulation device) 4G. The first light guide optical system 70 includes a uniform illumination optical system 30, a pre-stage dichroic mirror 41, a first relay lens 51 and a post-stage dichroic mirror 43 which are part of the color separation optical system 40, and a field lens 10G.

[0027] The first adjustment means 71 adjusts the optical path of the green light LG in the first light guide optical system 70. The first adjustment means 71 adjusts the optical path of the green light LG by moving some of the components of the first light guide optical system 70. The first adjustment means 71 adjusts the illumination area of ​​the green light LG in the optical modulation device 4G by adjusting the position of the downstream multi-lens (first conjugate optical component) 31b and the first relay lens (first optical component) 51 in the uniform illumination optical system 30. The first adjustment means 71 is composed of a drive device such as an actuator. The movement of the downstream multi-lens 31b and the first relay lens 51 by the first adjustment means 71 is, for example, movement in two directions perpendicular to the optical axes of the downstream multi-lens 31b and the first relay lens 51, respectively.

[0028] The subsequent multi-lens 31b corresponds to a "first conjugate optical component" that has an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface (first light emission surface) 10a that emits green light LG in the light source device 10. On the other hand, the first relay lens 51 functions as a lens that focuses the green light LG toward the light modulation device 4G, but corresponds to a "first optical component" that does not have an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 10a. In other words, the first light guide optical system 70 includes a subsequent multi-lens (first conjugate optical element) 31b that is optically conjugate to the light emission surface (first light emission surface) 10a that emits green light LG in the light source device 10, and a first relay lens (first optical element) 51 that is not conjugate to the light emission surface 10a.

[0029] Here, we will explain how to adjust the illumination area of ​​the green light LG on the optical modulation device 4G. The subsequent multi-lens 31b, which has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 10a, has the characteristic of being able to move the illumination area of ​​the green light LG formed on the light modulator 4G by a larger amount compared to the first relay lens 51, which does not have a conjugate relationship, and having a smaller change in the angle of the optical axis of the green light LG. On the other hand, the first relay lens 51 has the characteristic of having a smaller movement range of the illumination area of ​​the green light LG compared to the subsequent multi-lens 31b, but having a larger change in the angle of the optical axis of the green light LG.

[0030] The first adjustment means 71, taking into consideration the characteristics of the subsequent multi-lens 31b and the first relay lens 51, appropriately adjusts the direction and amount of movement of the subsequent multi-lens 31b and the first relay lens 51, thereby enabling efficient incidence of green light LG from a predetermined direction onto the image generation area of ​​the optical modulation device 4G. Thus, the first adjustment means 71 uses an optical component that has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 10a as one of the two optical components used for adjusting the position of the illumination area. By minimizing the number of optical components that perform position adjustment, the device configuration can be miniaturized while adjusting the position of the illumination area of ​​the green light LG relative to the optical modulator 4G. Therefore, the green light LG can be incident on the entire image generation area of ​​the optical modulator 4G from a predetermined direction.

[0031] The second light guide optical system 80 is an optical system that guides the blue light LB emitted from the light source device 10 to the light modulation device (second light modulation device) 4B. The second light guide optical system 80 includes a uniform illumination optical system 30, a pre-stage dichroic mirror 41, a first relay lens 51, a post-stage dichroic mirror 43, a second relay lens 52, a second mirror 44, a third relay lens 53, and a third mirror 45, which are part of the color separation optical system 40, and a field lens 10B.

[0032] In the projector 100 of this embodiment, some of the optical components of the second light guide optical system 80, namely the uniform illumination optical system 30, the pre-stage dichroic mirror 41, the first relay lens 51, and the post-stage dichroic mirror 43, are common to the first light guide optical system 70. In other words, the first light guide optical system 70 and the second light guide optical system 80 each include a front-stage multi-lens (first multi-lens) 31a into which green light LG and blue light LB emitted from the light source device 10 are incident, and a rear-stage multi-lens (second multi-lens) 31b into which green light LG and blue light LB emitted from the front-stage multi-lens 31a are incident. Furthermore, the first light guide optical system 70 and the second light guide optical system 80 each include a pre-stage dichroic mirror (second light separation element) 41 that separates the light incident from the subsequent multi-lens 31b into green light LG, blue light LB, and red light LR, and a first relay lens 51 provided between the pre-stage dichroic mirror 41 and the subsequent multi-lens 31b, into which the green light LG and blue light LB are incident.

[0033] In this embodiment, the first adjustment means 71 adjusts the position of the rear multi-lens 31b as the first conjugate optical element and adjusts the position of the first relay lens 51 as the first optical element. On the other hand, the first adjustment means 71 does not adjust the positions of the front dichroic mirror 41 and the rear dichroic mirror 43.

[0034] The second adjustment means 81 adjusts the optical path of the blue light LB in the second light guide optical system 80. The second adjustment means 81 adjusts the optical path of the blue light LB by moving some of the components of the second light guide optical system 80. The second adjustment means 81 adjusts the illumination area of ​​the blue light LB in the light modulation device 4B by adjusting the position of the third relay lens (second conjugate optical component) 53 and the third mirror (second optical component) 45 in the color separation optical system 40. The second adjustment means 81 is composed of a drive device such as an actuator. The movement of the third relay lens 53 by the second adjustment means 81 is, for example, movement in two directions perpendicular to the optical axis of the third relay lens 53. The movement of the third mirror 45 by the second adjustment means 81 is, for example, rotation around an axis that penetrates the plane of the paper in Figure 1.

[0035] In this embodiment, the second adjustment means 81 does not adjust the positions of the front dichroic mirror 41 and the rear dichroic mirror 43. In other words, in this embodiment, the first adjustment means 71 and the second adjustment means 81 do not adjust the positions of the front dichroic mirror 41 and the rear dichroic mirror 43.

[0036] The third relay lens 53 is a superposition lens that superimposes an intermediate image of the blue light LB separated by the preceding dichroic mirror 41 onto the optical modulator 4B, and therefore corresponds to a "second conjugate optical component" that has an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 10a. On the other hand, the third mirror 45 is a component that reflects the blue light LB incident via the third relay lens 53 toward the optical modulator 4B and defines the direction of incidence of the blue light LB toward the optical modulator 4B, and corresponds to a "second optical component" that does not have an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 10a. In other words, the second light guide optical system 80 includes a third relay lens (second conjugate optical element) 53 which is optically conjugate to the light emission surface (second light emission surface) 10a that emits blue light LB in the light source device 10, and a third mirror (second optical element) 45 which is not conjugate to the light emission surface 10a.

[0037] Next, we will explain how to adjust the illumination area of ​​the blue light LB on the optical modulation device 4B. The third relay lens 53, which has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 10a, has the characteristic of being able to move the illumination area of ​​the blue light LB formed on the light modulator 4B by a larger amount compared to the third mirror 45, which does not have a conjugate relationship, and having a smaller change in the angle of the optical axis of the blue light LB. On the other hand, the third mirror 45 has the characteristic of having a smaller movement range of the illumination area of ​​the blue light LB compared to the third relay lens 53, but having a larger change in the angle of the optical axis of the blue light LB.

[0038] The second adjustment means 81, taking into consideration the characteristics of the third relay lens 53 and the third mirror 45, appropriately adjusts the direction and amount of movement of the third relay lens 53 and the third mirror 45, thereby efficiently directing blue light LB onto the image generation area of ​​the optical modulation device 4B from a predetermined direction. Thus, the second adjustment means 81 uses an optical component that has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 10a as one of the two optical components used for adjusting the position of the illumination area. By minimizing the number of optical components that perform position adjustment, the device configuration can be miniaturized while adjusting the position of the illumination area of ​​the blue light LB relative to the optical modulator 4B. Therefore, the blue light LB can be incident on the entire image generation area of ​​the optical modulator 4B from a predetermined direction. This makes it possible to align the optical axis angle of the blue image light emitted from the optical modulator 4B with the optical axis angle of the green image light emitted from the optical modulator 4G.

[0039] The third light guide optical system 90 is an optical system that guides the red light LR emitted from the light source device 10 to the light modulation device (third light modulation device) 4R. The third light guide optical system 90 includes a uniform illumination optical system 30, a pre-stage dichroic mirror 41, a fourth relay lens 54, and a first mirror 42, which are part of the color separation optical system 40, and a field lens 10R.

[0040] In the projector 100 of this embodiment, the uniform illumination optical system 30 and the pre-stage dichroic mirror 41, which are some of the optical components of the third light guide optical system 90, are common to the first light guide optical system 70. In other words, each of the first light guide optical system 70, the second light guide optical system 80, and the third light guide optical system 90 includes a pre-stage dichroic mirror (second light separation element) 41 that separates the light incident from the light source device 10 into green light LG, blue light LB, and red light LR.

[0041] The third adjustment means 91 adjusts the optical path of the red light LR in the third light guide optical system 90. The third adjustment means 91 adjusts the optical path of the red light LR by moving some of the components of the third light guide optical system 90. The third adjustment means 91 adjusts the illumination area of ​​the red light LR in the light modulation device 4R by adjusting the position of the fourth relay lens (third optical component) 54 and the first mirror (third optical component) 42 in the color separation optical system 40. The third adjustment means 91 is composed of a drive device such as an actuator. The movement of the fourth relay lens 54 by the third adjustment means 91 is, for example, movement in two directions perpendicular to the optical axis of the fourth relay lens 54. The movement of the first mirror 42 by the third adjustment means 91 is, for example, rotation around an axis that penetrates the plane of the paper in Figure 1.

[0042] The third adjustment means 91 does not adjust the position of the preceding dichroic mirror 41. In other words, in this embodiment, the first adjustment means 71, the second adjustment means 81, and the third adjustment means 91 do not adjust the position of the preceding dichroic mirror 41.

[0043] According to the projector 100 of this embodiment, by fixing the positions of the front-stage dichroic mirror 41 and the rear-stage dichroic mirror 43, whose optical characteristics vary depending on the angle of incidence of light, the color separation function of the front-stage dichroic mirror 41 and the rear-stage dichroic mirror 43 can be made to function well. Therefore, by directing each color of light into an appropriate optical modulator, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of color unevenness caused by different colored lights entering the optical modulator.

[0044] The fourth relay lens 54 functions as a lens that focuses the red light LR toward the light modulator 4R, but it corresponds to a "third optical component" that does not have an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 10a. Similarly, the first mirror 42 is a component that defines the incident direction of the red light LR toward the light modulator 4R, and it corresponds to a "third optical component" that does not have an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 10a. In other words, the third light guide optical system 90 includes a fourth relay lens (third optical component) 54 and a first mirror (third optical component) 42 that do not have an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface (third light emission surface) 10a that emits red light LR in the light source device 10.

[0045] The third adjustment means 91 adjusts the fourth relay lens 54 and the first mirror 42, which do not have a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 10a. Therefore, the positional adjustment accuracy of the illumination area of ​​the red light LR relative to the light modulator 4R is somewhat inferior to that of the light modulators 4G and 4B. However, in the projector 100 of this embodiment, the red image light modulated by the light modulator 4R is combined with the two image lights emitted from the light modulators 4G and 4B with aligned optical axis angles using the color synthesis optical system 50. This suppresses the deviation of the optical axis angles of each color image light compared to the case where three image lights with different optical axis angles are combined.

[0046] The color synthesis optical system 50 is positioned across the optical paths of the green image light emitted from the optical modulator 4G, the blue image light emitted from the optical modulator 4B, and the red image light emitted from the optical modulator 4R. As shown in Figure 1, when viewed from above or from the side, the position where the color light is synthesized in the color synthesis optical system 50 coincides with the intersection of the optical paths of the red image light, the green image light, and the blue image light. In the color synthesis optical system 50, the red image light, the green image light, and the blue image light are synthesized together to form color image light. The color synthesis optical system 50 emits color image light. For example, a cross dichroic prism is used in the color synthesis optical system 50.

[0047] The projection optical device 60 is positioned on the optical path of the color image light emitted from the color synthesis optical system 50. The color image light emitted from the color synthesis optical system 50 corresponds to light modulated by the optical modulators 4R, 4G, and 4B. The projection optical device 60 is composed of, for example, multiple optical lenses, but may also be composed of a single optical lens. Optical lenses include, for example, plano-convex lenses, biconvex lenses, meniscus lenses, aspherical lenses, rod lenses, and free-form lenses.

[0048] The projection optical device 60 amplifies and projects the color image light emitted from the color synthesis optical system 50 toward the screen SCR. In the case of the projector 100 of this embodiment, as described above, the deviation in the optical axis angle of each color image light incident on the color synthesis optical system 50 from each light modulator is small, so the projection optical device 60 can efficiently capture the color image light synthesized by the color synthesis optical system 50. The color image light amplified and projected from the projection optical device 60 is displayed as a color image on the display surface of the screen SCR that is opposite the emission surface of the projection optical device 60.

[0049] As described above, the projector 100 of this embodiment includes a light source device 10 that emits illumination light WL including green light LG, blue light LB, and red light LR; an optical modulator 4G that modulates the green light LG; an optical modulator 4B that modulates the blue light LB; a first light guide optical system 70 that guides the green light LG emitted from the light source device 10 to the optical modulator 4G; a first adjustment means 71 that adjusts the optical path of the green light LG in the first light guide optical system 70; a second light guide optical system 80 that guides the blue light LB emitted from the light source device 10 to the optical modulator 4B; a second adjustment means 81 that adjusts the optical path of the blue light LB in the second light guide optical system 80; a color synthesis optical system 50 that synthesizes the light emitted from the light modulators 4G and 4B; and a projection optical system 60 that projects the light incident from the color synthesis optical system 50. The first light guide optical system 70 includes a downstream multi-lens 31b that is optically conjugate to the light emission surface 10a that emits green light LG in the light source device 10, and a first relay lens 51 that is not conjugate to it. The second light guide optical system 80 includes a third relay lens 53 that is optically conjugate to the light emission surface 10a that emits blue light LB in the light source device 10, and a third mirror 45 that is not conjugate to it. The first adjustment means 71 adjusts the illumination area of ​​green light LG in the light modulator 4G by adjusting the positions of the downstream multi-lens 31b and the first relay lens 51. The second adjustment means 81 adjusts the illumination area of ​​green light LG in the light modulator 4B by adjusting the positions of the third relay lens 53 and the third mirror 45.

[0050] According to the projector 100 of this embodiment, the first adjustment means 71 and the second adjustment means 81 can adjust the illumination areas of the green light LG and blue light LB to an appropriate position relative to the image generation area of ​​the light modulators 4G and 4B. This reduces the deviation in the optical axis angle of the image light of each color emitted from the light modulators 4G, 4B, and 4R, so that the image light of each color is incident on the projection optical device 60 evenly, suppressing the difference in illuminance of the image light of each color. This suppresses the occurrence of color unevenness due to the difference in illuminance of the image light of each color. Furthermore, since the first adjustment means 71 and the second adjustment means 81 use an optical component that has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 10a as one of the two optical components used for adjusting the position of the illumination area, the number of optical components to be adjusted can be minimized, thereby reducing the size of the device configuration while adjusting the position of the illumination areas of the green light LG and blue light LB relative to the light modulators 4G and 4B. Therefore, according to the projector 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to project a high-quality color image with reduced color unevenness onto the screen SCR while miniaturizing the device configuration.

[0051] (Second Embodiment) Next, the projector of the second embodiment will be described. The configuration of the light source device differs between this embodiment and the first embodiment. For this reason, the light source device will be described primarily below, and components and parts common to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0052] Figure 2 shows a schematic configuration of the projector 200 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the projector 200 of this embodiment includes a light source device 210, a first uniform illumination optical system 220, a second uniform illumination optical system 230, a color separation optical system 240, light modulation devices 4R, 4G, 4B, a color synthesis optical system 50, and a projection optical system 60.

[0053] The light source device 210 includes a first light source 211 and a second light source 212. The first light source 211 emits illumination light YL, which consists of yellow fluorescence generated by exciting a phosphor, for example, from a light emission surface 211a. The second light source 212 emits blue light LB from a light emission surface 212a. In this embodiment, the second light source 212 is composed of a laser light-emitting element that emits blue light LB. Therefore, the blue light LB emitted by the second light source 212 is linearly polarized.

[0054] The illumination light YL is separated into green light LG and red light LR by the color separation optical system 240, which will be described later. Therefore, in the light source device 210 of this embodiment, the first light source 211 emits green light (first light) LG and red light (third light) LR from the light emission surface (first light emission surface) 211a, and the second light source 212 emits blue light (second light) LB from the light emission surface (second light emission surface) 212a.

[0055] Illumination light YL emitted from the first light source 211 enters the first uniform illumination optical system 220. The first uniform illumination optical system 220 comprises a first lens integrator 221, a first polarization conversion element 222, and a first superimposed lens 223.

[0056] The first lens integrator 221 has the same configuration as the lens integrator 31 of the first embodiment and includes a front multi-lens (third multi-lens) 221a and a rear multi-lens (fourth multi-lens) 221b. The rear multi-lens 221b is optically conjugate to the light emission surface 211a that emits illumination light YL in the first light source 211 of the light source device 210. Note that the first polarization conversion element 222 and the first superimposed lens 223 have the same configuration as the polarization conversion element 32 and superimposed lens 33 of the first embodiment, so their description will be omitted.

[0057] Yellow illumination light YL, emitted from the first light source 211 and passing through the first uniform illumination optical system 220, enters the color separation optical system 240. The color separation optical system 240 separates the illumination light YL into green light LG and red light LR. The color separation optical system 240 comprises a dichroic mirror 241, a first mirror 242, a second mirror 243, a first relay lens 244, and a second relay lens 245.

[0058] The dichroic mirror 241 has the function of separating the illumination light YL into green light LG and red light LR. The dichroic mirror 241 transmits the red light LR and reflects the green light LG. The first mirror 242 is positioned in the optical path of the green light LG. The first mirror 242 reflects the green light LG reflected by the dichroic mirror 241 toward the optical modulator 4G. The second mirror 243 is positioned in the optical path of the red light LR. The second mirror 243 reflects the red light LR that has been transmitted through the dichroic mirror 241 toward the optical modulator 4R.

[0059] The first relay lens 244 is positioned in the optical path of the green light LG reflected by the dichroic mirror 241. The first relay lens 244 functions as a focusing lens that concentrates the green light LG onto the optical modulator 4G. The second relay lens 245 is positioned on the optical path of the red light LR that has passed through the dichroic mirror 241. The second relay lens 245 functions as a focusing lens that focuses the red light LR onto the optical modulator 4R.

[0060] The blue light LB emitted from the second light source 212 is incident on the second uniform illumination optical system 230. The second uniform illumination optical system 230 includes a second lens integrator 231 and a second superimposed lens 233. As described above, since the blue light LB, which is laser light, is linearly polarized, its polarization direction is aligned, and therefore a polarization conversion element can be omitted.

[0061] The second lens integrator 231 has the same configuration as the lens integrator 31 of the first embodiment and includes a front multi-lens (fifth multi-lens) 231a and a rear multi-lens (sixth multi-lens) 231b. The rear multi-lens 231b is optically conjugate to the light emission surface 212a that emits blue light LB in the second light source 212 of the light source device 210. Note that the second polarization conversion element 232 and the second superimposed lens 233 have the same configuration as the polarization conversion element 32 and superimposed lens 33 of the first embodiment, so their description will be omitted.

[0062] The blue light LB emitted from the second light source 212 and passing through the second uniform illumination optical system 230 is incident on the light modulator 4B via the third relay lens 246 and the third mirror 247.

[0063] The projector 200 of this embodiment includes a first light guide optical system 270, a first adjustment means 271, a second light guide optical system 280, a second adjustment means 281, a third light guide optical system 290, and a third adjustment means 291.

[0064] The first light guide optical system 270 guides the green light LG emitted from the first light source 211 to the light modulator 4G. The first light guide optical system 270 includes the first uniform illumination optical system 220, a dichroic mirror 241, a first relay lens 244 and a first mirror 242 which are part of the color separation optical system 240, and a field lens 10G.

[0065] The first adjustment means 271 adjusts the optical path of the green light LG in the first light guide optical system 270. The first adjustment means 271 adjusts the optical path of the green light LG by moving some of the components of the first light guide optical system 270. The first adjustment means 271 adjusts the illumination area of ​​the green light LG in the light modulation device 4G by adjusting the position of the downstream multi-lens (first conjugate optical component) 221b and the first relay lens (first optical component) 244 in the first uniform illumination optical system 220. The first adjustment means 271 is composed of a drive device such as an actuator.

[0066] In this embodiment, the downstream multi-lens 221b corresponds to a "first conjugate optical component" that has an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface (first light emission surface) 211a that emits green light LG in the first light source 211. On the other hand, the first relay lens 244 is a lens that focuses the green light LG incident from the downstream multi-lens 221b toward the light modulation device 4G, and corresponds to a "first optical component" that does not have an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 211a. In other words, the first light guide optical system 270 includes a post-stage multi-lens (first conjugate optical element) 231b that is optically conjugate to the light emission surface (first light emission surface) 211a that emits green light LG in the first light source 211, and a first relay lens (first optical element) 244 that is not conjugate to the light emission surface 211a.

[0067] In this embodiment as well, the subsequent multi-lens 221b, which has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 211a, has the characteristic of being able to move the illumination area of ​​the green light LG formed on the light modulator 4G by a larger amount compared to the first relay lens 244, which does not have a conjugate relationship, and having a smaller change in the angle of the optical axis of the green light LG. On the other hand, the first relay lens 244 has the characteristic of having a smaller movement range of the illumination area of ​​the green light LG compared to the subsequent multi-lens 211b, but having a larger change in the angle of the optical axis of the green light LG.

[0068] The first adjustment means 271 takes into account the characteristics of the subsequent multi-lens 221b and the first relay lens 244 and appropriately adjusts the direction and amount of movement of the subsequent multi-lens 221b and the first relay lens 244, thereby efficiently directing green light LG onto the image generation area of ​​the optical modulator 4G from a predetermined direction. In the first adjustment means 271 of this embodiment, by using an optical component that has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 211a as one of the two optical components used for adjusting the position of the illumination area, the number of optical components to be adjusted can be minimized, thereby reducing the size of the device configuration while adjusting the position of the illumination area of ​​the green light LG relative to the optical modulator 4G. As a result, the green light LG can be incident on the entire image generation area of ​​the optical modulator 4G from a predetermined direction.

[0069] The second light guide optical system 280 guides the blue light LB emitted from the second light source 212 to the light modulator 4B. The second light guide optical system 280 includes a second uniform illumination optical system 230, a third relay lens 246, a third mirror 247, and a field lens 10G.

[0070] The second adjustment means 281 adjusts the optical path of the blue light LB in the second light guide optical system 280. The second adjustment means 281 adjusts the optical path of the blue light LB by moving some of the components of the second light guide optical system 280. The second adjustment means 281 adjusts the illumination area of ​​the blue light LB in the light modulation device 4B by adjusting the position of the downstream multi-lens (second conjugate optical component) 231b and the third relay lens (second optical component) 246 in the second uniform illumination optical system 230. The second adjustment means 281 is composed of a drive device such as an actuator.

[0071] In this embodiment, the downstream multi-lens 231b corresponds to a "second conjugate optical component" that has an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface (second light emission surface) 212a that emits blue light LB in the second light source 212. On the other hand, the third relay lens 246 is a lens that focuses the blue light LB incident from the downstream multi-lens 231b toward the light modulation device 4B, and corresponds to a "second optical component" that does not have an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 212a. In other words, the second light guide optical system 280 includes a subsequent multi-lens (second conjugate optical element 232b) that is optically conjugate to the light emission surface (second light emission surface) 212a that emits blue light LB in the second light source 212, and a third relay lens (second optical element) 246 that is not conjugate to the light emission surface 212a.

[0072] In this embodiment as well, the subsequent multi-lens 231b, which has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 212a, has the characteristic of being able to move the illumination area of ​​the blue light LB formed on the light modulator 4B more significantly and having a smaller change in the angle of the optical axis of the blue light LB compared to the third relay lens 246, which does not have a conjugate relationship. On the other hand, the third relay lens 246 has the characteristic of having a smaller movement range of the illumination area of ​​the blue light LB compared to the subsequent multi-lens 231b, but having a larger change in the angle of the optical axis of the blue light LB.

[0073] The second adjustment means 281 takes into account the characteristics of the subsequent multi-lens 231b and the third relay lens 246 and appropriately adjusts the direction and amount of movement of the subsequent multi-lens 231b and the third relay lens 246, thereby enabling the blue light LB to be efficiently incident onto the image generation area of ​​the optical modulator 4B from a predetermined direction. Thus, the second adjustment means 281 uses an optical component that has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 212a as one of the two optical components used for adjusting the position of the illumination area. By minimizing the number of optical components that perform position adjustment, the device configuration can be miniaturized while adjusting the position of the illumination area of ​​the blue light LB relative to the optical modulator 4B. Therefore, the blue light LB can be incident on the entire image generation area of ​​the optical modulator 4B from a predetermined direction. This makes it possible to align the optical axis angle of the blue image light emitted from the optical modulator 4B with the optical axis angle of the green image light emitted from the optical modulator 4G.

[0074] The third light guide optical system 290 guides the red light LR, which is part of the illumination light YL emitted from the first light source 211, to the light modulator 4R. The third light guide optical system 290 includes the first uniform illumination optical system 220, the second relay lens 245, the second mirror 243, and the field lens 10R.

[0075] In the projector 200 of this embodiment, the first uniform illumination optical system 220 and the dichroic mirror 241, which are some optical components of the third light guide optical system 290, are common to the first light guide optical system 270. In other words, each of the first light guide optical system 270 and the third light guide optical system 290 includes a dichroic mirror (third light separation element) 241 that separates the illumination light YL incident from the first light source 211 into green light LG and red light LR.

[0076] The third adjustment means 291 adjusts the optical path of the red light LR in the third light guide optical system 290. The third adjustment means 291 adjusts the optical path of the red light LR by moving some of the components of the third light guide optical system 290. The third adjustment means 291 adjusts the illumination area of ​​the red light LR in the light modulation device 4R by adjusting the position of the second relay lens (third optical component) 245 and the second mirror (third optical component) 243 in the first uniform illumination optical system 220. The third adjustment means 291 is composed of a drive device such as an actuator. The third adjustment means 291 does not adjust the position of the dichroic mirror 241. In other words, in this embodiment, neither the first adjustment means 271 nor the third adjustment means 291 adjusts the position of the dichroic mirror 241.

[0077] With this configuration, by fixing the position of the dichroic mirror 241, whose optical properties vary depending on the angle of incidence of light, the color separation function of the dichroic mirror 241 can be made to work well. Therefore, by directing each color of light into the appropriate optical modulator, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of color unevenness caused by different colored lights entering the optical modulator.

[0078] The second relay lens 245 functions as a lens that focuses the red light LR toward the light modulator 4R, but it corresponds to a "third optical component" that does not have an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 211a. The second mirror 243 is a component that defines the incident direction of the red light LR toward the light modulator 4R, and it corresponds to a "third optical component" that does not have an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 211a. In other words, the third light guide optical system 290 includes a second relay lens (third optical component) 245 and a second mirror (third optical component) 243 that do not have an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface (third light emission surface) 211a that emits red light LR in the first light source 211 of the light source device 210.

[0079] The third adjustment means 291 adjusts the second relay lens 245 and the second mirror 243, which do not have a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 10a. Therefore, the positional adjustment accuracy of the illumination area of ​​the red light LR relative to the light modulator 4R is somewhat inferior to that of the light modulators 4G and 4B. However, in the projector 200 of this embodiment, the red image light modulated by the light modulator 4R is combined with the two image lights emitted from the light modulators 4G and 4B with aligned optical axis angles using the color synthesis optical system 50. This suppresses the deviation of the optical axis angles of each color image light compared to the case where three image lights with different optical axis angles are combined.

[0080] Thus, according to the projector 200 of this embodiment, by reducing the deviation in the optical axis angle of the image light of each color emitted from the light modulators 4G, 4B, and 4R, the image light of each color can be incident on the projection optical device 60 uniformly. This suppresses the occurrence of color unevenness due to differences in the illuminance of the image light of each color. Furthermore, since the first adjustment means 271 and the second adjustment means 281 use an optical component that has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surfaces 211a and 212a as one of the two optical components used for adjusting the position of the illumination area, the number of optical components to be adjusted can be minimized, thereby reducing the size of the device configuration while adjusting the position of the illumination area of ​​the green light LG and blue light LB relative to the light modulators 4G and 4B. Therefore, according to the projector 200 of this embodiment, similar to the projector 100 of the first embodiment, it is possible to miniaturize the device configuration while projecting a high-quality color image with reduced color unevenness onto the screen SCR.

[0081] (Third embodiment) Next, the projector of the third embodiment will be described. The configuration of the light source device differs between this embodiment and the first embodiment. For this reason, the light source device will be described primarily below, and components and parts common to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0082] Figure 3 shows a schematic configuration of the projector 300 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the projector 300 of this embodiment includes a light source device 310, a first uniform illumination optical system 320, a second uniform illumination optical system 330, a third uniform illumination optical system 340, light modulation devices 4R, 4G, 4B, a color synthesis optical system 50, and a projection optical system 60.

[0083] The light source device 310 includes a first light source 311, a second light source 312, and a third light source 313. The first light source 311 is composed of, for example, a green LED element and emits green light LG, which is fluorescent, from the light emission surface 311a. The second light source 312 is composed of, for example, a blue laser element and emits blue light LB, which is laser light, from the light emission surface 312a. The third light source 313 is composed of, for example, a red LED element and emits red light LR, which is fluorescent, from the light emission surface 313a.

[0084] The green light LG emitted from the first light source 311 enters the first uniform illumination optical system 320. The first uniform illumination optical system 320 comprises a first lens integrator 321, a first polarization conversion element 322, and a first superimposed lens 323.

[0085] The first lens integrator 321 has the same configuration as the lens integrator 31 of the first embodiment and includes a front multi-lens (seventh multi-lens) 321a and a rear multi-lens (eighth multi-lens) 321b. The rear multi-lens 321b is optically conjugate to the light emission surface 311a that emits green light LG in the first light source 311 of the light source device 310. Note that the first polarization conversion element 322 and the first superimposed lens 323 have the same configuration as the polarization conversion element 32 and superimposed lens 33 of the first embodiment, so their description will be omitted.

[0086] Green light LG, emitted from the first light source 311 and passing through the first uniform illumination optical system 320, enters the optical modulator 4G via the first relay lens 324 and the field lens 10G.

[0087] The blue light LB emitted from the second light source 312 is incident on the second uniform illumination optical system 330. The second uniform illumination optical system 330 includes a second lens integrator 331 and a second superimposed lens 333. As described above, since the blue light LB, which is laser light, is linearly polarized, its polarization direction is aligned, and therefore a polarization conversion element can be omitted.

[0088] The second lens integrator 331 has the same configuration as the lens integrator 31 of the first embodiment and includes a front multi-lens (ninth multi-lens) 331a and a rear multi-lens (tenth multi-lens) 331b. The rear multi-lens 331b is optically conjugate to the light emission surface 312a that emits blue light LB in the second light source 312 of the light source device 310. The second superimposed lens 333 has the same configuration as the superimposed lens 33 of the first embodiment, so its description is omitted.

[0089] The blue light LB emitted from the second light source 312 and passing through the second uniform illumination optical system 330 is incident on the light modulator 4B via the second relay lens 334, the second mirror 335, and the field lens 10B.

[0090] The red light LR emitted from the third light source 313 enters the third uniform illumination optical system 340. The third uniform illumination optical system 340 comprises a third lens integrator 341, a third polarization conversion element 342, and a third superimposed lens 343.

[0091] The third lens integrator 341 has the same configuration as the lens integrator 31 of the first embodiment and includes a front multi-lens 341a and a rear multi-lens 341b. The rear multi-lens 341b is optically conjugate to the light emission surface 313a that emits red light LR in the third light source 313 of the light source device 310. Note that the third polarization conversion element 342 and the third superimposed lens 343 have the same configuration as the polarization conversion element 32 and superimposed lens 33 of the first embodiment, so their description will be omitted.

[0092] The red light LR emitted from the third light source 313 and passing through the third uniform illumination optical system 340 is incident on the light modulator 4R via the third relay lens 344, the third mirror 345, and the field lens 10R.

[0093] The projector 300 of this embodiment includes a first light guide optical system 370, a first adjustment means 371, a second light guide optical system 380, a second adjustment means 381, a third light guide optical system 390, and a third adjustment means 391.

[0094] The first light guide optical system 370 guides the green light LG emitted from the first light source 311 to the light modulation device 4G. The first light guide optical system 370 includes a first uniform illumination optical system 320, a first relay lens 324, and a field lens 10G.

[0095] The first adjustment means 371 adjusts the optical path of the green light LG in the first light guide optical system 370. The first adjustment means 371 adjusts the optical path of the green light LG by moving some of the components of the first light guide optical system 370. The first adjustment means 371 adjusts the illumination area of ​​the green light LG in the light modulation device 4G by adjusting the position of the downstream multi-lens (first conjugate optical component) 321b and the first relay lens (first optical component) 324 in the first uniform illumination optical system 320. The first adjustment means 371 is composed of a drive device such as an actuator.

[0096] In this embodiment, the downstream multi-lens 321b corresponds to a "first conjugate optical component" that has an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface (first light emission surface) 311a that emits green light LG in the first light source 311. On the other hand, the first relay lens 324 is a lens that focuses the green light LG incident from the downstream multi-lens 321b toward the light modulation device 4G, and corresponds to a "first optical component" that does not have an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 311a. In other words, the first light guide optical system 370 includes a subsequent multi-lens (first conjugate optical element) 321b that is optically conjugate to the light emission surface (first light emission surface) 311a that emits green light LG in the first light source 311, and a first relay lens (first optical element) 324 that is not conjugate to the light emission surface 311a.

[0097] In this embodiment as well, the subsequent multi-lens 321b, which has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 311a, has the characteristic of being able to move the illumination area of ​​the green light LG formed on the light modulator 4G by a larger amount compared to the first relay lens 324, which does not have a conjugate relationship, and having a smaller change in the angle of the optical axis of the green light LG. On the other hand, the first relay lens 324 has the characteristic of having a smaller movement range of the illumination area of ​​the green light LG compared to the subsequent multi-lens 321b, but having a larger change in the angle of the optical axis of the green light LG.

[0098] The first adjustment means 371 takes into account the characteristics of the subsequent multi-lens 321b and the first relay lens 324 and appropriately adjusts the direction and amount of movement of the subsequent multi-lens 321b and the first relay lens 324, thereby enabling the green light LG to be efficiently incident onto the image generation area of ​​the optical modulation device 4G from a predetermined direction. In the first adjustment means 371 of this embodiment, by using an optical component that has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 311a as one of the two optical components used for adjusting the position of the illumination area, the number of optical components to be adjusted can be minimized, thereby reducing the size of the device configuration while adjusting the position of the illumination area of ​​the green light LG relative to the optical modulator 4G. As a result, the green light LG can be incident on the entire image generation area of ​​the optical modulator 4G from a predetermined direction.

[0099] The second light guide optical system 380 guides the blue light LB emitted from the second light source 312 to the light modulator 4B. The second light guide optical system 380 includes a second uniform illumination optical system 330, a second relay lens 334, a second mirror 335, and a field lens 10G.

[0100] The second adjustment means 381 adjusts the optical path of the blue light LB in the second light guide optical system 380. The second adjustment means 381 adjusts the optical path of the blue light LB by moving some of the components of the second light guide optical system 380. The second adjustment means 381 adjusts the illumination area of ​​the blue light LB in the light modulation device 4B by adjusting the position of the downstream multi-lens (second conjugate optical component) 331b and the second relay lens (second optical component) 334 in the second uniform illumination optical system 330. The second adjustment means 381 is composed of a drive device such as an actuator.

[0101] In this embodiment, the downstream multi-lens 331b corresponds to a "second conjugate optical component" that has an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface (second light emission surface) 312a that emits blue light LB in the second light source 312. On the other hand, the second relay lens 334 is a lens that focuses the blue light LB incident from the downstream multi-lens 331b toward the light modulation device 4B, and corresponds to a "second optical component" that does not have an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 312a. In other words, the second light guide optical system 380 includes a post-stage multi-lens (second conjugate optical element) 331b that is optically conjugate to the light emission surface (second light emission surface) 312a that emits blue light LB in the second light source 312, and a second relay lens (second optical element) 334 that is not conjugate to the light emission surface 312a.

[0102] In this embodiment as well, the subsequent multi-lens 331b, which has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 312a, has the characteristic of being able to move the illumination area of ​​the blue light LB formed on the light modulator 4B by a larger amount, and having a smaller change in the angle of the optical axis of the blue light LB, compared to the second relay lens 334, which does not have a conjugate relationship. On the other hand, the second relay lens 334 has the characteristic of having a smaller movement range of the illumination area of ​​the blue light LB compared to the subsequent multi-lens 331b, but having a larger change in the angle of the optical axis of the blue light LB.

[0103] The second adjustment means 381 takes into account the characteristics of the subsequent multi-lens 331b and the second relay lens 334 and appropriately adjusts the direction and amount of movement of the subsequent multi-lens 331b and the second relay lens 334, thereby enabling the blue light LB to be efficiently incident onto the image generation area of ​​the optical modulation device 4B from a predetermined direction. In the second adjustment means 381 of this embodiment, by using an optical component that has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 312a as one of the two optical components used for adjusting the position of the illumination area, the number of optical components to be adjusted can be minimized, thereby reducing the size of the device configuration while adjusting the position of the illumination area of ​​the blue light LB relative to the light modulator 4B. As a result, the blue light LB can be incident on the entire image generation area of ​​the light modulator 4B from a predetermined direction.

[0104] The third light guide optical system 390 guides the red light LR emitted from the third light source 313 to the light modulator 4R. The third light guide optical system 390 includes a third uniform illumination optical system 340, a third relay lens 344, a third mirror 345, and a field lens 10R.

[0105] The third adjustment means 391 adjusts the optical path of the red light LR in the third light guide optical system 390. The third adjustment means 391 adjusts the optical path of the red light LR by moving some of the components of the third light guide optical system 390. The third adjustment means 391 adjusts the illumination area of ​​the blue light LB in the light modulation device 4B by adjusting the position of the downstream multi-lens (second conjugate optical component) 341b and the third relay lens (second optical component) 344 in the third uniform illumination optical system 340. The third adjustment means 391 is composed of a drive device such as an actuator.

[0106] In this embodiment, the downstream multi-lens 341b has an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface (third light emission surface) 313a that emits red light LR in the third light source 313. On the other hand, the third relay lens 344 is a lens that focuses the red light LR incident from the downstream multi-lens 341b toward the light modulator 4R, and does not have an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 313a. In other words, the third light guide optical system 390 includes the downstream multi-lens 341b, which has an optically conjugate relationship with the light emission surface (second light emission surface) 313a that emits red light LR in the third light source 313, and the third relay lens 344, which does not have a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 313a.

[0107] In this embodiment as well, the subsequent multi-lens 341b, which has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 313a, has the characteristic of being able to move the illumination area of ​​the red light LR formed on the light modulator 4R by a larger amount compared to the third relay lens 344, which does not have a conjugate relationship, and having a smaller change in the angle of the optical axis of the red light LR. On the other hand, the third relay lens 344 has the characteristic of having a smaller movement range of the illumination area of ​​the red light LR compared to the subsequent multi-lens 341b, but having a larger change in the angle of the optical axis of the red light LR.

[0108] The third adjustment means 391 takes into account the characteristics of the subsequent multi-lens 341b and the third relay lens 344 and appropriately adjusts the direction and amount of movement of the subsequent multi-lens 341b and the third relay lens 344, thereby enabling efficient incidence of red light LR from a predetermined direction onto the image generation area of ​​the optical modulator 4R. In the third adjustment means 391 of this embodiment, by using an optical component that has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 313a as one of the two optical components used for adjusting the position of the illumination area, the number of optical components to be adjusted can be minimized, thereby reducing the size of the device configuration, while still allowing for adjustment of the position of the illumination area of ​​the red light LR relative to the light modulator 4R. As a result, the red light LR can be incident on the entire image generation area of ​​the light modulator 4R from a predetermined direction.

[0109] As described above, with the projector 300 of this embodiment, the position of the illumination area of ​​the red light LR relative to the light modulator 4R is adjusted by adjusting the optical components that have a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface 313a. Therefore, the three image lights emitted from the light modulators 4G, 4B, and 4R with aligned optical axis angles can be combined in the color synthesis optical system 50. For this reason, the deviation in the optical axis angle of each color image light can be made smaller compared to the configurations of the first and second embodiments. Therefore, according to the projector 300 of this embodiment, by more evenly illuminating the projection optical device 60 with image light of each color, color unevenness caused by differences in illuminance of the image light of each color can be further reduced. In addition, since the first adjustment means 371, the second adjustment means 381, and the third adjustment means 391 use an optical component that has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surfaces 311a, 312a, and 313a as one of the two optical components used for adjusting the position of the illumination area, the number of optical components to be adjusted can be minimized, thereby reducing the size of the device configuration, while still allowing for position adjustment of the illumination areas of green light LG, blue light LB, and red light LR relative to the light modulation devices 4G, 4B, and 4R. Therefore, the projector 300 of this embodiment can project a high-quality color image onto a screen SCR with reduced color unevenness in the projected image, while further miniaturizing the device configuration compared to the projector 100 of the first embodiment and the projector 200 of the second embodiment.

[0110] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0111] Furthermore, the specific details regarding the shape, number, arrangement, materials, etc., of each component of the lighting device and projector are not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate.

[0112] A summary of this disclosure is provided below.

[0113] (Note 1) A light source device that emits first light in a first wavelength band and second light in a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band, A first optical modulator that modulates the first light, A second light modulator that modulates the aforementioned second light, A first optical guide optical system that guides the first light emitted from the light source device to the first optical modulator, The first optical guide optical system includes a first adjusting means for adjusting the optical path of the first light, A second optical guide optical system that guides the second light emitted from the light source device to the second optical modulator, The second optical guide optical system includes a second adjusting means for adjusting the optical path of the second light, A photosynthetic element that synthesizes light emitted from the first and second light modulators, The system comprises a projection optical device that projects light incident from the photosynthetic element, The first light guide optical system includes a first conjugate optical member that has an optically conjugate relationship with the first light emission surface that emits the first light in the light source device, and a first optical member that does not have a conjugate relationship with the first light emission surface. The second light guide optical system includes a second conjugate optical member that has an optically conjugate relationship with the second light emission surface that emits the second light in the light source device, and a second optical member that does not have a conjugate relationship with the second light emission surface. The first adjustment means adjusts the illumination area of ​​the first light in the first optical modulator by adjusting the position of the first conjugate optical member and the first optical member. The second adjustment means adjusts the illumination area of ​​the second light in the second optical modulator by adjusting the position of the second conjugate optical member and the second optical member. projector.

[0114] With this projector configuration, the illumination areas of the first and second light sources can be adjusted to the appropriate positions relative to the first and second light modulators using the first and second adjustment means. As a result, the deviation in the optical axis angle of the image light emitted from each light modulator is reduced, so that each image light is incident on the projection optical device evenly, and the difference in illuminance of each image light can be suppressed. This suppresses the occurrence of color unevenness due to the difference in illuminance of each image light. The first and second adjustment means use an optical component that has a conjugate relationship with the light emission surface as one of the two optical components used to adjust the position of the illumination area. Therefore, the number of optical components to be adjusted can be minimized, allowing for a smaller device configuration while adjusting the position of the illumination areas of the first and second light sources relative to each light modulator. Therefore, this projector configuration allows for the miniaturization of the device while simultaneously projecting high-quality color images with reduced color unevenness.

[0115] (Note 2) The first optical guide optical system and the second optical guide optical system are A first multi-lens into which the first light and the second light emitted from the light source device are incident, Each includes a first multi-lens and a second multi-lens into which the first and second light emitted from the first multi-lens are incident, The first adjustment means adjusts the position of the second multi-lens as the first conjugate optical element. The projector described in Appendix 1.

[0116] With this configuration, by adjusting the position of the second multi-lens which is conjugate to the first light emission surface, the illumination area of ​​the first light can be moved significantly while suppressing the angular change of the optical axis of the first light incident on the first light modulator. Therefore, the position of the illumination area of ​​the first light can be adjusted simply and with high precision.

[0117] (Note 3) The first optical guide optical system and the second optical guide optical system are A first light separation element that separates the light incident from the second multi-lens into the first light and the second light, The first optical separation element and the second multi-lens are provided, and each includes a first lens into which the first light and the second light are incident, The first adjustment means adjusts the position of the first lens as the first optical element. The projector described in Appendix 2.

[0118] With this configuration, by adjusting the position of the first lens, which is not conjugate to the light emission surface, the angular change of the optical axis of the first light incident on the first light modulator can be increased, while the movement range of the illumination area of ​​the first light can be reduced. Therefore, by combining this with the position adjustment of the second multi-lens, the position of the illumination area of ​​the first light can be adjusted simply and with high precision.

[0119] (Note 4) In the second optical guide system, The second conjugate optical element is a superposition lens that superimposes the second light separated by the first light separation element onto the second light modulator. The second optical element is a mirror that reflects the second light incident from the superimposed lens toward the second optical modulator. The projector described in Appendix 3.

[0120] With this configuration, by adjusting the position of the superimposed lens which is conjugate to the second light emission surface, the illumination area of ​​the second light can be moved significantly while suppressing the angular change of the optical axis of the second light incident on the second light modulator. Therefore, the position of the illumination area of ​​the second light can be adjusted simply and with high precision. Furthermore, by adjusting the position of the mirror which is not conjugate to the second light emission surface, the angular change of the optical axis of the second light can be increased while reducing the range of movement of the illumination area of ​​the second light. Therefore, by combining this with the adjustment of the superimposed lens position, the position of the illumination area of ​​the second light can be adjusted simply and with high precision.

[0121] (Note 5) The first adjustment means and the second adjustment means do not adjust the position of the first optical separation element. The projector described in Appendix 3 or Appendix 4.

[0122] With this configuration, by fixing the position of the first light separation element, whose optical properties vary depending on the angle of incidence of light, the color separation function of the first light separation element can be made to work well. Therefore, by directing the first and second light into appropriate light modulators, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of color unevenness caused by the first and second light being incident on different light modulators.

[0123] (Note 6) The light source device further emits a third light in a third wavelength band that is different from the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band. The system further comprises a third light modulation device for modulating the third light, a third light guide optical system for guiding the third light emitted from the light source device to the third light modulation device, and a third adjustment means for adjusting the optical path of the third light in the third light guide optical system. The third light guide optical system includes a third optical member that does not have an optically conjugate relationship with the third light emission surface that emits the third light in the light source device, The third adjustment means adjusts the illumination area of ​​the third light in the third light modulation device by adjusting the position of the third optical member. A projector listed in any one of the appendices 1 through 5.

[0124] Because the third optical component does not have a conjugate relationship with the third light emission surface, the positional adjustment accuracy of the illumination area of ​​the third light relative to the third light modulator is somewhat inferior to the positional adjustment of the first and second lights relative to the first and second light modulators. In contrast, with the projector configuration described here, the image light modulated by the third light modulator is combined with the two image lights emitted from the first and second light modulators with aligned optical axis angles using a color synthesis optical system. Therefore, the deviation in the optical axis angles of each color of image light can be suppressed compared to the case where three image lights with different optical axis angles are combined.

[0125] (Note 7) Each of the first optical guide optical system, the second optical guide optical system, and the third optical guide optical system is: The device further includes a second light separation element that separates the light incident from the light source into the first light, the second light, and the third light. The first adjustment means, the second adjustment means, and the third adjustment means do not adjust the position of the second optical separation element. The projector described in Appendix 6.

[0126] With this configuration, by fixing the position of the second light-separating element, whose optical properties vary depending on the angle of incidence of light, the color separation function of the second light-separating element can be made to work well. Therefore, by directing the first, second, and third lights into appropriate light modulators, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of color unevenness caused by each light being incident on a different light modulator.

[0127] (Note 8) The light source device comprises a first light source that emits the first light and a second light source that emits the second light. The first optical guide optical system is, A third multi-lens into which the first light emitted from the first light source is incident, The first light emitted from the third multi-lens is incident on a fourth multi-lens that constitutes the first conjugate optical member, and the first light is incident on the fourth multi-lens, The second optical guide system is, A fifth multi-lens into which the second light emitted from the second light source is incident, The second light emitted from the fifth multi-lens is incident on a sixth multi-lens that constitutes the second conjugate optical member, including: The projector described in Appendix 4.

[0128] With this configuration, by adjusting the position of the fourth multi-lens which is conjugate to the first light emission surface, the illumination area of ​​the first light can be moved significantly while suppressing the angular change of the optical axis of the first light incident on the first light modulator. Furthermore, by adjusting the position of the sixth multi-lens which is conjugate to the second light emission surface, the illumination area of ​​the second light can be moved significantly while suppressing the angular change of the optical axis of the second light incident on the second light modulator. Therefore, the positional adjustment of the illumination areas of the first and second light can be performed simply and with high precision.

[0129] (Note 9) In the aforementioned first optical guide optical system, The first optical component is a lens that focuses the first light incident from the fourth multi-lens onto the first optical modulator. The projector described in Appendix 8.

[0130] With this configuration, by adjusting the position of the lens that is not conjugate to the first light emission surface, the angular change of the optical axis of the first light incident on the first light modulator can be increased, while the movement range of the illumination area of ​​the first light can be reduced. Therefore, by combining this with the position adjustment of the fourth multi-lens, the position of the illumination area of ​​the first light can be adjusted simply and with high precision.

[0131] (Note 10) In the second optical guide system, The second optical component is a lens that focuses the second light incident from the sixth multi-lens onto the second optical modulator. The projector described in Appendix 9.

[0132] With this configuration, by adjusting the position of the lens that does not have a conjugate relationship with the second light emission surface, the angular change of the optical axis of the second light incident on the second light modulator can be increased, while the movement range of the illumination area of ​​the second light can be reduced. Therefore, by combining this with the position adjustment of the sixth multi-lens, the position of the illumination area of ​​the second light can be adjusted simply and with high precision.

[0133] (Note 11) The first light source of the light source device further emits a third light in a third wavelength band that is different from the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band. The device further comprises a third light modulation device for modulating the third light, a third light guide optical system for guiding the third light emitted from the first light source of the light source device to the third light modulation device, and a third adjustment means for adjusting the optical path of the third light in the third light guide optical system. The third light guide optical system includes a third optical member that does not have an optically conjugate relationship with the third light emission surface that emits the third light in the light source device, The third adjustment means adjusts the illumination area of ​​the third light in the third light modulation device by adjusting the position of the third optical member. A projector listed in any one of the appendices 8 through 10.

[0134] Because the third optical component does not have a conjugate relationship with the third light emission surface, the positional adjustment accuracy of the illumination area of ​​the third light relative to the third light modulator is somewhat inferior to the positional adjustment of the first and second lights relative to the first and second light modulators. In contrast, with this configuration, the image light modulated by the third light modulator is combined with two image lights emitted from the first and second light modulators with aligned optical axis angles. Therefore, the deviation in the optical axis angle of each color of image light can be suppressed compared to the case where three image lights with different optical axis angles are combined.

[0135] (Note 12) Each of the first optical guide optical system and the third optical guide optical system is: The system further includes a third light-separating element that separates light incident from the first light source into first light and third light, The first and third adjusting means do not adjust the position of the third optical separation element. The projector described in Appendix 11.

[0136] With this configuration, by fixing the position of the third light-separating element, whose optical properties vary depending on the angle of incidence of light, the color separation function of the third light-separating element can be made to work well. Therefore, by directing the first and third light beams into appropriate light-modulating devices, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of color unevenness caused by the first and third light beams being incident on different light-modulating devices.

[0137] (Note 13) The light source device comprises a first light source that emits the first light and a second light source that emits the second light. The first optical guide optical system is, A seventh multi-lens into which the first light emitted from the first light source is incident, The first light emitted from the seventh multi-lens is incident on an eighth multi-lens that constitutes the first conjugate optical member, and the eighth multi-lens is also included, The second optical guide system is, A ninth multi-lens into which the second light emitted from the second light source is incident, The second light emitted from the ninth multi-lens is incident on a tenth multi-lens that constitutes the second conjugate optical member, including: A projector listed in any one of the appendices 1 through 12.

[0138] With this configuration, by adjusting the position of the eighth multi-lens which is conjugate to the first light emission surface and the position of the tenth multi-lens which is conjugate to the second light emission surface, the illumination area of ​​each light can be moved significantly while suppressing the angular change of the optical axes of the first and second light incident on the first and second light modulators, respectively. Therefore, the positional adjustment of the illumination areas of the first and second light can be performed simply and with high precision.

[0139] (Note 14) In the first light guide optical system, the first optical component is a lens that focuses the first light incident from the eighth multi-lens onto the first light modulator. In the second light guide optical system, the second optical component is a lens that focuses the second light incident from the tenth multi-lens onto the second light modulator. The projector described in Appendix 13.

[0140] With this configuration, by adjusting the position of lenses that are not conjugate to the first and second light emission surfaces, the angular change of the optical axes of the first and second light incident on the first and second light modulators can be increased, while the movement range of the illumination areas of the first and second light can be reduced. Therefore, by combining this with the position adjustment of the eighth and tenth multi-lenses, the position adjustment of the illumination areas of the first and second light can be performed simply and with high precision. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0141] 4B…Optical Modulator (Second Optical Modulator), 4G…Optical Modulator (First Optical Modulator), 4R…Optical Modulator (Third Optical Modulator), 10, 210, 310…Light Source Device, 10a, 211a, 311a…Optical Emission Surface (First Optical Emission Surface), 10a, 212a, 312a, 313a…Optical Emission Surface (Second Optical Emission Surface), 10a, 211a, 313a…Optical Emission Surface (Third Optical Emission Surface), 31a…Pre-stage Multi-lens (First Multi-lens), 31b, 221b, 231b, 321b…Post-stage Multi-lens (First Conjugate Optical Component), 31b…Post-stage Multi-lens (Second Multi-lens) 33…Superimposed lens, 41…Pre-stage dichroic mirror (second light separation element), 42…First mirror (third optical component), 45…Third mirror (second optical component), 50…Color synthesis optical system (photosynthesis element), 51,244,324…First relay lens (first optical component), 53…Third relay lens (second conjugate optical component), 54…Fourth relay lens (third optical component), 60…Projection optical device, 70,270,370…First light guide optical system, 71,271,371…First adjustment means, 80,280,380…Second light guide optical system, 81,82,281,381…Second adjustment Means, 90, 290, 390… Third light guide optical system, 91, 291, 391… Third adjustment means, 100, 200, 300… Projector, 211, 311… First light source, 212, 312… Second light source, 221a… Front multi-lens (third multi-lens), 221b… Rear multi-lens (fourth multi-lens), 231a… Front multi-lens (fifth multi-lens), 231b, 331b, 341b… Rear multi-lens (second conjugate optical element), 231b… Rear multi-lens (sixth multi-lens), 232b… Second conjugate optical element, 241… Dichroic 243...2nd mirror (3rd optical component), 245...2nd relay lens (3rd optical component), 246, 344...3rd relay lens (2nd optical component), 321a...front multi-lens (7th multi-lens), 321b...rear multi-lens (8th multi-lens), 331a...front multi-lens (9th multi-lens), 331b...rear multi-lens (10th multi-lens), 334...2nd relay lens (2nd optical component), LB...blue light (2nd light), LED...red, LG...green light (1st light), LR...red light (3rd light).

Claims

1. A light source device that emits first light in a first wavelength band and second light in a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band, A first light modulator that modulates the first light, A second light modulator that modulates the second light, A first optical guide system that guides the first light emitted from the light source device to the first optical modulation device, The first optical guide optical system includes a first adjusting means for adjusting the optical path of the first light, A second optical guide optical system that guides the second light emitted from the light source device to the second light modulation device, The second optical guide optical system includes a second adjusting means for adjusting the optical path of the second light, A photosynthetic element that synthesizes light emitted from the first light modulator and the second light modulator, The system comprises a projection optical device that projects light incident from the photosynthetic element, The first light guide optical system includes a first conjugate optical member that has an optically conjugate relationship with the first light emission surface that emits the first light in the light source device, and a first optical member that does not have a conjugate relationship with the first light emission surface. The second light guide optical system includes a second conjugate optical member that has an optically conjugate relationship with the second light emission surface that emits the second light in the light source device, and a second optical member that does not have a conjugate relationship with the second light emission surface. The first adjustment means adjusts the illumination area of ​​the first light in the first optical modulator by adjusting the position of the first conjugate optical member and the first optical member. The second adjustment means adjusts the illumination area of ​​the second light in the second optical modulator by adjusting the position of the second conjugate optical member and the second optical member. projector.

2. The first optical guide optical system and the second optical guide optical system are A first multi-lens into which the first light and the second light emitted from the light source device are incident, It includes a first multi-lens and a second multi-lens into which the first light emitted from the first multi-lens and the second light are incident, The first adjustment means adjusts the position of the second multi-lens as the first conjugate optical element. The projector according to claim 1.

3. The first optical guide optical system and the second optical guide optical system are A first light separation element that separates the light incident from the second multi-lens into the first light and the second light, The first light separation element and the second multi-lens are provided, and each includes a first lens into which the first light and the second light are incident, The first adjustment means adjusts the position of the first lens as the first optical element. The projector according to claim 2.

4. In the second optical guide system, The second conjugate optical element is a superposition lens that superimposes the second light separated by the first light separation element onto the second light modulation device. The second optical component is a mirror that reflects the second light incident from the superimposed lens toward the second optical modulator. The projector according to claim 3.

5. The first adjustment means and the second adjustment means do not adjust the position of the first light separation element. The projector according to claim 3.

6. The light source device further emits a third light in a third wavelength band that is different from the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band. The present invention further comprises a third light modulation device for modulating the third light, a third light guide optical system for guiding the third light emitted from the light source device to the third light modulation device, and a third adjustment means for adjusting the optical path of the third light in the third light guide optical system. The third light guide optical system includes a third optical member that does not have an optically conjugate relationship with the third light emission surface that emits the third light in the light source device, The third adjustment means adjusts the illumination area of ​​the third light in the third light modulator by adjusting the position of the third optical member. A projector according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. Each of the first optical guide optical system, the second optical guide optical system, and the third optical guide optical system is: The device further includes a second light separation element that separates the light incident from the light source into the first light, the second light, and the third light. The first adjustment means, the second adjustment means, and the third adjustment means do not adjust the position of the second light separation element. The projector according to claim 6.

8. The light source device comprises a first light source that emits the first light and a second light source that emits the second light. The first optical guide system is, A third multi-lens into which the first light emitted from the first light source is incident, The first light emitted from the third multi-lens is incident on a fourth multi-lens that constitutes the first conjugate optical member, and includes: The second optical guide system is, A fifth multi-lens into which the second light emitted from the second light source is incident, The second light emitted from the fifth multi-lens is incident on a sixth multi-lens that constitutes the second conjugate optical member, including: The projector according to claim 4.

9. In the first optical guide optical system, The first optical component is a lens that focuses the first light incident from the fourth multi-lens onto the first optical modulator. The projector according to claim 8.

10. In the second optical guide system, The second optical component is a lens that focuses the second light incident from the sixth multi-lens onto the second optical modulator. The projector according to claim 9.

11. The first light source of the light source device further emits a third light in a third wavelength band that is different from the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band. The device further comprises a third light modulation device for modulating the third light, a third light guide optical system for guiding the third light emitted from the first light source of the light source device to the third light modulation device, and a third adjustment means for adjusting the optical path of the third light in the third light guide optical system. The third light guide optical system includes a third optical member that does not have an optically conjugate relationship with the third light emission surface that emits the third light in the light source device, The third adjustment means adjusts the illumination area of ​​the third light in the third light modulator by adjusting the position of the third optical member. The projector according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

12. Each of the first optical guide optical system and the third optical guide optical system is: The system further includes a third light-separating element that separates light incident from the first light source into first light and third light, The first and third adjusting means do not adjust the position of the third optical separation element. The projector according to claim 11.

13. The light source device comprises a first light source that emits the first light and a second light source that emits the second light. The first optical guide system is, A seventh multi-lens into which the first light emitted from the first light source is incident, The first light emitted from the seventh multi-lens is incident on an eighth multi-lens that constitutes the first conjugate optical member, and includes: The second optical guide system is, A ninth multi-lens into which the second light emitted from the second light source is incident, The second light emitted from the ninth multi-lens is incident on the tenth multi-lens, which constitutes the second conjugate optical member, and includes The projector according to claim 1.

14. In the first light guide optical system, the first optical member is a lens that focuses the first light incident from the eighth multi-lens onto the first light modulator. In the second optical system, the second optical component is a lens that focuses the second light incident from the tenth multi-lens onto the second optical modulator. The projector according to claim 13.

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