Light modulation apparatus, optical module, and projector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10890834-B2
Application number	US-202016804902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2020
Priority date	Feb 28, 2019
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

A light modulation includes a light modulator, a first polarizer wherein light outputted from the light modulator is incident, and a second polarizer wherein light outputted from the first polarizer is incident. The first polarizer includes a first base having a first and second surface, a first light absorbing layer to face the first base, and a first inorganic polarization layer on the first surface, disposed between the first base and first light layer. The second polarizer includes a second base having a third and fourth surface, a second light absorbing layer to face the second base, and a second inorganic polarization layer on the third surface, disposed between the second base and second light layer. The first polarizer is disposed the first light layer faces a light exiting surface. The second polarizer is disposed the fourth surface of the second base faces the second surface of the first base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light modulation apparatus comprising:
a light modulator that modulates light;
a first polarizer on which light outputted from the light modulator is incident; and
a second polarizer on which light outputted from the first polarizer is incident,
wherein the first polarizer includes a first base having a first surface and a second surface, a first light absorbing layer so provided as to face the first base, and a first inorganic polarization layer provided on the first surface and disposed between the first base and the first light absorbing layer,
the second polarizer includes a second base having a third surface and a fourth surface, a second light absorbing layer so provided as to face the second base, and a second inorganic polarization layer provided on the third surface and disposed between the second base and the second light absorbing layer,
the first polarizer is so disposed that the first light absorbing layer faces a light exiting surface of the light modulator, and
the second polarizer is so disposed that the fourth surface of the second base faces the second surface of the first base.

2. The light modulation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first inorganic polarization layer is a wire-grid polarization layer.

3. The light modulation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second inorganic polarization layer is a wire-grid polarization layer.

4. The light modulation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second bases is made of low thermal expansion glass.

5. An optical module comprising:
a first light modulation apparatus that modulates first color light;
a second light modulation apparatus that modulates second color light;
a third light modulation apparatus that modulates third color light; and
a light combiner that combines the first color light modulated by the first light modulation apparatus, the second color light modulated by the second light modulation apparatus, and the third color light modulated by the third light modulation apparatus to produce combined light,
wherein at least one of the first light modulation apparatus, the second light modulation apparatus, and the third light modulation apparatus is the light modulation apparatus according to claim 1 .

6. A projector comprising:
a light source apparatus that outputs light;
the optical module according to claim 5 on which the light outputted from the light source apparatus is incident and which outputs the combined light; and
a projection optical apparatus that projects the combined light outputted from the optical module on a projection surface.

7. A projector comprising:
a light source apparatus that outputs light;
the light modulation apparatus according to claim 1 that modulates the light outputted from the light source apparatus; and
a projection optical apparatus that projects the light modulated by the light modulation apparatus on a projection surface.

8. A projector comprising:
a light source apparatus that outputs light;
the light modulation apparatus according to claim 2 that modulates the light outputted from the light source apparatus; and
a projection optical apparatus that projects the light modulated by the light modulation apparatus on a projection surface.

9. A projector comprising:
a light source apparatus that outputs light;
the light modulation apparatus according to claim 3 that modulates the light outputted from the light source apparatus; and
a projection optical apparatus that projects the light modulated by the light modulation apparatus on a projection surface.

10. A projector comprising:
a light source apparatus that outputs light;
the light modulation apparatus according to claim 4 that modulates the light outputted from the light source apparatus; and
a projection optical apparatus that projects the light modulated by the light modulation apparatus on a projection surface.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Masuda Tomoharu
• Yasuda Masanori
• Nakazaki Kohei

Classifications

• G03B21/208

  Homogenising, shaping of the illumination light · CPC title

• G03B21/2073

  Polarisers in the lamp house (peculiar to electronic spatial light modulators H04N9/3197) · CPC title

• G03B21/2066

  Reflectors in illumination beam (in projection beam G03B21/28) · CPC title

• G03B21/204

  using secondary light emission, e.g. luminescence or fluorescence (using different colours G03B33/00; if related to video signals H04N9/3197) · CPC title

• G02F1/133512

  Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix (G02F1/136209 takes precedence) · CPC title