Granted Patent B2

US 8,456,591 · App. 12/608,171 · Granted Jun 4, 2013

Abstract

Claims (18)

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel; and

a backlight which is arranged on a back surface of the liquid crystal display panel, wherein

the backlight includes a light source, a light guide plate, a first prism sheet which is arranged between the liquid crystal display panel and the light guide plate, and a second prism sheet which is arranged between the first prism sheet and the light guide plate,

the first prism sheet includes first prisms which are formed parallel to each other in the first direction on a liquid-crystal-display-panel-side surface thereof,

the first prism formed on the first prism sheet includes a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface which respectively extend in the second direction which intersects the first direction,

assuming light which is emitted from the light source, enters the light guide plate through a side surface of the light guide plate, and is radiated from an upper surface of the light guide plate as a first light, and light which enters the light guide plate through the upper surface of the light guide plate and is radiated from the upper surface of the light guide plate as a second light,

the second prism sheet includes second prisms which convert the first light into a third light whose light quantity has the distribution where a magnitude of light quantity is periodically changed at a pitch of the first prisms formed on the first prism sheet in the first direction and allow the third light to be incident on the first prism sheet,

the first prism sheet, upon impingement of the third light on the first inclined surfaces, reflects the third light toward a second-inclined-surface side on the first inclined surfaces thus reflecting at least a portion of the third light toward a light-guide-plate side on the second inclined surface,

the first prism sheet, upon impingement of the third light on the second inclined surfaces without via the first inclined surfaces, radiates the third light toward a liquid-crystal-display-panel side, and

the first prism sheet is displaceable between a first state in a wide viewing angle mode where a rate that the third light impinges on the second inclined surfaces without via the first inclined surfaces is smaller than a rate that the third light impinges on the first inclined surface and a second state in a narrow viewing angle where the rate that the third light impinges on the second inclined surfaces without via the first inclined surfaces is larger than the rate that the third light impinges on the first inclined surfaces.

2. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein a displacement of the first prism sheet is performed in the first direction.

3. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein a displacement of the first prism sheet is performed in the direction perpendicular to a main surface of the first prism sheet.

4. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second prisms which are formed parallel to each other in the first direction are formed on a first-prism-sheet-side surface of the second prism sheet,

the second prism formed on the second prism sheet includes a third inclined surface and a fourth inclined surface which respectively extend in the second direction, and

the third light is radiated from the fourth inclined surfaces.

5. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein the second light is a diffused light.

6. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystal display panel includes a pair of substrates which sandwiches liquid crystal therebetween, and the liquid crystal is driven by an electric field which has components parallel to the pair of substrates.

Assignments (8)