Lenticular lens sheet for use in rear projection television

• US 5,889,613 A
• Filed: 03/21/1997
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Watanabe, Hitomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahoney, Christopher E.
• Application Number:
  US08/822,700
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 359/455, 359/456, 359/457
• US Class Current: 359/456
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/625 Lenticular translucent screens

Abstract

A lenticular lens sheet for a rear projection television, which exhibits smooth color change and has a wide viewing angle even in a television set having a large convergence angle. A group of vertical straight-line shaped entrance-side lens surfaces are provided on an entrance side I of the lenticular lens sheet. Each entrance-side lens surface has a cross-section defined approximately by a part of an ellipse, and satisfies the condition of 2.5≦bp/a² ≦3.0, where b is the major axis of the ellipse; a is the minor axis of the ellipse; and p is the width of each entrance-side lens surface. A group of vertical straight-line shaped exit-side lens surfaces are provided on an exit side O of the lenticular lens sheet. Each exit-side lens surface has a cross-section defined approximately by a part of an ellipse, and satisfies the condition of 0.55≦b/(a² φ)≦0.75, where φ is a convergence angle formed by two adjacent projection tubes. A light-absorbing layer BS is provided on each light-blocking portion. The thickness L of the lenticular lens sheet from the bottom of the entrance-side lens surface I to the vertex of the exit-side lens surface O is set so that light entering the lens through the bottom of the entrance-side lens surface I intersects the center axis outside the exit-side lens surface O.

Claims

1. A lenticular lens sheet used for a rear projection screen of a rear projection television, said lenticular lens sheet comprising:

a group of vertical straight-line shaped entrance-side lens surfaces provided on an entrance side of said lenticular lens sheet, said entrance-side lens surfaces each having a cross-section defined by a part of an ellipse, and said entrance-side lens surfaces satisfying the following condition;

2.5≦

bp/a² ≦

3.0

where b is a major axis of said ellipse;

a is a minor axis of said ellipse; and

p is a width of each of said entrance-side lens surfaces;

a group of vertical straight-line shaped exit-side lens surfaces provided on an exit side of said lenticular lens sheet, said exit-side lens surfaces each having a light-blocking portion and a cross-section defined by a part of an ellipse, said exit-side lens surfaces satisfying the following condition;

0.55≦

b/(a² φ

)≦

0.75

where b is a major axis of said ellipse;

a is a minor axis of said ellipse; and

φ

is an angle formed by two adjacent projection tubes with respect to a center of a screen sheet; and

a light-absorbing layer provided on each of said lightblocking portions of said exit-side lens surfaces;

wherein a thickness L of said lenticular lens sheet from a bottom of each entrance-side lens surface to a vertex of each exit-side lens surface satisfies the following condition;

L≦

p/ 2 tan {θ

₁ -arcsin(sin θ

₁)/n}!

where p;

a lenticular lens pitch of said lenticular lens sheet;

θ

₁ ;

an angle of a normal to the entrance-side lens surface at the bottom of the entrance-side lens surface; and

n;

a refractive index of said lenticular lens sheet.

2. A lenticular lens sheet according to claim 1, wherein said cross-section of each said entrance-side lens surfaces is defined by a part of said ellipse except for a foot portion of the entrance-side lens surface in a range of from 2% to 10% from said bottom which is formed from one of a straight line and a part of an inverse circle having a center of curvature in an entrance-side space.

3. A lenticular lens sheet according to claim 1, wherein said cross-section of each said entrance-side lens surfaces is defined by a part of said ellipse except for a vertex portion of the entrance-side lens surface which is formed from part of a circle having a larger radius of curvature than that of said ellipse.

4. A lenticular lens sheet according to claim 1, wherein said cross-section of each said entrance-side lens surfaces is defined by a part of said ellipse except for a foot portion of the entrance-side lens surface in a range of from 2% to 10% from said bottom which is formed from one of a straight line and a part of an inverse circle having a center of curvature in an entrance-side space and a vertex portion of the entrance-side lens surface which is formed from part of a circle having a larger radius of curvature than that of said ellipse.