Projection display device

1. A projection display device comprising:

a light source unit that generates and emits a white light along a first optical axis;

a lighting unit provided on a second optical axis, the lighting unit splitting the white light into predetermined color lights and uniformizing an illuminance distribution of the predetermined color lights;

an image generator including a display element that modulates the predetermined color lights uniformized by the lighting unit, according to an image signal, and a projection lens that emits and projects an image light including the predetermined color lights modulated along a third optical axis;

at least one optical path switching unit that selectively switches between reflection and transmission of the white light;

a light diffuser including a diffusion optical system that spreads the white light to a desired illumination area and projects the spread white light as an illumination light; and

a controller that causes the at least one optical path switching unit to switch between emission of the image light and emission of the illumination light, wherein

the first optical axis and the third optical axis are substantially parallel to each other.

2. The projection display device according to claim 1 , wherein an optical axis of the image light emitted from the image generator and an optical axis of the illumination light emitted from the light diffuser are substantially parallel to each other.

3. The projection display device according to claim 2 , wherein an illumination area of the illumination light and an image display area of the image light at least partially overlap each other.

4. The projection display device according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination light has a wavelength spectrum wider than a wavelength spectrum of the image light.

5. The projection display device according to claim 1 , wherein the light diffuser includes a high color rendering conversion optical element that increases color rendering properties of the white light entering the light diffuser and outputs the white light.

6. The projection display device according to claim 1 , wherein the white light emitted from the light source unit is a superimposed light obtained by superimposing the predetermined color lights in a time division manner, and a superimposition period when the illumination light is emitted is shorter than a superimposition period when the image light is emitted.

7. The projection display device according to claim 1 , wherein the first optical axis, the second optical axis, and the third optical axis are substantially parallel to each other, and a direction of light travel along the first optical axis and the third optical axis is opposite to a direction of light travel along the second optical axis.

8. The projection display device according to claim 1 , wherein emitting directions of light along the first optical axis and the second optical axis are perpendicular to each other.

9. A projection display device comprising:

A light source unit that generates and emits a white light along a first optical axis;

a lighting unit provided on a second optical axis, the lighting unit splitting the white light into predetermined color lights and uniformizing an illuminance distribution of the predetermined color lights; and

an image generator including a display element that modulates the predetermined color lights uniformized by the lighting unit, according to an image signal, and a projection lens that emits and projects an image light including the predetermined color lights modulated along a third optical axis, wherein the first optical axis, the second optical axis, and the third optical axis are substantially parallel to each other, and a direction of light travel along the first optical axis and the third optical axis is opposite to a direction of light travel along the second optical axis.

10. The projection display device according to claim 9 , wherein, with respect to a plane formed by any two optical axes among the first optical axis, the second optical axis, and the third optical axis, one optical axis other than the any two optical axes is located on a plane different from the plane.

11. A projection display device comprising:

a light source unit that generates and emits a white light along a first optical axis;

a lighting unit provided on a second optical axis, the lighting unit splitting the white light into predetermined color lights and uniformizing an illuminance distribution of the predetermined color lights;

an image generator including a display element that modulates the predetermined color lights uniformized by the lighting unit, according to an image signal, and a projection lens that emits and projects an image light including the predetermined color lights modulated along a third optical axis; and

a light diffuser including a diffusion optical system that spreads the white light to a desired illumination area and projects the spread white light as an illumination light, wherein

the first optical axis and the third optical axis are substantially parallel to each other.

12. The projection display device according to claim 11 , wherein the light diffuser includes a high color rendering conversion optical element that increases color rendering properties of the white light entering the light diffuser and outputs the white light.

13. The projection display device according to claim 11 , wherein the first optical axis, the second optical axis, and the third optical axis are substantially parallel to each other, and a direction of light travel along the first optical axis and the third optical axis is opposite to a direction of light travel along the second optical axis.

14. The projection display device according to claim 11 , wherein emitting directions of light along the first optical axis and the second optical axis are perpendicular to each other.