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:
Jul. 01, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 24, 2000
Serge J. A. Bierhuizen, Wilsonville, OR (US);
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., Eindhoven, NL;
Abstract
An optical element suitable for separating and converting directions of polarization, comprising polarization-separating members arranged in a row which extends transversely to an optical principal axis of the optical element for separating incident light from a light source into transmitted light having a first linear direction of polarization and reflected light having a second linear direction of polarization which, on a side facing the light source, is orthogonal to the first direction of polarization, which polarization-separating members have faces extending at an angle to the optical principal axis, while each polarization-separating member has a thickness in the direction of the optical principal axis and a width in a direction transverse to the optical principal axis. The optical element further includes polarization-converting members arranged on a side of the polarization-separating members that faces away from the light source for converting either one of said first or said second direction of polarization into said second or said first direction of polarization. Polarization-separating members arranged proximate to the optical principal axis have a width which is different from the width of polarization-separating members spaced apart from the optical principal axis. The spacing between the optical axes of the polarization-separating members arranged proximate to the optical principal axis is different from the spacing between the optical axes of the polarization-separating members spaced apart from the optical principal axis.