IP Library Granted Patent US 10,353,281
Granted Patent B2
US 10,353,281 · App. 15/899,443 · Granted Jul 16, 2019

Projection display apparatus

Inventor: Michihiro Okuda (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
G03B21/28G02B26/008G02B27/0972G02B27/141
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,353,281
App. No.
15/899,443
Granted
Jul 16, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

The projection display apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a light source part; a color separating mirror that separates light emitted from the light source part into a first color light and a second color light; a first light modulation element that modulates the first color light; a second light modulation element that modulates the second color light; a color combining prism unit that combines the first color light modulated by the first light modulation element and the second color light modulated by the second light modulation element; and a projection unit that projects combined light emitted from the color combining prism unit. The color combining prism unit includes four prisms and has two air gap faces that totally reflect or transmit light depending on the angle of incidence.

Claims (74)

1. A projection display apparatus comprising:

a light source part;

a color separating mirror that separates light emitted from the light source part into a first color light and a second color light;

a first light modulation element that modulates the first color light;

a second light modulation element that modulates the second color light;

a color combining prism unit that combines the first color light modulated by the first light modulation element and the second color light modulated by the second light modulation element; and

a projection unit that projects combined light emitted from the color combining prism unit, wherein

the color combining prism unit includes a first prism, a second prism, a third prism and a fourth prism, the third and fourth prisms having a dichroic coating located therebetween,

the color combining prism unit has two air gap faces that totally reflect the first and second color lights before incidence on the first and second light modulation elements, respectively, and transmit the modulated first and second color lights after modulation by the first and second light modulation elements, respectively,

one of the two air gap faces is formed by a surface of the first prism and a surface of the third prism, and

another of the two air gap faces is formed by a surface of the second prism and a surface of the fourth prism.

2. The projection display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the third and fourth prisms included in the color combining prism unit are arranged opposite to each other across the dichroic coating, and an angle of incidence of a reference ray with respect to the dichroic coating is 45 degrees or less.

3. The projection display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the third and fourth prisms included in the color combining prism unit are arranged opposite to each other across the dichroic coating, and an angle of incidence of a reference ray with respect to the dichroic coating is less than an angle of incidence of the reference ray with respect to the color separating mirror.

4. The projection display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the third and fourth prisms included in the color combining prism unit are arranged opposite to each other across the dichroic coating, and the color combining prism unit has a shape of plane symmetry about the dichroic coating as a plane of symmetry.

5. The projection display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the third and fourth prisms included in the color combining prism unit are arranged opposite to each other across the dichroic coating, and the dichroic coating transmits the first color light modulated by the first light modulation element and reflects the second color light modulated by the second light modulation element to allow the color combining prism unit to combine the colors of the first color light and the second color light.

6. The projection display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the light emitted from the light source part includes blue light and yellow light by time-division.

7. The projection display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

each of the first and the second light modulation elements is reflection-type light modulation element.

8. The projection display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the first and the second color lights configure three colors including red light, green light and blue light, and

the first light modulation element modulates the first light color which includes two of the red light, the green light and the blue light.

9. The projection display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the one of the two air gap faces is formed with just air between the surface of the first prism and the surface of the third prism, and

the other of the two air gap faces is formed with just air between the surface of the second prism and the surface of the fourth prism.

10. The projection display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the surface of the first prism and the surface of the third prism are parallel to each other, and

the surface of the second prism and the surface of the fourth prism are parallel to each other.

11. The projection display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the color combining prism unit consists of the first prism, the second prism, the third prism and the fourth prism.

12. A projection display apparatus comprising:

a light source part;

a color separating mirror that separates light emitted from the light source part into a first color light and a second color light;

a first light modulation element that modulates the first color light;

a second light modulation element that modulates the second color light;

a color combining prism unit that combines the first color light modulated by the first light modulation element and the second color light modulated by the second light modulation element; and

a projection unit that projects combined light emitted from the color combining prism unit, wherein

the color combining prism unit includes a first prism, a second prism, a third prism and a fourth prism, the third and fourth prisms having a dichroic coating located therebetween,

the color combining prism unit has two air gap faces that totally reflect the first color light and the second color light which are separated by the color separating mirror,

one of the two air gap faces is formed by a surface of the first prism and a surface of the third prism, and

another of the two air gap faces is formed by a surface of the second prism and a surface of the fourth prism.

13. The projection display apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein

the one of the two air gap faces is formed with just air between the surface of the first prism and the surface of the third prism, and

the other of the two air gap faces is formed with just air between the surface of the second prism and the surface of the fourth prism.

14. The projection display apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein

the surface of the first prism and the surface of the third prism are parallel to each other, and

the surface of the second prism and the surface of the fourth prism are parallel to each other.

15. The projection display apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein

the color combining prism unit consists of the first prism, the second prism, the third prism and the fourth prism.

16. A projection display apparatus comprising:

a light source part;

a color separating mirror that separates light emitted from the light source part into a first color light and a second color light;

a first light modulation element that modulates the first color light;

a second light modulation element that modulates the second color light;

a color combining prism unit that combines the first color light modulated by the first light modulation element and the second color light modulated by the second light modulation element; and

a projection unit that projects combined light emitted from the color combining prism unit, wherein

the color combining prism unit includes a first prism, a second prism, a third prism and a fourth prism, the third and fourth prisms having a dichroic coating located therebetween,

the first and second color lights are totally reflected by inner surfaces of the first and the second prisms, respectively,

a light emitted from the first prism passes through the dichroic coating,

a light emitted from the second prism is reflected by the dichroic coating,

a surface of the first prism and a surface of the third prism form a first air gap, and

a surface of the second prism and a surface of the fourth prism form a second air gap.

17. The projection display apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein

the one of the two air gap faces is formed with just air between the surface of the first prism and the surface of the third prism, and

the other of the two air gap faces is formed with just air between the surface of the second prism and the surface of the fourth prism.

18. The projection display apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein

the surface of the first prism and the surface of the third prism are parallel to each other, and

the surface of the second prism and the surface of the fourth prism are parallel to each other.

19. The projection display apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein

the color combining prism unit consists of the first prism, the second prism, the third prism and the fourth prism.

Assignments (3)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Feb 24, 2026
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC PROJECTOR & DISPLAY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 074988/0945 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Feb 24, 2026
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 074984/0429 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2018
From: OKUDA, MICHIHIRO
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 045638/0410 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2017-043913 · Mar 8, 2017 · national
JP 2017-241283 · Dec 18, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180259839A1 · Sep 13, 2018