Patent · US Active

Front illuminating device and a reflection-type liquid crystal display using such a device

US7714956B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
24References
36Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 10, 2004
Grant dateMay 11, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 21, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F1/133626
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A front-illuminating device of the present invention, which is placed over the entire surface of an object to be illuminated such as a reflection-type liquid crystal display device when it is used, is provided with a light source and a light-directing body. The light-directing body has an incident surface on which light from the light source (light-source light) is made incident, a first light-releasing surface for releasing the light toward the object to be illuminated, and a second light-releasing surface which faces the first light-releasing surface and releases reflected light from the object to be illuminated. The second light-releasing surface is formed into a step shape in which slanting portions and flat portions are alternately placed. The light source light, released from the first light-releasing surface to the object to be illuminated, is reflected by the object to be illuminated and the reflected light is allowed to reach the observer from the first light-releasing surface through the flat portions. In this case, among the light-source light rays, the light components progressing in parallel with the flat portions are reflected by the slanting portions and directed to …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.