US 7,030,945 B2Granted

Liquid-crystal display device

AssigneeNitto Denko Corporation

InventorsSeiji Umemoto, Ryoji Kinoshita, Yuuki Nakano, Ichiro Amino, Toshihiko Ariyoshi

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Abstract

In a liquid-crystal display device, an optical path control layer is provided at least on an outer side of the back side substrate, and has a plurality of optical path changing slopes inclined at an inclination angle of from 35 to 48 degrees with respect to a reference plane of the back side substrate. The optical path control layer has a refractive index higher than that of a low-refractive-index transparent layer provided in the back side substrate. Another low-refractive-index transparent layer lower in refractive index than the transparent substrate may be provided in a visual side substrate. Light sources may be disposed on at least two side surfaces of the liquid-crystal display panel. Light sources may be disposed on side surfaces of the back side substrate and the visual side substrate and at least on side surfaces of the liquid-crystal display panel which are different from each other. Another optical path control layer may be provided also on an outer side of the visual side substrate.

Claims38

Dependent claims

A liquid-crystal display device comprising:

a liquid-crystal display panel;
a light source disposed on a side surface of said liquid-crystal display panel;
and
an optical path control layer, wherein:
said liquid-crystal display panel includes a liquid-crystal cell, said liquid-crystal cell having a back side substrate, a visual side substrate, and liquid crystal, said back side substrate at least having a transparent substrate, a low-refractive-index transparent layer lower in refractive index than said transparent substrate, and a semi-transmission reflection layer transmitting a part of light while reflecting the other part of the light, said visual side substrate having a transparent substrate and a transparent electrode, said liquid crystal being held between said back side substrate and said visual side substrate arranged so that said electrode and semi-transmission reflection layer are opposite to each other with respect to said liquid crystal, and
said optical path control layer being provided on an outer side of said back side substrate, said optical path control layer having a plurality of optical path changing slopes inclined at an inclination angle of from 35 to 48 degrees with respect to a reference plane of a corresponding one of said two substrates, and having a refractive index higher than that of said low-refractive-index transparent layer.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.