Display device and automobile

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11041984-B2
Application number	US-202016781177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2020
Priority date	Feb 13, 2019
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

A viewing angle between a wide viewing angle and a narrow viewing angle is switched, and the viewing angle is suppressed from becoming excessively narrow when the viewing angle is switched to the narrow viewing angle. The ultraviolet light guide plate is superimposed on the display panel. A first main surface of the ultraviolet light guide plate is on a side where the pixels are disposed. The film is disposed on the first main surface of the ultraviolet light guide plate. Openings of the film are disposed on an optical path that passes through the pixels and travels in a first direction. Non-opening portions of the film are disposed on an optical path that passes through the pixels and travels in a second direction. The film is made of a photochromic photosensitive material. The ultraviolet light source irradiates an end surface of the ultraviolet light guide plate with ultraviolet light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising:
a display panel including pixels;
an ultraviolet light guide plate that is superimposed on the display panel and has a first main surface on a side where the pixels are disposed, a second main surface on a side opposite to the side on which the pixels are disposed, and an end surface;
a film disposed on the first main surface, having openings disposed on an optical path that passes through the pixels and travels in a first direction and non-opening portions disposed on an optical path that passes through the pixels and travels in a second direction different from the first direction, and made of a photochromic photosensitive material; and
an ultraviolet light source irradiating the end surface with ultraviolet light,
wherein a state of the film is changed from a transmission state in which visible light is transmitted to a light shielding state in which the visible light is absorbed, when the ultraviolet light source irradiates the end surface with ultraviolet light.

2. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein
the pixels include first pixels,
the display panel further includes second pixels,
the openings are disposed on an optical path that passes through the second pixels and travels in the second direction, and
the non-opening portions are disposed on an optical path that passes through the second pixels and travels in the first direction.

3. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein
the display panel is a liquid crystal panel, and includes a liquid crystal cell and a polarizing plate superimposed on the liquid crystal cell, and
the ultraviolet light guide plate and the film are sandwiched between the liquid crystal cell and the polarizing plate.

4. The display device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a first ultraviolet absorption layer disposed on the first main surface so as to be superimposed on the film and a second ultraviolet absorption layer disposed on the second main surface.

5. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein
the ultraviolet light source irradiates a first region of the end surface with ultraviolet light, and
the display device further comprises an ultraviolet reflection film disposed in a second region different from the first region of the end surface.

6. An automobile comprising:
a driver's seat;
a passenger seat; and
the display device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first direction is a direction from the display device to one of the driver's seat and the passenger seat, and
the second direction is a direction from the display device to an other of the driver's seat and the passenger seat.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Yuuki Akimasa

Classifications

• G02F1/133524

  Light-guides, e.g. fibre-optic bundles, louvered or jalousie light-guides · CPC title

• G02F1/133509 Primary

  Filters, e.g. light shielding masks · CPC title

• G02F1/1323

  Arrangements for providing a switchable viewing angle · CPC title

• G02F1/133528

  Polarisers · CPC title

• G02B6/0018 Primary

  Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide · CPC title