An optical device includes a light source and a polarization selective optical element. The polarization selective optical element includes a stack of a plurality of cholesteric liquid crystal layers. The plurality of cholesteric liquid crystal layers includes a first cholesteric liquid crystal layer with liquid crystal molecules arranged in a first helical configuration having a first pitch range for light of a first wavelength range and a second cholesteric liquid crystal layer with liquid crystal molecules arranged in a second helical configuration having a second pitch range for light of a second wavelength range. The second wavelength range is different from the first wavelength range.

Provided is a display apparatus including a first cholesteric liquid crystal panel, a second cholesteric liquid crystal panel, and a third cholesteric liquid crystal panel. The first cholesteric liquid crystal panel has a light receiving surface. The second cholesteric liquid crystal panel overlaps the first cholesteric liquid crystal panel and is disposed on a side of the first cholesteric liquid crystal panel away from the light receiving surface. The third cholesteric liquid crystal panel overlaps the second cholesteric liquid crystal panel and is disposed on a side of the second cholesteric liquid crystal panel away from the first cholesteric liquid crystal panel. One of the first cholesteric liquid crystal panel, the second cholesteric liquid crystal panel, and the third cholesteric liquid crystal panel is provided with multiple first light shielding patterns separated from each other.

A highly reliable display device is provided. In a flexible display device including at least a first display region and a second display region, at least a portion of a wiring provided in the first display region or the second display region has a meandering shape or a chain-like shape. Since the wiring has a meandering shape or a chain-like shape, a short-circuit, a disconnection, or the like of the wiring due to curving or bending of the display device does not occur easily. The wiring having a meandering shape or a chain-like shape can prevent defective operation, lowered reliability, or the like of the display device.

A display system including a backlight including a housing receiving light emitting elements to generate and project light from the backlight and reflective portions disposed on the housing is described. A first display unit is disposed proximate the backlight and may include an upper substrate, a liquid crystal layer, and a lower substrate disposed opposite the upper substrate. A reflective polarizer may cooperate with one or more of the upper substrate and the lower substrate of the first display unit. A second display unit is disposed proximate the first display unit. The second display unit may include an upper substrate, a thin-film transistor (TFT) display layer cooperating with the upper substrate and a lower substrate disposed opposite the upper substrate that cooperates with the TFT display layer. A linear polarizer may cooperate with one or more of the upper substrate and the lower substrate of the second display unit.

A display device includes: a mirror body; a display component; and a mirror component disposed between the mirror body and the display component and switchable between a transmitting state in which external light and picture light are transmitted and a reflecting state in which the external light passing through the mirror body is reflected. The mirror body includes: a substrate transparent to light; an absorptive polarizer covering a first region not including the mirror component or the display component and a second region including the mirror component and the display component in plan view; and a reflective polarizer disposed on a rear face of the substrate and including an opening in the second region. The mirror component includes: a liquid crystal layer capable of changing a polarization direction of the external light; and a reflective polarizer disposed on a side of the liquid crystal layer adjacent to the display component.

According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display device includes a first liquid crystal device, a second liquid crystal device, and a liquid crystal display panel, the first liquid crystal device including a first substrate including a first electrode thereon, a second substrate including a second electrode thereon, and a first cholesteric liquid crystal layer, the second liquid crystal device including a third substrate including a third electrode thereon, a fourth substrate including a fourth electrode thereon, and a second cholesteric liquid crystal layer, wherein the first liquid crystal device and the second liquid crystal device are stacked successively.

An object is to provide an optical element in which a wavelength dependence of reflection is small, a light guide element including the optical element, and an image display device including the light guide element. The optical element includes a plurality of cholesteric liquid crystal layers having different selective reflection center wavelengths, in which the cholesteric liquid crystal layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from a liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction, and in a case where a length over which the optical axis rotates by 180° in the in-plane direction is set as a single period, a permutation of lengths of selective reflection center wavelengths and a permutation of lengths of the single periods match each other in the cholesteric liquid crystal layers.

The present application provides a display panel having a first array substrate, a first liquid crystal layer, a second array substrate, a second liquid crystal layer, a reflective layer, and a counter substrate. The second array substrate is between the first array substrate and the counter substrate; the first liquid crystal layer is between the first array substrate and the second array substrate; the second liquid crystal layer is between second array substrate and the counter substrate; and the reflective layer is between the first liquid crystal layer and the second liquid crystal layer. The display panel has a plurality of reflective regions and a plurality of transmissive regions. The reflective layer is present in the plurality of reflective regions and absent in the plurality of transmissive regions.

A backlight unit includes a light guide plate; a light source provided on a side surface of the light guide plate, and configured to inject light into the light guide plate; a circular polarizing reflective layer provided on a front surface of the light guide plate, and configured to reflect a first polarizing component and transmit a second polarizing component among components of light emitted from the light guide plate; and a cholesteric liquid crystal layer provided on the front surface of the circular polarizing reflective layer and including a plurality of regions, and configured to reflect or transmit the second polarizing component that has passed through the circular polarizing reflective layer according to a voltage applied to each of the plurality of regions.

A cholesteric liquid crystal device has an optical response opposite to that of the Prior Art. The liquid crystal device takes advantage of a unique and unusual effect in cholesteric liquid crystals where pressure applied to the device with a pointed stylus, without applying a voltage, creates a transmissive texture as opposed to the planar texture of the Prior Art.