Abstract: A polarization light splitting film having a light receiving side and a light transmitting side. The polarization light splitting film includes an optical rotation selection layer at the light receiving side for reflecting one of right and left circularly polarized components of a light beam that is incident on the light receiving side and for transmitting the other one of the right and left circular polarization components of the light beam, and a quarter-wave layer laminated over the optical rotation selection layer at the light transmitting side.

Abstract: In an optical sheet 10 having a prism surface 16 formed by providing unit prisms 14 on the upper surface of a transparent base material 12, a coating layer 18 is provided on the reverse surface of the transparent base material opposite to the prism surface 16, spherical beads 20 are arranged projecting from the surface of the coating layer 18 by 1 to 10 &mgr;m in height, and the coating layer 18 is brought into contact with the flat and smooth surface 22A of the light-transmissive material 22 through the spherical beads 20 which are put between them. The spherical beads are 1 &mgr;m or less in half bandwidth of the distribution of particle diameters and are made uniform in height projecting from the coating layer 18.

Abstract: A transparent conductive film 1 comprises a transparent plastic film 2 and a transparent conductive layer 4 laminated to at least one surface of the transparent plastic film 2. The transparent conductive film 1, as a whole, has a haze value of 8 or less; and at least one of the two surfaces of the transparent plastic film 2, that is, the surface to which the transparent conductive film 4 is laminated and the other surface, is provided with fine irregularities having a maximum height (Rmax) of 0.5 to 2.0 &mgr;m. These fine irregularities preferably have a ten-point mean roughness (Rz) of 0.35 to 1.5 &mgr;m. The fine irregularities maybe provided as the surface structure of a fine irregularity layer 3 laminated to one surface of the transparent plastic film 2. The transparent conductive layer 4 may be laminated to the surface of the fine irregularity layer 3 formed on the transparent plastic film 2, or to the surface of the transparent plastic film 2 to which the fine irregularity layer 3 is not laminated.

Abstract: There is provided a protective, diffusive film for use in a surface light source device provided with a lens film, said protective, diffusive film comprising: a transparent substrate layer; and a resin layer provided on at least one of the top surface and the under surface of the transparent substrate layer, the resin layer having a tensile elongation at break in the range of 20% to 200%.

Abstract: A directional diffusing film of the invention includes a base film, and a plurality of convex directionality-providing elements regularly arranged on at least one surface of the base film. A section of a first directionality-providing element in a first plane including a top of the directionality-providing element has a shape of a substantially triangle, and a section of the directionality-providing element in a second plane including the top of the directionality-providing element and perpendicular to the first plane has a top of a second directionality-providing element and a shape of a continuous wave. The directional diffusing film having characteristics specified by the invention can diffuse light in proper directionally diffused light, while maintaining high light-diffusing ability. The directional diffusing film utilizes light highly efficiently as compared with conventional diffusing films.

Abstract: A backlight device including a light source for emitting light, a light guide for receiving the light from the light source and for emitting directional light having a maximum intensity in a first predetermined direction, a polarization light splitter having a planar, multi-layer structure; and a beam deflector, disposed between the light guide and the polarization light splitter, for deflecting the light from the light guide towards the polarization light splitter in a second predetermined direction substantially coinciding with a direction in which the polarization light splitter has a maximum polarization light splitting effect.

Abstract: There is provided a protective, diffusive film for use in a surface light source device provided with a lens film, said protective, diffusive film comprising: a transparent substrate layer; and a resin layer provided on the top surface and the under surface of the transparent substrate layer, the resin layers being free from fine particles and having fine concaves and convexes on the surface thereof, the difference in coverage between the resin layer provided on the top surface of the transparent substrate layer and the resin layer provided on the under surface of the transparent substrate layer being in the range of −20% to +20% in terms of the percentage of the coverage of one of the resin layers to the coverage of the other resin layer.

Abstract: A light diffusing film is produced by preparing a paint by adding a light transmissive diffusing material comprising resin beads to a light transmissive resin, and coating the paint on one or both of the surfaces of transparent film substrate made of TAC, to produce a light diffusing layer. In the light diffusing film, the haze value on the surface of light diffusing layer is three or more, the difference between the haze value along the normal and that the lines ±60° apart from the normal is four or less, and the surface is practically smooth whose roughness is so adjusted as to give a surface roughness Ra of Ra≦0.2 &mgr;m. Application of such a light diffusing film onto a display panel inhibits scattering reflection which would otherwise cause the display to be whitish, reduces the variation of haze values which vary depending on the viewed angle, and thus improves display quality.

Abstract: A light diffusive protective film for a surface light source device for protecting other base material and improving the luminance of information display is disclosed which comprises a transparent plastic film and a concave/convex layer stacked on the surface of the transparent plastic film and satisfies requirements that: (1) the ten-point mean roughness of the uneven surface in the concave/convex layer is 0.5 &mgr;m to 2.0 &mgr;m; and (2) the count number of profile peaks is 16 to 60 as determined by measuring a roughness curve for the uneven surface of the concave/convex layer and determining the count number of profile peaks by a peak count method.

Abstract: Disclosed is an antiglare film having excellent durability. The antiglare film is disposed on the front of a display device and comprises a transparent plastic film and, formed on the transparent plastic film, at least an antiglare layer having fine concaves and convexes on its surface, wherein the antiglare layer is formed of a transparent resin and satisfies requirements that: (1) the surface of the antiglare layer has a three-dimensional ten-point mean roughness of 0.9 &mgr;m to 3 &mgr;m; and (2) the mean spacing between adjacent profile peaks on a three-dimensional roughness reference plane is 20 &mgr;m to 50 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A light diffusing film is provided which can be easily and stably produced and possesses excellent light diffusing properties, and, especially when used in combination with a prism sheet, can improve the luminance of light from a light source. A light diffusing film 1 comprises a transparent substrate 2 and a light diffusing layer 3 provided on at least one side of the transparent substrate 2. The light diffusing layer 3 is substantially free from light diffusing particles and is formed of an ionizing radiation-cured resin having on its surface fine concaves and convexes. The light diffusing layer 3 has a surface roughness of 1 to 10 &mgr;m in terms of ten-point average roughness Rz and an average inclination &thgr;a of 5 to 20 degrees.

Abstract: Disclosed is a film provided with a hardcoat which has high surface hardness and improved apparent scratch resistance. This film provided with a hardcoat comprises: a transparent substrate film; and, stacked on the transparent substrate film in the following order, a hardcoat and a slip layer. The hardcoat is formed of a cured product of a material comprising an ultraviolet-curable resin and a photopolymerization initiator which initiates the photopolymerization of the ultraviolet-curable resin upon exposure to ultraviolet light in its wavelength region other than the wavelength region absorbable by the transparent substrate film. The slip layer contains a slip agent.

Abstract: In an optical sheet 10 having a prism surface 16 formed by providing unit prisms 14 on the upper surface of a transparent base material 12, a coating layer 18 is provided on the reverse surface of the transparent base material opposite to the prism surface 16, spherical beads 20 are arranged projecting from the surface of the coating layer 18 by 1 to 10 &mgr;m in height, and the coating layer 18 is brought into contact with the flat and smooth surface 22A of the light-transmissive material 22 through the spherical beads 20 which are put between them. The spherical beads are 1 &mgr;m or less in half bandwidth of the distribution of particle diameters and are made uniform in height projecting from the coating layer 18.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to eliminate drawbacks of conventional multi-layered antireflection films, that is, that a lot of time is required in the formation of a transparent conductive thin film and a low-refractive index layer leading to low processing speed, the corrosion resistance of the transparent conductive thin film is unsatisfactory, and the reflectance over the whole visible light region is not constant.

Abstract: Disclosed are a protective diffusion film, which does not scratch a lens film and a liquid crystal display device, does not become a refuse source or the like, and also has a suitable level of concealment effect, a process for producing the same, a surface light source device, and a liquid crystal display device. This protective diffusion film is used in a surface light source device provided with a lens film wherein the protective diffusion film is provided on a light outgoing surface of the lens film, and comprises: a transparent substrate layer; and a protective diffusion layer which is provided on the transparent substrate layer in its surface at least on the lens film side, has fine concaves and convexes on its surface, protects members which come into contact with the protective diffusion film, and is light diffusive.

Abstract: A light diffusing film is produced by preparing a paint by adding a light transmissive diffusing material comprising resin beads to a light transmissive resin, and coating the paint on one or both of the surfaces of transparent film substrate made of TAC, to produce a light diffusing layer. In the light diffusing film, the haze value on the surface of light diffusing layer is three or more, the difference between the haze value along the normal and that the lines ±60° apart from the normal is four or less, and the surface is practically smooth whose roughness is so adjusted as to give a surface roughness Ra of Ra≦0.2 &mgr;m. Application of such a light diffusing film onto a display panel inhibits scattering reflection which would otherwise cause the display to be whitish, reduces the variation of haze values which vary depending on the viewed angle, and thus improves display quality.

Abstract: A polarization light splitting film having a light receiving side and a light transmitting side. The polarization light splitting film includes an optical rotation selection layer at the light receiving side for reflecting one of right and left circularly polarized components of a light beam that is incident on the light receiving side and for transmitting the other one of the right and left circular polarization components of the light beam, and a quarter-wave layer laminated over the optical rotation selection layer at the light transmitting side.

Abstract: In an optical sheet 10 having a prism surface 16 formed by providing unit prisms 14 on the upper surface of a transparent base material 12, a coating layer 18 is provided on the reverse surface of the transparent base material opposite to the prism surface 16, spherical beads 20 are arranged projecting from the surface of the coating layer 18 by 1 to 10 &mgr;m in height, and the coating layer 18 is brought into contact with the flat and smooth surface 22A of the light-transmissive material 22 through the spherical beads 20 which are put between them. The spherical beads are 1 &mgr;m or less in half bandwidth of the distribution of particle diameters and are made uniform in height projecting from the coating layer 18.

Abstract: A light diffusing film is produced by preparing a paint by adding a light transmissive diffusing material comprising resin beads to a light transmissive resin, and coating the paint on one or both of the surfaces of transparent film substrate made of TAC, to produce a light diffusing layer. In the light diffusing film, the haze value on the surface of light diffusing layer is three or more, the difference between the haze value along the normal and that along the lines ±60° apart from the normal is four or less, and the surface is practically smooth whose roughness is so adjusted as to give a surface roughness Ra of Ra≦0.2 &mgr;m. Application of such a light diffusing film onto a display panel inhibits scattering reflection which would otherwise cause the display to be whitish, reduces the variation of haze values which vary depending on the viewed angle, and thus improves display quality.

Abstract: A directional diffusing film of the invention includes a base film, and a plurality of convex directionality-providing elements regularly arranged on at least one surface of the base film. A section of a first directionality-providing element in a first plane including a top of the directionality-providing element has a shape of a substantially triangle, and a section of the directionality-providing element in a second plane including the top of the directionality-providing element and perpendicular to the first plane has a top of a second directionality-providing element and a shape of a continuous wave. The directional diffusing film having characteristics specified by the invention can diffuse light in proper directionally diffused light, while maintaining high light-diffusing ability. The directional diffusing film utilizes light highly efficiently as compared with conventional diffusing films.