Prism optical system, and image display apparatus and imaging apparatus incorporating the same

摘要

The invention provides a prism optical system includes a prism in which a space formed by at least two optical surfaces mutually decentered with respect to an axial chief ray of an incident light beam is filled up with a medium having a refractive index of greater than 1. At least two optical surfaces are rotationally asymmetric surfaces, five internal reflections take place inside the prism, and there is an intermediate image formed inside the prism, which image is in turn formed outside the prism.

主权项

1. A prism optical system comprising:
a prism in which a space formed by at least two optical surfaces mutually decentered with respect to an axial chief ray of an incident light beam is filled up with a medium having a refractive index of greater than 1, wherein: at least two surfaces out of said optical surfaces are rotationally asymmetric surfaces, five internal reflections take place inside said prism, and there is an intermediate image formed inside said prism, which image is in turn formed outside said prism, and one surface out of a surface on which light is incident and a surface from which light exits is capable of at least one transmission and at least two internal reflections, and a transmitting area having said transmission and a reflecting area having said internal reflections at least partly overlap.