Reflective polarizers having extended red band edge for reduced off axis color

• US 6,449,092 B1
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Hoffman, Kevin M., Cull, Brian D., Weber, Michael F., Ouderkirk, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US09/566,181
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 359/487, 359/488, 359/495, 359/498, 359/502, 349/96, 349/97, 362/19, 362/31
• US Class Current: 359/485.03
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/305 including organic materials, e.g. polymeric layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13362 providing polarized light, e.g. by converting a polarisation component into another one

Abstract

Reflective polarizers, which transmit one polarization and reflect the other polarization, have an extended red band edge in the off-axis transmission spectrum to control off axis color (OAC) hue. To control the OAC hue, the red band edge of the off-axis transmission spectrum, or OAC spectrum, is shifted beyond the boundary for red light, or to at least 600 nm. Even more preferably, the OAC spectrum is extended further into the red than any red emission peak of an associated lamp providing light into a system in which the reflective polarizer is used. The concept applies equally well to any type of reflective polarizer, such as multilayer reflective polarizers, cholesteric reflective polarizers, and the like. The resulting reflective polarizers are very useful for many different applications, such as liquid crystal displays.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display (LCD) system, comprising:

a light source including a light guide and a bulb disposed adjacent an edge of the light guide;

an LCD panel; and

a reflective polarizer disposed in an optical path between the LCD panel and the light source to transmit a first polarization state of light while reflecting a second polarization state of light, the reflective polarizer having an off-axis reflection spectrum for light incident on the reflective polarizer at an angle other than normal that is different than the reflection spectrum for light incident at an angle normal to the reflective polarizer, the off-axis reflection spectrum reflecting at least as much red light as blue or green light over a usable viewing angle of the LCD panel such that a hue of the display will not appear red across the usable viewing angle.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the off-axis reflection spectrum reflects more red light than blue or green light.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the usable viewing angle of the LCD panel is 45°

.

4. A system as recited in claim 3, wherein the reflective polarizer comprises a multilayer-type reflective polarizer.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the usable viewing angle of the LCD panel is 60°

.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the reflective polarizer comprises a cholesteric reflective polarizer.

7. A liquid crystal display (LCD) system, comprising:

a light source;

an LCD panel; and

a reflective polarizer disposed in an optical path between the LCD panel and the light source to transmit a first polarization state of light while reflecting a second polarization state of light, the reflective polarizer having an off-axis reflection spectrum for light incident on the reflective polarizer at a plurality of angles corresponding to a usable viewing angle of the LCD panel such that a hue of the display is not red or yellow across the usable viewing angle of the LCD panel.

8. A system as recited in claim 7, wherein the usable viewing angle of the LCD panel is 45°

.

9. A system as recited in claim 8, wherein the reflective polarizer comprises a multilayer-type reflective polarizer.

10. A system as recited in claim 8, wherein the reflective polarizer comprises a cholesteric reflective polarizer.

11. A system as recited in claim 7, wherein the usable viewing angle of the LCD panel is 60°

.