Reflective polarizing plate apparatus, electro-optic apparatus, optical apparatus, and projector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9420244-B2
Application number	US-201213542402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2012
Priority date	Jul 14, 2011
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A reflective polarizing plate apparatus includes a reflective polarizing plate that transmits first linearly polarized light and reflects second linearly polarized light polarized in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the first linearly polarized light is polarized, a holding member that accommodates and holds the reflective polarizing plate, and a first biasing member that biases a glass surface of the reflective polarizing plate accommodated in the holding member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reflective polarizing plate apparatus comprising:
a reflective polarizing plate that transmits first linearly polarized light and reflects second linearly polarized light polarized in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the first linearly polarized light is polarized;
a holding member that accommodates and holds the reflective polarizing plate;
a first biasing member that biases a flat surface of the reflective polarizing plate accommodated in the holding member; and
a second biasing member that biases a side surface of the reflective polarizing plate accommodated in the holding member,
wherein
the second biasing member includes a first biasing portion and a second biasing portion that presses against both ends of the side surface, and
the second biasing member is disposed between the holding member, which overlaps a first surface of the reflective polarizing plate, and the first biasing member, which overlaps a second surface of the reflective polarizing plate opposite to the first surface.

2. The reflective polarizing plate apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reflective polarizing plate is so accommodated that a functional surface thereof faces an accommodating portion of the holding member, and
the first biasing member biases a surface facing away from the functional surface.

3. The reflective polarizing plate apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first biasing member has a light-blocking capability and an opening that ensures a predetermined effective region, and
the opening has a substantially trapezoidal shape.

4. An electro-optic apparatus comprising:
the reflective polarizing plate apparatus according to claim 1 ;
a reflective light modulating device that modulates the first linearly polarized light having passed through the reflective polarizing plate apparatus in accordance with image information to form image light and reflects the image light as the second linearly polarized light; and
a substantially triangularly columnar-shaped supporting member having a first surface that supports the reflective polarizing plate apparatus, a second surface that supports the reflective light modulating device, and a third surface,
wherein the reflective polarizing plate apparatus is so supported by and fixed to the first surface that a functional surface of the accommodated reflective polarizing plate faces the reflective light modulating device.

5. The reflective polarizing plate apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the first biasing member includes an opening and first springs,
the first springs are formed in one set of sides of the first biasing member facing each other across the opening, and
the second biasing member is positioned in a portion of the holding member other than where the first springs contact the holding member.

6. The electro-optic apparatus according to claim 4 ,
further comprising an adjuster that angularly adjusts the reflective polarizing plate relative to the reflective light modulating device by allowing the reflective polarizing plate apparatus to pivot in the plane thereof relative to the first surface of the supporting member.

7. The electro-optic apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the adjuster includes
engaging portions that are formed on the supporting member and the holding member and allow the holding member to pivot, and
a fixing portion that fixes the holding member to the supporting member.

8. An optical apparatus comprising:
the electro-optic apparatus according to claim 4 provided for each of red, green, and blue three color light fluxes; and
a cross dichroic prism that has surfaces on which the corresponding electro-optic apparatus are disposed, combines the image light fluxes modulated and outputted by the electro-optic apparatus, and outputs the combined image light.

9. A projector comprising:
the optical apparatus according to claim 8 .

10. A reflective polarizing plate apparatus comprising:
a reflective polarizing plate that transmits first linearly polarized light and reflects second linearly polarized light polarized in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the first linearly polarized light is polarized;
a holding member that accommodates and holds the reflective polarizing plate; and
a first biasing member that biases a flat surface of the reflective polarizing plate accommodated in the holding member,
wherein
the first biasing member includes an opening, first springs, second springs, and a pair of engaging pieces,
the first springs are formed in one set of sides of the first biasing member facing each other across the opening,
the second springs extend away from the first springs and are inclined in a direction that separates away from the reflective polarizing plate as a distance from the first springs increases, and
the pair of engaging pieces are formed in another set of sides of the first biasing member facing each other across the opening, and are engaging the holding member.

11. The reflective polarizing plate apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the holding member has three holding portions that come into contact with, and hold one surface of, the reflective polarizing plate, and
the first biasing member has three biasing portions in positions facing the three holding portions, and the three biasing portions press and bias the other surface of the reflective polarizing plate.

12. The reflective polarizing plate apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein each of the biasing portions has a substantially spherical tip and protrudes toward the other surface.

13. The reflective polarizing plate apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the reflective polarizing plate has a rectangular shape, and
the holding portions come into contact with the one surface of the reflective polarizing plate in such a way that one of the holding portions comes into contact with one edge portion and the remaining two holding portions come into contact with the other edge portion facing the edge portion.

14. The reflective polarizing plate apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the two holding portions that come into contact with the other edge portion are disposed in positions substantially symmetrical with respect to a central line passing through the holding portion that comes into contact with the one edge portion and perpendicular to an exterior side of the other edge portion of the reflective polarizing plate.

15. An electro-optic apparatus comprising:
the reflective polarizing plate apparatus according to claim 10 ;
a reflective light modulating device that modulates the first linearly polarized light having passed through the reflective polarizing plate apparatus in accordance with image information to form image light and reflects the image light as the second linearly polarized light; and
a substantially triangularly columnar-shaped supporting member having a first surface that supports the reflective polarizing plate apparatus, a second surface that supports the reflective light modulating device, and a third surface,
wherein the reflective polarizing plate apparatus is so supported by and fixed to the first surface that a functional surface of the accommodated reflective polarizing plate faces the reflective light modulating device.

16. The electro-optic apparatus according to claim 15 ,
further comprising an adjuster that angularly adjusts the reflective polarizing plate relative to the reflective light modulating device by allowing the reflective polarizing plate app

Assignees

• Wakabayashi Shinichi
• Nakano Hirohisa
• Nagarekawa Satoru
• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Wakabayashi Shinichi
• Nakano Hirohisa
• Nagarekawa Satoru

Classifications

• H04N9/3167 Primary

  for polarizing the light beam (polarizing optical systems per se G02B27/28) · CPC title

• H04N9/3105

  for displaying all colours simultaneously, e.g. by using two or more electronic spatial light modulators (simultaneous projection in colour photography G03B33/10; beam splitting or combining systems per se G02B27/10) · CPC title

• G03B33/12

  using beam-splitting or beam-combining systems, e.g. dichroic mirrors · CPC title

• G03B21/2073

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

• G03B21/145 Primary

  Housing details, e.g. position adjustments thereof · CPC title