Luminous intensity distribution control device and display having the same

• US 20040051945A1
• Filed: 08/18/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Ikuo Hiyama, Makoto Tsumura, Masaya Adachi, Tetsuro Minemura
• Inventors: Adachi, Masaya, Hiyama, Ikuo, Tsumura, Makoto, Minemura, Tetsuro
• Granted Patent: US 6,844,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/453
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 12/00 Powdered glass C03C8/02 takes precedence; Bead compositions
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0012 characterised by the manufacturing method
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/005 arranged along a single direction only, e.g. lenticular sheets G02B3/0043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0068 arranged in a single integral body or plate, e.g. laminates or hybrid structures with other optical elements G02B5/1885, G02B17/002, G02B30/27 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0226 having particles on the surface
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0242 by means of dispersed particles
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0278 used in transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/025 using glue
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/027 the lens being in the form of a sphere or ball
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13318 Circuits comprising a photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133504 Diffusing, scattering, diffracting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133606
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133526 Lenses, e.g. microlenses or Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133627 Projection-direct viewing
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133634 the refractive index Nz perpendicular to the element surface being different from in-plane refractive indices Nx and Ny, e.g. biaxial or with normal optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133638 Waveplates, i.e. plates with a retardation value of lambda/n
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/10 Projectors with built-in or built-on screen
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2053 Intensity control of illuminating light controlled by video signal processing H04N5/74 or H04N9/31
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/208 Homogenising, shaping of the illumination light
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/604 Polarised screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3105 : for displaying all colours simultaneously, e.g. by using two or more electronic spatial light modulators simultaneous projection in colour photography G03B33/10; beam splitting or combining systems per se G02B27/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3167 : for polarizing the light beam polarizing optical systems per se G02B27/28

Abstract

It is possible to eliminate a fringe pattern produced at the time of incidence of polarized light of a light distribution control element, in which stray light derived from outside unnecessary light in a liquid crystal display apparatus of the like can be effectively reduced, and bright, wide viewing angle characteristics can be achieved when the display is viewed at any angle by an observer. In a light distribution control element constituted of a transparent base member, an array of a plurality of micro-lenses (transparent beads densely arrange on the transparent base member and a light absorbing layer having very small opening portions substantially at focal positions of the micro-lenses, the transparent base member is constituted of a transparent body which is substantially isotropic optically or a transparent body having uniaxial optical anisotrophy.

Claims

1. A light distribution control element including a transparent base member, a number of micro-lenses densely arranged on one face of the transparent base member and a light absorbing layer having very small opening portions substantially at focal positions of the micro-lenses, the light distribution control element characterized in that the transparent base member is constituted of a transparent body which is substantially isotropic optically or a transparent body having uniaxial optical anisotropy.

3. The light distribution control element according to claim 1, wherein the transparent base member comprises a glass plate, a triacetylcellulose film, a non-elongated polycarbonate film or an injection-molded acrylic resin.

2. A light distribution control element including a transparent base member, an adhering agent layer formed on one face of the transparent base member and a number of very small spherical transparent beads embedded in and fixed to the adhering agent layer, the light distribution control element characterized in that the adhering agent layer is constituted of hot melt adhering agents obtained by laminating a transparent layer and a colored layer in this order on the transparent base member and the transparent base member is constituted of a transparent body which is substantially isotropic optically or a transparent body having uniaxial optical anisotropy.

4. The light distribution control element according to claim 2, wherein the transparent base member comprises a glass plate, a triacetylcellulose film, a non-elongated polycarbonate film or an injection-molded acrylic resin.

5. A liquid crystal display apparatus including a pair of transparent substrates of a lamination of transparent electrodes and orientation films and being bonded to each other with a constant clearance therebetween while orientation films formed faces opposed to each other, a liquid crystal layer enclosed in the clearance, voltage applying means for applying a voltage corresponding to an image signal across the transparent electrodes and a polarizer and an analyzer disposed on a light incident face side and a light emitting face side of the pair of transparent substrates, the liquid crystal display characterized in that a rear face of each of the pair of transparent substrates is provided with a backlight apparatus for emitting substantially parallel light and the light emitting face side of the pair of transparent substrates is provided with a light distribution control element comprising a transparent base member, a number of micro-lenses densely arranged on one face of the transparent base member and a light absorbing layer having very small opening portions substantially at focal positions of the micro-lenses, the light distribution control element being a light distribution control element in which the transparent base member is constituted of a transparent body which is substantially isotropic optically or a transparent body having uniaxial optical anisotropy.

6. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the light emitting face side of each of the pair of transparent substrates is provided with a light distribution control element comprising the transparent base member, adhering agent layers formed on one face of the transparent base member and a number of very small spherical transparent beads embedded in and fixed to the adhering agent layers, the adhering agent layers being constituted of hot melt adhering agents obtained by laminating a transparent layer and a colored layer in this order on the transparent base member;

the transparent base member is constituted of the 10 transparent body which is substantially isotropic optically or the transparent body having the uniaxial optical anisotropy.

7. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the light incident face side of each of the pair of transparent substrates is provided with a polarizer and the light emitting face side is provided with an analyzer and the light distribution control element in this order from a side of the transparent base member;

and

a transmission axis of linearly polarized light of the analyzer is arranged in a horizontal direction relative to a display face.

8. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the light incident face side of each of the pair of transparent substrates is provided with a polarizer, the light emitting face side is provided with an analyzer and the light distribution control element in this order from a side of the transparent substrate, and a phase contrast plate is interposed between the analyzer and the light distribution control element.

9. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the light incident face side of each of the pair of transparent substrates is provided with a polarizer and the light emitting face side is provided with an analyzer and the light distribution control element in this order from a side of the transparent base member;

and

a transmission axis of linearly polarized light of the analyzer is arranged in a horizontal direction relative to a display face.

10. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the light incident face side of each of the pair of transparent substrates is provided with a polarizer, the light emitting face side is provided with an analyzer and the light distribution control element in this order from a side of the transparent substrate, and a phase contrast plate is interposed between the analyzer and the light distribution control element.