The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Jul. 13, 2021

Filed:

Jun. 17, 2016
Applicant:

3m Innovative Properties Company, St. Paul, MN (US);

Inventors:

Andrew J. Ouderkirk, St. Paul, MN (US);

Zhisheng Yun, Woodbury, MN (US);

Erin A. McDowell, Afton, MN (US);

Timothy L. Wong, St. Paul, MN (US);

Kandyce M. Bohannon, White Bear Lake, MN (US);

Assignee:
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G02B 27/01 (2006.01); G02B 5/04 (2006.01); G02B 27/00 (2006.01); G02B 27/28 (2006.01); G03B 21/20 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G02B 27/0172 (2013.01); G02B 5/04 (2013.01); G02B 27/0093 (2013.01); G02B 27/283 (2013.01); G02B 27/285 (2013.01); G02B 27/286 (2013.01); G03B 21/208 (2013.01); G03B 21/2066 (2013.01); G03B 21/2073 (2013.01); G02B 2027/0178 (2013.01);
Abstract

A folded light path illuminator is provided. The illuminator may include a polarizing beam splitter having an input face, an output face and an imager face, a light source disposed adjacent the input face and defining an input active area on the input face, and an image forming device disposed adjacent the imager face for receiving light emitted from the light source and emitting a patterned light, which may be a converging patterned light. The image forming device may have a largest image area which defines an output active area on the output face. One or both of the input active area and the output active area may be less than about half the largest image area. The polarizing beam splitter may include first and second prisms and the volume of the first prism may be no greater than half the volume of the second prism.


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