Illumination device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12540718-B2
Application number	US-202519191266-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2025
Priority date	Nov 2, 2022
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

According to an aspect, an illumination device includes: two control substrates; two relay substrates electrically coupled to the two respective control substrates through respective wire harnesses; and four liquid crystal panels electrically coupled to the two relay substrates through flexible printed circuit boards. Four of the flexible printed circuit boards are provided. Two of the four liquid crystal panels are electrically coupled to one of the two relay substrates through the corresponding flexible printed circuit boards. The other two of the four liquid crystal panels are electrically coupled to the other of the two relay substrates through the corresponding flexible printed circuit boards. The four liquid crystal panels are provided in a state of being stacked in a first direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An illumination device comprising:
two control substrates; two relay substrates electrically coupled to the two respective control substrates through respective wire harnesses; and four liquid crystal panels electrically coupled to the two relay substrates through flexible printed circuit boards, wherein four of the flexible printed circuit boards are provided, two of the four liquid crystal panels are electrically coupled to one of the two relay substrates through the corresponding flexible printed circuit boards, the other two of the four liquid crystal panels are electrically coupled to the other of the two relay substrates through the corresponding flexible printed circuit boards, and the four liquid crystal panels are provided in a state of being stacked in a first direction.

2 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein
the wire harnesses and the flexible printed circuit boards are provided with signal lines, and the signal lines of the wire harnesses are bifurcated at the relay substrates and coupled to the signal lines of the flexible printed circuit boards.

3 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the wire harnesses are longer than the flexible printed circuit boards.

4 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a holding member that has a center axis extending in the first direction and holds the four liquid crystal panels and the two relay substrates; and a held member that supports the holding member rotatably in a direction about the center axis and to which a light source and the two control substrates are attached.

5 . The illumination device according to claim 4 , wherein
the four liquid crystal panels are a first liquid crystal panel, a second liquid crystal panel, a third liquid crystal panel, and a fourth liquid crystal panel that are stacked sequentially from one side in the first direction toward the other side, each of the first liquid crystal panel and the second liquid crystal panel includes a first substrate on the one side in the first direction, a second substrate on the other side in the first direction, a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, a first drive electrode provided on the first substrate, and a second drive electrode provided on the second substrate and extending in a direction intersecting the first drive electrode when viewed in the first direction, and an initial light distribution direction on the first substrate side intersects an initial light distribution direction on the second substrate side when viewed in the first direction, each of the third liquid crystal panel and the fourth liquid crystal panel includes a first substrate on the one side in the first direction, a second substrate on the other side in the first direction, a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, a first drive electrode provided on the first substrate, and a second drive electrode provided on the second substrate and extending in a direction intersecting the first drive electrode when viewed in the first direction, and an initial light distribution direction on the first substrate side intersects an initial light distribution direction on the second substrate side when viewed in the first direction, the initial light distribution direction on the first substrate side in each of the first liquid crystal panel and the second liquid crystal panel intersects the initial light distribution direction on the first substrate side in each of the third liquid crystal panel and the fourth liquid crystal panel when viewed in the first direction, the one of the two relay substrates is electrically coupled to the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode of the first liquid crystal panel and the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode of the third liquid crystal panel, and the other of the two relay substrates is electrically coupled to the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode of the second liquid crystal panel and the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode of the fourth liquid crystal panel.

6 . The illumination device according to claim 4 , wherein
the four liquid crystal panels are a first liquid crystal panel, a second liquid crystal panel, a third liquid crystal panel, and a fourth liquid crystal panel that are stacked sequentially from one side in the first direction toward the other side, each of the first liquid crystal panel and the second liquid crystal panel includes a first substrate on the one side in the first direction, a second substrate on the other side in the first direction, a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, a first drive electrode provided on the first substrate, and a second drive electrode provided on the second substrate and extending in a direction intersecting the first drive electrode when viewed in the first direction, and an initial light distribution direction on the first substrate side intersects an initial light distribution direction on the second substrate side when viewed in the first direction, each of the third liquid crystal panel and the fourth liquid crystal panel includes a first substrate on the one side in the first direction, a second substrate on the other side in the first direction, a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, a first drive electrode provided on the first substrate, and a second drive electrode provided on the second substrate and extending in a direction intersecting the first drive electrode when viewed in the first direction, and an initial light distribution direction on the first substrate side intersects an initial light distribution direction on the second substrate side when viewed in the first direction, the initial light distribution direction on the first substrate side in each of the first liquid crystal panel and the second liquid crystal panel intersects the initial light distribution direction on the first substrate side in each of the third liquid crystal panel and the fourth liquid crystal panel when viewed in the first direction, the one of the two relay substrates is electrically coupled to the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode of the first liquid crystal panel and the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode of the fourth liquid crystal panel, and the other of the two relay substrates is electrically coupled to the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode of the second liquid crystal panel and the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode of the third liquid crystal panel.

7 . The illumination device according to claim 6 , wherein
the second drive electrode of the first liquid crystal panel and the first drive electrode of the fourth liquid crystal panel each include two drive electrodes alternately arranged when viewed in the first direction, and pulse voltages that have an eleventh amplitude and have opposite polarities in same duration are applied to the two drive electrodes, respectively, and the first drive electrode of the second liquid crystal panel and the second drive electrode of the third liquid crystal panel each include two drive electrodes alternately arranged when viewed in the first direction, and pulse voltages that have a twelfth amplitude different from the eleventh amplitude and have opposite polarities in the same duration are applied to the two drive electrodes, respectively.

Assignees

• Japan Display Inc

Inventors

• Takano Daijiro
• Koito Takeo
• Nagao Koichi
• Imai Takayuki
• Asano Naoyuki
• Hamano Daisuke

Classifications

• G02F1/294

  Variable focal length devices · CPC title

• F21V14/003 Primary

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

• G02F1/1345

  Conductors connecting electrodes to cell terminals · CPC title

• G02F1/1347

  Arrangement of liquid crystal layers or cells in which the final condition of one light beam is achieved by the addition of the effects of two or more layers or cells · CPC title

• G02F1/13

  based on liquid crystals, e.g. single liquid crystal display cells · CPC title