Image projecting apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is an image projecting apparatus having two reflective mirrors. In an image projecting apparatus which forms a desired image on a digital micromirror panel (DMD) by projecting a ray of light from a light source thereonto, the surface parallel with the longer side of the movable mirror surface of the DMD panel and vertical to the movable mirror surface is parallel with the optical axis of the light source. The first reflective mirror reflects the ray of light from the light source at a predetermined angle, and the second reflective mirror is arranged to face the first reflective mirror and reflect the reflective light from the first reflective mirror to fall incident on the movable mirror surface of the DMD panel. The distance from the center of the DMD panel to the optical axis is minimized, and as a result, the overall height of the image projecting apparatus is reduced.

1 . An image projecting apparatus forming an image by projecting a light irradiated from a light source onto a digital micromirror panel, comprising: 
 the digital micromirror panel configured such that a normal plane of a movable mirror surface of the digital micromirror panel, which is parallel with a longer side of the movable mirror surface, is parallel with an optical axis of the light source;    a first reflective mirror configured to reflect the light from the light source at a predetermined angle;    a second reflective mirror configured to receive the light reflected from the first reflective mirror and to reflect the light onto the movable mirror surface of the digital micromirror panel; and    a prism, wherein the light reflected onto the movable mirror surface of the digital micromirror panel by the second reflective mirror is also reflected by the prism.    
   
   
       2 . The image projecting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second reflective mirrors are configured such that an optical path of the light from the light source does not cross the normal plane of the digital micromirror panel until the light is incident on the movable mirror surface.  
   
   
       3 . The image projecting apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a square beam generator provided between the light source and the first reflective mirror, the square beam generator configured to transform the light from the light source into a square beam of a predetermined aspect ratio and to output the transformed square beam, 
 wherein the digital micromirror panel is arranged such that the square beam from the square beam generator is incident on a corresponding part of the movable mirror surface.    
   
   
       4 . The image projecting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the prism is a total internal reflection prism.