Edge source illumination device for liquid crystal display with patterned electrodes for light guide modulation layer

An illumination device comprising:

• a light guide plate;
• a light source disposed on a side face of the light guide plate;
• and
• a light modulation element disposed on a surface or in an inside of the light guide plate and adhered to the light guide plate,
• wherein the light guide plate has a plurality of convex portions extending in a direction parallel to a normal to a face opposed to the light source among side faces of the light guide plate,
• the light source is configured of a plurality of light source blocks capable of being independently driven, and
• the light modulation element includes:
• a pair of transparent substrates disposed separately and oppositely to each other,
• a plurality of first electrodes provided on a surface of one of the pair of transparent substrates, and extending in a direction crossing an extending direction of the convex portions,
• a second electrode provided on a surface of another of the pair of transparent substrates, and
• a light modulation layer provided in a gap between the pair of transparent substrates, and exhibiting a scattering property or a transparent property to light from the light source depending on magnitude of an electric field,
• wherein each of the first electrodes has an irregular shape on an edge thereof adjacent to another first electrode, and
• wherein the irregular shape corresponds to a zigzag shape with a plurality of protruding portions being arranged, each protruding portion having an acute end, and
• wherein one or more of profiles of each of the protruding portions corresponds to a function of the power of m of the sine with an end as an origin, wherein m is an even number.

An illumination device comprising:

• a light guide plate;
• a light source disposed on a side face of the light guide plate;
• and
• a light modulation element disposed on a surface or in an inside of the light guide plate and adhered to the light guide plate,
• wherein the light guide plate has a plurality of convex portions extending in a direction parallel to a normal to a face opposed to the light source among side faces of the light guide plate,
• the light source is configured of a plurality of light source blocks capable of being independently driven, and
• the light modulation element includes:
• a pair of transparent substrates disposed separately and oppositely to each other,
• a plurality of first electrodes provided on a surface of one of the pair of transparent substrates, and extending in a direction crossing an extending direction of the convex portions,
• a second electrode provided on a surface of another of the pair of transparent substrates, and
• a light modulation layer provided in a gap between the pair of transparent substrates, and exhibiting a scattering property or a transparent property to light from the light source depending on magnitude of an electric field,
• wherein each of the first electrodes has an irregular shape on an edge thereof adjacent to another first electrode,
• wherein the second electrode is configured of a single sheet-like electrode or a plurality of belt-like electrodes,
• wherein the second electrode is patterned, where pattern density is different depending on a distance from the light source for each of parts opposed to the first electrodes, and
• wherein in the second electrode, a section from a point, at which pattern density starts to decrease, to a point, at which pattern density starts to increase, is within a range opposed to a section enclosed by bottoms of concave portions included in two irregular shapes adjacent to each other in the first electrodes.