JPH04307517A - Liquid crystal display using optical fiber back light - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the thickness of the liquid crystal display relating to the liquid crystal display using an optical fiber back light to be used as a display device in small-sized electronic appliances. CONSTITUTION:This display consists of a liquid crystal display part 22 having light transparent electrodes 11, 12, a light source 21 for the back light and an optical fiber 16 for introducing light from the light source 21 for the back light to the liquid crystal display part 22. The optical fiber 16 includes an illuminating part 15 disposed in parallel with the liquid crystal display part 22. The illuminating part 15 is provided with a slit 18 for back light illumination on the surface in proximity to the liquid crystal display part 22. The slit 18 for back light illumination is disposed in proximity to the light transparent electrode 11 of the liquid crystal display part 22. The light introduced by the optical fiber 11 from the light source 21 for the back light is thereby supplied from the slit 18 for back light illumination to the liquid crystal display part 22.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display using an optical fiber backlight, which is used as a display device for small electronic equipment.

[0002] Display devices for electronic devices, particularly display devices for laptop-type, notebook-type portable computers, word processors, electronic notebooks, etc., are required to be smaller and thinner.

0003

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional method for backlighting a liquid crystal display is shown in FIG. In the figure, 21 is a backlight light source, 30 is a reflector that reflects light from the backlight light source to illuminate the liquid crystal display section, and 22 is a liquid crystal display section 31 having translucent electrodes and transmissive liquid crystal. This is a device housing using a liquid crystal display section 22. In this way, the reflection plate 30 is used to illuminate the liquid crystal display section 22 with the backlight light source 21.
Because of this, it is difficult to make the liquid crystal display thinner, and there are problems with making the device housing thinner.

[0004] Also, electroluminescence (EL)
This method was also inefficient, making it difficult to achieve a bright backlight, and causing problems with recognition.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As mentioned above, a bright backlight is necessary to improve the visibility of a transmissive liquid crystal display, but there is a problem in that it is difficult to reduce the thickness of the display. In view of these points, it is an object of the present invention to provide a means for backlighting a transmissive liquid crystal display using an optical fiber, thereby realizing a thinner transmissive liquid crystal display.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The above problems are solved by a liquid crystal display using an optical fiber backlight constructed as follows. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle of the present invention.

It consists of a liquid crystal display section 22 having translucent electrodes 11 and 12, a backlight light source 21, and an optical fiber 16 that guides light from the backlight light source 21 to the liquid crystal display section 22. Reference numeral 16 includes an illumination section 15 disposed parallel to the liquid crystal display section 22, and the illumination section 15 is provided with a backlight illumination slit 18 on a surface close to the liquid crystal display section 22. The slit 18 is disposed close to the translucent electrode 11 of the liquid crystal display section 22, so that the light guided by the optical fiber 16 from the backlight light source 21 is transmitted from the backlight illumination slit 18. The liquid crystal display section 22 is configured to be supplied with the liquid crystal display section 22.

[0008]

[Operation] From the backlight light source 21 to the optical fiber 16
The light guided by the backlight illumination slit 18
is supplied to the liquid crystal display section 22 from there.

[0009]

Embodiment FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 21 is a backlight light source for illuminating the liquid crystal, 20 is a reflection plate that focuses the light from the backlight light source 21 onto an optical fiber section, 22 is a liquid crystal display section that performs display using a transmissive liquid crystal, and 16 is an optical fiber that guides light from the backlight light source 21 to the liquid crystal display section 22; 15 is a part of the optical fiber 16 that illuminates the liquid crystal display section 22; and 18 is a portion of the illumination section 15 that is close to the liquid crystal display section 22. 17 is a backlight illumination slit from which illumination light is taken out; 17 is a metal coating provided on the portion of the illumination portion 15 other than the backlight illumination slit to prevent light from coming out from inside the optical fiber 16; and 11 and 12 are liquid crystals. It is a translucent electrode that selectively drives.

The operation of the figure will be explained. The light emitted from the backlight light source 21 is reflected by the reflection plate 20 and collected at a portion A and enters the optical fiber 16. Part A is continuous vertically. The light entering the optical fiber 16 is guided by the optical fiber 16 and reaches the illumination section 15. In the illumination portion 15, a part of the periphery is formed as a backlight illumination slit 18 from which light is emitted, and the rest is covered with a metal coating 17. The metal coating 17 has a high reflectance of light from inside. The light emitted from the backlight illumination slit 18 illuminates the liquid crystal display section 22 from the translucent electrode 11 side. The liquid crystal display section 22 is composed of an electrode 11, an electrode 12, and a liquid crystal 13 sandwiched between the electrodes 11 and 12. By using optical fibers in this way, illumination light can be guided and illuminated in a narrow space, contributing to making the device thinner.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the layout inside the casing according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the thickness of the casing is limited not by the part that guides the illumination light from the light source, but by the shapes of the light source and the reflector. It is understood that

0012

As is clear from the above description, the present invention has a remarkable industrial effect in that it is possible to provide a thinner liquid crystal display with improved recognition than the conventional backlight type liquid crystal display.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1] Principle diagram of the present invention

[Figure 2] Configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention

[Figure 3] Layout diagram inside the casing in the embodiment of the present invention

[
Figure 4: Illustration of conventional backlighting method

[Explanation of symbols]

11, 12 Transparent electrode 13
LCD 15 Lighting part
16 Optical fiber 17 Metal coating
18 Slit for backlight illumination 20 Reflector plate
21 Light source for backlight 22 Liquid crystal display section

Claims (1)

[Claims] [Claim 1] A liquid crystal display section (22) having translucent electrodes (11, 12), and a backlight light source (21).
and the liquid crystal display section (
It consists of an optical fiber (16) that guides the light to 22).
The optical fiber (16) includes an illumination section (15) arranged parallel to the liquid crystal display section (22), and the illumination section (15)
5) is provided with a backlight illumination slit (18) on a surface close to the liquid crystal display section (22), and the backlight illumination slit (18) is provided in the liquid crystal display section (22).
is placed close to the light-transmitting electrode (11), so that the light guided by the optical fiber (16) from the backlight light source (21) is directed through the backlight illumination slit (18). A liquid crystal display using an optical fiber backlight that is supplied to a liquid crystal display section (22).