Electro-optical device and electronic apparatus having a substrate that functions as a light guide plate

• US 6,862,054 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2003
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kawakami, Hisanori
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, TARIFUR RASHID
• Application Number:
  US10/379,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20030218701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 349 60- 65, 349/96, 349/98, 349/113, 362/31
• US Class Current: 349/65
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side

Abstract

A liquid crystal device 1 has light sources 22 such as LED'"'"'s disposed so as to face a side surface of a substrate 7b, and also has a light guiding film 4 and a light-source reflective layer 41 disposed so as to face the outer surface of the substrate 7b, in that order, whereby light can be supplied into a liquid crystal panel 2 without a thick light guiding plate. The light guiding film has a plurality of slanted surfaces 4c for reflecting light from the light sources 22 to the substrate 7b.

Claims

1. An electro-optical device comprising:

first and second substrates holding an electro-optical material therebetween;

at least one light source emitting light to the first substrate; and

a light guiding film having a plurality of slanted surfaces for deflecting light in the film towards the first substrate;

wherein the second substrate lies opposite to the first substrate; and

wherein the first substrate has a first inner polarizer layer, a light reflective layer for reflective display which partially transmits light, and a second inner polarizer layer, formed on a surface thereof holding the electro-optical material, in that order.

2. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding film has a light-source reflective layer disposed on one surface.

3. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the light guiding film have a polarizer disposed therebetween, and the polarizer and the first substrate have a reflective polarizer disposed therebetween.

4. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate has an inner polarizer layer formed on a surface thereof holding the electro-optical material.

5. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate is the substrate from which display light is emitted.

6. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light source emits light onto a side surface of the first substrate.

7. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the slanted surfaces are formed as depressions in the light guiding film.

8. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding film is fixed to the one substrate directly or has at least one optical member interposed therebetween by using an adhesive agent.

9. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a point light source.

10. The electro-optical device according to claim 9, wherein the slanted surfaces are oriented so that they generally face a light source.

11. The electro-optical device according to claim 10, wherein the slanted surfaces lying further away from the light source are more closely spaced together than those lying closer to the light source.

12. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate has a fight absorbing layer on a surface thereof lying close to the electro-optical material and has a low refractive index layer under the light absorbing layer.

13. The electro-optical device according to claim 12, wherein the light absorbing layer is a light shielding film or a color filter layer.

14. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the electro-optical material is liquid crystal.

15. The electro-optical device of claim 1 in combination with a display unit for an electronic apparatus.

16. An electro-optical device comprising:

first and second substrates holding an electro-optical material therebetween;

at least one light source emitting light to the first substrate; and

a light guiding film having a plurality of slanted surfaces for deflecting light in the film towards the first substrate;

wherein the second substrate lies opposite to the first substrate;

wherein the first substrate has an inner reflective polarizer layer, a first inner polarizer layer, a light reflective layer for reflective display which partially transmits light, and a second inner polarizer layer, formed on a surface thereof holding the electro-optical material, in that order.

17. An electro-optical device comprising:

first and second substrates holding an electro-optical material therebetween;

at least one light source emitting light to the first substrate; and

a light guiding film having a plurality of slanted surfaces for deflecting light in the film towards the first substrate;

wherein the second substrate lies opposite to the first substrate;

wherein the first substrate has an inner polarizer layer and an inner reflective polarizer layer, formed of a wire-grid layer, formed on a surface thereof holding the electro-optical material, in that order.