Multi-lamp arrangement for optical systems

Abstract

A multi-lamp arrangement for optical systems comprising two lamps or more ( 10, 15 ) and a collective light guide ( 58 ), where each lamp is positioned such as to transmit light ( 20 ) into respective light guides ( 36, 46 ) that are both optically connected to the collective light guide ( 58 ). In one embodiment, one of the lamps is optically connected to the collective light guide by means of a mirror ( 38 )-and-prism ( 40 ) arrangement and an intermediate light guide ( 30 ) and an intermediate mirror ( 32 )-and-prism ( 34 ) arrangement. The invention also comprises an augmented color modulator ( 62 ) with a number of color fields, where the number of identical color fields are equal to the number of lamps. The invented multi-lamp system will produce a flux level that is equal to or better than known systems but with fewer lamps, thus yielding reduced material cost, manufaturing cost and operating costs, reduced power consumption and reduced product temeperature.

1. A multi-lamp arrangement for optical systems comprising two lamps or more and a collective light guide, characterized in that each lamp is positioned such as to transmit light into respective first and second light guides that are both optically connected to the collective light guide and in that the first lamp is arranged to project its respective light beams in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the direction of the light emitted from the second lamp. 
     
     
       2. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 1 , characterized in that the second light guide is optically connected to the collective light guide by a mirror and prism arrangement. 
     
     
       3. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 1 , characterized in that respective color modulators ( 14 ,  18 ) are positioned between each lamp ( 10 ,  15 ) and their respective second and first light guide ( 36 ,  46 ). 
     
     
       4. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 3 , characterized in that the color modulators ( 14 ,  18 ;  62 ) are positioned in or near the respective lamps' second focal point. 
     
     
       5. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 3 , characterized in that the color modulators ( 14 ,  18 ;  62 ) are positioned on the exit side of the collective light guide. 
     
     
       6. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 1 , characterized in that the lamps ( 10 ,  15 ) are UHP type lamps. 
     
     
       7. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 1 , characterized in that the lamps ( 10 ,  15 ) are metal halide type lamps. 
     
     
       8. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 1 , characterized in that the lamps ( 10 ,  15 ) are any light source. 
     
     
       9. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 1 , characterized in that the entrance apertures dimensions of each the first and second light guides each are in the order of one half the entrance aperture dimension of the collective light guide. 
     
     
       10. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 1 , characterized in that each of the first and second light guide entrance apertures have individual aperture dimensions approximately or exactly equal to the collective light guide aperture dimension divided by the number of lamps. 
     
     
       11. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 1 , characterized in that at least one of the first and second light guides is optically connected to the collective light guide by a mirror-and-prism arrangement. 
     
     
       12. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 1 , characterized in that the light guides ( 36 ,  46 ) are oriented in a generally perpendicular relationship. 
     
     
       13. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 2 , characterized in that respective color modulators ( 14 ,  18 ) are positioned between each lamp ( 10 ,  15 ) and their respective second and first light guide ( 36 ,  46 ). 
     
     
       14. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 1 , characterized in that an augmented color modulator ( 62 ) is positioned between each lamp ( 10 ,  15 ) and the first light guide ( 30 ) and the second light guide ( 46 ), respectively. 
     
     
       15. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 1 , characterized in that color modulators ( 14 ,  18 ;  62 ) are positioned on the exit side of the collective light guide. 
     
     
       16. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 1 , characterized in that the entrance apertures dimensions of each the first ( 46 ) and second ( 36 ) light guides each are in the order of one half the entrance aperture dimension of the collective light guide ( 58 ). 
     
     
       17. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 1 , characterized in that each of the first ( 46 ) and second ( 36 ) light guide entrance apertures have individual aperture dimensions approximately or exactly equal to the collective light guide ( 58 ) aperture dimension divided by the number of lamps. 
     
     
       18. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 14 , characterized in that the augmented color modulator ( 62 ) comprise a number of identical color fields and the number of identical color fields being equal to the number of lamps. 
     
     
       19. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 18 , characterized in that the color fields are arranged sequentially. 
     
     
       20. The multi-lamp arrangement of  claim 18 , characterized by each color field being arranged diagonally of its respective identical color field. 
     
     
       21. An image projector comprising:
 two or more lamps including a first lamp and a second lamp,   a collective light guide that is configured to receive light emitted from the first lamp and light emitted from the second lamp;   a first light guide that is optically connected to the collective light guide, wherein the first lamp is positioned to transmit light into the first light guide,   wherein the first light guide is arranged to transmit light in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the direction of the light emitted from the second lamp; and   a first mirror located intermediate the collective light guide and the first light guide, the first mirror optically connecting the first light guide to the collective light guide.   
     
     
       22. The image projector of claim 21, wherein the first light guide is a rod comprising a solid translucent body. 
     
     
       23. The image projector of claim 21, wherein the lamps are ultra-high-pressure lamps, and wherein the arc gap of each of the lamps is less than or equal to 1.5 mm. 
     
     
       24. The image projector of claim 23, wherein each lamp has a power output of at least 150 W. 
     
     
       25. The image projector of claim 21, wherein the collective light guide comprises an exit side, further comprising:
 at least one color modulator positioned on the exit side of the collective light guide.   
     
     
       26. The image projector of claim 21, further comprising:
 a second light guide optically connected to the collective light guide, wherein the second lamp is positioned to transmit light into the second light guide.   
     
     
       27. The image projector of claim 26, wherein the entrance apertures dimensions of each of the first and second light guides is on the order of one half the entrance aperture dimension of the collective light guide. 
     
     
       28. The image projector of claim 21, further comprising:
 a second mirror located intermediate the first lamp and the first light guide, the second mirror optically connecting the first lamp to the first light guide and configured to change a direction of travel of the light from the first lamp.   
     
     
       29. The image projector of claim 28, further comprising:
 an intermediate light guide located intermediate the second mirror and the first lamp, the intermediate light guide optically connecting the light from the first lamp to the second mirror.   
     
     
       30. The image projector of claim 29, further comprising:
 a second light guide optically connected to the collective light guide, wherein the second lamp is positioned to transmit light into the second light guide,   wherein the light from the second lamp travels in the second light guide in a direction generally parallel to a direction that light from the first lamp travels in the intermediate light guide.   
     
     
       31. The image projector of claim 21, wherein the first and second lamps are arranged side by side. 
     
     
       32. The image projector of claim 21, further comprising:
 one or more augmented color modulators positioned to modulate the light from the first and second lamps, wherein each augmented color modulator comprises a number of identical color fields, the number of identical color fields being equal to the number of lamps.   
     
     
       33. The image projector of claim 32, wherein respective modulators are positioned in respective light paths between the lamps and the collective light guide. 
     
     
       34. The image projector of claim 21, wherein the first light guide is generally perpendicular to the collective light guide. 
     
     
       35. An image projector comprising:
 two or more lamps including a first lamp and a second lamp;   a collective light guide that is configured to receive light emitted from the first lamp and light emitted from the second lamp; and   a first light guide that is optically connected to the collective light guide, wherein the first lamp is positioned to transmit light into the first light guide,   wherein the first light guide is arranged to transmit light in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the direction of the light emitted from the second lamp, and   wherein the first light guide has an entrance aperture dimension approximately or exactly equal to the entrance aperture dimension of the collective light guide divided by the number of lamps.   
     
     
       36. The image projector of claim 35, wherein the first light guide is a rod comprising a solid translucent body. 
     
     
       37. The image projector of claim 35, wherein the lamps are ultra-high-pressure lamps, and wherein the arc gap of each of the lamps is less than or equal to 1.5 mm. 
     
     
       38. The image projector of claim 37, wherein each lamp has a power output of at least 150 W. 
     
     
       39. An image projector comprising:
 two or more lamps including a first lamp and a second lamp;   a collective light guide that is configured to receive light emitted from the first lamp and light emitted from the second lamp; and   a first light guide that is optically connected to the collective light guide, wherein the first lamp is positioned to transmit light into the first light guide,   wherein the first light guide is arranged to transmit light in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the direction of the light emitted from the second lamp, and   wherein the first light guide is optically connected to the collective light guide by a mirror-and-prism arrangement.   
     
     
       40. The image projector of claim 39, wherein the first light guide is a rod comprising a solid translucent body. 
     
     
       41. The image projector of claim 39, wherein the lamps are ultra-high-pressure lamps, and wherein the arc gap of each of the lamps is less than or equal to 1.5 mm. 
     
     
       42. The image projector of claim 41, wherein each lamp has a power output of at least 150 W. 
     
     
       43. A method of using an image projector comprising a first lamp, a second lamp, a collective light guide that is configured to receive light emitted from the first lamp and light emitted from the second lamp, and a first light guide that is arranged to transmit light in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the direction of the light emitted from the second lamp, the method comprising:
 providing light from the second lamp to the collective light guide of the image projector;   providing light from the first lamp to the first light guide of the image projector; and   passing the light in the first light guide to the collective light guide via a first mirror located intermediate the collective light guide and the first light guide.   
     
     
       44. The method of claim 43, wherein the first light guide is generally perpendicular to the collective light guide. 
     
     
       45. The method of claim 43, wherein the image projector further comprises a second light guide, and wherein providing light from the second lamp to the collective light guide includes:
 providing the light from the second lamp to the second light guide; and   passing the light in the second light guide to the collective light guide.   
     
     
       46. The method of claim 43, wherein the light from the first lamp is provided from the first lamp directly to the first light guide. 
     
     
       47. The method of claim 43, wherein providing light from the first lamp to the first light guide of the image projector includes:
 providing the light from the first lamp to a second mirror located intermediate the first lamp and the first light guide, the second mirror optically connecting the first lamp to the first light guide and configured to change a direction of travel of the light from the first lamp.   
     
     
       48. The method of claim 47, wherein providing the light from the first lamp to the second mirror includes:
 providing the light from the first lamp to an intermediate light guide located intermediate the second mirror and the first lamp.   
     
     
       49. The method of claim 48, wherein the image projector further comprises a second light guide, and wherein providing light from the second lamp to the collective light guide includes:
 providing the light from the second lamp to the second light guide; and   passing the light in the second light guide to the collective light guide,   wherein the light in the second light guide travels in a direction generally parallel to a direction that light in the intermediate light guide travels.   
     
     
       50. The method of claim 43, further comprising:
 providing the light from the first lamp and/or the second lamp to one or more augmented color modulators, wherein each augmented color modulator comprises a number of identical color fields, the number of identical color fields being equal to the number of lamps.   
     
     
       51. The method of claim 43, wherein the collective light guide comprises an exit side, further comprising:
 providing light from the collective light guide to at least one color modulator positioned on the exit side of the collective light guide.