Optical: systems and elements – Optical modulator – Light wave temporal modulation
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-12
2004-06-22
Ben, Loha (Department: 2873)
Optical: systems and elements
Optical modulator
Light wave temporal modulation
C359S290000, C359S295000, C385S019000, C385S129000, C385S147000, C345S084000, C345S085000, C345S108000, C345S182000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06753998
ABSTRACT:
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Application 2001-100,954, filed Mar. 30, 2001, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical system of a display.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present applicant has proposed a display element constituted of a rectangular light conducting plate introduced with light and a panel portion provided to oppose to one plate surface of the light conducting plate. The panel portion includes a driving part arranged with actuator parts each corresponding to a plurality of pixels so as to control displacement motions of the actuator parts in the contacting/separating directions to/from the light conducting plate correspondingly to attributions of input image signals, thereby controlling leaked light-beams in predetermined regions of the light conducting plate, to thereby cause the light conducting plate to display an image corresponding to the image signals (see JP-A-7-287176 [287176/1995] and JP-A-11-194723 [194723/1999]). Hereinafter, the display element having such a constitution shall be called a “display element relating to the present invention.”
The display element relating to the present invention basically eliminates the necessity of an end-sealing structure such as a liquid crystal display or plasma display, thereby allowing to adopt a divided panel structure and to relatively readily deal with a large-sized thin panel. Further, the display element relating to the present invention is of a direct-viewing type, thereby enabling a higher contrast, rare discoloration, even under influence of the outdoor daylight, and a more excellent viewing angle even compared with a CRT.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel optical system preferable to the display element relating to the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an optical system of a display, the display being constituted of: a light conducting plate introduced with light; and a panel portion provided to oppose to one plate surface of the light conducting plate; the panel portion including a driving part arranged with actuator parts each corresponding to a plurality of pixels so as to control displacement motions of the actuator parts in the contacting/separating directions to/from the light conducting plate correspondingly to attributions of inputted image signals, thereby controlling leaked light-beams in predetermined regions of the light conducting plate, to thereby cause the light conducting plate to display an image corresponding to the image signals. The optical system of the display is constituted of the light conducting plate, at least one light source arranged to oppose to one plate surface or one side surface, of the light conducting plate, and a reflector for surrounding the light source in cooperation with the one plate surface or the one side surface of the light conducting plate, the reflector having a reflecting surface for reflecting light-beams from the light source.
According to the present invention, the light conducting plate is introduced with not only direct light-beams from the light source but also light-beams reflected by the reflector, thereby allowing to relatively increase the ratio of the introduced light-beams into the light conducting plate relative to the exiting light-beams from the light source. As a result, even when those exiting light-beams from the light source are relatively weak, it is possible to fill light-beams into the light conducting plate, to thereby preferably constitute the optical system of the display.
Preferably, the panel portion is provided with display elements having predetermined number of pixels arranged on the one plate surface of the light conducting plate, and the optical system of the display further comprises a frame for surrounding an outer periphery of the panel portion. By virtue of such a frame, it becomes possible to position the panel portion upon adhering the same, and to avoid the light leakage at the periphery of the panel portion. The frame exemplarily has a light absorbing or light reflecting surface.
Preferably, the light conducting plate is rectangular or has a rectangular displaying area and the light conducting plate has a thickness of more than 0.01 and less than 0.1 times of the diagonal length of the light conducting plate or of the displaying area thereof. This facilitates those light-beams introduced into the one side surface of the light conducting plate to straightly advance up to the opposite side surface.
In order to improve the luminance characteristic of the display, it is preferable that the light source comprises two or more pieces of light sources, that the light sources are arranged at predetermined intervals therebetween along the one side surface of the light conducting plate and that the predetermined interval is not more than 0.05 times of the shortest distance between an outer periphery of the panel portion and the one side surface of the light conducting plate.
In order to correct color temperature, it is possible to further provide a color-temperature correction light source arranged for the one plate surface or one side surface of the light conducting plate. In this case, the reflector exemplarily accommodates therein 11 pieces of white light sources and one piece of blue light source. Further, it is possible to provide a color-temperature correction light-permeating plate or film arranged for the reflecting surface of the reflector or for the one plate surface or one side surface of the light conducting plate.
In order to improve the ratio of light-beams to be introduced into the light conducting plate and the ventilation, i.e., heat dissipation, the reflector preferably has a profile in an outwardly convexed shape formed by straight lines, continuous curved lines, or a combination thereof. More preferably, the space surrounded by the profile of the reflector and the one plate surface or one side surface of the light conducting plate has those maximum lengths which are not more than 3 times of the thickness of the light conducting plate, in both of the direction parallel to the one plate surface of the light conducting plate and the direction parallel to the one side surface of the light conducting plate.
In order to improve the luminance characteristic of the display, it is possible that the sum of sectional areas of light sources covered by the reflector is not more than 60% of a sectional area of a space surrounded by a profile of the reflector and the one plate surface or one side surface of the light conducting plate.
It is possible to provide a further reflector for defining another space in cooperation with a side surface of the light conducting plate, other than the one plate surface or one side surface of the light conducting plate, the further reflector having a reflecting surface for reflecting light-beams from the light source. In this case, those light-beams emitted from the other side surface are reflected by the further reflector and again introduced into the other side surface of the light conducting plate.
In order to improve the ratio of light-beams to be introduced into the light conducting plate and the ventilation, i.e., heat dissipation, the further reflector preferably has a profile in an outwardly convexed shape formed by straight lines, continuous curved lines, or a combination thereof. More preferably, the space surrounded by the profile of the additional reflector and the one plate surface or one side surface of the light conducting plate has those maximum lengths which are not more than 3.0 times of the thickness of the light conducting plate in the direction parallel to the one plate surface of the light conducting plate and 3.0 times of the thickness of the light conducting plate in the direction parallel to the one side surface of the light conducting plate, respectively.
The luminance uniformity of the display becomes excellent when there are constituted
Nanataki Tsutomu
Ohwada Iwao
Sato Kei
Shikata Isao
Takeuchi Yukihisa
Ben Loha
Burr & Brown
NGK Insulators Ltd.
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