Optical element, as well as polarized-light-emitting surface light source and display device using the same
First Claim
1. An optical element having a plate-like shape, which comprises a light-transmitting resin and minute regions, said minute regions being dispersedly distributed in said light-transmitting resin and having a birefringence different from said light-transmitting resin, wherein at least one of said light-transmitting resin and said minute regions contains at least one luminescent material;
- wherein said at least one luminescent material is a fluorescent material that absorbs any one of ultraviolet light and visible light and emits visible light.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical element having a plate-like shape includes a light-transmitting resin and minute regions. The minute regions are dispersedly distributed in the light-transmitting resin and have a birefringence different from the light-transmitting resin. At least one of the light-transmitting resin and the minute regions contains at least one luminescent material. The thus arranged optical element omits the necessity to separately provide a light emitting means made of a light-transmitting resin containing reflective dots or the like as in a conventional manner, while being capable of allowing light, which results from excitation by incident light in the optical element (through the luminescent material), to be emitted to the outside in the form of linearly polarized light having a certain plane of vibration.
5 Citations
9 Claims
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1. An optical element having a plate-like shape, which comprises a light-transmitting resin and minute regions, said minute regions being dispersedly distributed in said light-transmitting resin and having a birefringence different from said light-transmitting resin, wherein at least one of said light-transmitting resin and said minute regions contains at least one luminescent material;
wherein said at least one luminescent material is a fluorescent material that absorbs any one of ultraviolet light and visible light and emits visible light. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
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2. An optical element having a plate-like shape, which comprises a light-transmitting resin and minute regions, said minute regions being dispersedly distributed in said light-transmitting resin and having a birefringence different from said light-transmitting resin, wherein at least one of said light-transmitting resin and said minute regions contains at least one luminescent material;
wherein said at least one luminescent material is a phosphorescent material that absorbs any one of ultraviolet light and visible light and emits visible phosphorescence.
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6. A polarized-light-emitting surface light source comprising an optical element having a plate-like shape and a light source that emits light of a wavelength that is capable of exciting a luminescent material contained in said optical element, said optical element comprising a light-transmitting resin and minute regions, said minute regions being dispersedly distributed in said light-transmitting resin and having a birefringence different from said light-transmitting resin, and at least one of said light-transmitting resin and said minute regions contains at least one luminescent material;
wherein said at least one luminescent material is a fluorescent material that absorbs any one of ultraviolet light and visible light and emits visible light. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
Specification