MICROLENS, OPTICAL PLATE, DIFFUSING PLATE, LIGHT GUIDE PLATE, BACKLIGHT, PROJECTION SCREEN, PROJECTION SYSTEM, ELECTRO-OPTICAL DEVICE, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A MICROLENS

• US 20060256442A1
• Filed: 05/09/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Hasei, Hironori
• Application Number:
  US11/382,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20060256442A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/619
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0012 characterised by the manufacturing method
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0043 Inhomogeneous or irregular arrays, e.g. varying shape, size, height
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0062 Stacked lens arrays, i.e. refractive surfaces arranged in at least two planes, without structurally separate optical elements in-between
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0215 the surface having a regular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0278 used in transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0065 Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133526 Lenses, e.g. microlenses or Fresnel lenses

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a microlens, comprises: discharging a liquid lens material on an optically transparent substrate; and hardening the lens material to provide the microlens; the microlens having different curvatures depending on where the lens material is discharged.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a microlens, comprising:

discharging a liquid lens material on an optically transparent substrate; and

hardening the lens material to provide the microlens;

the microlens having different curvatures depending on where the lens material is discharged.

2. The method for manufacturing a microlens according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing liquid-repellent treatment to a surface of the substrate prior to discharging the lens material;

the lens material being discharged to a repellent-treated area and a repellent-treatment-free area in discharging the lens material to provide the microlens having different curvatures.

3. The method for manufacturing a microlens according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing an optically transparent convex on the substrate and a resulting concave between one convex and another adjacent convex prior to discharging the lens material,

the lens material being discharged to the convex and the concave in discharging the lens material to provide the microlens having different curvatures.

4. The method for manufacturing a microlens according to claim 1,

the curvatures of the microlens being set to provide an almost identical light-collection rate in a position at a predetermined distance from the substrate in a light-emitting direction.

5. A microlens manufactured by the method for manufacturing a microlens according to claim 1.

6. An optical plate, comprising:

an optically transparent substrate; and

a plurality of microlenses provided on the substrate;

at least one of the plurality of microlenses having a different curvature from a curvature of the other microlenses.

7. The optical plate according to claim 6, further comprising:

a convex provided on the substrate; and

a microlens provided on the convex;

the microlenses provided on the substrate having a different curvature from a curvature of the microlens provided on the convex.

8. The optical plate according to claim 6, the microlenses having different curvatures depending on heights thereof from the substrate.

9. The optical plate according to claim 8,

the microlenses having lower curvatures as heights thereof from the substrate decrease.

10. The optical plate according to claim 7,

the optical plate being a diffusing plate.

11. The optical plate according to claim 10,

the optical plate being a light guide plate further including:

a reflector reflecting light emitted from an external light source; and

a light guide part guiding the light emitted from the external light source to an entire surface thereof.

12. The optical plate according to claim 11,

the microlenses having higher curvatures with distance from the external light source emitting light from a side of the substrate in the light guide plate.

13. A projection screen, comprising:

a Fresnel lens; and

a lenticular sheet to which the optical plate according to claim 6 is applied.

14. A projection system, comprising:

the projection screen according to claim 13.

15. A backlight, comprising:

at least one of the optical plate according to claim 6 and the light guide plate according to claim 12.

16. An electro-optical device, comprising:

the backlight according to claim 15.

17. An electronic appliance, comprising:

the electro-optical device according to claim 16.