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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 14, 2000
Filed:
Mar. 20, 1998
Yoshiharu Sakai, Yaita, JP;
Kazuhiro Inoko, Yaita, JP;
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A polarized-light converting elemental device which can produce an accurately unidirectionally and circularly polarized light with a minimized loss of light and a projection-type display device using said unidirectionally-polarized-light converting elemental device are provided. A polarized-light converting elemental device comprises a mirror glass portion consisting of an array of mirror glass blocks each having a first reflecting optical element and a second reflecting optical element and a cholesteric-liquid-crystal glass portion including a cholesteric liquid crystal layer for reflecting either clockwise circularly polarized component or anticlockwise circularly polarized component and transmitting the other. Natural light from the left side is split into two directions by the first reflecting optical element. Light reflected from the cholesteric liquid crystal is reflected by the second reflecting optical element to alter its rotation direction and then transmitted through the cholesteric liquid crystal. The construction of the element can obtain outgoing light beams having the same rotation direction and propagate in two departing directions. A projection-type display device using the unidirectionally polarized light producing element is also provided (not shown).