Liquid crystal display apparatus

A liquid crystal display apparatus, comprising:

• a liquid crystal display panel comprising a liquid crystal cell between a first polarizing plate provided on a viewer side and a second polarizing plate provided on a back surface side;
• and
• a surface light source device for illuminating the liquid crystal display panel from the back surface side,
• wherein the surface light source device comprises:
• a light source unit;
• a light guide plate for causing light from the light source unit to enter from a light incident surface opposed to the light source unit, and for outputting first directivity light from a light output surface opposed to the liquid crystal display panel, the first directivity light being polarized light having directivity of maximum intensity in a first direction, which forms a predetermined angle from a normal direction of the light output surface in a plane approximately parallel to a light guiding direction of light, and having a high ratio of a polarized light component oscillating in the plane;
• and
• a prism sheet arranged on a liquid crystal display panel side with respect to the light guide plate, the prism sheet comprising a prism portion in which a plurality of columnar unit prisms protruding on a light guide plate side are arrayed, the prism sheet being configured to convert the first directivity light into second directivity light directed in a second direction within a predetermined angle from the normal direction of the light output surface of the light guide plate while substantially maintaining a polarization state of the first directivity light,
• wherein a ridge line direction of the columnar unit prisms is approximately parallel to the light incident surface of the light guide plate,
• wherein a transmission axis of the second polarizing plate is approximately parallel to a polarization direction of the second directivity light and the light guiding direction of the light in the light guide plate, and
• wherein the transmission axis of the second polarizing plate is approximately perpendicular to a transmission axis of the first polarizing plate.