Lighting device and reflective liquid crystal display with the lighting device

• US 20060132671A1
• Filed: 11/29/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Koma, Norio
• Application Number:
  US11/288,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20060132671A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/63
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133616 Front illuminating devices

Abstract

A lighting device lighting a display surface of a reflective LCD is disposed opposing to the display surface of the reflective LCD. This lighting device is formed by interposing an organic EL element layer between transparent substrates. The organic EL element layer is formed of an anode, a cathode, and an organic layer. The cathode is formed in a grid pattern, and a light shield layer formed into the same grid pattern as that of the cathode is formed over this cathode. It is preferable that a width of the light shield layer is larger than a width of the patterned cathode for enhancing a light shield effect.

Claims

1. A lighting device illuminating an object to be observed by a viewer, comprising:

a transparent substrate;

an array of a light-emitting body disposed on the transparent substrate, the light emitting body comprising a viewer-side face facing the viewer and an object-side face through which light generated by the light-emitting body reaches the object; and

a light shield layer disposed on the viewer-side face.

2. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting body comprises an organic electroluminescent element.

3. The lighting device of claim 2, wherein the organic electroluminescent element comprises an anode and a cathode, and the anode or the cathode is patterned to form the array.

4. The lighting device of claim 3, wherein the array comprises a grid pattern.

5. The lighting device of claim 3, wherein the organic electroluminescent element further comprises an organic layer comprising an electron transport layer, a light emissive layer and a hole transport layer and disposed between the anode and the cathode.

6. The lighting device of claim 3, wherein the cathode is patterned and located at the viewer-side face.

7. The lighting device of claim 3, wherein the light shield layer is disposed on the patterned cathode or anode.

8. The lighting device of claim 7, wherein the light shield layer comprises a light absorptive layer or a light reflective layer.

9. The lighting device of claim 7, wherein a width of the light shield layer is larger than a width of the patterned cathode or anode.

10. The lighting device of claim 9, wherein a distance between an edge of the patterned cathode or anode and an edge of the light shield layer is larger than a sum of a thickness of a light emissive region of the organic layer and a thickness of the patterned cathode or anode.

11. The lighting device of claim 4, wherein a pitch of the grid pattern is 1 mm or less.

12. The lighting device of claim 2, wherein the organic electroluminescent element comprises an anode, a cathode and a stack of an electron transport layer, a light emissive layer and a hole transport layer that is disposed between the anode and the cathode, and the electron transport layer, the light emissive layer or the hole transport layer is patterned to form the array.

13. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting body comprises a light leading thin plate that is patterned as a grid and receives light from a light source.

14. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting body comprises an inorganic electroluminescent element.

15. A reflective liquid crystal display comprising:

a reflective display portion;

a transparent substrate disposed on the reflective display portion;

an array of a light-emitting body disposed on the transparent substrate; and

a light shield layer disposed on the light-emitting body.

16. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 15, wherein the light-emitting body comprises an organic electroluminescent element.

17. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 16, wherein the organic electroluminescent element comprises an anode and a cathode, and the anode or the cathode is patterned to form the array.

18. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 17, wherein the array comprises a grad pattern.

19. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 17, wherein the organic electroluminescent element further comprises an organic layer comprising an electron transport layer, a light emissive layer and a hole transport layer and disposed between the anode and the cathode.

20. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 17, the cathode is patterned and in contact with the light shield layer.

21. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 17, wherein the light shield layer is disposed on the patterned cathode or anode.

22. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 21, wherein the light shield layer comprises a light absorptive layer or a light reflective layer.

23. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 21, wherein a width of the light shield layer is larger than a width of the patterned cathode or anode.

24. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 23, wherein a distance between an edge of the patterned cathode or anode and an edge of the light shield layer is larger than a sum of a thickness of a light emissive region of the organic layer and a thickness of the patterned cathode or anode.

25. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 18, wherein a pitch of the grid pattern is 1 mm or less.

26. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 16, wherein the organic electroluminescent element comprises an anode, a cathode and a stack of an electron transport layer, a light emissive layer and a hole transport layer that is disposed between the anode and the cathode, and the electron transport layer, the light emissive layer or the hole transport layer is patterned to form the array.

27. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 15, wherein the light-emitting body comprises a light leading thin plate that has a grind pattern and receives light from a light source.

28. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 15, wherein the light-emitting body comprises an inorganic electroluminescent element.

29. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 18, wherein a pitch of the grid pattern is equal to a pitch of pixels of the reflective display portion.

30. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 27, wherein a pitch of the grid pattern is equal to a pitch of pixels of the reflective display portion.

31. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 18, wherein a pitch of the grid pattern is equal to a pitch of pixels of the reflective display portion divided by a natural number.

32. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 27, wherein a pitch of the grid pattern is equal to a pitch of pixels of the reflective display portion divided by a natural number.

33. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 18, wherein a pitch of the grid pattern is equal to a pitch of pixels of the reflective display portion multiplied by a natural number.

34. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 27, wherein a pitch of the grid pattern is equal to a pitch of pixels of the reflective display portion multiplied by a natural number.

35. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 15, wherein the reflective display portion comprises a light scattering layer.

36. The reflective liquid crystal display of claim 35, wherein the reflective display portion further comprises a deflection plate disposed on the light scattering layer.

37. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a base substrate;

a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged on the base substrate;

a liquid crystal layer disposed on the pixel electrodes;

a common electrode disposed on the liquid crystal layer;

a first transparent substrate disposed on the common electrode;

an electrode layer disposed on the first transparent substrate;

a light emitting layer disposed on the first electrode layer;

a patterned electrode layer disposed on the light emitting layer;

a patterned light shield layer disposed on the patterned electrode layer; and

a second transparent substrate disposed on the patterned light shield layer.