Display panel having improved light-use efficiency, display device including the display panel, and method of manufacturing the display panel

• US 9,080,748 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2013
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Sohn, Jin-seung, Cho, Eun-hyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, LAURA K
• Application Number:
  US13/849,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20140140045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 362/19, 362/97.1, 362/97.2, 362/97.3, 362600-634
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/08 the elements being filters or photoluminescent elements and reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133553 Reflecting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133605
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133565 inside the LC elements, i.e. between the cell substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133607 the light controlling member including light directing or refracting elements, e.g. prisms or lenses

Abstract

A display panel may include a plurality of opening regions controlling one of transmission and blocking of incident light to form an image, a non-opening region between the plurality of opening regions, the non-opening region configured to not transmit the incident light, and at least one oblique reflective plate in the non-opening region to obliquely reflect the incident light.

Claims

1. A display panel comprising:

a plurality of opening regions configured to be switched between a first state transmitting incident light and a second state blocking the incident light to form an image;

a non-opening region between the plurality of opening regions, the non-opening region configured to not transmit the incident light; and

at least one oblique reflective plate in the non-opening region to obliquely reflect the incident light.

2. The display panel of claim 1, further comprising:

a polarizing plate in the plurality of opening regions, the polarizing plate adjacent to the at least one oblique reflective plate and only transmitting light of a specific polarization direction.

3. The display panel of claim 2, wherein the polarizing plate is one of an absorptive polarizer and a reflective polarizer.

4. The display panel of claim 3, wherein the reflective polarizer is a wire grid polarizer.

5. The display panel of claim 1, wherein the at least one oblique reflective plate includes one continuous reflective surface that is sloped so as to obliquely reflect the incident light toward the plurality of opening regions.

6. The display panel of claim 5, wherein the one continuous reflective surface is a flat surface.

7. The display panel of claim 5, wherein the one continuous reflective surface is curved so that an angle of inclination increases as the one continuous reflective surface is located farther from the plurality of opening regions.

8. The display panel of claim 1, wherein the at least one oblique reflective plate includes a plurality of discontinuous reflective surfaces.

9. The display panel of claim 8, wherein the plurality of discontinuous reflective surfaces have different angles of inclination.

10. The display panel of claim 9, wherein the different angles of inclination of the plurality of discontinuous reflective surfaces increase as the plurality of discontinuous reflective surfaces are located farther from the plurality of opening regions.

11. The display panel of claim 8, wherein the at least one oblique reflective plate includes an array of reflective surfaces having one or a combination of shapes including a sawtooth, a triangle, a spherical surface, an aspherical surface, a cone, and a polypyramid.

12. The display panel of claim 11, wherein the array of reflective surfaces have a same angle of inclination.

13. The display panel of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one first polarizing plate in the plurality of opening regions on a rear substrate;

the at least one oblique reflective plate in the non-opening region on the rear substrate;

a polarization converting layer on the first polarizing plate;

a switching element on the at least one oblique reflective plate;

a second polarizing plate covering at least the polarization converting layer;

a color filter on the polarization converting layer; and

a black matrix on the switching element.

14. The display panel of claim 13, wherein the at least one first polarizing plate is a plurality of first polarizing plates and the at least one oblique reflective plate is a plurality of oblique reflective plates, the plurality of first polarizing plates and the plurality of oblique reflective plates being alternately arranged on the rear substrate.

15. A display device comprising:

the display panel of claim 1, the display panel configured to form an image using incident light; and

a light source unit configured to provide light to the display panel.

16. A method of manufacturing a display panel, the method comprising:

forming a transparent resin layer on a transparent substrate, the transparent resin layer having a flat surface formed in an opening region and an oblique surface formed in a non-opening region;

forming an oblique reflective surface in the non-opening region by forming a reflective metal layer on an entire surface of the transparent resin layer; and

forming a wire grid polarizer by patterning the reflective metal layer in the opening region.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the forming a transparent resin layer comprises:

forming a transparent liquid-phase resin material on the transparent substrate, the transparent liquid-phase resin material including one of a thermosetting transparent liquid-phase resin material and a photocurable liquid-phase resin material;

contacting a stamp having an oblique surface pattern to the transparent liquid-phase resin material and pressing the stamp; and

hardening the transparent liquid-phase resin material and removing the stamp having the oblique surface pattern.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the contacting a stamp comprises using the stamp including a first surface corresponding to the non-opening region, the first surface having the oblique surface pattern embossed thereon, and a second surface corresponding to the opening region, the second surface being flat.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the forming an oblique reflective surface comprises forming the reflective metal layer of a conductive metal material.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the forming a wire grid polarizer comprises:

applying a mask layer on an entire surface of the reflective metal layer;

exposing a portion of the reflective metal layer by patterning the mask layer in the opening region using a stamp including a shape of the wire grid polarizer patterned thereon; and

etching the exposed reflective metal layer and removing the mask layer.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the exposing a portion comprises using the stamp including a first surface corresponding to the opening region, the first surface having an embossed pattern of the wire grid polarizer, and a second surface corresponding to the non-opening region, the second surface being flat.