ILLUMINATING DEVICE AND LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY DEVICE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an illuminating device suitable for a direct-view type liquid crystal display element wherein light intensity of a specific direction is intensified while maintaining wide light distribution. SOLUTION: The illuminating device consists of: a planar light guide body 3; a light source 1 disposed so that light is made incident from a side part of the planar light guide body 3; a polarized light separating plane 8 provided on the light emitting side of the planar light guide body 3 and transmitting the p-polarized light component and reflecting at least a portion of the s- polarized light component with respect to a light beam in the direction in the vicinity of prescribed incident direction; and a light reflecting plane 4 provided to be nearly parallel to the light emitting plane on the side opposite to the light emitting plane of the planer light guide body. The principal polarization axis direction of a light beam emitted from the illuminating device and the polarization axis direction of a polarizing plate 9 on the light incident side of the direct-view type liquid crystal display element 12 are made to nearly coincident with each other to dispose the illuminating device in the rear of the liquid crystal display element 12.