US Patent 11187957 Light distribution control element, and display device and illumination device including the same

A light distribution control element includes a first transparent substrate, a second transparent substrate, first control electrodes and second control electrodes provided on the first transparent substrate, light-transmissive regions provided between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate, and electrophoretic elements including electrophoretic particles charged to a specific polarity and having a light blocking property and optically transmissive dispersant. Each electrophoretic element is provided between two light-transmissive regions. At least a part of at least one of the first control electrodes and at least a part of at least one of the second control electrodes both overlap with each of the plurality of electrophoretic elements. Dispersion of the electrophoretic particles changes depending on potential difference between the first control electrodes and the second control electrodes to change a range of outgoing direction of light transmitted through the light distribution control element.