The present invention provides an optical film including a light reflection layer, in which the light reflection layer is a layer in which alignment of liquid crystal molecules is immobilized, the liquid crystal molecule forms a helical structure in a film thickness direction of the light reflection layer, and a tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecule is 15 to 55. The present invention also provides a manufacturing method of the optical film including curing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition including a liquid crystal compound and a chiral agent interposed between a support and another support. In the optical film according to the present invention, an absolute value of oblique retardation is smaller. In the liquid crystal display device including the optical film, front surface brightness is high and an oblique change in the shade is suppressed.

A phase difference film including: a phase difference thin film including at least two non-liquid crystal polymers, wherein the phase difference thin film satisfies refractive indexes of n.sub.x?n.sub.y>n.sub.z and has a thickness direction phase difference per unit thickness of greater than or equal to about 80 nm/?m, wherein n.sub.x denotes a refractive index of the phase difference thin film at a slow axis thereof, n.sub.y denotes a refractive index of the phase difference thin film at a fast axis thereof, and n.sub.z denotes a refractive index of the phase difference thin film in a direction perpendicular to the slow axis and the fast axis thereof, and wherein an average light transmittance in a wavelength region of about 360 nm to about 740 nm is greater than or equal to about 88%, and a display device including the same.

Provided is a phase difference compensation element that can improve a contrast of a liquid crystal display device and has durability while suppressing an increase in cost and prolongation of lead time. The phase difference compensation element is formed so that, when an optical anisotropic layer is formed on a substrate, the optical anisotropic layer includes a plurality of birefringent films, and a direction of a combined vector obtained by combining respective vectors of the birefringent films when determining a vector with a direction of a line segment obtained by projecting a film formation direction of each birefringent film on a surface of a transparent substrate and a thickness, is substantially the same as a direction of a line segment obtained by projecting a liquid crystal molecule constituting a liquid crystal cell on the surface of the transparent substrate.

A viewing angle switchable device including an absorptive polarizer, a reflective polarizer and an electrically controlled viewing angle switching element is provided. A transmission axis of the reflective polarizer is parallel to a transmission axis of the absorptive polarizer. The electrically controlled viewing angle switching element is disposed between the absorptive polarizer and the reflective polarizer and includes two transparent substrates, two transparent conductive layers and a liquid crystal layer including a plurality of liquid crystal molecules. When there is a potential difference between the two transparent conductive layers, an orthogonal projection of an optical axis of each of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules on the absorptive polarizer is parallel to or perpendicular to the transmission axis of the absorptive polarizer and the transmission axis of the reflective polarizer. A viewing angle switchable display module including the viewing angle switchable device is also provided.

Provided is a liquid crystal display device that includes a first substrate including a microlens corresponding to each pixel, a second substrate disposed to face the first substrate, and a liquid crystal material layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate. A first transparent material layer including a material having a first refractive index is formed in the first substrate, and a material having a second refractive index different from the first refractive index is disposed in a portion of the first transparent material layer corresponding to a region between adjacent pixels. A second transparent material layer including a material having a third refractive index is formed in the second substrate, and a material having a fourth refractive index different from the third refractive index is disposed in a portion of the second transparent material layer corresponding to the region between the adjacent pixels.

A beam deflector includes a first wavelength selective polarizer configured to convert a polarization state of light in a first wavelength band into a first polarization state, a first liquid crystal deflector including liquid crystal molecules and an optical path change surface to deflect light incident from the first wavelength selective polarizer, and a controller configured to control the first liquid crystal deflector to adjust an angle of the first optical path change surface.

The present invention pertains to a polarizing film having a transparent layer on at least one surface of a polarizer, wherein: the polarizer contains a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin and has a thickness of 15 m or less; the transparent layer-side of the polarizer has a compatible layer thereon having compatibility with the transparent layer; and the thickness A of the polarizer and the thickness B of the compatible layer satisfy the general formula (100B/A)1. This polarizing film has crack resistance and suppresses changes in the dimensions of the polarizer.

A viewing angle control device including at least one liquid crystal panel, at least one compensation film and polarizers is provided. Each of the at least one liquid crystal panel includes two transparent conductive layers and liquid crystal molecules. The polarizers include at least one first polarizer and a second polarizer. The at least one first polarizer is located between the at least one compensation film and the at least one liquid crystal panel. The second polarizer is located at a side of the at least one liquid crystal panel, the at least one compensation film and the at least one first polarizer. When there is no potential difference between the transparent conductive layers, an optical axis of each of the liquid crystal molecules is parallel or vertical to a transmission axis of the at least one first polarizer. A viewing angle controllable display apparatus is also provided.

The invention provides a new technique for improving the contrast in a liquid-crystal display device having a liquid crystal layer that is formed of pretilted liquid crystal molecules having a negative dielectric constant anisotropy. A liquid-crystal display device according to an aspect of the invention includes a liquid crystal panel in which a phase-difference compensation layer including a C plate is formed, and a phase-difference compensation member disposed on the outside of the liquid crystal panel and including an O plate or an A plate. The liquid crystal panel includes an opposing substrate, a liquid crystal layer formed of pretilted liquid crystal molecules having a negative dielectric constant anisotropy, and an element substrate.

A method for producing a polarizing film includes (1) preparing a laminate (a) which includes a carrier film and a polarizer with a thickness of 10 m or less formed on one surface of the carrier film and contains a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin; (2) peeling off the carrier film from the laminate (a); and (3) applying a liquid material to a side of the laminate (a) from which the carrier film has been peeled off and then solidifying or curing the liquid material to form a transparent resin layer with a thickness of 0.2 m or more, wherein the liquid material contains a resin component or a curable component capable of forming a resin layer. This production method enables the achievement of a polarizing film which is able to have satisfactory durability in a heated environment even in cases where a thin polarizer is used therefor.