Liquid crystal display device having an inclined rear reflector

Abstract

Abstract A display device settable between transparent and translucent or opaque conditions comprising a layer of a material changeable between light-transmitting and light-scattering conditions in response to electric fields, such as the liquid crystal materials, front and rear covers of transparent material containing said layer, each having a transparent film of a conductive material, means for setting up an electric field between said films through said layer, a source of light in front of the front cover of said layer, and an inclined mirror arrangement located behind the rear cover of said layer for directing light from said source obliquely through said layer from its rear face to its front face in such a manner that the source of light is concealed from view by an observer before the front face of said layer when said layer is in transparent lighttransmitting condition. This inclined mirror arrangement reflects the light from the source of light obliquely through said layer in a direction in which it misses the observer''s eyes. In this manner light from the source of light is removed from view by the observer when the layer is in transparent light-transmitting condition, yet is available for scattering and thus gives the layer a frosted or milky appearance when the layer of light transmission changing material is in light-scattering condition.

Inventors

• 👤 W Aiken

Bibliographic Details