Liquid crystal display device comprising a first optical compensating member disposed without a birefringent medium sandwiched between the liquid crystal layer and the first optical compensating member

A liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a first substrate with a first polarizing layer at an incident side of light;
• a second substrate with a second polarizing layer which includes an absorption axis such that the smaller of two angles formed with respect to the absorption axis of the first polarizing layer ranges from 88° to 90°;
• a liquid-crystal layer on which liquid-crystal molecules are oriented such that the smaller of two angles formed with respect to the first substrate or the second substrate ranges from 0° to 5°, and such that the smaller of two angles formed with respect to the absorption axis of the first polarizing layer ranges from 88° to 90° or the smaller of two angles formed ranges from 0° to 2°;
• a matrix-driven electrode group with one pair of electrodes arranged on a pixel-by-pixel basis at a side close to the liquid-crystal layer, on either the first substrate or the second substrate;
• and
• a rear-illuminating device;
• wherein:
• between the first polarizing layer and the liquid-crystal layer, a first optical compensating member is disposed without a birefringent medium sandwiched between the liquid-crystal layer and the first optical compensating member;
• the first optical compensating member is constructed so that when a refractive index thereof in a slow-axis direction in a plane parallel to the substrate is taken as n1, a refractive index in a fast-axis direction in the plane parallel to the substrate is taken as n2, and a refractive index in a thickness direction is taken as n3, the first optical compensating member satisfies n1≈n3>n2;
• a slow axis of the first optical compensating member in the plane parallel to the substrate is substantially vertical to an optical axis of the liquid-crystal layer;
• the optical axis of the liquid-crystal layer is substantially vertical to an absorption axis of the first polarizing layer;
• a second optical compensating member is disposed between the second polarizing layer and the liquid-crystal layer;
• if a wavelength of incident light is 550 nm, a difference between an extraordinary-light refractive index of the liquid-crystal layer and an ordinary-light refractive index thereof is expressed as ΔnLC, and a cell gap, as dLC;
• and
• when the refractive index of the first optical compensating member in the slow-axis direction thereof in the substrate parallel plane is taken as n1, the refractive index of the first optical compensating member in the fast-axis direction thereof in the substrate parallel plane is taken as n2, and thickness of the first optical compensating member is taken as dr;
• 0 nm<ΔnLC·dLC−(n1−n2)·dr<275 nm
• is satisfied;
• and
• the second optical compensating member satisfies n3>n1≈n2.

A comprising:

• a first substrate with a first polarizing layer at an incident side of light;
• a second substrate with a second polarizing layer which includes an absorption axis such that the smaller of two angles formed with respect to the absorption axis of the first polarizing layer ranges from 88° to 90°;
• a liquid-crystal layer on which liquid-crystal molecules are oriented such that the smaller of two angles formed with respect to the first substrate or the second substrate ranges from 0° to 5°, and such that the smaller of two angles formed with respect to the absorption axis of the first polarizing layer ranges from 88° to 90° or the smaller of two angles formed ranges from 0° to 2°.
• a matrix-driven electrode group with one pair of electrodes arranged on a pixel-by-pixel basis at a side close to the liquid-crystal layer, on either the first substrate or the second substrate;
• and
• a rear-illuminating device;
• wherein:
• between the first polarizing layer and the liquid-crystal layer, a first optical compensating member is disposed without a birefringent medium sandwiched between the liquid-crystal layer and the first optical compensating member;
• the first optical compensating member is constructed so that when a refractive index thereof in a slow-axis direction in a plane parallel to the substrate is taken as n1, a refractive index in a fast-axis direction in the plane parallel to the substrate is taken as n2, and a refractive index in a thickness direction is taken as n3, the first optical compensating member satisfies n1≈n3>n2;
• a slow axis of the first optical compensating member in the plane parallel to the substrate is substantially vertical to an optical axis of the liquid-crystal layer;
• the optical axis of the liquid-crystal layer is substantially vertical to an absorption axis of the first polarizing layer;
• a second optical compensating member is disposed between the second polarizing layer and the liquid-crystal layer;
• if a wavelength of incident light is 550 nm, a difference between an extraordinary-light refractive index of the liquid-crystal layer and an ordinary-light refractive index thereof is expressed as ΔnLC, and a cell gap, as dLC, and
• when the refractive index of the first optical compensating member in the slow-axis direction thereof in the substrate parallel plane is taken as n1, the refractive index of the first optical compensating member in the fast-axis direction thereof in the substrate parallel plane is taken as n2, and thickness of the first optical compensating member is taken as dr,
• −275 nm<ΔnLC·dLC−(n1−n2)·dr<0 nm
• is satisfied;
• and
• the second optical compensating member satisfies n1≈n2>n3.