Light deflector, method of manufacturing light deflector, and liquid crystal display

1. A light deflector which deflects incident light and emits the light which has been deflected, by changing a refractive index of a liquid crystal, the light deflector comprising:

a pair of transparent electrodes which face each other;

a plurality of prisms which are provided between the pair of transparent electrodes and are arranged on a facing surface of one of the pair of transparent electrodes, the facing surface facing a surface of the other one of the pair of transparent electrodes;

two spacers arranged between the pair of transparent electrodes, and having, in a direction from one of the pair of transparent electrodes toward the other of the pair of transparent electrodes, widths which (i) are greater than widths of the prisms and (ii) are identical to each other; and

a liquid crystal which is provided, within a space between the pair of transparent electrodes, in a portion other than a portion where the prisms and the two spacers exist,

wherein each of the two spacers has:

a portion in contact with the facing surface of one of the pair of transparent electrodes, and another portion in contact with the surface of the other one of the pair of transparent electrodes; and

a shape similar to a shape of each of the prisms of the light deflector, such that each of the spacers can deflect incident light from a light source in a similar manner as the prisms.

2. The light deflector according to claim 1 ,

wherein the two spacers are two prisms.

3. The light deflector according to claim 1 , further comprising

a sealing agent which seals an edge of the pair of transparent electrodes,

wherein each of the two spacers is disposed at a position in contact with the sealing agent.

4. The light deflector according to claim 1 ,

wherein each of the prisms has a symmetrical shape with respect to an axis of symmetry which is parallel to a normal to the facing surface.

5. The light deflector according to claim 4 ,

wherein each of the prisms has a stick-like shape and has a right triangle-shaped cross-section, and

a non-hypotenuse side of the right triangle is in contact with the facing surface, and a side closer to the axis of symmetry out of two sides different from the non-hypotenuse side is the hypotenuse.

6. The light deflector according to claim 4 ,

wherein, in a cross-section of the prisms, the axis of symmetry is at a position penetrating a center of the pair of transparent electrodes.

7. A method for manufacturing a light deflector, the method comprising:

disposing a first transparent electrode;

disposing a plurality of prisms which are provided above the first transparent electrode, and are arranged on an upper surface of the first transparent electrode;

disposing two spacers provided above the first transparent electrode, and having, in an upper-lower direction, widths which are (i) greater than widths of the prisms and (ii) are identical to each other;

dropping, from above the first transparent electrode, a liquid crystal into each of sections separated by the two spacers disposed; and

disposing a second transparent electrode above the prisms and the two spacers,

wherein each of the two spacers has:

a portion in contact with a facing surface of one of the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode, and another portion in contact with a facing surface of the other one of the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode; and

a shape similar to a shape of each of the prisms of the light deflector, such that each of the spacers can deflect incident light from a light source in a similar manner as the prisms.

8. A liquid crystal display comprising:

the light deflector according to claim 1 ;

a backlight which emits light into the light deflector; and

a liquid crystal panel into which the light emitted from the light deflector enters.

9. The liquid crystal display according to claim 8 , further comprising:

a detection unit configured to detect a position of an eye of a viewer,

wherein the light deflector deflects the light toward the position of the eye detected by the detection unit.

10. The liquid crystal display according to claim 9 ,

wherein the detection unit is configured to detect positions of a left eye and a right eye of the viewer,

the light deflector is configured to deflect, on a time division basis, the light toward the positions of the left eye and the right eye detected by the detection unit, and

the liquid crystal panel displays (i) an image for the left eye of the viewer, at a timing when the light is deflected toward the left eye, and (ii) an image for the right eye of the viewer, at a timing when the light is deflected toward the right eye.