Light diffuser for a liquid crystal display device and manufacturing method thereof

• US 5,706,065 A
• Filed: 05/16/1996
• Issued: 01/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yano, Tomoya
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TIEP HUU
• Application Number:
  US08/649,021
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 359/63, 359/69, 349/96, 349/112
• US Class Current: 349/112
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133504 Diffusing, scattering, diffracting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133606
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133562 on the viewer side

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device and manufacturing method thereof are provided where the liquid crystal display device is equipped with a light diffusion layer that gives sufficient light diffusion while providing easy control of the degree of diffusion of the transmitted light and which can be easily manufactured. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a transmission type liquid crystal panel 1, a light diffuser 10 and a directional backlight 3. The liquid crystal panel 1 includes a pair of glass substrates 1, at the front surface of which the light diffuser 10 is provided. The light diffuser 10 that is characteristic to the present invention is divided up into a first resin layer 11B over which fine particles 8a are dispersed and a second resin layer 12. Since the refractive index of the first resin layer 11B is approximately the same as that of the fine particles 8a, there is no lens effect between the fine particles. This gives the same effect as if the fine particles 8a were put into a single row even if the fine particles 8a are actually overlaid. The visual field angle improving effect of the light diffusion means is therefore maintained while manufacturing is simplified.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a front substrate;

a rear substrate sealed together with said front substrate with a gap therebetween;

a liquid crystal material filled in said gap between said front substrate and said rear substrate;

a front polarizing plate on a surface of said front substrate;

a rear polarizing plate on a surface of said rear substrate;

a light diffusing means for diffusing light, said light diffusing means being between said front substrate and said front polarizing plate, said light diffusing means including at least two resin layers of mutually different refractive index;

a plurality of fine transparent particles in at least one of said at least two resin layers;

a directional backlight at a rear side of said liquid crystal cell to provide parallel light to said liquid crystal cell.

2. A liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a prism sheet between said directional backlight and said liquid crystal cell.

3. A liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fine transparent particles are of a diameter of about 30 μ

m and of a refractive index of about 1.93.

4. A liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least two resin layers are two resin layers, a front one of said two resin layers having said fine transparent particles.

5. A liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least two resin layers are two resin layers, a rear one of said two resin layers having said fine transparent particles.

6. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a front substrate;

a rear substrate sealed together with said front substrate with a gap therebetween;

a liquid crystal material filled in said gap between said front substrate and said rear substrate;

a front polarizing plate on a surface of said front substrate;

a rear polarizing plate on a surface of said rear substrate;

a light diffusing means for diffusing light, said light diffusing means being between said front substrate and said front polarizing plate, said light diffusing means including at least two resin layers;

a plurality of fine transparent particles in at least one of said at least two resin layers;

a directional backlight at a rear side of said liquid crystal cell to provide parallel light to said liquid crystal cell

wherein said at least one resin layer having said plurality of fine transparent particles is of a different refractive index than another of said resin layers.

7. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a front substrate;

a rear substrate sealed together with said front substrate with a gap therebetween;

a liquid crystal material filled in said gap between said front substrate and said rear substrate;

a front polarizing plate on a surface of said front substrate;

a rear polarizing plate on a surface of said rear substrate;

a light diffusing means for diffusing light, said light diffusing means being between said front substrate and said front polarizing plate, said light diffusing means including at least two resin layers;

a plurality of fine transparent particles in at least one of said at least two resin layers;

a directional backlight at a rear side of said liquid crystal cell to provide parallel light to said liquid crystal cell

wherein said at least one resin layer having said plurality of fine transparent particles is of a refractive index substantially identical to a refractive index of said fine transparent particles.

8. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a front substrate;

a rear substrate sealed together with said front substrate with a gap therebetween;

a liquid crystal material filled in said gap between said front substrate and said rear substrate;

a front polarizing plate on a surface of said front substrate;

a rear polarizing plate on a surface of said rear substrate;

a light diffusing means for diffusing light, said light diffusing means being between said front substrate and said front polarizing plate, said light diffusing means including at least two resin layers;

a plurality of fine transparent particles in at least one of said at least two resin layers;

a directional backlight at a rear side of said liquid crystal cell to provide parallel light to said liquid crystal cell

wherein said at least two resin layers are three resin layers, a middle one of said three resin layers having said fine transparent particles.

9. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a front substrate;

a rear substrate sealed together with said front substrate with a gap therebetween;

a liquid crystal material filled in said gap between said front substrate and said rear substrate;

a front polarizing plate on a surface of said front substrate;

a rear polarizing plate on a surface of said rear substrate;

a light diffusing means for diffusing light, said light diffusing means being between said front substrate and said front polarizing plate, said light diffusing means including at least two resin layers;

a plurality of fine transparent particles in at least one of said at least two resin layers;

a directional backlight at a rear side of said liquid crystal cell to provide parallel light to said liquid crystal cell

wherein said at least two resin layers are three resin layers, two outer ones of said three resin layers having said fine transparent particles.

10. A light diffuser for a display device, comprising:

a panel of transparent material having first and second major surfaces;

a first resin layer of a first refractive index on said first major surface of said panel;

a plurality of microbeads in said first resin, said microbeads being at least two layers deep on said first major surface; and

a second resin layer of a second refractive index on said first major surface of said panel, said first and second refractive indexes being mutually different.

11. A light diffuser as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first resin layer is directly on said panel.

12. A light diffuser as claimed in claim 10, wherein said second resin layer is directly on said panel.

13. A light diffuser as claimed in claim 10, wherein one layer of said microbeads are at a junction between said first resin layer and said second resin layer.

14. A light diffuser as claimed in claim 10, wherein said microbeads are of a refractive index substantially identical to said first refractive index of said first resin layer.