Light regulation device and lighting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11002428-B2
Application number	US-201916624287-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2019
Priority date	Jul 25, 2018
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

A light regulation device includes: a first substrate on which a first electrode layer is provided; a second substrate on which a second electrode layer is provided; and liquid crystals interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first electrode layer includes a plurality of electrode units. Each of the electrode units includes a plurality of electrode strips. Each of the electrode strips is configured to be loaded a different driving voltage signal. The second electrode layer is configured to be loaded a common voltage signal. An exiting direction of light passing through liquid crystals at a position corresponding to each of the electrode units is deflected in the same direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light regulation device, comprising:
a first substrate, a first electrode layer being provided on the first substrate;
a second substrate, a second electrode layer being provided on the second substrate;
a surface of the first substrate on which the first electrode layer is provided being disposed opposite to a surface of the second substrate on which the second electrode layer is provided; and
liquid crystals interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;
wherein the first electrode layer comprises a plurality of electrode units, each of the electrode units comprising a plurality of electrode strips, each of the electrode strips being configured to be loaded a different driving voltage signal, and wherein the second electrode layer is configured to be loaded a common voltage signal;
the first electrode layer comprises an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode layer, and an insulating layer is disposed between the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer;
the upper electrode layer comprises a plurality of first electrode strips and the lower electrode layer comprises a plurality of second electrode strips;
a projection of one of the second electrode strips on the first substrate is located between projections of every two adjacent ones of the first electrode strips on the first substrate, edges of adjacent first electrode strips are flush with edges of the second electrode strip; and
each of the electrode units comprises at least one of the first electrode strips and at least one of the second electrode strips that are continuously distributed; and
an exiting direction of light passing through liquid crystals at a position corresponding to each of the electrode units is deflected in the same direction.

2. The light regulation device according to claim 1 , wherein
for each of the electrode units, the driving voltage signals loaded on each of the electrode strips are gradually increased or decreased along a direction in which the electrode strips are arranged.

3. The light regulation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the projections of the every two adjacent first electrode strips on the first substrate abut against the projection of one of the second electrode strips on the first substrate.

4. The light regulation device according to claim 1 , wherein
a grating layer is further disposed on the second substrate and light is deflected after passing through the grating layer to increase a deflection angle of the light.

5. The light regulation device according to claim 4 , wherein
the grating layer comprises a plurality of spaced-apart light-shielding strips.

6. The light regulation device according to claim 5 , wherein
the grating layer is located between the second substrate and the second electrode layer and a flat layer is further disposed on the grating layer.

7. The light regulation device according to claim 5 , wherein
an optical adjustment device comprises a plurality of regions, each of the regions having a different light deflection direction;
each of the regions comprises at least one electrode unit, extension directions of electrode strips in the same region are the same, and extension directions of electrode strips in at least two regions are different;
a deflection angle of liquid crystals at a position corresponding to an electrode unit in the region in which the extension directions of the electrode strips are the same has a different variation tendency; and
the extension directions of the electrode strips in the same region are the same as those of light-shielding strips in the region, or the extension directions of the electrode strips in the same region are the same as those of dielectric layers in the region.

8. The light regulation device according to claim 1 , wherein
an orientation direction of the liquid crystals is mutually perpendicular to or parallel to the extension directions of the electrode strips.

9. A lighting device, comprising a collimating light source and a light regulation device, the light regulation device comprising:
a first substrate, a first electrode layer being provided on the first substrate;
a second substrate, a second electrode layer being provided on the second substrate;
a surface of the first substrate on which the first electrode layer is provided being disposed opposite to a surface of the second substrate on which the second electrode layer is provided; and
liquid crystals interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;
the first electrode layer comprises a plurality of electrode units, each of the electrode units comprising a plurality of electrode strips, each of the electrode strips being configured to be loaded a different driving voltage signal, and wherein the second electrode layer is configured to be loaded a common voltage signal;
the first electrode layer comprises an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode layer, and an insulating layer is disposed between the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer;
the upper electrode layer comprises a plurality of first electrode strips and the lower electrode layer comprises a plurality of second electrode strips;
a projection of one of the second electrode strips on the first substrate is located between projections of every two adjacent ones of the first electrode strips on the first substrate, edges of adjacent first electrode strips are flush with edges of the second electrode strip; and
each of the electrode units comprises at least one of the first electrode strips and at least one of the second electrode strips that are continuously distributed; and
an exiting direction of light passing through liquid crystals at a position corresponding to each of the electrode units is deflected in the same direction,
wherein the light regulation device is disposed in a light-exiting direction of the collimating light source.

10. The lighting device according to claim 9 , wherein
light of the collimating light source is polarized light.

11. The lighting device according to claim 9 , wherein
the light of the collimating light source is natural light, and a polaroid is further disposed between the liquid crystals of the optical adjustment device and the collimating light source.

12. The lighting device according to claim 9 , wherein
the light of the collimating light source is natural light;
the light regulation device comprises a first light regulation device and a second light regulation device superimposed on the light-exiting direction of the collimating light source;
an orientation direction of liquid crystals of the first light regulation device are parallel to extension directions of electrode strips therein one another and an orientation direction of liquid crystals of the second light regulation device are perpendicular to extension directions of electrode strips therein one another.

13. The lighting device according to claim 12 , wherein a second substrate of the first light regulation device and a first substrate of the second light regulation device share a same common substrate;
a first surface of the common substrate is provided with a second electrode layer of the first light regulation device and a second surface of the common substrate is provided with a first electrode layer of the second light regulation device, the second surface is a surface opposite to the first surface.

14. The light regulation device according to claim 4 , wherein
the grating layer comprises two dielectric layers having different refractive indexes, the two dielectric layers being alternately arranged.

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Li Zhongxiao
• Wang Wei
• Liang Pengxia
• Zhao Wenqing
• Chen Xiaochuan

Classifications

• F21V14/003 Primary

  by interposition of elements with electrically controlled variable light transmissivity, e.g. liquid crystal elements or electrochromic devices · CPC title

• G02F1/134372 Primary

  for fringe field switching [FFS] where the common electrode is not patterned · CPC title

• G02F1/134309

  characterised by their geometrical arrangement · CPC title

• G02F2201/15

  periodic · CPC title

• G02F1/29 Primary

  for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection · CPC title