Liquid crystal display device including two liquid crystal display units disposed on opposite sides of the devices so that display can be observed from the opposite sides

A liquid crystal display device comprising:

• first and second display units whose front surfaces on a side to be observed are outside disposed and whose back surfaces on a side opposite to the side to be observed are inside disposed opposite to each other;
• and
• an irradiation member which comprises first and second polarized-light split elements disposed between the back surfaces of the first and second display units to reflect one of two different polarized-light components of an incident light and to transmit the other polarized-light component, and a lighting device disposed between the first and second polarized-light split elements to transmit the light transmitted through the first and second polarized-light split elements and to emit an illumination light to the first and second polarized-light split elements and which reflects a light of the polarized-light component transmitted through one of the polarized-light split elements by the other polarized-light split element and which reflects a light of the polarized-light component transmitted through the other polarized-light split element by the one reflective polarized-light split element to allow the light from the lighting device to be incident upon the first and second display units on back-surface sides.

A liquid crystal display device comprising:

• first and second display means for displaying images, whose front surfaces on a side to be observed are outside disposed and whose back surfaces on a side opposite to the side to be observed are inside disposed opposite to each other;
• and
• irradiation means which comprises first and second polarized-light split means, disposed between the back surfaces of the first and second display means, for splitting an incident light into two different polarized-light components, reflecting one of the polarized-light components, and transmitting the other polarized-light component, and lighting means, disposed between the two polarized-light split means, for irradiating both the sides of the first and second display means with an illumination light and which reflects the light of the other polarized-light component transmitted through one of the polarized-light split means by the other polarized-light split means, reflects the light of the other polarized-light component transmitted through the other polarized-light split means by the one reflective polarized-light split means, and allows the light to be incident upon the first and second display means on back-surface sides from the lighting means.