Light guiding sheet, manufacturing method thereof, back light using the light guiding sheet, and liquid crystal display unit using the back light

• US 5,764,322 A
• Filed: 06/24/1996
• Issued: 06/09/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mamiya, Johji, Momose, Yoshinori, Suzuki, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, TAI V
• Application Number:
  US08/668,948
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 349/61, 349/96, 349/62, 349/117, 349/64, 349/113, 349/65, 349/70, 362/26, 362/19, 362/31, 362/224, 362/331, 362/332, 385/901, 385/11, 385/131, 385/130, 385/146, 385/129, 359/487, 359/488, 359/494, 359/495, 359/498
• US Class Current: 349/65
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0056 for producing polarisation effects, e.g. by a surface with polarizing properties or by an additional polarizing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133536 Reflective polarizers G02F1/13362 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13355 Polarising beam splitters [PBS]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13362 providing polarized light, e.g. by converting a polarisation component into another one
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

A liquid crystal display unit using a back light uses a light guiding sheet to transfer to a liquid crystal display panel the light from a light source, and provides a liquid crystal display unit where a display of images is obtained with uniform brightness and high brightness. The light guiding sheet is formed by stacking two or more kinds of transparent amorphous layers different in refractive index at a predetermined angle with respect to a sheet surface. This light guiding sheet is constructed so as to be employed in a back light.

Claims

1. A back light, comprising:

a stack of two or more kinds of transparent amorphous layers having different refractive indices, said stack having two opposed major surfaces formed by the side surfaces of said amorphous layer and said transparent amorphous layers being inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to one of said major surfaces; and

means for bringing light into said stack for transmission of said light in a longitudinal direction of said stack along and between said major surfaces in a direction that intersects a multiplicity of successive ones of said transparent amorphous layers, said light being partly transmitted through a multiplicity of successive interfaces between said transparent amorphous layers and partly reflected at each of said successive interfaces in order to distribute reflected light along said stack, said light having a P-polarized component and an S-polarized component, said reflected light at said successive interfaces being emitted through one of said major surfaces and being a reflected portion of the S-polarized component, said transmitted light at each of said successive interfaces being a transmitted portion of the S-polarized component and the P-polarized component.

2. The back light as set forth in claim 1, wherein a thickness of each of said amorphous layers has a predetermined layer thickness distribution in a stacked direction of said amorphous layers.

3. The back light as set forth in claim 2, wherein said layer thickness distribution is a layer thickness distribution such that an intensity distribution of said light emitted through said one major surface becomes mountainous with a center of said one major surface as a mountaintop.

4. The back light as set forth in claim 2, wherein said layer thickness distribution is a layer thickness distribution such that a strength distribution of said light emitted through said one major surface becomes flat.

5. The back light as set forth in claim 1, wherein the maximum layer thickness of said amorphous layers is 200 μ

m or less.

6. The back light as set forth in claim 1, wherein said predetermined angle has a predetermined angle distribution for each of said amorphous layers.

7. The back light as set forth in claim 6, wherein said predetermined angle distribution is a distribution where an angle of a central portion of said one major surface and an angle of a peripheral portion of said one major surface are different.

8. The back light as set forth in claim 1, wherein said amorphous layers have a distribution of diffractive indices of 1.1 to 3.0.

9. A back light as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for bringing light into said stack comprises:

a light source provided at one end of said stack.

10. The back light as set forth in claim 9, wherein

an angle of each of said amorphous layers is an angle which causes light from said light source to be reflected directly to a liquid crystal display panel side;

a first reflecting plate is attached to one of said major surfaces of said stack opposite to said liquid crystal display panel side; and

a λ

/4 plate and a second reflecting plate are provided at another end of said stack in the recited order.

11. The back light as set forth in claim 9, wherein

an angle of each of said amorphous layers is an angle which does not cause light from said light source to be reflected directly to a liquid crystal display panel side;

a polarizing plate and a first reflecting plate are attached to one of said major surfaces of said stack opposite to said liquid crystal display panel side in the recited order; and

a λ

/4 plate and a second reflecting plate are provided at another end of said stack in the recited order.

12. The back light as set forth in claim 9, wherein a light guiding body is provided on said liquid crystal display panel side of said stack.

13. The back light as set forth in claim 12, wherein a transparent substrate of said liquid crystal display panel acts as said light guiding body.

14. The back light as set forth in claim 9, wherein the periphery of the light source is surrounded by the stack.

15. A liquid crystal display unit provided with the back light as set forth in claim 9.