Liquid-crystal display and a lighting apparatus

A reflective liquid-crystal display, comprising:

• a reflective liquid-crystal panel;
• a light guiding plate disposed on said reflective liquid-crystal panel;
• a polarizer disposed between said reflective liquid-crystal panel and said light guiding plate;
• a light source disposed on a side surface of said light guiding plate, wherein:
• light emitted from said light source propagates through said light guiding plate and is emitted from said light guiding plate toward said polarizer, the light having a primary direction;
• and
• a smaller one of two angles between a projection of the primary direction onto said reflective liquid-crystal panel and an absorption axis of said light guiding plate is more than 0° and at most 40°.

A reflective liquid-crystal display, comprising:

• a reflective liquid-crystal panel;
• a light guiding plate disposed on said reflective liquid-crystal panel;
• a polarizer disposed between said reflective liquid-crystal panel and said light guiding plate;
• and
• a light source disposed on a side surface of said light guiding plate, wherein:
• light emitted from said light source propagates through said light guiding plate, the light including primary polarized light;
• and
• a smaller one of two angles between a projection of a direction of the primary polarized light onto said reflective liquid-crystal panel and an absorption axis of said light guiding plate is at least 50°.

A reflective liquid-crystal display, comprising:

• a reflective liquid-crystal panel;
• a light guiding plate disposed on said reflective liquid-crystal panel;
• a polarizer disposed between said reflective liquid-crystal panel and said light guiding plate;
• a light source disposed on a side surface of said light guiding plate, wherein:
• light incident to said reflective liquid-crystal panel has primary polarized light;
• and
• a smaller one of two angles between a projection of a direction of the primary polarized light onto said reflective liquid-crystal panel and an absorption axis of said light guiding plate is at least 50°.

A lighting apparatus, comprising:

• a light guiding plate;
• and
• a light source disposed on a side surface of said light guiding plate, wherein
• said light guiding plate has a flat first surface having a plurality of projections,
• each said projection is formed with a first inclined plane having a first angle between said plane and said flat first surface and a second inclined plane formed adjacent to said first inclined plane with a second angle between said plane and said flat first surface, said second angle being larger than said first angle, said lighting apparatus further comprising
• a light preventive layer preventing light from passing therethrough on each said second inclined plane.

A reflective liquid-crystal display, comprising:

• a lighting apparatus, comprising
• a light guiding plate including a flat first surface having a plurality of projections, each said projection being formed with a first inclined plane having a first angle between said plane and said flat first surface and with a second inclined plane formed adjacent to said first inclined plane with a second angle between said plane and said flat first surface, said second angle being larger than said first angle and
• a light source disposed on a side surface of said light guiding plate;
• a reflective liquid-crystal panel disposed on a second surface of said light guiding plate, said second surface opposing said first surface, said reflective liquid-crystal panel opposing said first surface;
• a polarizer disposed between said reflective liquid-crystal panel and said light guiding plate;
• and
• a low-refractive-index layer formed between said polarizer and said light guiding plate, said low-refractive-index layer having a refractive index smaller than a refractive index of said light guiding plate.

A reflective liquid-crystal display, comprising:

• a transparent first substrate;
• a first electrode formed on said first substrate;
• a second substrate having a light absorbing function;
• a second electrode formed on said second substrate;
• a uniform-refractive-index layer formed on said first electrode in a state in which said first and second substrates are arranged with said first and second electrodes being opposing each other, said uniform-refractive-index layer including a surface having projections and depressions, said uniform-refractive-index layer having a substantially uniform refractive index;
• a liquid-crystal layer sandwiched between said first and second substrates, said liquid-crystal layer forming a boundary plane between said liquid-crystal layer and said uniform-refractive-index layer;
• and
• voltage applying means for applying voltages to said first and second electrodes, wherein
• said projections and depressions of the boundary plane has an amplitude H and a pitch P, said amplitude H being at least 0.5 time of the pitch P.

A lighting apparatus, comprising:

• a planar member, comprising
• a transparent first electrode,
• a uniform-refractive-index layer formed on said first electrode, said uniform-refractive-index layer including a surface having projections and depressions, said uniform-refractive-index layer having a substantially uniform refractive index,
• a scattering liquid-crystal layer formed on said uniform-refractive-index layer, said scattering liquid-crystal layer forming a boundary plane between said scattering liquid-crystal layer and said uniform-refractive-index layer, said scattering liquid-crystal layer being capable of changing a scattering characteristic thereof by changing an applied voltage applied thereto,
• a second electrode formed on said scattering liquid-crystal layer;
• and
• a light-emitting device disposed on an end section of said planar member.

A liquid-crystal display, comprising:

• a liquid-crystal panel, comprising
• a transparent first substrate,
• a transparent first electrode formed on said first substrate,
• a uniform-refractive-index layer formed on said first electrode, said uniform-refractive-index layer including a surface having projections and depressions, said uniform-refractive-index layer having a substantially uniform refractive index,
• a scattering liquid-crystal layer formed on said uniform-refractive-index layer, said scattering liquid-crystal layer forming a boundary plane between said scattering liquid-crystal layer and said uniform-refractive-index layer, said scattering liquid-crystal layer being capable of changing a scattering characteristic thereof by changing an applied voltage applied thereto,
• a second substrate,
• a second electrode formed on said second substrate, said second electrode being in contact with said scattering liquid-crystal layer, and
• voltage applying means for applying voltages to said first and second electrodes,
• either one of said first and second electrodes being partitioned for each pixel area;
• a planar member disposed opposing said liquid-crystal panel;
• and
• a lighting apparatus comprising a light emitting device at an end section of said planar member.