Color wheel including light deflecting means

Abstract

A color wheel includes lens structures, which are formed on a surface of a substrate opposite to a surface having filter sectors, and which have curved surfaces formed at their abutting ends and positioned along a boundary between adjacent filter sectors. Light impinging on an area of the substrate corresponding to the boundary is deflected due to one of the curved surfaces so as to be surely guided into one of the adjacent filter sectors and to be duly dispersed into a predetermined color, whereby light can be efficiently utilized.

1. A color wheel comprising:
 a disk-like substrate made of a light-transmittable material;  
 plural kinds of filter sectors formed on a surface of the substrate and functioning to selectively transmit lights having respective different wavelength bands; and  
 a plurality of light deflecting means to change an optical path of light impinging on an area corresponding to a boundary between adjacent filter sectors so as to guide the light into one of the adjacent filter sectors, wherein the light deflecting means are lens structures formed integrally with the substrate.  
 
     
     
       2. A color wheel comprising:
 a disk-like substrate made of a light-transmittable material;  
 plural kinds of filter sectors formed on a surface of the substrate and functioning to selectively transmit lights having respective different wavelength bands; and  
 a plurality of light deflecting means to change an optical path of light impinging on an area corresponding to a boundary between adjacent filter sectors so as to guide the light into one of the adjacent filter sectors, wherein the substrate consists of a lower refractive index portion and a higher refractive index portion, and wherein the light deflecting means are lens structures constituted by the higher refractive index portion.  
 
     
     
       3. A color wheel according to  claim 1 , further comprising a motor arranged to rotate the color wheel. 
     
     
       4. A color wheel according to  claim 3 , further comprising an image display apparatus including the color wheel and the motor. 
     
     
       5. A color wheel according to  claim 2 , further comprising a motor arranged to rotate the color wheel. 
     
     
       6. A color wheel according to  claim 5 , further comprising an image display apparatus including the color wheel and the motor. 
     
     
       7. The color wheel according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the lens structures includes a curved surface. 
     
     
       8. The color wheel according to  claim 1 , wherein the lens structures are raised relative to the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       9. The color wheel according to  claim 1 , wherein the lens structures are flush with the surface of the substrate such that the at least one curved surface of the lens structures is recessed relative to the surface of the substrate.