JP2007011175A - Optical sheet, method for manufacturing optical sheet, liquid droplet discharging device, planar illumination device, and electro-optic device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical sheet with improved diffusion efficiency of light exiting from a light guide plate, to provide a method for manufacturing an optical sheet, and to provide a liquid droplet discharging device, a planar illumination device, and an electro-optic device. <P>SOLUTION: A spacer lens 17 which diffuses the light entering from a light guide plate 12 toward a liquid crystal panel 2 side is disposed in a region on the entrance face 16s of a sheet substrate 16 having a diffusion lens 18, the region excluding a region opposing to the diffusion lens 18; and the entrance face 16s of the sheet substrate 16 is separated by a separation distance H from the exit face 12b of the light guide plate 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an optical sheet, an optical sheet manufacturing method, a droplet discharge device, a planar illumination device, and an electro-optical device.

Conventionally, a liquid crystal display device as an electro-optical device is provided with a backlight as a planar illumination device that illuminates planar light on the back side of the liquid crystal panel. Since the backlight can be easily thinned, so-called edge-light type backlights that illuminate the light incident from the vicinity of the side surface of the liquid crystal panel to the back side (illumination side) of the liquid crystal panel are widely used. It is used.

The edge light type backlight generally has a light guide plate that guides light incident from the vicinity of the side surface of the liquid crystal panel to a side surface (leading surface) on the illumination side, and is placed on the leading surface of the light guide plate, A diffusion sheet is provided as an optical sheet that emits light derived from the deriving surface to the liquid crystal panel side and diffuses the entire back surface.

In the diffusion sheet manufacturing method, a resin containing diffusion fine particles (for example, metal fine particles or resin beads) is applied to one side surface (outgoing surface) of a sheet-like substrate (sheet substrate), and the applied resin film A coating method for curing is known. However, in this coating method, since the diffusion fine particles in the applied resin are likely to aggregate, the concentration distribution of the diffusion fine particles is controlled, that is, the optical function (for example, light diffusion efficiency and utilization efficiency) of the diffusion sheet is controlled. It was difficult to do.

Therefore, in the above-described method for manufacturing a diffusion sheet, a proposal has been made to improve the controllability of the optical function of the diffusion sheet (for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, a droplet having a light diffusibility is formed by ejecting resin droplets onto the exit surface of the sheet substrate by an ink jet method and drying and curing the ejected droplets. Then, the dot formation position, size, density distribution, and the like are controlled according to the volume of the droplet to be ejected and the ejection position. As a result, a desired optical function can be imparted to the exit surface of the sheet substrate, and its controllability can be improved.
JP 2004-157430 A

However, in the backlight described above, the lead-out surface of the light guide plate and the side surface (incident surface) opposite to the lead-out surface, which are one side surface of the diffusion sheet, are each formed as a smooth surface. Therefore, the following problems were invited.

That is, when the entrance surface of the diffusion sheet is placed on the lead-out surface of the light guide plate, the lead-out surface and the entrance surface are in close contact with each other so as to inhibit the interposition of air or the like between the light guide plate and the diffusion sheet. Become. As a result, most of the light derived from the deriving surface is incident and emitted into the diffusion sheet without being refracted (diffused) on the deriving surface or the incident surface.

Therefore, in the above-described backlight, the diffusion of light between the light guide plate and the diffusion sheet (between the light exit surface and the incident surface) is impaired, and there is a problem that the light diffusion efficiency derived from the light exit surface is reduced. .

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has as its object the optical sheet having improved the diffusion efficiency of the light emitted from the light guide plate, the method for manufacturing the optical sheet, the droplet discharge device, the planar shape, and the like. An illumination device and an electro-optical device are provided.

The optical sheet of the present invention is a sheet substrate in which the light derived from the derivation surface provided on the light guide plate is incident on the incident surface opposite to the derivation surface and is emitted from the emission surface opposite to the incident surface; In the optical sheet provided with the emission surface of the sheet substrate, and including a plurality of microlenses that emit and diffuse the light emitted from the emission surface to the side opposite to the light guide plate of the sheet substrate, A plurality of convex portions provided on the incident surface and separating the incident surface from the derivation surface.

According to the optical sheet of the present invention, the projection surface provided on the incident surface can separate the incident surface of the optical sheet from the lead-out surface of the light guide plate, and air or the like between the optical sheet and the light guide plate. Can be interposed. Therefore, the light derived from the light guide plate can be refracted and diffused between the light guide plate and the optical sheet, thereby improving the light diffusion efficiency of the optical sheet placed on the light guide plate. be able to.

In this optical sheet, the convex portion is a convex portion that emits light derived from the derivation surface to the incident surface of the sheet substrate and diffuses to the side opposite to the light guide plate of the sheet substrate. Also good.

According to this optical sheet, the light derived from the light guide plate can be diffused by the convex portions provided on the incident surface of the sheet substrate, and the light diffusion efficiency of the optical sheet can be further improved.

In this optical sheet, the density of the convex portions may be lower than the density of the microlenses.
According to this optical sheet, even when a part of the light derived from the derivation surface is not guided to the exit surface of the sheet substrate due to reflection of the convex portion, the density of the convex portion is higher than the density of the microlens. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the light utilization efficiency of the microlens due to the convex portion. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the decrease in the luminance of the light emitted from the optical sheet and improve the light diffusion efficiency of the optical sheet.

In this optical sheet, the convex portion may be provided at a position that does not face the microlens.
According to this optical sheet, the optical function of the microlens can be maintained as much as the convex portion is provided at a position that does not face the microlens, and the convex portion and the microlens can be designed independently. Can do. As a result, the degree of freedom in designing the convex portion can be expanded.

In this optical sheet, the convex portion may be a microlens.
According to this optical sheet, since the convex portion is formed by a microlens, a predetermined optical function (for example, a light diffusing function or emission from the derivation surface) is provided on the convex portion that separates the incident surface from the derivation surface of the light guide plate. A condensing function to the microlens formed on the surface can be imparted.

The method for manufacturing an optical sheet according to the present invention includes a lens on the exit surface of the sheet substrate that emits light derived from the exit surface provided on the light guide plate to the entrance surface and exits from the exit surface facing the entrance surface. A side opposite to the light guide plate of the sheet substrate by discharging a plurality of first droplets of the forming material and curing the first droplet landed on the emission surface. In the method of manufacturing an optical sheet in which a plurality of microlenses that are emitted and diffused to the surface are formed, a plurality of second droplets of a convex forming material are ejected onto the incident surface, and landed on the incident surface By curing the second droplet, a plurality of convex portions that separate the incident surface from the derivation surface are formed.

According to the method for manufacturing an optical sheet of the present invention, the convex portion that separates the incident surface from the lead-out surface and the microlens that diffuses the light emitted from the output surface can be manufactured by the same liquid phase process. Therefore, the optical sheet can be formed by a simpler method than when the convex portion and the microlens are manufactured by different manufacturing processes.

In this method of manufacturing an optical sheet, when the second droplet is discharged onto the emission surface, the first droplet is discharged onto the incident surface and the first droplet landed on the emission surface is cured. Sometimes, the second droplet that has landed on the incident surface may be cured.

According to this optical sheet manufacturing method, the microlens and the convex portion can be formed at substantially the same timing. Therefore, the number of manufacturing steps of the optical sheet can be reduced, and an optical sheet with improved diffusion efficiency can be manufactured without impairing the productivity of the optical sheet.

The droplet discharge device of the present invention discharges a first droplet of a lens forming material for forming a microlens for diffusing light emitted from the emission surface on an emission surface provided on a sheet substrate. In the liquid droplet ejection apparatus including the liquid droplet ejection unit, when the first liquid droplet ejection unit ejects the first liquid droplet, the incident surface is incident on the incident surface of the sheet substrate facing the emission surface. Second droplet discharging means for discharging a second droplet of the convex portion forming material for forming the convex portion that separates the surface from the light guide plate is provided.

According to the droplet discharge device of the present invention, the discharge of the first droplet of the first droplet discharge unit and the discharge of the second droplet of the second droplet discharge unit can be performed at substantially the same timing. The droplets of the lens forming material and the convex portion forming material can be landed on the exit surface and the entrance surface of the sheet substrate at substantially the same timing. Therefore, the number of manufacturing steps of the optical sheet can be reduced, and an optical sheet with improved diffusion efficiency can be manufactured without impairing the productivity of the optical sheet.

In this droplet discharge device, a first curing unit that cures the first droplet that has landed on the emission surface, and a first curing unit that cures the first droplet when the first curing unit cures the first droplet. A second curing unit that cures the landed second droplet.

According to this droplet discharge device, the first droplet and the second droplet are separated by the first and second curing means.
It can be cured at substantially the same timing. Therefore, the number of manufacturing steps of the optical sheet can be further reduced, and an optical sheet with improved diffusion efficiency can be manufactured without impairing the productivity of the optical sheet.

The planar illumination device of the present invention opposes the light source, the light guide plate for guiding the light introduced from the light source to the lead-out surface, and the light from the lead-out surface of the light guide plate facing the lead-out surface. In a planar illumination device including an optical sheet that is incident on an incident surface and is diffused by being emitted from an exit surface opposite to the incident surface, the optical sheet is the optical sheet described above.

According to the planar illumination device of the present invention, the light diffusion efficiency from the light guide plate can be improved, and the uniformity of the luminance of the emitted light can be improved.
The electro-optical device of the present invention is an electro-optical device that modulates and emits light from the planar illumination device, and the planar illumination device is the planar illumination device described above.

The electro-optical device of the present invention can improve the uniformity of the luminance of the light illuminated by the planar illumination device, and can improve the uniformity of the luminance of the emitted light.

Hereinafter, an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, a liquid crystal display device as an electro-optical device of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a liquid crystal display device, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

In FIG. 1, the liquid crystal display device 1 includes a liquid crystal panel 2 and a backlight 3 as a planar illumination device that illuminates the liquid crystal panel 2 with illumination light L.
In the liquid crystal panel 2, a square plate-shaped glass substrate (counter substrate 4) provided on the backlight 3 side and a glass substrate (element substrate 5) opposite to the counter substrate 4 are provided with a seal member 6 (FIG. 2)). Liquid crystal 7 (see FIG. 2) whose alignment state can be changed based on display data from a control circuit (not shown) is sealed in the gap between the counter substrate 4 and the element substrate 5.

Then, the illumination light L from the backlight 3 is modulated according to the alignment state of the liquid crystal 7, and the element substrate 5 of the liquid crystal panel 2 depends on whether the modulated illumination light L passes through a polarizing plate (not shown). A desired image is displayed.

The liquid crystal display device 1 of the present embodiment is an active matrix liquid crystal display device including control elements, pixel electrodes, and the like arranged in a matrix on the side surface of the element substrate 5 on the counter substrate 4 side. For example, a passive liquid crystal display device may be used. In addition, the liquid crystal display device 1 of the present embodiment has a configuration in which the counter substrate 4 is disposed on the backlight 3 side. However, the configuration is not limited thereto, and for example, the element substrate 5 is disposed on the backlight 3 side. May be.

As shown in FIG. 2, the backlight 3 of the present embodiment is a so-called edge light type backlight, and includes a light source 11 such as an LED, and light emitted from the light source 11 is reflected by a reflector or the like (not shown). Is guided in one direction of the light source 11 (the direction of the arrow X in FIG. 2).

A light guide plate 12 is disposed on the X arrow direction side of the light source 11. The light guide plate 12 is a light-transmitting substrate formed in a rectangular shape having substantially the same size as the counter substrate 4 when viewed from the liquid crystal panel 2 side. For example, a transparent resin material such as acrylic resin, polycarbonate, polyester, Alternatively, it is made of an inorganic transparent material such as glass or quartz.

In the present embodiment, the side surface on the light source 11 side is referred to as an incident surface 12a. In the present embodiment, the side surface on the liquid crystal panel 2 side is referred to as a lead-out surface 12b, and the side surface opposite to the lead-out surface 12b is referred to as a reflective surface 12r.

The lead-out surface 12b of the light guide plate 12 is a smooth surface and is formed substantially parallel to the counter substrate 4 of the liquid crystal panel 2. The reflection surface 12r of the light guide plate 12 is formed so as to be inclined toward the liquid crystal panel 2 side (upper side: Z arrow direction side) in a direction away from the light source 11 (X arrow direction), and the lead-out surface 12b. Is formed so that the distance between and gradually decreases in the direction of the arrow X. The reflection surface 12r of the light guide plate 12 is formed with a large number of reflection dots, reflection grooves and the like (not shown) for guiding the light incident from the incident surface 12a to the lead-out surface 12b. A reflective sheet 14 made of aluminum or the like having a metal is disposed.

The light from the light source 11 is introduced into the light guide plate 12, propagates through the light guide plate 12 by the reflection and refraction of the lead-out surface 12b and the reflection surface 12r, and leaked light leaking from the reflection surface 12r is reflected on the reflection sheet. 14 is reflected toward the lead-out surface 12b. That is, light from the light source 11 is guided from the incident surface 12a to the derivation surface 12b, and light having a component exceeding a critical angle with respect to the derivation surface 12b is emitted from substantially the entire derivation surface 12b.

On the lead-out surface 12b of the light guide plate 12, a diffusion sheet 15 as an optical sheet is disposed. The diffusion sheet 15 is a sheet substrate 1 that is formed in a rectangular shape having substantially the same size as the light guide plate 12.
6.

The sheet substrate 16 is a light transmissive sheet member having a thickness of about 100 μm, and is light transmissive such as an acrylic resin, a polyester resin, a urethane resin, an epoxy resin, a polycarbonate resin, a styrene resin, or a novolac resin. It is made of a functional resin and has a refractive index different from that of the atmosphere.

In the present embodiment, the side surface facing the lead-out surface 12b of the light guide plate 12 is referred to as an incident surface 16s, and the side surface opposite to the incident surface 16s is referred to as an output surface 16d.
As shown in FIG. 2, the incident surface 16 s of the sheet substrate 16 is a lead-out surface 12 b of the light guide plate 12.
The spacer lens 1 is formed as a convex portion that is formed on a smooth surface and protrudes toward the lead-out surface 12b.
7. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the sheet substrate 16 (incident surface 16s) viewed from the light guide plate 12 side.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the spacer lens 17 is a hemispherical lens formed uniformly over substantially the entire incident surface 16s, and has an outer diameter (lens diameter Ws) of about 50 μm. Thus, a regular triangular lattice pattern is formed over the entire incident surface 16s.

The spacer lens 17 has a refractive index different from the refractive index of the sheet substrate 16, refracts the light incident from the lead-out surface 12 b, and once collects the light on the output surface 16 d of the sheet substrate 16, and the liquid crystal panel 2. It spreads to the side. The spacer lens 17 guides the direction of the maximum intensity of the diffused light in an optimum direction with respect to the prism sheet 19 described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, each spacer lens 17 is disposed such that the apex of the lens surface 17 a abuts on the lead-out surface 12 b of the light guide plate 12, and the incident surface 16 s of the sheet substrate 16.
Is separated from the lead-out surface 12b of the light guide plate 12 by a distance corresponding to half of the lens diameter Ws. That is, each spacer lens 17 forms a space having a distance opposite to half of the lens diameter Ws between the light guide plate 12 (leading surface 12b) and the sheet substrate 16 (incident surface 16s).
The atmosphere is interposed in the space.

In the present embodiment, the lead-out surface 12b of the light guide plate 12 and the incident surface 16s of the diffusion sheet 15 are used.
The distance between the two is called a separation distance H. In the present embodiment, the center position of each spacer lens 17 is referred to as a second target discharge position Ps (see FIG. 3).

The spacer lens 17 of the present embodiment discharges a second droplet Ds (see FIG. 4), which will be described later, onto the incident surface 16s (second target discharge position Ps) of the sheet substrate 16 in a lens forming process which will be described later. The second droplet Ds that has landed on the incident surface 16s is hardened.

When the light from the derivation surface 12b is derived into the space between the derivation surface 12b and the incident surface 16s, the derived light is refracted and diffused by the derivation surface 12b. A part of the light diffused on the lead-out surface 12b enters the spacer lens 17 and is further diffused (uniformized) to the liquid crystal panel 2 side of the sheet substrate 16, and the direction of the maximum intensity will be described later. The direction is optimal with respect to the prism sheet 19. Further, the light that has propagated through the atmosphere without being incident on the spacer lens 17 is further diffused by the incident surface 16s when incident on the sheet substrate 16,
The light is emitted from the emission surface 16 d of the sheet substrate 16.

Therefore, the diffusion sheet 15 of the present embodiment has the incident surface 16 formed by each spacer lens 17.
The diffusion efficiency of light derived from the light guide plate 12 is improved by avoiding the close contact between s and the lead-out surface 12b and diffusing by the spacer lens 17 and diffusing by the space of the separation distance H.

As shown in FIG. 2, the exit surface 16d of the sheet substrate 16 is formed on a smooth surface substantially parallel to the entrance surface 16s, and is a diffusing lens 1 as a microlens that protrudes toward the liquid crystal panel 2 side.
8.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the diffusing lens 18 is a hemispherical lens that is uniformly formed over substantially the entire emitting surface 16d, and has an outer diameter (lens diameter Wd) that is the spacer lens 17. The lens diameter is approximately 50 μm, which is substantially the same as the lens diameter Ws. The diffusion lens 18 is formed in a regular triangular lattice pattern smaller than the lattice pattern of the spacer lens 17 so as to surround a position on the emission surface 16d corresponding to the spacer lens 17. That is, the diffusion lens 18 is formed so that its density is higher than the density of the spacer lens 17,
When viewed from the liquid crystal panel 2 side, it is formed so as to fill the region on the emission surface 16 d excluding the region of the spacer lens 17.

The diffusion lens 18 has a refractive index different from the refractive index of the sheet substrate 16, refracts the light emitted from the emission surface 16d, condenses it once, and diffuses it to the liquid crystal panel 2 side. Yes. Further, the diffusion lens 18 guides the direction of the maximum intensity of the diffused light in an optimum direction with respect to the prism sheet 19 described later.

In the present embodiment, the center position of each diffusing lens 18 is referred to as a first target discharge position Pd.
Note that the diffusing lens 18 of the present embodiment, like the spacer lens 17, discharges a first droplet Dd (see FIG. 4), which will be described later, onto the exit surface 16d of the sheet substrate 16 in a lens forming process, which will be described later. The first droplet Dd that has landed on the exit surface 16d is hardened.

When light is emitted from the emission surface 16d of the sheet substrate 16 to the diffusion lens 18, the emitted light is refracted and diffused by the emission surface 16d. The light diffused on the exit surface 16d enters each diffuser lens 18 and is further diffused (uniformized) by refraction by the lens surface 18a of the diffuser lens 18.

At this time, since the diffusion lens 18 is formed so as to fill a region excluding the region opposite to the spacer lens 17, most of the light that has propagated through the atmosphere without being diffused by the spacer lens 17 is Diffused by the diffusing lens 18. The light diffused by the diffusing lens 18 and the spacer lens 17 diffuses bright spots, bright lines, unevenness and the like formed on the reflecting surface 12r of the light guide plate 12, and the direction of the maximum intensity is changed to a prism described later. The sheet 19 is guided in an optimum direction.

In the present embodiment, in order to diffuse the bright spots, bright lines, unevenness, etc. of the light emitted from the diffusion sheet 15, the diffusion lens 18 is formed so as to fill the area excluding the area facing the spacer lens 17. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the spacer lenses 17 may be formed so as to face each other, or may be formed close to the entire surface of the emission surface 16d. Further, the diffusion lens 18 and the spacer lens 17 may be formed with different shapes and sizes. That is, the spacer lens 17
Is a formation position, size, shape, refractive index, etc. that can form a separation distance H and improve diffusion efficiency of bright spots, bright lines, unevenness, etc. based on the size and refractive index of the diffusion lens 18 and the sheet substrate 16 What is necessary is just to have.

As shown in FIG. 2, a prism sheet 19 is disposed on the upper side of the diffusion sheet 15. The prism sheet 19 includes a first prism sheet 19a having minute linear prisms arranged in an array along the X arrow direction, and a second prism sheet having minute linear prisms arranged in an array along the Y arrow direction. This is a sheet in which the prism sheets 19b are superposed. The prism sheet 19 guides the direction of the maximum intensity of light from the diffusion sheet 15 in the Z arrow direction by refraction by the first prism sheet 19a and the second prism sheet 19b.

When the light from the diffusion sheet 15 is emitted to the prism sheet 19, the light incident on the prism sheet 19 is refracted by the prism sheet 19 so that the maximum intensity direction is set to the Z arrow direction and the liquid crystal panel 2 is Illuminate.

At this time, the illumination light L for illuminating the liquid crystal panel 2 has a space of a separation distance H formed by the spacer lens 17, the diffusion lens 18, and the spacer lens 17.
The uniformity of the brightness is improved by the amount that the diffusion efficiency of light from 2b is improved. further,
The illumination light L that illuminates the liquid crystal panel 2 is improved in luminance by the amount of light from the diffusion sheet 15 (spacer lens 17 and diffusion lens 18) guided in the optimum direction with respect to the prism sheet 19. Become. Thereby, the liquid crystal display device 1 improves the display image quality by improving the luminance and uniformity of the illumination light L from the backlight 3.

The prism sheet 19 according to the present embodiment refracts the light from the diffusion sheet 15 toward the liquid crystal panel 2 and improves the luminance of the light that illuminates the liquid crystal panel 2. If this is obtained, the prism sheet 19 may be omitted.

Next, a method for manufacturing the diffusion sheet 15 described above will be described below. First, the droplet discharge device 20 for forming the spacer lens 17 and the diffusion lens 18 will be described. FIG.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the droplet discharge device 20, and FIG. 5 is an electric block circuit diagram showing an electrical configuration of the droplet discharge device 20.

As shown in FIG. 4, the droplet discharge device 20 includes a pair of upper and lower carry-in rollers 21a formed in a cylindrical shape, and a pair of upper and lower carry-out rollers formed in a cylindrical shape in the X arrow direction of the carry-in roller 21a. A roller 21b is provided. These carry-in and carry-out rollers 21a and 21b are rotated by a carry-in motor MHa (see FIG. 5) and a carry-out motor MHb (see FIG. 5), respectively, so that the mother sheet 16M that can cut out the sheet substrate 16 is always used. In a state where a tensile tension is applied in the X arrow direction, the sheet is conveyed in the X arrow direction.

The carry-in and carry-out rollers 21a and 21b are provided on the exit surface 16d of the mother sheet 16M.
The side surface (first ejection surface Md) opposite to the upper side is in the upper side (Z arrow direction), and the side surface (second ejection surface Ms) opposite to the incident surface 16s of the mother sheet 16M is in the lower side (counter Z arrow direction). Arrange as follows. Further, the carry-in and carry-out rollers 21a and 21b are in contact with only the end portions of the mother sheet 16M in the Y arrow direction and the counter Y arrow direction, and the region of the emission surface 16d and the incident surface 1
The region of 6s, and further, the spacer lens 17 and the diffusion lens 18 are not contacted.

A first carriage 22d and a second carriage 22s are provided between the carry-in and carry-out rollers 21a and 21b and in the Z arrow direction and the anti-Z arrow direction of the stretched mother sheet 16M (sheet substrate 16), respectively. ing. The first and second carriages 22d and 22s are respectively a first carriage motor MY1 (see FIG. 5) and a second carriage motor MY2 (FIG. 5).
The head is connected and driven so as to move in the Y arrow direction and the counter-Y arrow direction (moves in the Y arrow direction).

Below the first carriage 22d, a first droplet discharge head (hereinafter simply referred to as a first discharge head) serving as a first droplet discharge means facing the first discharge surface Md (the exit surface 16d). 2
3d is arranged.

The first ejection head 23d is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the Y arrow direction, and its lower surface (
In the nozzle forming surface 24d), a large number of first discharge nozzles (penetratingly formed along the Z arrow direction)
Hereinafter, it is simply referred to as the first nozzle Nd. ) Are formed in a line along the direction of the arrow Y. Note that the first nozzle Nd of the present embodiment is located at a position that can be opposed to each first target discharge position Pd on the output surface 16d when the first discharge surface Md (output surface 16d) moves in the X arrow direction. Arrangement is formed.

A cavity 25d is formed in the direction of the Z arrow of each first nozzle Nd, and a diffusion lens forming material Fd as a lens forming material led out from a storage tank (not shown) is supplied to the corresponding first nozzle Nd. It has become. Diffuse lens forming material Fd of this embodiment
Is a solvent-free material that does not contain an organic solvent, and is, for example, an ultraviolet curable resin such as an ultraviolet curable acrylic resin or an ultraviolet curable epoxy resin. More specifically, the UV curable resin is
It contains at least one kind of prepolymer, oligomer and monomer and a photopolymerization initiator.

The prepolymer or oligomer includes, for example, acrylates such as epoxy acrylates, urethane acrylates, polyester acrylates, polyether acrylates, spiroacetal acrylates, epoxy methacrylates, urethane methacrylates, polyester methacrylates, Methacrylates such as ether methacrylates can be used.

Examples of the monomer include 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, carbitol acrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate, isobornyl acrylate, Monofunctional group monomers such as dicyclopentenyl acrylate and 1,3-butanediol acrylate, 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate, 1,6-hexanediol methacrylate, neopenthiglycol acrylate, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, trimethylolpropane Use polyfunctional monomers such as trimethacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate, etc. It is possible.

Examples of the photopolymerization initiator include acetophenones such as 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone, butylphenones such as α-hydroxyisobutylphenone and p-isopropyl-α-hydroxyisobutylphenone, p-tert- Halogenated acetophenones such as butyldichloroacetophenone, p-tert-butyltrichloroacetophenone, α, α-dichloro-4-phenoxyacetophenone, benzophenones such as benzophenone, N, N-tetraethyl-4,4-diaminobenzophenone, benzyl, Benzyls such as benzyldimethyl ketal, benzoins such as benzoin and benzoin alkyl ether, oximes such as 1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione-2- (o-ethoxycarbonyl) oxime, 2-methyl Thioxanthones, xanthones such as 2-chlorothioxanthone, can be utilized radical generating compounds such as Michler's ketones.

In the direction of the arrow Z of each cavity 25d, a diaphragm 26d attached so as to vibrate in the direction of arrow Z and the direction of arrow Z is provided, so that the volume of the cavity 25d can be enlarged or reduced. A first piezoelectric element 27d corresponding to each first nozzle Nd is disposed on the upper side of the diaphragm 26d. The first piezoelectric element 27d contracts and expands in response to a predetermined drive signal (first piezoelectric element drive signal COM1) for discharging a first droplet Dd, which will be described later, and causes the diaphragm 26d to move in the Z arrow direction and in the opposite direction. The cavity 25d is pressurized and depressurized by vibrating in the direction of the arrow Z.

When the first piezoelectric element drive signal COM1 is supplied to the first piezoelectric element 27d, the pressure of the corresponding cavity 25d is reduced and increased, and a diffusion lens formed in the corresponding first nozzle Nd is formed. The interface (meniscus M) of the material Fd vibrates in the vertical direction. And
When the meniscus M vibrates in the vertical direction, the diffusion lens forming material Fd that forms the meniscus M
Is discharged as a first droplet Dd from the first nozzle Nd. The first droplet Dd ejected from the first nozzle Nd flies along the anti-Z arrow direction and lands on a position on the first ejection surface Md (exit surface 16d) facing the corresponding first nozzle Nd. It is like that.

As shown in FIG. 4, on the upper side of the second carriage 22s, the second ejection surface Ms (incident surface 1).
6s) is provided with a second droplet discharge head (hereinafter simply referred to as a second discharge head) 23s as a second droplet discharge means.

Similarly to the first discharge head 23d, the second discharge head 23s is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the Y arrow direction, and a large number of second discharge nozzles (hereinafter simply referred to as second discharge nozzles) are formed on the nozzle forming surface 24s.
It is called nozzle Ns. )have. Note that the second nozzle Ns of the present embodiment has a second ejection surface M.
When s (incident surface 16s) moves in the X arrow direction, it is arranged and formed at a position that can be opposed to each second target ejection position Ps on the incident surface 16s.

In the direction of the Z arrow of each second nozzle Ns, each cavity 2 is the same as the first nozzle Nd.
5s is formed, and a spacer lens forming material Fs as a convex forming material derived from a storage tank (not shown) is supplied to the corresponding second nozzle Ns. The spacer lens forming material Fs of the present embodiment is a solvent-free material that does not contain an organic solvent, and is formed of an ultraviolet curable resin like the diffusion lens forming material Fd described above, but is not limited thereto. Absent.

In the direction of the Z arrow of each cavity 25s, the diaphragm 26s is the same as the first discharge head 23d.
And a second piezoelectric element 27s are disposed to contract and expand in response to a predetermined drive signal (second piezoelectric element drive signal COM2) for discharging a second droplet Ds, which will be described later. Z
The inside of the cavity 25s is pressurized and depressurized by oscillating in the arrow direction and the anti-Z arrow direction.

When the second piezoelectric element drive signal COM2 is supplied to the second piezoelectric element 27s, the pressure of the corresponding cavity 25s is reduced and increased, and the spacer lens formed in the corresponding second nozzle Ns is formed. The interface (meniscus M) of the material Fs vibrates in the vertical direction. Then, when the meniscus M vibrates in the vertical direction, a part of the spacer lens forming material Fs that forms the meniscus M is ejected from the second nozzle Ns as the second droplet Ds. Second nozzle Ns
The second droplet Ds ejected from the air flies along the direction of the arrow Z and lands on a position on the second ejection surface Ms (incident surface 16s) facing the corresponding second nozzle Ns. .

A first ultraviolet lamp 28d constituting the first curing means and a second ultraviolet lamp 28s constituting the second curing means are arranged in the X arrow direction of the first ejection head 23d and the second ejection head 23s, respectively. ing. The first and second ultraviolet lamps 28d and 28s are respectively a first discharge surface Md (exit surface 16d) and a second discharge surface Ms (incident surface 16s) of the mother sheet 16M (sheet substrate 16) conveyed from the direction of the anti-X arrow. ) Is irradiated with light (ultraviolet light Lu) that can cure the first and second droplets Dd and Ds.

Next, the electrical configuration of the droplet discharge device 20 configured as described above will be described.
A control device 30 of the droplet discharge device 20 includes a control unit 31 including a CPU, a DRAM, and an S
The RAM 32 includes a RAM 32 that stores various data, and a ROM 33 that stores various data and various control programs. The control unit 31, the RAM 32, and the ROM 33 are connected via a bus (not shown).

An input device 41 having operation switches such as a start switch and a stop switch is connected to the control device 30. The input device 41 outputs each first target discharge position Pd on the emission surface 16d to the control device 30 as first drawing data Id in a predetermined format. Further, the input device 41 outputs each second target ejection position Ps on the incident surface 16s to the control device 30 as second drawing data Is in a predetermined format.

The control device 30 (control unit 31) is configured to output first and second drawing data Id and I from the input device 41.
s is subjected to a predetermined development process on the two-dimensional drawing plane (first ejection surface Md and second ejection surface Ms).
First bitmap data BD1 and second bitmap data BD2 indicating whether or not to discharge the first and second droplets Dd and Ds, respectively, are generated at the positions, and the generated first and second bitmap data BD1 and BD2 are stored in the RAM. Note that the first and second bitmap data BD1 and BD2 of the present embodiment have values of each bit (0 or 1).
), The first piezoelectric element 27d and the second piezoelectric element 27s are turned on or off (
Whether or not to discharge the first droplet Dd and the second droplet Ds).

Then, the control unit 31 synchronizes the first and second bitmap data BD1, BD2 with a predetermined clock signal, respectively, and the first discharge control signal SI1 and the second discharge control signal SI2, respectively.
As described above, the data is transferred to an ejection head drive circuit 46 described later.

The control unit 31 also includes first drawing data Id and second drawing data Is from the input device 41.
The first piezoelectric element drive signal COM1 for discharging the first and second droplets Dd and Ds having a predetermined size by performing a development process different from the development process of the first and second bitmap data BD1 and BD2. And a second piezoelectric element drive signal COM2. The control unit 31 outputs the first and second piezoelectric element drive signals COM1 and COM2 to the discharge head drive circuit 46 described later.

A carry-in motor drive circuit 42 and a carry-out motor drive circuit 43 are connected to the control device 30 so that a carry-in motor drive control signal and a carry-out motor drive control signal are output to the carry-in and carry-out motor drive circuits 42 and 43, respectively. It has become. Loading and unloading motor drive circuits 42 and 4
3, in response to the carry-in and carry-out motor drive control signals from the control device 30, carry-in and carry-out motors MHa and MHb (load-in and carry-out rollers 21 a and 21 b) are rotated forward (rotated in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4) It has become. A rotation detector 42E and a rotation detector 43E are connected to the carry-in and carry-out motor drive circuits 42 and 43, respectively, and detection signals from the rotation detectors 42E and 43E are input. The carry-in and carry-out motor drive circuits 42 and 43 detect the rotation amounts of the carry-in motor MHa and the carry-out motor MHb based on detection signals from the rotation detector 42E and the rotation detector 43E, respectively, and the direction of the X arrow of the mother sheet 16M The mother sheet 1 can be calculated so that the tension tension of the mother sheet 16M can be maintained.
6M is transported.

A first carriage motor drive circuit 44 and a second carriage motor drive circuit 45 are connected to the control device 30, and a first carriage motor drive control signal and a second carriage are connected to the first and second carriage motor drive circuits 44, 45. A motor drive control signal is output. The first and second carriage motor drive circuits 44 and 45 are responsive to the first and second carriage motor drive control signals from the control device 30 to respond to the first carriage motor MY1 and the second carriage motor MY1.
The carriage motor MY2 is rotated forward or reverse. A rotation detector 44E and a rotation detector 45E are connected to the first and second carriage motor drive circuits 44 and 45, and detection signals from the rotation detectors 44E and 45E are input. The first and second carriage motor drive circuits 44 and 45 detect the rotation direction and the rotation amount of the first and second carriage motors MY1 and MY2 based on the detection signals from the rotation detector 44E, respectively, and the first carriage The amount of movement and the direction of movement of the 22d and the second carriage 22s in the direction of the arrow Y are calculated.

A discharge head drive circuit 46 is connected to the control device 30, and the first and second discharge control signals SI 1 and SI 2 and the first and second piezoelectric element drive signals C are connected to the discharge head drive circuit 46.
OM1 and COM2 are output. The ejection head drive circuit 46 is connected to the control device 3.
In response to the first and second ejection control signals SI1 and SI2 from 0, the first and second piezoelectric element drive signals COM1 and COM2 are supplied to the corresponding first piezoelectric element 27d and second piezoelectric element 27s, respectively. Whether or not to do so is controlled.

Next, a droplet discharge process using the above-described droplet discharge device 20 will be described below.
First, the mother sheet 16M is set on the carry-in roller 21a and the carry-out roller 21b, and X
Set the tension tension in the direction of the arrow. From this state, the input device 41 is connected to the first
The first and second drawing data Id and Is for discharging the second droplets Dd and Ds are input, and an operation signal for starting the droplet discharge program is input.

Then, the control device 30 discharges the first liquid droplet Dd to the first target discharge position Pd on the first discharge surface Md (exit surface 16Md) based on the first drawing data Id from the input device 41. The first bitmap data BD1 is generated, and the first bitmap data BD1 is stored in the RAM 3
2 is stored. Further, the control device 30 discharges the second droplet Ds to the second target discharge position Ps on the second discharge surface Ms (incident surface 16s) based on the second drawing data Is from the input device 41. The second bitmap data BD2 is generated, and the second bitmap data BD2 is stored in the RAM 32. When the first and second bitmap data BD1, BD2 are stored,
The control device 30 generates first and second piezoelectric element drive signals COM1 and COM2 based on the first and second drawing data Id and Is, and the first and second piezoelectric element drive signals COM1 and COM2.
Is output to the ejection head drive circuit 46.

Subsequently, the control device 30 rotationally drives the first and second carriage motors MY1 and MY2 to move the first and second carriages 22d and 22s, and the mother sheet 16M (sheet substrate 16) moves in the X arrow direction. When moved, the position immediately below the first and second nozzles Nd, Ns is set to a position through which the corresponding first and second target discharge positions Pd, Ps pass.

When the first and second carriages 22d and 22s are set, the control device 30 drives and controls the carry-in and carry-out motors MHa and MHb to move the mother sheet 16M in the X arrow direction.

When the mother sheet 16M is moved in the X arrow direction, the control device 30 rotates the rotation detector 44E.
, 45E on the basis of the detection signals, whether the first and second target discharge positions Pd, Ps located closest to the X arrow direction have been conveyed directly below the corresponding first and second nozzles Nd, Ns. To do. Then, the control device 30 waits for the timing to output the first and second ejection control signals SI1 and SI2 based on the first and second bitmap data BD1 and BD2 stored in the RAM 32 to the ejection head drive circuit 46.

In the control device 30, the first target discharge position Pd located closest to the X arrow direction corresponds to the first corresponding to the first target discharge position Pd.
When conveyed immediately below the nozzle Nd, the first ejection control signal SI1 is output to the ejection head drive circuit 46 in response to detection signals from the rotation detectors 44E and 45E. Upon receiving the first ejection control signal SI1 from the control device 30, the ejection head drive circuit 46 receives the first ejection control signal S.
Based on I1, the first piezoelectric element drive signal COM1 is supplied to the corresponding first piezoelectric element 27d. Then, the ejection head drive circuit 46 ejects the first liquid droplets Dd from the corresponding first nozzles Nd all at once toward the respective first target ejection positions Pd in the anti-Z arrow direction. The discharged first liquid droplet Dd is landed on the corresponding first target discharge position Pd and has a hemispherical shape protruding from the region corresponding to the emission surface 16d of the first discharge surface Md.

The control device 30 responds to detection signals from the rotation detectors 44E and 45E when the second target discharge position Ps located closest to the X arrow direction is conveyed directly below the corresponding second nozzle Ns. The second ejection control signal SI2 is output to the ejection head drive circuit 46. Upon receiving the second ejection control signal SI2 from the control device 30, the ejection head drive circuit 46 sends the second piezoelectric element drive signal CO to the corresponding second piezoelectric element 27s based on the second ejection control signal SI2.
Supply M2. Then, the ejection head drive circuit 46 starts from the corresponding second nozzle Ns, Z
Second droplets Ds are ejected simultaneously toward the respective second target ejection positions Ps in the direction of the arrow. The discharged second droplets Ds land on the corresponding second target discharge position Ps and have a hemispherical shape protruding from a region corresponding to the incident surface 16s of the second discharge surface Ms.

Then, the first and second liquid droplets Dd, D landed on the first and second target discharge positions Pd, Ps.
When s passes through the anti-Z arrow direction and the Z arrow direction of the first and second ultraviolet lamps 28d and 28s as the mother sheet 16M moves in the X arrow direction, the first and second droplets Dd and Ds Is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet light Lu. That is, the diffusion lens 18 and the spacer lens 17 are formed at the first and second target discharge positions Pd and Ps, respectively.

Thereafter, similarly, the control device 30 moves the mother sheet 16M in the X arrow direction, and the first and second target discharge positions Pd and Ps correspond to the corresponding first and second nozzles Nd and N respectively.
Each time the sheet is transported directly under s, the first and second nozzles Nd and Ns corresponding to the first and second nozzles
Droplets Dd and Ds are discharged. The control device 30 then lands the first and second droplets Dd that have landed.
, Ds are sequentially irradiated with ultraviolet light Lu from the first and second ultraviolet lamps 28d, 28s to form a diffusion lens 18 and a spacer lens 17, respectively. Thus, the diffusion lens 18 and the spacer lens 17 corresponding to all the first and second target ejection positions Pd and Ps are formed.

When the diffusion lens 18 and the spacer lens 17 corresponding to all the first and second target discharge positions Pd and Ps are formed, the control device 30 conveys the mother sheet 16M to a cutting device or the like (not shown), An area corresponding to the sheet substrate 16 is cut out from the mother sheet 16M. Thereby, the diffusion sheet 15 having the diffusion lens 18 and the spacer lens 17 on the exit surface 16d and the entrance surface 16s can be manufactured.

Next, effects of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described below.
(1) According to the above embodiment, the incident surface 16 s of the sheet substrate 16 having the diffusion lens 18.
A spacer lens 17 is provided on the sheet substrate 16, and the incident surface 16s of the sheet substrate 16 is separated from the lead-out surface 12b of the light guide plate 12 by a separation distance H.

Therefore, a space having a separation distance H can be formed between the incident surface 16s of the diffusion sheet 15 and the lead-out surface 12b of the light guide plate 12, and air or the like can be formed between the incident surface 16s and the lead-out surface 12b. Can intervene. As a result, the light led out from the lead-out surface 12b of the light guide plate 12 is
The light can be refracted and diffused by the lead-out surface 12b, and the light incident on the incident surface 16s of the diffusion sheet 15 can be refracted and diffused by the incident surface 16s. Therefore, the diffusion efficiency of the diffusion sheet 15 can be improved by an amount corresponding to the separation of the lead-out surface 12b and the incident surface 16s.

(2) According to the above embodiment, the spacer lens 17 is provided on the incident surface 16s, and the light guide plate 12 is provided.
Then, the light incident on the spacer lens 17 is diffused to the liquid crystal panel 2 side of the sheet substrate 16. Accordingly, the light diffusion efficiency of the diffusion sheet 15 can be improved by the amount of the spacer lens 17 provided.

(3) According to the above-described embodiment, the diffusion lens 18 is formed in a region on the emission surface 16 d of the sheet substrate 16 excluding the region facing the spacer lens 17. As a result, light that is not diffused by the spacer lens 17 can be diffused by the diffusion lens 18. In addition, the spacer lens 17 and the diffusing lens 18 can be designed with lens coefficients that are independent from each other, and the degree of design freedom can be expanded.

(4) According to the above embodiment, the first and second of the mother sheet 16M (sheet substrate 16).
The first droplet Dd and the second droplet Ds were discharged to the target discharge positions Pd and Ps, respectively, so that the spacer lens 17 and the diffusion lens 18 were formed. Accordingly, the spacer lens 17 and the diffusion lens 18 can be formed by the same liquid phase process, and the spacer lens 17 and the diffusion lens 18 can be formed under manufacturing conditions that are not restricted to each other.

(5) According to the embodiment, the first and second droplets Ds and Dd are ejected at almost the same timing, and the landed first and second droplets Ds and Dd are cured at almost the same timing. I made it. Therefore, the spacer lens 17 can be manufactured in the process of manufacturing the diffusion lens 18, and the number of manufacturing processes of the diffusion sheet 15 can be reduced.

In addition, you may change the said embodiment as follows.
In the above embodiment, the convex portion is embodied as the spacer lens 17. Not only this but a convex part may not have a lens effect. At this time, it is preferable that the convex portions are formed of a light transmissive material, and the density of the convex portions is lower than the density of the diffusing lens 18. According to this, it is possible to suppress a decrease in light use efficiency of the diffusion lens 18 and a decrease in luminance of the diffusion sheet 15 due to the convex portion.

In the above embodiment, the spacer lens 17 and the diffusion lens 18 are embodied as hemispherical microlenses. For example, it may be embodied as a lenticular lens as long as the shape can improve the diffusion efficiency of the diffusion sheet 15.

In the above embodiment, directly on the first and second discharge surfaces Md, Ms of the mother sheet 16M,
The first and second droplets Dd and Ds are discharged. Not limited to this, for example, the first and second
A liquid repellent layer that repels the first and second droplets Dd and Ds is formed on the ejection surfaces Md and Ms, respectively, and the first and second droplets Dd and Ds are ejected onto the liquid repellent layer. You may do it. Alternatively, the mother sheet 16M (sheet substrate 16) may be formed of a liquid repellent material. According to this, the first and second landed by the liquid repellent layer or the liquid repellent material.
The wetting and spreading of the droplets Dd and Ds can be controlled, and the shape controllability of the diffusion lens 18 and the spacer lens 17 can be improved.

In the above embodiment, the spacer lens forming material Fs and the diffusing lens forming material Fd are made of an ultraviolet curable resin. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a polyamic acid or a polyimide precursor such as a polyamic acid long-chain alkyl ester is used. May be. At this time, the first and second droplets Dd and Ds discharged to the mother sheet 16M are preferably cured as a polyimide resin by an imidization reaction by a heat curing process.

In the above embodiment, the first and second droplets Dd and Ds are ejected by the expansion and contraction of the first and second piezoelectric elements 27d and 27s. For example, the cavity 25d,
A resistance heating element is provided in 25 s, and the first and second droplets D are generated by generating bubbles by the heating.
The structure which discharges d and Ds may be sufficient.

In the above embodiment, the optical sheet is embodied as the diffusion sheet 15 of the edge light type backlight. For example, the optical sheet may be embodied as an optical sheet provided in a building material such as a diffusion sheet provided in a projection screen or a window glass.

The perspective view which shows the liquid crystal display device of this embodiment. Similarly, the schematic sectional drawing which shows a liquid crystal display device. Similarly, the top view explaining a micro lens. Similarly, an explanatory view explaining a droplet discharge device. Similarly, the electric block circuit diagram which shows the electric constitution of a droplet discharge apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Liquid crystal display device as an electro-optical device, 3 ... Backlight as a planar illumination device, 1
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Light source, 12 ... Light guide plate, 12b ... Derived surface, 15 ... Diffusion sheet as an optical sheet, 16
... sheet substrate, 16s ... incident surface, 16d ... outgoing surface, 17 ... spacer lens as convex part,
18 ... a diffusion lens as a microlens, 20 ... a droplet ejection device, 23d ... a first ejection head as a first droplet ejection means, 23s ... a second ejection head as a second droplet ejection means,
Dd: first droplet, Ds: second droplet, Fd: diffusion lens forming material as a lens forming material,
Fs: Spacer lens forming material as a convex forming material.

Claims (11)

A sheet substrate that emits light derived from a derivation surface provided on the light guide plate to an incident surface opposite to the derivation surface and exits from an emission surface opposite to the incident surface, and the emission surface of the sheet substrate An optical sheet provided with a plurality of microlenses that emit and diffuse light emitted from the emission surface to a side opposite to the light guide plate of the sheet substrate;
An optical sheet comprising a plurality of convex portions provided on the incident surface and separating the incident surface from the derivation surface. The optical sheet according to claim 1,
The convex portion emits light derived from the derivation surface to the incident surface of the sheet substrate,
An optical sheet, which is a convex portion diffusing to the side opposite to the light guide plate of the sheet substrate. The optical sheet according to claim 1 or 2,
The density of the convex part is lower than the density of the micro lens, The optical sheet characterized by the above-mentioned. In the optical sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The said convex part was provided in the position which does not oppose the said micro lens, The optical sheet characterized by the above-mentioned. In the optical sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The optical sheet, wherein the convex portion is a microlens. A plurality of first droplets of a lens forming material are applied to the exit surface of the sheet substrate that emits light derived from the exit surface provided on the light guide plate to the entrance surface and exits from the exit surface facing the entrance surface. Discharge,
By curing the first droplet that has landed on the emission surface, a plurality of microlenses that emit and diffuse the light emitted from the emission surface to the side opposite to the light guide plate of the sheet substrate is formed. In the optical sheet manufacturing method,
A plurality of protrusions for separating the incident surface from the derivation surface by discharging a plurality of second droplets of a convex forming material onto the incident surface and curing the second droplet that has landed on the incident surface. A method for producing an optical sheet, characterized in that a part is formed. In the manufacturing method of the optical sheet according to claim 6,
When the second droplet is ejected to the exit surface, the first droplet is ejected to the entrance surface, and when the first droplet that has landed on the exit surface is cured, the first droplet is landed on the entrance surface. A method for producing an optical sheet, wherein the second droplet is cured. A droplet provided with a first droplet discharge means for discharging a first droplet of a lens forming material for forming a microlens for diffusing light emitted from the emission surface on an emission surface provided on a sheet substrate In the discharge device,
When the first droplet discharge means discharges the first droplet, a convex portion that separates the incident surface from the light guide plate is formed on the incident surface of the sheet substrate facing the emission surface. A droplet discharge apparatus comprising: a second droplet discharge means for discharging a second droplet of the convex forming material. The liquid droplet ejection apparatus according to claim 8,
First curing means for curing the first droplet landed on the emission surface;
When the first curing unit cures the first droplet, the second landing on the incident surface
A second curing means for curing the droplets;
A droplet discharge apparatus comprising: A light source; a light guide plate that guides and guides light introduced from the light source to a lead-out surface; and the light from the lead-out surface of the light guide plate is incident on an entrance surface opposite to the lead-out surface and the entrance surface And a planar illumination device comprising an optical sheet that emits and diffuses from the opposite exit surface,
The planar lighting device, wherein the optical sheet is the optical sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 5. In an electro-optical device that modulates and emits light from a planar illumination device,
The electro-optical device according to claim 10, wherein the planar illumination device is the planar illumination device according to claim 10.

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