Optical device and display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10928568-B2
Application number	US-201816164231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2018
Priority date	May 20, 2016
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

An optical device includes a polarizing plate; a composite film which contains a liquid crystal compound aligned in a thickness direction and a photochromic material and in which optical characteristics of the photochromic material are changed by emitting light and a light transmittance in the thickness direction becomes smaller than a light transmittance in a direction orthogonal to the thickness; and a light-emitting unit which emits light changing the optical characteristics of the photochromic material of the composite film.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical device comprising:
a polarizing plate;
a composite film which contains a liquid crystal compound aligned in a thickness direction and a photochromic material and in which optical characteristics of the photochromic material are changed by irradiation with light and a light transmittance in the thickness direction becomes smaller than a light transmittance in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction; and
a light-emitting unit which emits light changing the optical characteristics of the photochromic material of the composite film to the composite film,
wherein a direction of an absorption axis of the polarizing plate is parallel to a direction orthogonal to a thickness direction of the polarizing plate.

2. The optical device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light-emitting unit emits ultraviolet rays.

3. A display device comprising:
a display element; and
the optical device according to claim 1 .

4. A display device comprising:
a display element; and
the optical device according to claim 2 .

5. The display device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the display element is a liquid crystal display element.

6. The display device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the display element is a liquid crystal display element.

7. The display device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the light-emitting unit of the optical device constitutes a backlight unit for allowing the liquid crystal display element to display an image.

8. The display device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the light-emitting unit of the optical device constitutes a backlight unit for allowing the liquid crystal display element to display an image.

9. The display device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the polarizing plate of the optical device constitutes a polarizing plate on a side of the backlight unit for allowing the liquid crystal display element to display an image.

10. The display device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the polarizing plate of the optical device constitutes a polarizing plate on a side of the backlight unit for allowing the liquid crystal display element to display an image.

11. The display device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the polarizing plate of the optical device constitutes a polarizing plate on a side of the backlight unit for allowing the liquid crystal display element to display an image.

12. The display device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the polarizing plate of the optical device constitutes a polarizing plate on a side of the backlight unit for allowing the liquid crystal display element to display an image.

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Yanai Yujiro

Classifications

• G02B5/3025

  Polarisers, i.e. arrangements capable of producing a definite output polarisation state from an unpolarised input state (G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02F1/13475

  in which at least one liquid crystal cell or layer is doped with a pleochroic dye, e.g. GH-LC cell (G02F1/13476 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02F1/133614

  using photoluminescence, e.g. phosphors illuminated by UV or blue light · CPC title

• G02F1/133603

  with LEDs · CPC title

• G02F1/1323

  Arrangements for providing a switchable viewing angle · CPC title