Abstract: A projector is mainly composed of a polarized light beam illumination device, a collimating lens, polarized beam splitter, a reflection-type liquid crystal device, and a projection optical system. The polarized light beam illumination device includes a light source, a first optical element, and a second optical element. Light emitted from the light source is divided into a plurality of intermediate light beams by the first optical element, and then converted into polarized light beams having substantially one polarization direction by the second optical element. The polarized light beams enter the collimating lens, are transmitted by the polarized beam splitter, modulated by the reflection-type liquid crystal device, reflected by the polarized beam splitter, and then projected on a projection plane via the projection optical system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lighting device that has two lamp units and is suitable for a light source of a projector-type display apparatus to realize bright illumination, and also a projector-type display apparatus with such a lighting device incorporated therein. The lighting device includes a light source unit and an integrator optical system and enables an illumination area to be illuminated uniformly and evenly with the light emitted from the light source unit and transmitted via the integrator optical system. The light source unit includes a pair of lamp units arranged in parallel, and a reflector of each lamp unit has a contour with both sides cut off. The pair of lamp units are preferably arrayed in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the illumination area. This structure realizes a small-sized, compact lighting device with a high quantity of output light.

Abstract: A polarization luminaire is disclosed having a light source, a system of the optical integrator, a polarized light splitting device for splitting a light emitted from the light source into two kinds of polarized lights whose polarization directions are perpendicular to each other and whose traveling directions are apart from each other by an angle of less than 90 degrees, and a polarization conversion device for causing the two kinds of polarized lights to have the same polarization direction. The polarized light splitting device is placed on one of the entrance side and the outputting side of the first lens plate of the system of the optical integrator or is placed within the second lens plate. A prism beam splitter having a polarized light splitting film constituted by a thermally stable dielectric multi-layer film is suitable for the polarized light splitting device. Most of the polarized lights can be utilized by causing the polarized lights to have the same polarization direction.

Abstract: A polarization luminaire is disclosed having a light source, a system of the optical integrator, a polarized light splitting device for splitting a light emitted from the light source into two kinds of polarized lights whose polarization directions are perpendicular to each other and whose traveling directions are apart from each other by an angle of less than 90 degrees, and a polarization conversion device for causing the two kinds of polarized lights to have the same polarization direction. The polarized light splitting device is placed on one of the entrance side and the outputting side of the first lens plate of the system of the optical integrator or is placed within the second lens plate. A prism beam splitter having a polarized light splitting film constituted by a thermally stable dielectric multi-layer film is suitable for the polarized light splitting device. Most of the polarized lights can be utilized by causing the polarized lights to have the same polarization direction.

Abstract: A cold head is disposed in an insulating container and cooled by a refrigerator. A superconductor is disposed in the insulating container, contacting the cold head, and is cooled to its superconduction transition temperature or lower by heat conduction. A magnetizing coil is disposed outside the insulating container for applying a magnetic field to the superconductor. Control is performed so that a magnetic field determined considering the magnetic field to be captured by the superconductor is applied. A pulsed magnetic field is applied to the superconductor a plurality of times. Each pulsed magnetic field is applied when the temperature of the superconductor is a predetermined temperature or lower. A maximum pulsed magnetic field is applied at least once in an initial or intermediate stage of the repeated application of pulsed magnetic fields. After that, a pulsed magnetic field equal to or less than the maximum pulsed magnetic field is applied.

Abstract: A polarization luminaire is disclosed having a light source, a system of the optical integrator, a polarized light splitting device for splitting a light emitted from the light source into two kinds of polarized lights whose polarization directions are perpendicular to each other and whose traveling directions are apart from each other by an angle of less than 90 degrees, and a polarization conversion device for causing the two kinds of polarized lights to have the same polarization direction. The polarized light splitting device is placed on one of the entrance side and the outputting side of the first lens plate of the system of the optical integrator or is placed within the second lens plate. A prism beam splitter having a polarized light splitting film constituted by a thermally stable dielectric multi-layer film is suitable for the polarized light splitting device. Most of the polarized lights can be utilized by causing the polarized lights to have the same polarization direction.

Abstract: A polarization luminaire is disclosed having a light source, a system of the optical integrator, a polarized light splitting device for splitting a light emitted from the light source into two kinds of polarized lights whose polarization directions are perpendicular to each other and whose traveling directions are apart from each other by an angle of less than 90 degrees, and a polarization conversion device for causing the two kinds of polarized lights to have the same polarization direction. The polarized light splitting device is placed on one of the entrance side and the outputting side of the first lens plate of the system of the optical integrator or is placed within the second lens plate. A prism beam splitter having a polarized light splitting film constituted by a thermally stable dielectric multi-layer film is suitable for the polarized light splitting device. Most of the polarized lights can be utilized by causing the polarized lights to have the same polarization direction.

Abstract: A dispensing apparatus for thin flat articles, such as monetary currency bills, includes a plenum chamber having an aperture of a size smaller than the articles to be dispensed. A suction device is connected to the plenum chamber to provide sufficient negative pressure to adhere an article to the aperture. A contact member, such as an endless belt, is mounted for movement across the aperture to drive the article adhering to the aperture for release from the stack of articles. The stack of articles can be stored in a storage tray and biased towards the plenum chamber aperture. A series of spacer members can relieve part of the bias pressure. The released articles can be counted and stored in a storage chamber until a predetermined number of articles are accumulated. Subsequently, the passageway from the storage chamber to a dispenser tray can be opened and the articles ejected to the user.

Abstract: A cold head is disposed in an insulating container and cooled by a refrigerator. A superconductor is disposed in the insulating container, contacting the cold head, and is cooled to its superconduction transition temperature or lower by heat conduction. A magnetizing coil is disposed outside the insulating container for applying a magnetic field to the superconductor. Control is performed so that a magnetic field determined considering the magnetic field to be captured by the superconductor is applied. A pulsed magnetic field is applied to the superconductor a plurality of times. Each pulsed magnetic field is applied when the temperature of the superconductor is a predetermined temperature or lower. A maximum pulsed magnetic field is applied at least once in an initial or intermediate stage of the repeated application of pulsed magnetic fields. After that, a pulsed magnetic field equal to or less than the maximum pulsed magnetic field is applied.

Abstract: The invention provides a plate-shaped polarized light separation device that has a repetitive structure of polarized light separation film surfaces and reflective film surfaces arranged alternately at a fine pitch, along with a projection display apparatus that uses this polarized light separation device. In the process of manufacturing the polarized light separation device, first a glass block is formed by alternately pasting together plate glass with a polarized light separation film made up of a multi-layer thin film of inorganic material upon its surface and plate glass with a reflecting film upon its surface, and this glass block is cut obliquely to the pasted surfaces. A projection that is usable at the time of the positioning of the polarization beam splitter may be provided on at least one side of this plate-shaped block that is thus cut out.

Abstract: A projection-type display apparatus (1) is comprised of an illumination optical system (2A), a color separating system (4) for separating a white beam (W) from the illumination optical system into color beams (R, G, B), three liquid crystal panels (5R, 5G, 5B) for modulating the separated color beams, a light guide system (9) located on an optical path of the beam (G) having the longest optical path among the separated color beams respectively incident on the three light valves, a dichroic prism (6) for synthesizing the beams modulated through the liquid crystal panels, and a projection lens (7) for projecting the synthesized and modulated beam onto a screen (8). The illumination optical system (2A) is provided with a uniform illumination optical device (3) for converting the white beam into a uniform rectangular beam.

Abstract: The invention provides a polarizing illumination device in which randomly polarized lights emitted from first and second light source sections, respectively, are directionally separated into two types of polarized lights by a polarization-separating-and-synthesizing optical element, and then, secondary light source images, which are offset in the x direction, are formed and the direction of polarization is unified.

Abstract: The invention provides a polarizing illumination device in which randomly polarized light beams emitted from first and second light source sections, respectively, are directionally separated into two types of polarized light beams by a polarization separating optical element to form three types of polarization light beams whose directions of polarization mutually intersect perpendicularly, and then, one of the polarized light beam is returned to the light source sections to rotate the direction of polarization, other two types of polarized light beams are condensed at spatially different positions, and the directions of polarization of the polarized light beams are unified. Therefore, a polarizing illumination device that is able to utilize both polarized light components by using a plurality of light sources without increasing the illumination angle can be provided, and a projector that is able to project an extremely bright projection image can also be provided.

Abstract: A polarization luminaire is disclosed having a light source, a system of the optical integrator, a polarized light splitting device for splitting a light emitted from the light source into two kinds of polarized lights whose polarization directions are perpendicular to each other and whose traveling directions are apart from each other by an angle of less than 90 degrees, and a polarization conversion device for causing the two kinds of polarized lights to have the same polarization direction. The polarized light splitting device is placed on one of the entrance side and the outputting side of the first lens plate of the system of the optical integrator or is placed within the second lens plate. A prism beam splitter having a polarized light splitting film constituted by a thermally stable dielectric multi-layer film is suitable for the polarized light splitting device. Most of the polarized lights can be utilized by causing the polarized lights to have the same polarization direction.

Abstract: In a polarized light illumination apparatus, randomly polarized lights emitted from first and second light sources are respectively separated by a polarized light separating and combining element into two different types of polarized lights. Secondary light source images are formed at locations shifted from each other in an x direction, whereby polarization is aligned in the same single direction. At least two condensing mirror plates of first to third condensing mirror plates are shifted in parallel from the center axis of the polarized light separating and combining optical element so that secondary light source images formed by z-polarized lights (polarized in a z direction) emitted from the first and second light sources are superimposed upon each other, and secondary light source images formed by x-polarized lights (polarized in an x direction) emitted from the first and second light sources are superimposed upon each other.

Abstract: A polarization luminaire is disclosed having a light source, a system of the optical integrator, a polarized light splitting device for splitting a light emitted from the light source into two kinds of polarized lights whose polarization directions are perpendicular to each other and whose traveling directions are apart from each other by an angle of less than 90 degrees, and a polarization conversion device for causing the two kinds of polarized lights to have the same polarization direction. The polarized light splitting device is placed on one of the entrance side and the outputting side of the first lens plate of the system of the optical integrator or is placed within the second lens plate. A prism beam splitter having a polarized light splitting film constituted by a thermally stable dielectric multi-layer film is suitable for the polarized light splitting device. Most of the polarized lights can be utilized by causing the polarized lights to have the same polarization direction.

Abstract: A projection-type display apparatus includes a light source, a uniform illumination optical system, a color separating system for separating a white light beam emitted from the uniform illumination optical system into three color beams, three liquid crystal panels for respectively modulating each of the separated color beams, a light guide system located on an optical path of the color beam having the longest optical path among the separated color beams, a dichroic prism for synthesizing the beams modulated through the liquid crystal panels, and a projection lens for projecting the synthesized and modulated beam onto a screen. The uniform illumination optical system is provided with a uniform illumination optical device for converting the white light beam emitted from the light source into a uniform beam.

Abstract: A polarization conversion system comprises a polarized light selective reflector that divides incident unpolarized light into first and second types of polarized light, transmits the first type of polarized light and reflects the second type of polarized light, a relay optical system that relays an incident light beam onto the polarized light selective reflector, a polarized light reflector, disposed on an optical path of a reflected light beam reflected by the polarized light selective reflector, that reflect the reflected light beam back to the polarized light selective reflector while converting the second type of polarized light to polarized light of the first type.

Abstract: An upper portion and lower portion of a first lens array may be relatively offset from each other in an x direction. A second lens array is also offset correspondingly to the first lens array. Since an angle at which a partial light beam transmitted through the upper portions of the first and second lens arrays illuminates an area of illumination is different from an angle at which a partial light beam transmitted through the lower portions of the first and second lens arrays illuminates the area of illumination, dark lines generated by these partial light beams appear in different positions on a screen. With this arrangement, the dark lines resulting from the center line of a cross-dichroic prism are made less visible.

Abstract: A polarizing conversion device in accordance with the invention includes a first optical element for condensing an incident beam and forming a plurality of intermediate beams spatially separated from one another, and a second optical element for spatially separating each intermediate beam into two polarized beams and aligning the polarization directions of the polarized beams, thereby obtaining the same type of polarized beams. In the second optical element, a shading plate is placed to prevent light from directly entering a section corresponding to a reflecting plane of a polarizing separation unit array. Since the ability of separating the intermediate beam into two polarized beams is thereby enhanced, it is possible to perform conversion into the same type of polarized beams polarized in the same direction, with high efficiency.