초록 ▼

A compact, bright and high-performance viewing optical system and an image display apparatus using the same. The viewing optical system uses an ocular optical system, which is formed from a decentered prism, and a reflection type image display device. The image display device has a light source and

A compact, bright and high-performance viewing optical system and an image display apparatus using the same. The viewing optical system uses an ocular optical system, which is formed from a decentered prism, and a reflection type image display device. The image display device has a light source and an illuminating light guide prism for guiding a light beam from the light source so that the light beam is applied to the display surface from the front side thereof. The ocular optical system includes a prism having an entrance surface through which a light beam reflected from the display surface enters the prism after passing through the illuminating light guide prism. The prism further has a reflecting surface and an exit surface through which the light beam exits from the prism. The reflecting surface is decentered with respect to the optical axis and has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations due to the decentration of the reflecting surface and gives a power to the light beam. The spacing between the entrance surface of the prism and the display surface satisfies a predetermined condition to lead the image to the pupil position.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A viewing optical system comprising: reflection type image display constructed and arranged to display an image by reflecting an illuminating light beam incident from a front side of a display surface for forming an image for observation; and an ocular optical system for leading said image to a

1. A viewing optical system comprising: reflection type image display constructed and arranged to display an image by reflecting an illuminating light beam incident from a front side of a display surface for forming an image for observation; and an ocular optical system for leading said image to a pupil position where an observer's eyeball is to be placed, wherein said image display comprises: an illuminator; and an illuminating light guide optical system constructed and arranged to guide a light beam emitted from said illuminator so that said light beam can be applied to said display surface from a front side thereof; and wherein said ocular optical system includes a prism member, said prism member comprising: an entrance surface through which a display light beam reflected from said reflection type image display enters said prism member after passing through said illuminating light guide optical system; at least one reflecting surface reflecting the light beam in said prism member; and an exit surface through which the light beam exits from said prism member, wherein said at least one reflecting surface of said prism member is decentered with respect to an optical axis and has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations due to decentration of said at least one reflecting surface and gives a power to the light beam, and wherein a spacing between the entrance surface of said prism member and the display surface of said reflection type image display satisfies the following condition to lead said image to said pupil position: 0.6