Polarizing beam splitters providing high resolution images and systems utilizing such beam splitters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10591742-B2
Application number	US-201916419103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2019
Priority date	Nov 28, 2011
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

Polarizing beam splitters and systems incorporating such beam splitters are described. More specifically, polarizing beam splitters and systems with such beam splitters that incorporate multilayer optical films and reflect imaged light towards a viewer or viewing screen with high effective resolution are described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A polarizing beam splitter comprising: a reflective polarizer disposed between first and second prisms; and an optical layer bonding the reflective polarizer to at least one of the first and second prisms, wherein the polarizing beam splitter is configured to reflect an imaged light towards a viewer or a screen, an effective pixel resolution of the imaged light being less than 12 microns after reflection from the polarizing beam splitter.

2. The polarizing beam splitter of claim 1 , wherein the optical layer is an optical adhesive.

3. The polarizing beam splitter of claim 1 , wherein the effective pixel resolution of the imaged light is less than 9 microns after reflection from the polarizing beam splitter.

4. The polarizing beam splitter of claim 1 , wherein the effective pixel resolution of the imaged light is less than 6 microns after reflection from the polarizing beam splitter.

5. The polarizing beam splitter of claim 1 , wherein the first and second prisms comprise glass or plastic.

6. A projection system, comprising:
the polarizing beam splitter of claim 1 ; and
an imager positioned adjacent to the polarizing beam splitter.

7. The projection system of claim 6 , wherein the imager comprises a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) imager.

8. The projection system of claim 6 , wherein the imager comprises a digital light processing (DLP) imager.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Carls Joseph C
• Lee Seong Taek
• Teo Yeow Leng
• Chan Kin Sheng
• Cheng Xiaohui

Classifications

• G02B27/283 Primary

  used for beam splitting or combining · CPC title

• G02B27/286

  for controlling or changing the state of polarisation, e.g. transforming one polarisation state into another (G02B5/3083 takes precedence; light guide coupling means utilising polarising elements G02B6/34) · CPC title

• G02B30/25

  using polarisation techniques · CPC title

• G03B21/14

  Details · CPC title

• G02B5/3041

  comprising multiple thin layers, e.g. multilayer stacks · CPC title