Microlens substrate, and liquid crystal display element provided with it, and projection liquid crystal display unit

• US 20060077319A1
• Filed: 01/29/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kitamura, Kazuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,339,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/95
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133526 Lenses, e.g. microlenses or Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133621 providing coloured light G02F1/133617, G02F1/133533 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133623 Inclined coloured light beams

Abstract

A liquid crystal panel unit (2) includes, on its side from which light enters, a micro-lens substrate (1) having: a first micro-lens array including a first lens (5) for converging, for converging, on aperture sections (17R•17G•17B) of respective picture elements in a liquid crystal display element, the plurality of the light beams whose respective incident angles are different from one another; and a second micro-lens array having a second lens (7) for collimating principal rays of the respective light beams. The second lens (7) is substantially trapezoid so that the lens includes slanted surfaces (7b•7b) directing its convex parts towards the light incident side. With this configuration, it is possible to realize a single-panel mode color-filterless projection-type liquid crystal display device with high light-using efficiency at a low cost, without deteriorating the light-using efficiency.

Claims

1. A micro-lens substrate provided on a light-incident side of a liquid crystal display element for use in a projection-type liquid crystal display device, the micro-lens substrate including:

(a) a first micro-lens array having a first micro lens for converging a plurality of light beams whose incident angles are different from one another on picture elements of the liquid crystal element respectively corresponding to the light beams; and

(b) a second micro-lens array having a second micro lens for collimating principal rays of the respective light beams converged, by the first micro lens, on the respectively corresponding picture elements, wherein;

the second micro-lens is substantially trapezoid so that;

the second micro-lens includes (I) a center portion perpendicular to a principal ray of the light beam incident on the center portion and (II) side portions each having a slanted surface which is slanted at a predetermined angle with respect to a principal ray of an incident light beam and directs its convex part towards the light incident side, the incident light beam being incident on each of the side portions.

2. The micro-lens substrate as set forth in claim 1, wherein the convex slanted surface is spherical surface.

3. The micro-lens substrate as set forth in claim 1, wherein the convex slanted surface is cylindrical.

4. The micro-lens substrate as set forth in claim 1, wherein the convex slanted surface is aspherical.

5. The micro-lens substrate as set forth in claim 1, wherein the convex slanted surface is in a polyhedral shape having a plurality of surfaces.

6. A liquid crystal display element for use in a projection-type liquid crystal display device, comprising the micro-lens substrate as set forth in claim 1.

7. A projection-type liquid crystal display device comprising the liquid crystal display element as set forth in claim 6.

8. A projection-type liquid crystal display device comprising:

A) a white beam source;

B) a light beam dividing section for dividing a white beam emitted from the white beam source into a plurality of light beams whose respective wavelength bands are different from one another;

C) a liquid crystal display element to which the plurality of the light beams obtained from the light beam dividing section are incident, the light beams whose respective incident angles are different from one another;

D) two-layers of micro-lens arrays, provided on a light-source side of the liquid crystal display element, including a) a first micro-lens array having a first micro lens for converging a plurality of light beams whose incident angles are different from one another on picture elements of the liquid crystal element respectively corresponding to the light beams, and b) a second micro-lens array a second micro lens for collimating principal rays of the respective light beams converged, by the first micro lens, on the respectively corresponding picture elements; and

E) a projecting section for projecting the plurality of the light beams being modulated by the liquid crystal display element,

wherein;

the second micro-lens is substantially trapezoid so that;

the second micro-lens includes (I) a center portion perpendicular to a principal ray of the light beam incident on the center portion and (II) side portions each having a slanted surface which is slanted at a predetermined angle with respect to a principal ray of an incident light beam and directs its convex part towards the light incident side, the incident light beam being incident on each of the side portions.