Display device, adhesive-layer-including light-diffusion member, and method of manufacturing the light-diffusion member

An adhesive-layer-including light-diffusion member comprising:

• a light-diffusion member on a viewing side of a display medium, the light-diffusion member receiving light entering from the display medium and emitting light that exhibits a wider angular distribution than does the light before the entrance;
• and
• an adhesive layer between the display medium and the light-diffusion member, wherein the light-diffusion member comprises:
• a substrate having light-transmitting properties;
• a light-diffusion portion on a face of the substrate facing the display medium, the light-diffusion portion having a predetermined height;
• and
• a light-blocking layer on a part of the face of the substrate facing the display medium other than where the light-diffusion portion is provided, the light-blocking layer having a thickness smaller than the predetermined height of the light-diffusion portion,
• the light-diffusion portion comprises:
• a light-emitting end face in contact with the substrate;
• and
• a light-incident end face facing, and being larger in area than, the light-emitting end face,
• the adhesive layer adheres to the light-incident end face and partly encroaches into a space between the light-diffusion portion and the light-blocking layer, and
• the face of the substrate facing the display medium is separated by a shorter distance from a surface of the adhesive layer inside the space than from the light-incident end face.

An adhesive-layer-including light-diffusion member comprising:

• a light-diffusion member on a viewing side of a display medium, the light-diffusion member receiving light entering from the display medium and emitting light that exhibits a wider angular distribution than does the light before the entrance;
• and
• an adhesive sheet between the display medium and the light-diffusion member,
• wherein
• the light-diffusion member comprises:
• a substrate having light-transmitting properties;
• a light-diffusion portion on a face of the substrate facing the display medium, the light-diffusion portion having a predetermined height;
• and
• a light-blocking layer on a part of the face of the substrate facing the display medium other than where the light-diffusion portion is provided, the light-blocking layer having a thickness smaller than the predetermined height of the light-diffusion portion,
• the light-diffusion portion comprises:
• a light-emitting end face in contact with the substrate;
• and
• a light-incident end face facing, and being larger in area than, the light-emitting end face,
• the adhesive sheet comprises:
• an adhesive sheet substrate having light-transmitting properties;
• and
• adhesive layers, one on each of two faces of the adhesive sheet substrate,
• one of the adhesive layers in the adhesive sheet adheres to the light-incident end face and partly encroaches into a space between the light-diffusion portion and the light-blocking layer, and
• the face of the substrate facing the display medium is separated by a shorter distance from a surface of that one of the adhesive layers inside the space than from the light-incident end face.

A method of manufacturing an adhesive-layer-including light-diffusion member comprising:

• a substrate having light-transmitting properties;
• a light-diffusion portion on a face of the substrate, the light-diffusion portion having a predetermined height;
• a light-blocking layer on a part of the face of the substrate other than where the light-diffusion portion is provided, the light-blocking layer having a thickness smaller than the predetermined height of the light-diffusion portion;
• and either an adhesive layer on a face of the light-diffusion portion opposite from the substrate or an adhesive sheet comprising a substrate having light-transmitting properties and adhesive layers, one on each of two faces of the substrate,
• the method comprising:
• forming the light-blocking layer on an elongate substrate sheet that will become the substrate:
• forming the light-diffusion portion on the substrate sheet having formed thereon the light-blocking layer;
• attaching either the adhesive layer or an elongate adhesive-layer-including sheet that will become the adhesive sheet onto the substrate sheet having formed thereon the light-diffusion portion;
• and
• winding the substrate sheet having attached thereonto the adhesive-layer-including sheet.