Liquid crystal optical element and lighting device

A lighting device comprising:

• a light source;
• and
• a liquid crystal optical element including a first liquid crystal cell, a second liquid crystal cell overlapping the first liquid crystal cell, and an optical element overlapping the second liquid crystal cell and refracting light;
• and
• a control circuit configured to control voltages supplied to transparent electrodes included in the first liquid crystal cell and the second liquid crystal cell,
• wherein each of the first liquid crystal cell and the second liquid crystal cell includes a first substrate, a second substrate arranged to face the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate,
• wherein the first substrate includes a first electrode group arranged alternately in parallel to a first direction with a first transparent electrode and a second transparent electrode, and a second electrode group arranged alternately in parallel to the first direction with a fifth transparent electrode and a sixth transparent electrode and adjacent to the first electrode group, and
• wherein the second substrate includes a third electrode group arranged alternately in parallel to a second direction intersecting the first direction with a third transparent electrode and a fourth transparent electrode, and arranged to face the first electrode group, and a fourth electrode group arranged alternately in parallel to the second direction with a seventh transparent electrode and an eighth transparent electrode, and adjacent to the third electrode group, and arranged to face the second electrode group,
• wherein the optical element includes a first optical conversion part overlapping the first electrode group and a second optical conversion part overlapping the second electrode group, and
• wherein the control circuit is configured to switch between:
• a first light distribution mode in which light emitted from the light source and passing through a portion of the liquid crystal layers corresponding to the first electrode group and the third electrode group is diffused by the liquid crystal layers, is incident on the first optical conversion part, and is emitted from the first optical conversion part as diffused light, light emitted from the light source and passing through a portion of the liquid crystal layers corresponding to the second electrode group and the fourth electrode group passes through the liquid crystal layers without being diffused by the liquid crystal layers, is incident on the second optical conversion part, and is emitted from the second optical conversion part as refracted light, and emitted light from the lighting device is obtained by combining the diffused light and the refracted light;
• and
• a second light distribution mode in which light emitted from the light source and passing through the portion of the liquid crystal layers corresponding to the first electrode group and the third electrode group passes through the liquid crystal layers without being diffused by the liquid crystal layers, is incident on the first optical conversion part, and is emitted from the first optical conversion part as refracted light, light emitted from the light source and passing through the portion of the liquid crystal layers corresponding to the second electrode group and the fourth electrode group is diffused by the liquid crystal layers, is incident on the second optical conversion part, and is emitted from the second optical conversion part as diffused light, and emitted light from the lighting device is obtained by combining the refracted light and the diffused light.