Illuminating apparatus wherein the plurality of polarization separating layers are disposed only to face the plurality of reflective patterns of the polarization light guide plate unit

• US 7,808,582 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hwang, Seong-mo, You, Jae-ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Schechter; Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim; Dennis Y
• Application Number:
  US11/647,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20070263139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 359/487, 359/488, 362/619, 362/620, 362/616, 349/115, 349/64, 349/95
• US Class Current: 349/95
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• 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 1/133621 providing coloured light G02F1/133617, G02F1/133533 take precedence

Abstract

An illuminating apparatus providing polarized color light and a display apparatus including the illuminating apparatus are provided. The illuminating apparatus includes a light source; a polarization light guide plate (LGP) unit which converts a polarization direction of light emitted from the light source into linearly polarized light, and collimates the linearly polarized light; and a cholesteric liquid crystal color filter which disposed on an upper portion of the polarization LGP unit, and selectively reflects light according to a polarized status and a wavelength of the light.

Claims

1. An illuminating apparatus providing polarized color light, the apparatus comprising:

a light source;

a polarization light guide plate unit which converts a polarization direction of light emitted from the light source into linearly polarized light and collimates the linearly polarized light; and

a cholesteric liquid crystal color filter, disposed on an upper portion of the polarization light guide plate unit, which selectively reflects light incident thereon from the polarization light guide plate unit according to a polarized status and a wavelength of the light from the polarization light guide plate unit;

wherein the polarization light guide plate unit comprises;

a light guide plate which guides light emitted from the light source;

a collimating member which is disposed on an upper portion of the light guide plate, the collimating member comprising a plurality of reflective patterns, each of the reflective patterns comprising an inclined surface, which reflects upward light emitted from the light guide plate; and

a plurality of polarization separating layers, each disposed between one of the plurality of reflective patterns and the light guide plate, which receive light incident thereon from the light guide plate and transmit light having a first polarization and reflect light having a second polarization, orthogonal to the first polarization,

wherein the plurality of polarization separating layers are disposed on only those portions of the upper surface of the light guide plate which directly face the plurality of reflective patterns and are not disposed on the portions of the upper surface of the light guide plate between the reflective patterns.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first polarization changing member which is disposed between the cholesteric liquid crystal color filter and the polarization light guide plate unit, and changes linearly-polarized light incident thereon from the polarization light guide plate unit into circularly-polarized light; and

a second polarization changing member which is disposed on an upper portion of the cholesteric liquid crystal color filter, and changes the circularly-polarized light incident thereon from the cholesteric liquid crystal color filter into linearly-polarized light.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the reflective patterns have a polyhedral shape.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polarization separating layer comprises a stack of a plurality of thin films having different refractive indices.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polarization separating layer comprises a plurality of alternating first and second thin films, wherein the first thin films have a different refractive index from the second thin films.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a slope of the inclined surface of each of the reflective patterns of the collimating member is such that an angle between light that is reflected from the inclined surface and exits through an upper surface of the collimating member and a line normal to the upper surface is between about −

10° and

+10°

.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of reflective patterns are arranged in one or two-directional arrays.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a reflective plate disposed on a side portion of the light guide plate.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a third polarization changing member disposed between the light guide plate and the reflective plate.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a fourth polarization changing member disposed on a lower surface of the light guide plate.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the thin films in the polarization separating layer is formed of one selected from the group consisting of Al₂O₃, CeO₂, Ta₂O₅, TiO₂, ZnS, ZrO₂, CaF₂, and MgF₂.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an adhesion layer comprising a material having a refractive index less than that of the light guide plate, and disposed between the light guide plate and the polarization separating layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polarization light guide plate unit comprises:

a light guide plate which guides the light emitted from the light source;

a collimator which is disposed on a side portion of the light guide plate that is adjacent to the light source, and decreases an incident angle of incident onto the light guide plate;

an anisotropic layer which is disposed on a lower portion of the light guide plate the anisotropic layer comprising an anisotropic material having a refractive index which varies according to a polarization direction of light; and

a first light exiting layer which is disposed on a lower portion of the anisotropic layer, the first light exciting layer comprising a plurality of first light exiting patterns which reflect light transmitted through the anisotropic layer toward the upper portion of the light guide plate.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the collimator comprises:

a plurality of reflective mirrors, each having a trapezoidal shape with a narrower side adjacent to the light source and a wider side adjacent to the light guide plate, and facing each other; and

a triangle prism which is disposed between the plurality of reflective mirrors that are facing each other, and has a bottom surface facing the light source and a corner opposite to the bottom surface facing the light guide plate.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first light exiting pattern is a prism pattern.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the light exiting patterns are arranged in a one-dimensional array along a first direction.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a second light exiting layer comprising second light exiting patterns disposed on the light guide plate.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second light exiting patterns are arranged in one-dimensional array along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a reflective plate disposed on a side of the light guide plate.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a third polarization changing member disposed between the light guide plate and the reflective plate.

21. A display apparatus comprising:

an illuminating apparatus; and

a display panel which displays images using light emitted from the illuminating apparatus;

wherein the illuminating apparatus comprises

a light source;

a polarization light guide plate unit which converts a polarization direction of light emitted from the light source into linearly polarized light and collimates the linearly polarized light; and

a cholesteric liquid crystal color filter, disposed on an upper portion of the polarization light guide plate unit, which selectively reflects light incident thereon from the polarization light guide plate unit according to a polarized status and a wavelength of the light from the polarization light guide plate unit;

wherein the polarization light guide plate unit comprises;

a light guide plate which guides light emitted from the light source;

a collimating member which is disposed on an upper portion of the light guide plate, the collimating member comprising a plurality of reflective patterns, each of the reflective patterns comprising an inclined surface, which reflects upward light emitted from the light guide plate; and

a plurality of polarization separating layers, each disposed between one of the plurality of reflective patterns and the light guide plate, which receive light incident thereon from the light guide plate and transmit light having a first polarization and reflect light having a second polarization, orthogonal to the first polarization,

wherein the plurality of polarization separating layers are disposed on only those portions of the upper surface of the light guide plate which directly face the plurality of reflective patterns and are not disposed on the portions of the upper surface of the light guide plate between the reflective patterns.