Multi channel imaging engine apparatus

1. A projection system comprising:

a housing shell;

a plurality of display devices fixed to said housing shell;

an optical support frame fixed to said housing shell, said optical support frame defining a first opening and a second opening;

a color separator disposed adjacent said first opening or receiving an illumination beam through said first opening, for dividing said illumination beam into a plurality of colored beams, and for directing each of said colored beams toward an associated one of said display devices; and

a color combiner disposed adjacent said second opening for receiving said colored beams from said display devices, for recombining said colored beams to form a projection beam, and for directing said projection out through said second opening.

2. A projection system according to claim 1 , wherein:

said first opening and said second opening lie in the same plane; and

said frame includes a front portion defining said openings and platform extending rearward from said front portion for supporting said color separator.

3. A projection system according to claim 2 , wherein:

said color separator includes dichroic plates; and

said platform includes registration features for mounting said dichroic plates in a crossed configuration.

4. A projection system according to claim 3 , wherein:

said color combiner includes a color cube; and

said frame further includes a second platform extending rearward from below said second opening for supporting said color cube.

5. A projection system according to claim 1 , wherein:

said first opening and said second opening lie in a vertical front plane, with said first opening and said second opening disposed along vertical line;

one of said display devices lying in a rear vertical plane roughly parallel to said vertical front plane;

a second one of said display devices lying in a first lateral vertical plane roughly perpendicular to said front vertical plane; and

a third one of said display devices lying in a second lateral vertical plane spaced apart from and roughly parallel to said first lateral vertical plane.

6. A projection system according to claim 5 , wherein said display devices are centered on a horizontal plane lying above the center of said first opening and below the center of said second opening.

7. A projection system according to claim 1 , further including a bulkhead mounted to said housing shell, said optical support frame mounted to said housing shell via said bulkhead.

8. A projection system according claim 1 , wherein:

said housing shell defines a roughly planar front opening;

a bulkhead includes at least one opening to facilitate passage of said illumination beam and said projection beam, and is fixed to said housing shell at said front opening; and

said frame is fixed to said bulkhead at said at least one opening.

9. A projection system according to claim 8 , wherein said optical support frame is formed as an integral part of said bulkhead.

10. A projection system according to claim 8 , further comprising an optical lens mounted to said frame.

11. A projection system according to claim 10 , wherein a portion of said optical lens and a complementary edge of said at least one opening in said bulkhead form an alignment registration feature between said frame and said bulkhead.

12. A projection system comprising.

a housing shell defining a roughly vertical front opening;

a plurality of display devices fixed to said housing shell;

a bulkhead mounted to said vertical front opening of said housing shell;

a color separator mounted to said bulkhead; and

a color combiner mounted to said bulkhead.

13. A projection system according claim 12 , wherein:

said color separator includes a plurality of dichroic plates; and

said bulkhead includes a mirror receptacle formed to accept said dichroic plates in a crossed configuration such that an edge of one of said plurality of dichroic plates is adjacent the center of another one of said plurality of dichroic plates.

14. A projection system according to claim 13 , wherein said color combiner comprises a color cube.

15. A projection system according to claim 12 , further including;

an illumination source disposed on an opposite side of said bulkhead with respect to said color separator; and

a projection lens disposed on the same side of said bulkhead as said illumination source.

16. A projection system according to claim 15 , wherein said projection lens is fixed to said bulkhead.

17. A projection system according to claim 15 , wherein:

said display devices are centered on a plane; and

said illumination source is disposed adjacent said plane to deliver said illumination beam to said color separator at an oblique angle with respect to said plane.

18. A projection system according to claim 17 , wherein:

said plane is a horizontal plane; and

said illumination source is disposed beneath said horizontal plane.

19. A projection system according to claim 12 , wherein said color separator and said color combiner are centered on a common axis.

20. A projection system comprising;

a plurality of display devices;

an optical assembly including a color separator and a color combiner; and

mounting means for mounting said optical assembly with respect to said display devices.

21. A projection system according to claim 20 , wherein said mounting means comprises:

a housing shell fixed to said display devices; and

a bulkhead fixed to said housing shell, said optical assembly fixed to said bulkhead.