Patent ID: 6990266
Filing Date: 2006-01-24
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. An optical switching element comprising: a total reflection member having a total reflection face by which incident light can be totally reflected; a plurality of translucent light extracting portions constructing one pixel, each of which can be switched between a first position at which the light extracting portion comes into contact with or is close to the total reflection face of the total reflection member in a distance in which near field light can be extracted and a second position apart from the total reflection face by more than the distance in which the near field light can be extracted, and driving means for displacing the light extracting portion to either the first position or the second position in accordance with the leading direction of the incident light, wherein the total reflection member is a translucent substrate having a pair of parallel faces one of which is a light incident face and the other serving as either a total reflection face when the light extracting portion is in the second position or a light emitting face when the light extracting portion is in the first position, wherein areas of faces for extracting incident light of all of the plurality of light extracting portions are different from each other, wherein a pair of V-shaped grooves are provided on the light incident face side of the translucent substrate, the incident light is led by one of the V-shaped grooves to the total reflection face, and reflection light from the total reflection face is led to the outside by the other V-shaped groove, and wherein a microprism serving as an introducing portion of incident light and an emitting portion of reflection light from the total reflection face is disposed on the light incident face side of the translucent substrate.