Patent ID: 11940710
Assignee: JAPAN DISPLAY INC.
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  F | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. An illumination device comprising:
a first liquid crystal cell comprising a first substrate, a second substrate opposed to the first substrate, and a first liquid crystal layer held between the first substrate and the second substrate, the first substrate comprising a first annular shaped electrode and a second annular shaped electrode surrounding the first annular shaped electrode;
a second liquid crystal cell comprising a third substrate, a fourth substrate opposed to the third substrate, and a second liquid crystal layer held between the third substrate and the fourth substrate, the third substrate comprising a third annular shaped electrode and a fourth annular shaped electrode surrounding the third annular shaped electrode;
a polarization conversion element disposed between the first liquid crystal cell and the second liquid crystal cell; and
a light source emitting light into the first liquid crystal cell, wherein
a center of the first annular shaped electrode and a center of the third annular shaped electrode overlap in planar view,
the first substrate comprises a first alignment film covering the first annular shaped electrode and the second annular shaped electrode,
the second substrate comprises a second alignment film,
the third substrate comprises a third alignment film covering the third annular shaped electrode and the fourth annular shaped electrode,
the fourth substrate comprises a fourth alignment film,
the first alignment film and the third alignment film are horizontal alignment films,
an alignment treatment direction of the first alignment film and an alignment treatment direction of the third alignment film are parallel to each other, and
the second alignment film and the fourth alignment film are vertical alignment films.