Abstract: There is provided a light diffusing element made of a thin film capable of realizing low back scattering and a high haze. A light diffusing element according to an embodiment of the invention includes: a first region having a first refractive index n1; a refractive index modulation region having a substantially spherical shell shape and surrounding the first region; and a second region having a second refractive index n2, the second region being positioned on a side of the refractive index modulation region opposite to the first region. The light diffusing element satisfies the following expressions (1) and (2): 0.0006??n/L??(1) 10?(?n)2×A×B?100??(2).

Abstract: There is provided an optical laminate which comprises: a polarizing film wherein a thin polarizing layer is laminated on one main surface of a substrate; and an optical element (lens array). The thin polarizing layer has a thickness of 8 ?m or less. The substrate has a thickness of 20 ?m to 80 ?m. The optical element is a pattern retardation plate including a plurality of regions having different slow axis directions.

Abstract: Provided are a polarizing plate with an optical compensation layer capable of contributing to the reduction in thickness, enhancing viewing angle properties, realizing a high contrast, preventing interference uneveness and heat uneveness, suppressing a color shift, realizing satisfactory color reproducibility, and preventing light leakage in a black display satisfactorily, and a liquid crystal panel, a liquid crystal display apparatus, and an image display apparatus using the polarizing pate with an optical compensation layer.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention includes: a liquid crystal cell; polarizing plates placed on both sides of the liquid crystal cell; a light diffusing element provided outside of the polarizing plate on a viewer side; and a backlight unit provided outside of the polarizing plate on an opposite side of the viewer side. The backlight unit includes a collimated light source device that emits collimated light having a brightness half-value angle of 3° to 35° toward the liquid crystal cell, and a ratio Fw(BL)/Fw(FD) between a diffused light half-value angle Fw(FD) of the light diffusing element and the brightness half-value angle Fw(BL) of the collimated light is 0.5 or less.

Abstract: There is provided a light diffusing element made of a thin film capable of realizing low back scattering and a high haze. A light diffusing element according to an embodiment of the invention includes: a first region having a first refractive index n1; a refractive index modulation region having a substantially spherical shell shape and surrounding the first region; and a second region having a second refractive index n2, the second region being positioned on a side of the refractive index modulation region opposite to the first region.

Abstract: There is provided an optical laminate which comprises: a polarizing film wherein a thin polarizing layer is laminated on one main surface of a substrate; and an optical element (lens array). The thin polarizing layer has a thickness of 8 ?m or less. The substrate has a thickness of 20 ?m to 80 ?m. The optical element is a pattern retardation plate including a plurality of regions having different slow axis directions.

Abstract: A light diffusing element of the present invention includes: a matrix containing a resin component and an ultrafine particle component; and light diffusing fine particles dispersed in the matrix, wherein refractive indices of the resin component, the ultrafine particle component, and the light diffusing fine particles satisfy the below-indicated expression (1); and the light diffusing element comprises a concentration adjusted area, which is formed in an outer portion of a vicinity of a surface of each of the light diffusing fine particles, and in which a weight concentration of the resin component decreases and a weight concentration of the ultrafine particle component increases with increasing distance from the light diffusing fine particles: |np?nA|<|np?nB|??(1) where nA represents the refractive index of the resin component of the matrix, nB represents the refractive index of the ultrafine particle component of the matrix, and np represents the refractive index of the light diffusing fine particles

Abstract: There is provided a composite polarizing plate used for a liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal cell, a front substrate, and a collimated light source device according to present invention includes a polarizer; and a light diffusion pressure-sensitive adhesion layer placed on a side of the polarizer, wherein when the composite polarizing plate is used for the liquid crystal display device, the light diffusion pressure-sensitive adhesion layer is arranged in contact with the front substrate.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention includes: a liquid crystal cell; polarizing plates placed on both sides of the liquid crystal cell; a light diffusing element provided outside of the polarizing plate on a viewer side; and a backlight unit provided outside of the polarizing plate on an opposite side of the viewer side. The backlight unit includes a collimated light source device that emits collimated light having a brightness half-value angle of 3° to 35° toward the liquid crystal cell, and a ratio Fw(BL)/Fw(FD) between a diffused light half-value angle Fw(FD) of the light diffusing element and the brightness half-value angle Fw(BL) of the collimated light is 0.5 or less.

Abstract: Provided are a laminated optical film capable of enhancing a contrast ratio in an oblique direction remarkably while enhancing viewing angle characteristics when being used in a liquid crystal display apparatus or the like, and a liquid crystal panel and a liquid crystal display apparatus using the laminated optical film. The laminated optical film of the present invention includes a polarizer, a first optical compensation layer, and a second optical compensation layer in the stated order, in which the first optical compensation layer has a refractive index profile of nx>nz>ny and is placed so that a slow axis direction thereof is substantially parallel to or substantially perpendicular to an absorption axis direction of the polarizer, and the second optical compensation layer converts linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light or circularly polarized light into linearly polarized light in a visible light region.

Abstract: There is provided a light diffusing element, which has a high haze value and strong diffusibility, has backscattering suppressed, and is low in cost and excellent in productivity.

Abstract: A liquid crystal panel of the present invention includes in the following order toward a viewer side: a first polarizer; a first optical compensation layer having a refractive index ellipsoid of nx>ny>nz and an in-plane retardation Re1 of 90 to 300 nm; a liquid crystal cell; a second optical compensation layer having a refractive index ellipsoid of nx>ny>nz and an in-plane retardation Re2 of 90 to 300 nm; and a second polarizer, wherein a total thickness direction retardation ?Rth1 to n of all the optical compensation layers and a thickness direction retardation Rthc of the liquid crystal cell satisfy the following Expression (1): ?160 nm<(?Rth1 to n?Rthc)<50 nm??(1).

Abstract: There is provided a composite polarizing plate used for a liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal cell, a front substrate, and a collimated light source device according to present invention includes a polarizer; and a light diffusion pressure-sensitive adhesion layer placed on a side of the polarizer, wherein when the composite polarizing plate is used for the liquid crystal display device, the light diffusion pressure-sensitive adhesion layer is arranged in contact with the front substrate.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal panel having excellent balance between contrast and viewing angle characteristics. A liquid crystal panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a first polarizer; a first optical compensation layer containing a resin having an absolute value of photoelastic coefficient of 2×10?11 m2/N or less, and having a relationship of nx>ny=nz; a second optical compensation layer having a relationship of nx=ny>nz; a liquid crystal cell; a third optical compensation layer containing a resin having an absolute value of photoelastic coefficient of 2×10?11 m2/N or less, and having a relationship of nx>ny=nz; and a second polarizer, in the stated order forward a viewer side, wherein the sum ?Rth1-n of the thickness direction retardation of all the optical compensation layers and the thickness direction retardation Rthc of the liquid crystal cell satisfy the following expression (1): ?50 nm<(?Rth1-n?Rthc)<150 nm??(1).

Abstract: There is provide a polarizing plate provided with optical compensation layers capable of performing viewing angle compensation with respect to a liquid crystal cell, providing broadband circular polarization, contributing to thickness reduction, preventing uneven display due to heat, and favorably preventing light leak in black display, and an image display apparatus using the same.

Abstract: Provided are a laminated optical film capable of enhancing a contrast ratio in an oblique direction remarkably while enhancing viewing angle characteristics when being used in a liquid crystal display apparatus or the like, and a liquid crystal panel and a liquid crystal display apparatus using the laminated optical film. The laminated optical film of the present invention includes a polarizer, a first optical compensation layer, and a second optical compensation layer in the stated order, in which the first optical compensation layer has a refractive index profile of nx>nz>ny and is placed so that a slow axis direction thereof is substantially parallel to or substantially perpendicular to an absorption axis direction of the polarizer, and the second optical compensation layer converts linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light or circularly polarized light into linearly polarized light in a visible light region.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a laminated optical film, a liquid crystal panel, and a liquid crystal display apparatus that have an excellent screen contrast and have a small color shift. A laminated optical film of the present invention includes in this order: a polarizer; a first optical compensation layer that has a refractive index ellipsoid exhibiting a relationship of nx>ny=nz and an in-plane retardation Re1 of 80 to 300 nm; a second optical compensation layer that has a refractive index ellipsoid exhibiting a relationship of nz>nx=ny; and a third optical compensation layer that has a refractive index ellipsoid exhibiting a relationship of nx>ny=nz and an in-plane retardation Re3 of 80 to 200 nm, wherein an absorption axis of the polarizer is perpendicular to a slow axis of the first optical compensation layer.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal panel having excellent balance between contrast and viewing angle characteristics. A liquid crystal panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a first polarizer; a first optical compensation layer containing a resin having an absolute value of photoelastic coefficient of 2×10?11 m2/N or less, and having a relationship of nx>ny=nz; a second optical compensation layer having a relationship of nx=ny>nz; a liquid crystal cell; a third optical compensation layer containing a resin having an absolute value of photoelastic coefficient of 2×10?11 m2/N or less, and having a relationship of nx>ny=nz; and a second polarizer, in the stated order forward a viewer side, wherein the sum ?Rth1-n of the thickness direction retardation of all the optical compensation layers and the thickness direction retardation Rthc of the liquid crystal cell satisfy the following expression (1): ?50 nm<(?Rth1-n?Rthc)<150 nm??(1).

Abstract: A liquid crystal panel of the present invention includes in the following order toward a viewer side: a first polarizer; a first optical compensation layer having a refractive index ellipsoid of nx>ny>nz and an in-plane retardation Re1 of 90 to 300 nm; a liquid crystal cell; a second optical compensation layer having a refractive index ellipsoid of nx>ny>nz and an in-plane retardation Re2 of 90 to 300 nm; and a second polarizer, wherein a total thickness direction retardation ?Rth1 to n of all the optical compensation layers and a thickness direction retardation Rthc of the liquid crystal cell satisfy the following Expression (1): ?160nm<(?Rth1 to n?Rthc)<50nm??(1).

Abstract: A simple method for producing an anisotropic film, which does not require a light irradiation device having a special mechanism or an advanced alignment adjustment system, is provided. A film containing a photoreactive material is arranged on a polarizing element, and an anisotropy is provided to the film containing a photoreactive material by irradiating the film with light through the polarizing element. With this method, an anisotropic film can be formed on the polarizing element.