Abstract: A polarizing element having excellent scattering and polarizing properties is made from a stretched sheet composed of a continuous phase and a dispersed phase. The element has continuous and dispersed phases including different resins, and the refractive index differential between the continuous and dispersed phases along the stretched direction of the sheet differs from that perpendicular to the stretched direction. Incident light with a polarization state for which the refractive index differential is smaller is transmitted through the polarizing element, and incident light with a polarization state for which the refractive index differential is larger is scattered by the polarizing element. The continuous phase and the dispersed phase are bonded to each other substantially free from voids between their phases.

Abstract: A transmissive display apparatus comprises a liquid crystal display unit; and a plane light source unit that comprises a tubular light source, a light guide, and a light-diffusing film having anisotropy that provides a consistent luminance in a display surface, and/or ultraviolet (UV) absorbability that absorbs the UV from the light source and prevents deterioration of a prism sheet in the display unit and liquid display cell. In the film, a light-scattering characteristic F(?) represents a relationship between the light-scattering angle ? and a scattered light intensity F fulfills Fy(?)/Fx(?)?1.01 over a range of ?=4 to 30°, wherein Fx(?) and Fy(?) represent the light-scattering characteristics in an X-axial direction and Y-axial direction of the film, respectively. The film comprises a light-diffusing layer composed of a plurality of resins which are different from each other in refractive index, and a transparent layer laminated on at least one side thereof.

Abstract: An anisotropic scattering sheet is adapted to scatter an incident light in a light-advancing direction and has a light-scattering characteristic F(?) that satisfies the following expression representing a relation between a light-scattering angle ? and a scattered light intensity F over a range of ?=4 to 30°: Fy(?)/Fx(?)>2, wherein Fx(?) represents the light-scattering characteristic in a direction of a X-axis and Fy(?) represents a light-scattering characteristic in a Y-axial direction which is perpendicular to the X-axial direction.

Abstract: A light control sheet 1 having a platelike particle 3 (e.g., a mica) dispersedly oriented in a transparent resin 2 is obtained by laminating a plurality of transparent resin sheets in which the plate surface of the platelike particle is oriented along the sheet surface, welding these sheets to each other, and slicing the resulting matter in an intersecting direction relative to the laminating direction. The platelike particle comprises a transparent particle or a reflective particle. The direction of the plate surface of the fine particle is inclined to the sheet surface, and the angle ? of the plate surface of the platelike particle 3 to the plane of the sheet 1 is about 45 to 90°. Thus obtained light control sheet has a function in which an incident light in a specific angle range is selectively scattered, or a function in which an angle dependence of brightness can be improved even when a light source is locally disposed to a display surface or a light guide plate.

Abstract: A transmissive display apparatus 21 comprises a liquid crystal display unit 22 and a plane light source unit 23. The unit 23 comprises a tubular light source 24, a light guide 25 having a wedge-shaped reflecting groove formed at the bottom thereof, and a light-diffusing film 27 having anisotropy and/or ultraviolet (UV) absorbability. In the film, a light-scattering characteristic F(&thgr;) representing the relationship between the light-scattering angle &thgr; and a scattered light intensity F fulfills Fy(&thgr;)/Fx(&thgr;)≧1.01 over a range of &thgr;=4 to 30°, wherein Fx(&thgr;) and Fy(&thgr;) represent the light-scattering characteristics in the X-axial direction and the Y-axial direction of the film, respectively. The film comprises a light-diffusing layer composed of a plurality of resins which are different from each other in refractive index, and a transparent layer laminated on at least one side thereof. The transparent layer at least may contain a UV absorber.

Abstract: A transparent resin layers 12 and 13 are laminated on at least one side (in particular, both sides) of the light-scattering layer 11. The anisotropic light-scattering layer 11 comprises a continuous phase and a particulate dispersed phase 14 which have the different refraction indexes from each other, the mean aspect ratio of the particulate dispersed phase 14 is more than 1 and the longitudinal axis of the particulate dispersed phase is oriented in a direction. The laminated film 10 can be capable of diffusing incident light in its advanced direction and having a light-scattering characteristic over a range of &thgr;=4 to 30°: Fy(&thgr;)/Fx(&thgr;)>5 wherein Fx(&thgr;) represents the light-scattering characteristic in the direction of the major axis of the particulate dispersed phase and Fy(&thgr;) represents the light-scattering characteristic in the direction normal to the major axis of the particulate dispersed phase.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polarizing element having excellent scattering and polarizing properties. The polarizing element which comprises a stretched sheet composed of a continuous phase 1 and a dispersed phase 2 and the dispersed phase is dispersed in the form of a particle in the continuous phase 1 is prepared. In the element, the continuous phase 1 comprises a first transparent resin and the dispersed phase 2 comprises a second transparent resin, and the refractive index differential between the continuous phase and the dispersed phase on a linear polarized light in a stretched direction of the sheet is different from that in a direction perpendicular to the stretched direction, a polarized light in a direction having smaller refractive index differential is transmittable and a polarized light in a direction having larger refractive index differential is scattered, and the continuous phase 1 and the dispersed phase 2 are bonded each other substantially free from voids between their phases.

Abstract: A transmittable display apparatus 1 comprises a liquid crystal display unit 2 and a plane light source unit 3 comprising a tubular light source 4, a light guide 5, and at least one anisotropic scattering sheet 7 disposed between the light guide and the display unit 2. An isotropic diffusing sheet, a prism sheet and an anisotropic scattering sheet may be disposed between the light guide and the display unit 2. In the light source unit 3, assuming that the axis-direction of the light source 4 is X-direction, the anisotropic scattering sheet is disposed with directing a main light-scattering direction of the sheet to Y-direction. In the display apparatus, the anisotropic scattering sheet is disposed in such a direction that a main light-scattering direction thereof is addressed to the horizontal direction of the display surface of the display unit.