1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a projection apparatus, and particularly, to a projection apparatus capable of diminishing ghost images.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional projection apparatus with a field lens structure, a problem hard to solve is when an illumination beam is directly reflected by the field lens to a projection lens without passing through a light valve, unexpected light spots (i.e. ghost images) on a screen then occurs due to the reflected illumination beam. So far, a solution replying to the aforesaid problem is to increase an offset of a light valve with respect to a projection lens, or by using an optical thin film coating to diminish stray light (i.e. ghost image) resulting from the illumination beam being directly reflected by the field lens.
However, the methods have the following disadvantages. In the first method, the projection it is difficult to design lenses and the volume of the projection apparatus is increased as well. In the second method, since the reflectivity of the optical thin film coating may not reach 0%, slight ghost images still occurs, and the cost of the optical thin film coating is higher.
On the other hand, several projection apparatuses are provided. Taiwan Patent No. 00491364 discloses a projection apparatus consisting of an illumination optical system and an image forming system. The illumination optical system includes a light source and an illumination system, and the image forming system includes a field lens, an image-forming lens set, a stop, and a screen. The projection apparatus further includes at least one blade disposed in front of a surface of the field lens facing the light source, so as to shield or absorb a reflected beam resulting in ghost images.
Besides, Taiwan Patent No. 1264606 also discloses a projection apparatus, mainly including a light source system, a micro-mirror device, an image forming lens set, and a light-shielding sheet. The light-shielding sheet is disposed between the micro-mirror device and the image forming lens set to shield bias light, such that ghost images resulting from the bias light during image formation of the projection apparatus are avoided.
Moreover, Taiwan Patent No. 00560186 and U.S. Pat. No. 65,579,999 disclose an image projection system having a reflective imaging device and a projection device. The image projection system is characterized in that a quarter wave plate is provided between the reflective imaging device and projection lens so as to suppress reflections from the projection lens from reaching the reflective imaging device.
The invention provides a projection apparatus. The projection apparatus utilizes a light-shielding element to shield stray light such that ghost images are effectively reduced.
Other objects and advantages of the invention may be further understood by referring to the technical features broadly embodied and described as follows.
In order to achieve at least one of the above advantages or other advantages, an embodiment of the invention provides a projection apparatus including at least one light source, a field lens, a light valve, and a projection lens. The light source is capable of providing an illumination beam. The field lens is disposed in a transmission path of the illumination beam which includes an effective beam and a ghost beam. The transmission path of the illumination beam includes an effective beam path and a ghost beam path. The effective beam is capable of being transmitted along the effective beam path and passing through the field lens. The ghost beam is capable of being transmitted along the ghost beam path and reflected by the field lens. The light valve is disposed in the effective beam path of the effective beam passing through the field lens and capable of converting the effective beam into an image beam, wherein the image beam is capable of passing through the filed lens. The projection lens includes a first lens group, an aperture stop, and a first light-shielding element. The first lens group is disposed in a transmission path of the image beam passing through the field lens and disposed in the ghost beam path of the ghost beam reflected by the field lens. The aperture stop is disposed in the transmission path of the image beam and the ghost beam path of the ghost beam reflected by the field lens, and located between the light valve and the first lens group. The first lens group includes a first lens furthest away from the aperture stop. Besides, the first light-shielding element is disposed in at least a portion of the ghost beam path between the first lens and the aperture stop.
Based on the above, in the projection apparatus of the embodiment of the invention, the light-shielding element shields at least a portion of the ghost beam reflected by the field lens, so as to diminish unexpected light spots (i.e. ghost images) on a screen resulting from the ghost beam.
Other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will be further understood from the further technological features disclosed by the embodiments of the present invention wherein there are shown and described preferred embodiments of this invention, simply by way of illustration of modes best suited to carry out the invention.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. The components of the present invention can be positioned in a number of different orientations. As such, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. On the other hand, the drawings are only schematic and the sizes of components may be exaggerated for clarity. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” and “mounted” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. Similarly, the terms “facing,” “faces” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect facing, and “adjacent to” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass directly and indirectly “adjacent to”. Therefore, the description of “A” component facing “B” component herein may contain the situations that “A” component directly faces “B” component or one or more additional components are between “A” component and “B” component. Also, the description of “A” component “adjacent to” “B” component herein may contain the situations that “A” component is directly “adjacent to” “B” component or one or more additional components are between “A” component and “B” component. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
Please refer to both
The light source 110 is capable of providing an illumination beam 112. In the embodiment, the light source 110 is, for example, a light emitting diode (LED). However, in another embodiment, the light source 110 may be an ultra high pressure lamp (UHP lamp) or other appropriate light source. The field lens 120 is disposed in a transmission path 114 of the illumination beam 112, wherein the illumination beam 112 includes an effective beam 112a and a ghost beam 112b. The transmission path 114 of the illumination beam 112 includes an effective beam path 114a and a ghost beam path 114b. As shown in
The light valve 130 is disposed in the effective beam path 114a of the effective beam 112a passing through the field lens 120, and is a digital micro-mirror device (DMD), for example. However, in other embodiments, the light valve may be a liquid-crystal-on-silicon panel (LCOS panel). The light valve 130 is capable of converting the effective beam 112a into an image beam 112c, and the image beam 112c is capable of passing through the filed lens 120. The projection lens 140 includes a lens group 142, an aperture stop 144, and a light-shielding element S1. According to the embodiment, the light-shielding element S1 is, for example, a light-shielding sheet.
As shown in
On the other hand, the light-shielding element S1 is disposed in at least a portion of the ghost beam path 114b between the lens L1 and the aperture stop 144. After the ghost beam 112b and the image beam 112c pass through the aperture stop 144, the transmission paths 114b and 114c of the two beams 112b and 112c are separated from each other remarkably. Thus, the light-shielding element S1 behind and under the aperture stop 144 shields the ghost beam 112b effectively without affecting the transmission of image beam 114c. Herein the backward direction represents the x-direction in
Moreover, as shown in
The lens L2 is disposed in the effective beam path 114a and the ghost beam path 114b, and located between the light source 110 and the filed lens 120. The light uniforming element 150 is disposed in the effective beam path 114a and in the ghost beam path 114b, and located between the lens L2 and the filed lens 120. In the embodiment, the light uniforming element 150 is, for example, a lens array module or a light integration rod. As shown in
Please refer to
Moreover, as shown in
In the embodiment, an offset direction d1 of the light valve 130 with respect to an optical axis A of the projection lens 140 is substantially the same as a direction d2 from the optical axis A of the projection lens 140 to the light-shielding element S1 (i.e. the z-direction in
Similarly, in the embodiment, a direction d3 from an optical axis B of the effective beam 112a to the light-shielding element S2 is substantially the same as the offset direction d1 of the light valve 130 with respect to the optical axis A of the projection lens 140 (i.e. the z-direction in
The projection apparatus 200 of the embodiment is similar to the projection apparatus 100, while the major difference therebetween lies in the light-shielding element S3 of the projection apparatus 200 covers a corner C of the light uniforming element 150, wherein the light uniforming element 150 of the embodiment is the lens array module 152 (as shown in
On the other hand, the projection apparatus 200 of the embodiment further includes a lens L4 disposed in the effective beam path 114a and the ghost beam path 114b. As shown in
Please refer to
On the other hand, referring to
The projection apparatus 400 of the embodiment is similar to the projection apparatus 100 of
The light sources 110a and 110b are, for example, light sources emitting beams with different colors. The beam combining unit 170 is disposed in a transmission path 214 of an illumination beam 212 provided by the light source 110a, and disposed in a transmission path 314 of the illumination beam 312 provided by the light source 110b. Besides, the beam combining unit 170 is located between each of the light sources and the filed lens 120, so as to combine the transmission paths 214 and 314 of the illumination beams 212 and 312. Thus, an illumination beam same as the illumination beam 112 of
Specifically, the beam combining unit 170 reflects the effective beam 212a and the ghost beam 212b from the light source 110a to the light uniforming element 150. On the other hand, the effective beam 312a and the ghost beam 312b from the light source 110b pass through the beam combining unit 170 and is transmitted to the light uniforming element 150. Thus, an illumination beam same as the illumination beam 112 of
As shown in
On the other hand, the projection apparatus 400 of the embodiment includes two light-shielding elements S2, two lenses L2, and two lenses L3, and the two lenses L2 and the two lenses L3 respectively corresponds to the light sources 110a and 110b. The relative positions of the light-shielding element S2 and the lens L3 are the same as that in the first embodiment, and may be deduced by referring to
Based on the above, the projection apparatus of the embodiment of the invention utilizes the light-shielding element to shield at least a portion of the ghost beam (i.e. stray light) directly reflected by the field lens, such that unexpected light spots (i.e. ghost images) resulting from the ghost beam projecting on a screen during image formation are reduced. In other words, since the light-shielding element shields, at least a portion of the ghost beam, ghost images on a screen are diminished.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form or to exemplary embodiments disclosed. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art. The embodiments are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its best mode practical application, thereby to enable persons skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use or implementation contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents in which all terms are meant in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated. Therefore, the term “the invention”, “the present invention” or the like does not necessarily limit the claim scope to a specific embodiment, and the reference to particularly preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention does not imply a limitation on the invention, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The invention is limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The abstract of the disclosure is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract, which will allow a searcher to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure of any patent issued from this disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Any advantages and benefits described may not apply to all embodiments of the invention. It should be appreciated that variations may be made in the embodiments described by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. Moreover, no element and component in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element or component is explicitly recited in the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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98135642 | Oct 2009 | TW | national |
This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 98135642, filed on Oct. 21, 2009. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of specification.