IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,754,916
Granted Patent B2
US 11,754,916 · App. 17/156,046 · Granted Sep 12, 2023

Projection system and projector that have a shorter projection distance

Inventor: Eiji Morikuni (Matsumoto, JP)
Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
G03B21/28G02B17/0816G03B21/2066
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,754,916
App. No.
17/156,046
Granted
Sep 12, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A projection system includes a first optical system and a second optical system including an optical element and disposed on the enlargement side of the first optical system. The optical element has a first transmissive surface, a first reflection surface disposed on the enlargement side of the first transmissive surface, a second reflection surface disposed on the enlargement side of the first reflection surface, and a second transmissive surface disposed on the enlargement side of the second reflection surface. The second reflection surface has a concave shape. A first optical axis of the first optical system and a second optical axis of the second reflection surface intersect each other.

Claims (51)

1. A projection system comprising:

a first optical system; and

a second optical system including an optical element and disposed on an enlargement side of the first optical system, wherein:

the optical element has a first transmissive surface, a first reflection surface disposed on the enlargement side of the first transmissive surface, a second reflection surface disposed on the enlargement side of the first reflection surface, and a second transmissive surface disposed on the enlargement side of the second reflection surface,

the second reflection surface has a concave shape,

a first optical axis of the first optical system and a second optical axis of the second reflection surface intersect each other,

the first transmissive surface and the first reflection surface are located on one side of the first optical axis,

the second reflection surface is located on other side of the first optical axis,

the optical element includes only two reflection surfaces and only two transmissive surfaces, which are the first transmissive surface, the first reflection surface, the second reflection surface and the second transmissive surface with the first reflection surface and the second reflection surface being the only reflection surfaces along an optical path between the first transmissive surface and the second transmissive surface,

the first reflection surface reflects a light flux passing through the first transmissive surface in a direction that intersects the first optical axis,

the first reflection surface reflects by 90° the light flux passing through the first transmissive surface, and

the first reflection surface is a flat mirror.

2. The projection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first transmissive surface, the first reflection surface, and the second reflection surface are located on one side of the second optical axis, and

the second transmissive surface is located on other side of the second optical axis.

3. The projection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first optical system includes a plurality of lenses and a deflector.

4. The projection system according to claim 3 ,

wherein the deflector is disposed in an air gap having a largest axial inter-surface distance along the first optical axis out of a plurality of air gaps provided between the lenses adjacent to each other in the first optical system, and

the first optical system includes a first section disposed on a reduction side of the deflector and a second section disposed on the enlargement side of the deflector.

5. The projection system according to claim 3 ,

wherein the deflector is a flat mirror.

6. The projection system according to claim 4 ,

wherein the first section has positive power, and

the second section has negative power.

7. The projection system according to claim 4 ,

wherein a second length that is an overall length of the second section is shorter than a first length that is an overall length of the first section.

8. The projection system according to claim 4 ,

wherein a reduction-side image formation plane of the projection system is parallel to an enlargement-side image formation plane of the projection system.

9. The projection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein a reduction-side image formation plane of the projection system intersects an enlargement-side image formation plane of the projection system.

10. The projection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second transmissive surface has a convex shape protruding toward the enlargement side.

11. The projection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first light transmissive surface has a convex shape protruding toward a reduction side.

12. The projection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein at least one of the first transmissive surface, the second reflection surface, and the second transmissive surface is an aspheric surface.

13. The projection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein between the first optical system and the second optical system, a gap between chief rays therein decreases as the chief rays approach the second optical system.

14. The projection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein an intermediate image is formed on a reduction side of the second reflection surface.

15. A projector comprising:

the projection system according to claim 1 ; and

an image formation section that forms a projection image in a reduction-side image formation plane of the projection system.

16. The projection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first optical axis and the second optical axis are perpendicular to each other.

17. The projection system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first transmissive surface is located on both sides of the first optical axis and on only one side of the second optical axis,

the first reflection surface is located on only one side of the first optical axis and on only one side of the second optical axis,

the second reflection surface is located on only one side of the first optical axis and on both sides of the second optical axis, and

the first optical axis and the second optical axis are perpendicular to each other.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 22, 2021
From: MORIKUNI, EIJI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055003/0881 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-009800 · Jan 24, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210232034A1 · Jul 29, 2021