Phosphor film, lighting device using the same, and display device

• US 20060268537A1
• Filed: 05/09/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kurihara, Makoto, Dejima, Norihiro
• Application Number:
  US11/430,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20060268537A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/34
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0023 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed between the light guide and the light source, or around the light source
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/005 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide

Abstract

The invention realizes a phosphor film that has a fluorescent characteristic excellent in resistance to humidity and provides, using the phosphor film, a liquid crystal display device that is excellent in resistance to humidity and has satisfactory calorimetric property and color mixture property. Phosphor particles that are excited by incident light and emit light having a wavelength different from the incident light are mixed in a binder. The binder mixed with the phosphor particles is sandwiched between a translucent film and a non-permeable layer as a phosphor layer to form a phosphor film. This phosphor film is provided at least in one place among a place between a light source and a light guide of a lighting device, a place on a light irradiation surface of the light guide, and a place between the light guide and a reflection plate. Moreover, the phosphor particles have a characteristic that a wavelength absorbed by a color filter of a display element is set as an excitation wavelength and a luminescent wavelength is in a region transmitted by the color filter. With this phosphor film, it is possible to realize a display device that has extremely high luminance efficiency and color reproducibility.

Claims

1. A lighting device, comprising:

a light source;

phosphor particles that are excited by light from the light source and emit light having a wavelength different from that of the light from the light source;

a light guide that propagates the light from the light source and irradiates the light in a plane shape; and

a phosphor layer formed by mixing the phosphor particles in a binder,

wherein the phosphor layer is sandwiched between a translucent film and a non-permeable layer.

2. A lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising an optical element on an emission surface side of the light guide,

wherein the phosphor particles have a characteristic that the phosphor particles are excited by light in a region, which does not pass through the optical element, of a wavelength region of the light emitted from the light source and emit light having a wavelength passing through the optical element.

3. Alighting device according to claim 2, wherein the phosphor layer is provided between the light source and the light guide.

4. A lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the phosphor layer is provided above the emission surface of the light guide.

5. A lighting device according to claim 2, further comprising a reflection plate on a rear side of the light guide,

wherein the phosphor layer is provided between the light guide and the reflection plate.

6. A lighting device according to claim 1, wherein:

the light source comprises a blue light source; and

the phosphor particles include green phosphor particles that convert blue light into green light and red phosphor particles that convert blue light into red light.

7. A lighting device according to claim 6, wherein:

the light source includes an ultraviolet light source and a blue light source; and

the phosphor particles comprise green phosphor particles that convert an ultraviolet ray into green light and red phosphor particles that convert an ultraviolet ray into red light.

8. A lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the phosphor layer includes:

a first phosphor layer including first phosphor particles that are excited by the light from the light source and emit light in a first wavelength range; and

a second phosphor layer including second phosphor particles that are excited by the light from the light source and emit light in a second wavelength range.

9. A lighting device according to claim 8, wherein one of the first phosphor layer and the second phosphor layer, which emits light having a short wavelength, is arranged on the light source side.

10. A lighting device according to claim 8, wherein:

a reflection plate is provided on a rear side of the light guide;

the first phosphor layer is provided between the light source and the light guide; and

the second phosphor layer is provided between the light guide and the reflection plate.

11. A lighting device according to claim 8, wherein:

a reflection plate is provided on a rear side of the light guide;

the first phosphor layer is provided between the light guide and the reflection plate; and

the second phosphor layer is provided on a light irradiation surface of the light guide.

12. A lighting device according to claim 8, wherein the first phosphor layer and the second phosphor layer are arranged in a plane to prevent an overlap therebetween.

13. A lighting device according to claim 6, wherein:

the phosphor layer is provided between the light source and the light guide; and

a density of mixture of the phosphor particles is set to be larger in an area closer to the light source.

14. A lighting device according to claim 6, further comprising a light pipe provided between the light source and the light guide to propagate the light from the light source and make the light incident on the light guide in a linear shape, wherein:

the phosphor layer is formed in the light pipe; and

a non-permeable layer is provided to cover an entire surface of the light pipe.

15. A lighting device according to claim 8, further comprising a light pipe provided between the light source and the light guide to propagate the light from the light source and make the light incident on the light guide in a linear shape, wherein:

the first phosphor particles are provided in the light pipe;

a non-permeable layer is provided to cover an entire surface of the light pipe; and

the second phosphor particles are provided between the light pipe and a light incidence surface of the light guide.

16. A lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the translucent film is formed by any one of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PC (polycarbonate), acrylic resin, and TAC (triacetyle-cellulose).

17. A lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the non-permeable layer comprises at least one of silicon resin, cycloolefin resin, and fluoride resin.

18. A phosphor film, comprising:

phosphor particles that are excited by light made incident thereon and emit light having a wavelength different from that of the light; and

a phosphor layer formed by mixing the phosphor particles in a binder,

wherein the phosphor layer is sandwiched between a translucent film and a non-permeable layer.

19. A display device, comprising:

a light source;

phosphor particles that are excited by light from the light source and emit light having a wavelength different from that of the light;

a light guide that makes the light from the light source incident thereon and emits the light from an emission surface;

a phosphor layer in which the phosphor particles are dispersed in a binder;

a translucent film and a non-permeable layer provided to sandwich the phosphor layer; and

a display element provided on the emission surface side of the light guide,

wherein the phosphor particles have a characteristic that the phosphor particles are excited by light in a region, which is cut by a color filter formed in the display element, of a wavelength region of the light emitted from the light source and emit light having a wavelength passing through the color filter.

20. A display device according to claim 19, wherein:

the light source emits pseudo-white light including two peaks in a visible light region;

the color filter is formed of red, green, and blue filters; and

the phosphor is excited by light of 480 nm to 490 nm and emits light of 600 nm.

21. A display device according to claim 19, wherein:

the light source emits pseudo-white light including two peaks in a visible light region; and

the phosphor is excited by light in a wavelength region of one peak and emits light in a wavelength region other than the two peaks.