POLARIZATION BEAM SPLITTER, BACKLIGHT MODULE AND LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY APPARATUS

• US 20150323804A1
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Shang
• Granted Patent: US 9,933,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/14 for producing polarised light
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133504 Diffusing, scattering, diffracting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133606
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13355 Polarising beam splitters [PBS]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133607 the light controlling member including light directing or refracting elements, e.g. prisms or lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13362 providing polarized light, e.g. by converting a polarisation component into another one

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a polarization beam splitter, a backlight module and a liquid crystal display apparatus. The polarization beam splitter comprises a second prism group and a first prism group formed sequentially from a light incidence side to a light outgoing side and meshing with each other; and a polarization beam splitting layer arranged on a meshing surface of the first or second prism group and configured to allow a first polarized light in an incident light to be transmitted through the polarization beam splitting layer to exit from the light outgoing side while reflecting a second polarized light in the incident light back to the light incidence side, the second polarized light having a polarization direction perpendicular to that of the first polarized light.

Claims

1. A polarization beam splitter comprising:

a second prism group and a first prism group formed sequentially from a light incidence side to a light outgoing side and meshing with each other; and

a polarization beam splitting layer arranged on a meshing surface of the first prism group or the second prism group and configured to allow a first polarized light in an incident light to be transmitted through the polarization beam splitting layer to exit from the light outgoing side while reflecting a second polarized light in the incident light back to the light incidence side, the second polarized light having a polarization direction perpendicular to that of the first polarized light.

2. The polarization beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein all of prisms in the first prism group and the second prism group have triangular sections.

3. The polarization beam splitter according to claim 2, wherein base angles of all of the prisms in the first prism group and the second prism group are substantially equal to a Brewster'"'"'s angle for the incident light being incident onto an interface of the polarization beam splitting layer from the second prism group.

4. The polarization beam splitter according to claim 2, wherein each prism of the first and second prism groups has a section with a shape of an isosceles right triangle, apex angles at which the prisms mesh with each other being right angles.

5. The polarization beam splitter according to claim 4, wherein the Brewster'"'"'s angle for the incident light being incident onto an interface of the polarization beam splitting layer from the second prism group is 45 degrees.

6. The polarization beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein the polarization beam splitting layer has a multi-film composite structure composed of glass, TiO₂ and SiO₂.

7. The polarization beam splitter according to claim 6, wherein the multi-film composite structure of the polarization beam splitting layer comprises a first glass layer, a first TiO₂ layer, a second glass layer and a plurality of composite layers between the first TiO₂ layer and the second glass layer, each of the composite layers comprising a SiO₂ layer and a TiO₂ layer.

8. The polarization beam splitter according to claim 1, further comprising transparent protective layers arranged on non-meshing surfaces of the first and second prism groups respectively.

9. The polarization beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein the polarization beam splitting layer has a thickness of ¼

of wavelength of a principal light wave of the incident light.

10. A backlight module comprising:

a polarization beam splitter comprising;

a second prism group and a first prism group formed sequentially from a light incidence side to a light outgoing side and meshing with each other; and

a polarization beam splitting layer arranged on a meshing surface of the first prism group or the second prism group and configured to allow a first polarized light in an incident light to be transmitted through the polarization beam splitting layer to exit from the light outgoing side while reflecting a second polarized light in the incident light back to the light incidence side, the second polarized light having a polarization direction perpendicular to that of the first polarized light.

11. The backlight module according to claim 10, further comprising:

a light source configured to supply the incident light;

a light guide plate arranged between the light source and the polarization beam splitter; and

a bottom reflecting layer arranged between the light guide plate and the polarization beam splitter and configured to allow the incident light supplied by the light source to pass therethrough while reflecting the second polarized light reflected by the polarization beam splitter back to the light incidence side of the polarization beam splitter.

12. The backlight module according to claim 10, wherein all of prisms in the first prism group and the second prism group have triangular sections.

13. The backlight module according to claim 12, wherein base angles of all of the prisms in the first prism group and the second prism group are substantially equal to a Brewster'"'"'s angle for the incident light being incident onto an interface of the polarization beam splitting layer from the second prism group.

14. The backlight module according to claim 10, wherein each prism of the first and second prism groups has a section with a shape of an isosceles right triangle, apex angles at which the prisms mesh with each other being right angles.

15. The backlight module according to claim 10, wherein the polarization beam splitting layer has a multi-film composite structure composed of glass, TiO₂ and SiO₂.

16. The backlight module according to claim 15, wherein the multi-film composite structure of the polarization beam splitting layer comprises a first glass layer, a first TiO₂ layer, a second glass layer and a plurality of composite layers between the first TiO₂ layer and the second glass layer, each of the composite layers comprising a SiO₂ layer and a TiO₂ layer.

17. The backlight module according to claim 10, wherein the bottom reflecting layer is formed by one-sided transmission material.

18. The backlight module according to claim 10, wherein the light source is a LED light source, a CCFL light source or a laser light source.

19. A liquid crystal display apparatus comprising

a backlight module comprising:

a polarization beam splitter comprising;

a second prism group and a first prism group formed sequentially from a light incidence side to a light outgoing side and meshing with each other; and

a polarization beam splitting layer arranged on a meshing surface of the first prism group or the second prism group and configured to allow a first polarized light in an incident light to be transmitted through the polarization beam splitting layer to exit from the light outgoing side while reflecting a second polarized light in the incident light back to the light incidence side, the second polarized light having a polarization direction perpendicular to that of the first polarized light.

20. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the backlight module further comprises:

a light source configured to supply the incident light;

a light guide plate arranged between the light source and the polarization beam splitter; and

a bottom reflecting layer arranged between the light guide plate and the polarization beam splitter and configured to allow the incident light supplied by the light source to pass therethrough while reflecting the second polarized light reflected by the polarization beam splitter back to the light incidence side of the polarization beam splitter.