Illumination apparatus provided with two laser light source units arranged to oppose each other

1. An illumination apparatus comprising:

first and second laser light source units, each of the first and second laser light source units being configured by juxtaposing a plurality of laser light sources in an array, the first and second laser light source units being provided so as to oppose each other;

a first reflecting member disposed so as to incline with respect to a plurality of outgoing light beams from the first and second laser light source units, the first reflecting member alternately having, in a juxtaposition direction, a reflecting region reflecting a first outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams in an output light direction and a transmitting region transmitting a second outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams; and

a second reflecting member disposed so as to be orthogonal to the first reflecting member, the second reflecting member alternately having, in the juxtaposition direction, a reflecting region reflecting a third outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams in the output light direction and a transmitting region transmitting a fourth outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams,

wherein the second reflecting member has a first gap and is divided into first and second reflecting portions,

wherein the first reflecting member is disposed so as to pass through the first gap,

wherein the second outgoing light beam transmitted through the transmitting region of the first reflecting member and the fourth outgoing light beam transmitted through the transmitting region of the second reflecting member are reflected in the output light direction by the reflecting region of the second reflecting member and the reflecting region of the first reflecting member, respectively, whereby the reflected light beams are emitted in the output light direction, and

wherein, when a plate thickness of the first reflecting portion is Mt and an effective width of the laser light beam from each of the laser light sources is Wld, a distance Md between the first reflecting portion and the first reflecting member is set to satisfy the following equation:

Md

≥

Mt

2

+

W

⁢

⁢

1

⁢

⁢

d

2

.

2. The illumination apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the second reflecting member is disposed such that the first gap is located in the reflecting region of the first reflecting member that reflects one outgoing light beam from the second laser light source unit.

3. The illumination apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein each of the reflecting regions of the first and second reflecting members extends in a vertical direction, and a plurality of the reflecting regions is formed so as to be juxtaposed in a horizontal direction.

4. The illumination apparatus as claimed in claim 3 ,

wherein the plurality of laser light sources is disposed such that a width of each laser light beam is larger in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction.

5. The illumination apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the effective width Wld of the laser light beam from each of the laser light sources is defined by a width at an intensity reduced to 1/e 2 with respect to a peak intensity of the laser light, where e is a Napier's constant.

6. An illumination system comprising:

an illumination apparatus; and

a third laser light source unit having a plurality of laser light sources arrayed and juxtaposed in a direction orthogonal to a juxtaposition direction of first and second laser light source units,

wherein the illumination apparatus comprises:

the first and second laser light source units, each of the first and second laser light source units being configured by juxtaposing a plurality of laser light sources in an array, the first and second laser light source units being provided so as to oppose each other;

a first reflecting member disposed so as to incline with respect to a plurality of outgoing light beams from the first and second laser light source units, the first reflecting member alternately having, in the juxtaposition direction, a reflecting region reflecting a first outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams in an output light direction and a transmitting region transmitting a second outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams; and

a second reflecting member disposed so as to be orthogonal to the first reflecting member, the second reflecting member alternately having, in the juxtaposition direction, a reflecting region reflecting a third outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams in the output light direction and a transmitting region transmitting a fourth outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams,

wherein the second reflecting member has a predetermined first gap and is divided into first and second reflecting portions,

wherein the first reflecting member is disposed so as to pass through the first gap,

wherein the second outgoing light beam transmitted through the transmitting region of the first reflecting member and the fourth outgoing light beam transmitted through the transmitting region of the second reflecting member are reflected in the output light direction by the reflecting region of the second reflecting member and the reflecting region of the first reflecting member, respectively, whereby the reflected light beams are emitted in the output light direction,

wherein the first and second reflecting members further transmit outgoing light beams from the third laser light source unit through other transmitting regions different from the transmitting regions, and

wherein, when a plate thickness of the first reflecting portion is Mt and an effective width of the laser light beam from each of the laser light sources is Wld, a distance Md between the first reflecting portion and the first reflecting member is set to satisfy the following equation:

M

⁢

d

≥

M

⁢

t

2

+

W

⁢

1

⁢

d

2

.

7. The illumination system as claimed in claim 6 ,

wherein the different transmitting regions are formed to be spaced apart from each other at intervals in a vertical direction of the first and second reflecting members.

8. An illumination system comprising:

a first illumination apparatus; and

a second illumination apparatus provided at a rear stage of the first illumination apparatus,

wherein the first illumination apparatus comprises:

first and second laser light source units, each of the first and second laser light source units being configured by juxtaposing a plurality of laser light sources in an array, the first and second laser light source units being provided so as to oppose each other;

a first reflecting member disposed so as to incline with respect to a plurality of outgoing light beams from the first and second laser light source units, the first reflecting member alternately having, in a juxtaposition direction, a reflecting region reflecting a first outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams in an output light direction and a transmitting region transmitting a second outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams; and

a second reflecting member disposed so as to be orthogonal to the first reflecting member, the second reflecting member alternately having, in the juxtaposition direction, a reflecting region reflecting a third outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams in the output light direction and a transmitting region transmitting a fourth outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams,

wherein the second reflecting member has a first gap and is divided into first and second reflecting portions,

wherein the first reflecting member is disposed so as to pass through the first gap,

wherein the second outgoing light beam transmitted through the transmitting region of the first reflecting member and the fourth outgoing light beam transmitted through the transmitting region of the second reflecting member are reflected in the output light direction by the reflecting region of the second reflecting member and the reflecting region of the first reflecting member, respectively, whereby the reflected light beams are emitted in the output light direction,

wherein, when a plate thickness of the first reflecting portion is Mt and an effective width of the laser light beam from each of the laser light sources is Wld, a distance Md between the first reflecting portion and the first reflecting member is set to satisfy the following equation:

M

⁢

d

≥

M

⁢

t

2

+

W

⁢

1

⁢

d

2

,

wherein the second illumination apparatus includes:

third and fourth laser light source units each of which is configured by juxtaposing a plurality of laser light sources in an array, the third and fourth laser light source units being provided so as to oppose each other;

a third reflecting member disposed so as to incline with respect to a plurality of outgoing light beams from the third and fourth laser light source units, the third reflecting member alternately having, in a juxtaposition direction, a reflecting region reflecting a fifth outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams in an output light direction and a transmitting region transmitting a sixth outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams and an outgoing light beam from the first illumination apparatus; and

a fourth reflecting member disposed so as to be orthogonal to the third reflecting member, the fourth reflecting member alternately having, both in the juxtaposition direction and in a direction perpendicular to the juxtaposition direction, a reflecting region reflecting a seventh outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams in the output light direction and a transmitting region transmitting an eighth outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams and the outgoing light beam from the first illumination apparatus,

wherein the fourth reflecting member has a second gap and is divided into third and fourth reflecting portions,

wherein the third reflecting member is disposed so as to pass through the second gap, and

wherein the sixth outgoing light beam transmitted through the transmitting region of the third reflecting member and the eighth outgoing light beam transmitted through the transmitting region of the fourth reflecting member are reflected in the output light direction by the reflecting region of the fourth reflecting member and the reflecting region of the third reflecting member, respectively, whereby the reflected light beams are emitted in the output light direction.

9. The illumination system as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising a phosphor wheel apparatus that converts a color of an outgoing light beam from the illumination system made incident on a phosphor into a different color and emits an outgoing light beam.

10. The illumination system as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising:

at least one fifth laser light source unit configured by juxtaposing a plurality of laser light sources in an array; and

an optical multiplexer that outputs by synthesizing an outgoing light beam from the illumination system and an outgoing light beam from the at least one fifth laser light source unit.

11. The illumination system as claimed in claim 6 ,

further comprising:

a phosphor wheel apparatus that converts a color of an outgoing light beam from the illumination system made incident on a phosphor into a different color and emits an outgoing light beam;

at least one fifth laser light source unit configured by juxtaposing a plurality of laser light sources in an array; and

an optical multiplexer that outputs by synthesizing the outgoing light beam from the phosphor wheel apparatus, the outgoing light beam from the illumination system, and an outgoing light beam from the at least one fifth laser light source unit.

12. A projection type image display apparatus comprising an illumination apparatus,

wherein the illumination apparatus comprises:

first and second laser light source units, each of the first and second laser light source units being configured by juxtaposing a plurality of laser light sources in an array, the first and second laser light source units being provided so as to oppose each other;

a first reflecting member disposed so as to incline with respect to a plurality of outgoing light beams from the first and second laser light source units, the first reflecting member alternately having, in a juxtaposition direction, a reflecting region reflecting a first outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams in an output light direction and a transmitting region transmitting a second outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams; and

a second reflecting member disposed so as to be orthogonal to the first reflecting member, the second reflecting member alternately having, in the juxtaposition direction, a reflecting region reflecting a third outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams in the output light direction and a transmitting region transmitting a fourth outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams,

wherein the second reflecting member has a first gap and is divided into first and second reflecting portions,

wherein the first reflecting member is disposed so as to pass through the first gap,

wherein the second outgoing light beam transmitted through the transmitting region of the first reflecting member and the fourth outgoing light beam transmitted through the transmitting region of the second reflecting member are reflected in the output light direction by the reflecting region of the second reflecting member and the reflecting region of the first reflecting member, respectively, whereby the reflected light beams are emitted in the output light direction, and

wherein, when a plate thickness of the first reflecting portion is Mt and an effective width of the laser light beam from each of the laser light sources is Wld, a distance Md between the first reflecting portion and the first reflecting member is set to satisfy the following equation:

M

⁢

d

≥

M

⁢

t

2

+

W

⁢

1

⁢

d

2

.

13. A projection image display apparatus comprising an illumination system,

wherein the illumination system comprises:

an illumination apparatus; and

a third laser light source unit having a plurality of laser light sources arrayed and juxtaposed in a direction orthogonal to a juxtaposition direction of first and second laser light source units,

wherein the illumination apparatus comprises:

the first and second laser light source units, each of the first and second laser light source units being configured by juxtaposing a plurality of laser light sources in an array, the first and second laser light source units being provided so as to oppose each other;

a first reflecting member disposed so as to incline with respect to a plurality of outgoing light beams from the first and second laser light source units, the first reflecting member alternately having, in the juxtaposition direction, a reflecting region reflecting a first outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams in an output light direction and a transmitting region transmitting a second outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams; and

a second reflecting member disposed so as to be orthogonal to the first reflecting member, the second reflecting member alternately having, in the juxtaposition direction, a reflecting region reflecting a third outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams in the output light direction and a transmitting region transmitting a fourth outgoing light beam of the plurality of outgoing light beams,

wherein the second reflecting member has a first gap and is divided into first and second reflecting portions,

wherein the first reflecting member is disposed so as to pass through the first gap,

wherein the second outgoing light beam transmitted through the transmitting region of the first reflecting member and the fourth outgoing light beam transmitted through the transmitting region of the second reflecting member are reflected in the output light direction by the reflecting region of the second reflecting member and the reflecting region of the first reflecting member, respectively, whereby the reflected light beams are emitted in the output light direction,

wherein the first and second reflecting members further transmit outgoing light beams from the third laser light source unit through other transmitting regions different from the transmitting regions, and

wherein, when a plate thickness of the first reflecting portion is Mt and an effective width of the laser light beam from each of the laser light sources is Wld, a distance Md between the first reflecting portion and the first reflecting member is set to satisfy the following equation:

M

⁢

d

≥

M

⁢

t

2

+

W

⁢

1

⁢

d

2

.