Patent ID: 8477263

Claim:
A liquid crystal display device including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix along a first direction and a second direction which are perpendicular to each other, comprising: a TFT substrate including a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged so as to correspond to the plurality of pixels; a counter substrate including a counter electrode which opposes to the pixel electrodes; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the TFT substrate and the counter substrate; a plurality of microlenses provided on a surface of the TFT substrate which is opposite to the liquid crystal layer so as to correspond to the plurality of pixels; and a backlight provided on a side of the plurality of microlenses which is opposite to the TFT substrate, wherein the plurality of microlenses includes a plurality of lenticular lenses extending in the first direction, the plurality of lenticular lenses being arranged side by side along the second direction, the backlight includes a light guide plate for guiding light emitted from a light source and a prism sheet placed over a first surface of the light guide plate which is closer to the microlenses, the first surface of the light guide plate is provided with a prism array that includes a plurality of prisms extending in the second direction, the plurality of prisms being arranged side by side along the first direction; wherein a surface of each of the plurality of microlenses which is closer to the backlight includes a flat portion which is generally parallel to a substrate surface and two curvature portions which are arranged such that the fiat portion intervenes between the two curvature portions; and wherein the formula shown below holds: 2d tan θ 1 ≦P−a, where d is a thickness of the TFT substrate, P is an arrangement pitch of the pixels along the second direction, a is a width of an opening of the pixels along the second direction, and θ 1 is a maximum propagation angle of light relative to a direction normal to the substrate surface after having been transmitted through the plurality of microlenses.