Optical film and liquid crystal display device using the film

• US 5,600,462 A
• Filed: 09/14/1993
• Issued: 02/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1992
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masaru, Mogi, Manabu, Hanzawa, Fumihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dudek, James A.
• Application Number:
  US08/121,657
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 359/69, 359/48, 359/49, 359/50, 359/42, 359/599, 362/31, 362/330, 362/333, 385/146, 385/901
• US Class Current: 349/112
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/02 Diffusing elements; Afocal elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0231 the surface having microprismatic or micropyramidal shape macroscopic prism arrays G02B5/045
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0263 with positional variation of the diffusing properties, e.g. gradient or patterned diffuser
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0278 used in transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side

Abstract

The liminance within the viewing angle of an LCD device is increased by using an optical film of transparent material. The film has a first surface having a wave structure including a plurality of isosceles triangle prisms arranged side-by-side, and a second surface having an optically rough structure for performing diffuse transmission. The film may also have a first surface having a structure including a plurality of quadrangular prisms arranged side-by-side, and a second surface having an optically rough structure for performing diffuse transmission.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal display panel and a back light device, said back light device comprising:

a light source for emitting light;

a light guide means having a top surface facing a back surface of said liquid crystal display panel and a side surface receiving said light from said light source;

a reflector means provided on a back surface of said light guide means; and

an optical film of transparent material positioned between said back surface of said liquid crystal display panel and said top surface of said light guide means, including a first surface having a wave structure including a plurality of regularly spaced isosceles triangles prisms arranged side-by-side, the prisms having smooth surfaces, and a second surface having an optically rough structure for performing diffuse transmission, wherein a top angle of said isosceles triangle prisms is in a range of 95 degrees to 120 degrees for flat, angles prism surfaces to gather light from the diffuse transmission into a desired viewing angle for the liquid crystal display panel.

2. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein a polarizer is positioned between said liquid crystal display panel and said optical film, and a direction along which said peaks and valleys of said isosceles triangle prisms are oriented is aligned in parallel to a polarizing axis of said polarizer and the tops of the isosceles triangle prisms are not farther than 160 μ

m apart.

3. A liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal display panel and a back light device, said back light device comprising:

a light source for emitting light;

a light guide means having a top surface facing a back surface of said liquid crystal display panel and a side surface receiving said light from said light source;

a reflector means provided on a back surface of said light guide means; and

two optical films of transparent material positioned between said back surface of said liquid crystal display and said top surface of said light guide means, each of said optical films including a first surface having a wave structure including a plurality of isosceles triangle prisms arranged side-by-side, the prism having smooth surfaces, and a second surface having an optically rough structure for performing diffuse transmission wherein a top angle of said isosceles triangle prisms is in a range of 95 degrees to 120 degrees for flat, angled prism surfaces to gather light from the diffuse transmission by the second surface into a desired viewing angle for the liquid crystal display panel.

4. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 3, wherein a direction along which peaks and valleys of said isosceles triangle prisms of one of said two optical films is oriented is at an angle with respect to a direction along which peaks and valleys of said isosceles triangles prisms of another of said two optical films are oriented.

5. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 3, wherein a polarizer is positioned between said liquid crystal display panel and said two optical films, and a direction along which peaks and valleys of said isosceles triangle prisms of said optical film closer to said polarizer is oriented in parallel to a polarizing axis of said polarizer and the tops of the isosceles triangle prisms are no more than 160 μ

m apart.

6. A liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal display panel and a back light device, said back light device comprising:

a light source for emitting light;

a light guide means having a top surface facing a back surface of said light crystal display panel and a side surface receiving said light from said light source;

a reflector means provided on a back surface of said light guide means; and

an optical film of transparent material positioned between said liquid crystal display panel and said light guide means, including a first surface having a structure including a plurality of quadrangular prisms, which are substantially the same size and shape, in an orderly matrix of equally spaced prisms, the prisms having smooth surfaces, and a second surface having an optically rough structure for performing diffuse transmission wherein a top angle of said quadrangular prisms is in a range of 95 degrees to 120 degrees for flat, angles sides of the prisms to gather the light from the diffuse transmission of the second surface into the desired viewing angle for the liquid crystal display device.

7. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, wherein a polarizer is positioned between said liquid crystal display panel and said optical film, and a direction along which peaks and valleys of said quadrangular prisms of said optical film are oriented in parallel to a polarizing axis of said polarizer and the tops of the quadrangle prisms are no more than 160 μ

m apart.