Edge-lit transflective non-emissive display with angled interface means on both sides of light conducting panel

A transflective non-emissive display apparatus comprising:

• a non-emissive light means for controlling the passage of light whereby portions of said display appear light or dark to a viewer in front of the display depending on whether light is passed or not passed by corresponding portions of said light means;
• a light conducting panel behind said non-emissive light means, said light conducting panel having front, back and side walls, said front and back walls oriented for reflecting ambient light that has passed through said light means;
• an edge light source for introducing light in one of the side walls of said light conducting panel;
• at least one of said front and back walls having surface indentations in the wall;
• a plurality of said indentations having indentation wall angles oriented relative to incident ambient light to refract and reflect the ambient light towards said non-emissive light means at a useable viewing angle for the viewer;
• and
• a plurality of said indentations having indentation wall angles oriented relative to incident edge light to refract and reflect the edge light towards said non-emissive light means at a useable viewing angle,
• wherein said indentations comprise:
• indentations in said front wall having wall angles for reflecting the ambient light that passed through said non-emissive light means back through said non-emissive light means at a useable viewing angle and for reflecting edge light inside the light conducting panel towards the back wall;
• indentations in the back wall having wall angles for reflecting ambient light, refracted through the front wall, and edge light out the front wall and toward said non-emissive light means.

A transflective non-emissive display apparatus comprising:

• liquid crystal layer for rotating polarized light when in a first state and not rotating polarized light when in a second state;
• a first polarizer in front of said crystal layer for linearly polarizing light;
• a second polarizer behind said crystal layer for linearly polarizing light, said first and second polarizers oriented relative to each other whereby light is passed by said polarizers when said crystal layer is in one of the first or second states and light is not passed by said polarizers when said crystal layer is in the other state;
• a light conducting panel behind said liquid crystal layer, said light conducting panel having front, back and side walls, said front and back walls oriented for reflecting ambient light that has passed through said layer;
• an edge light source for introducing light in one of the side walls of said light conducting panel;
• said front and back walls having surface indentations in the wall;
• indentations in said front wall having wall angles for reflecting the ambient light that passed through said liquid crystal layer back through said layer at a useable viewing angle and for reflecting edge light inside the light panel towards the back wall;
• and
• indentations in the back wall having wall angles for reflecting ambient light, refracted through the front wall, and edge light toward said liquid crystal layer.