EP0168242A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device
Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1985-07-09
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-07-09
Abstract
Abstract A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device comprises two opposed plates (1,2) having electrodes on the inner surfaces thereof and a ferro-electric liquid crystal material (3) sandwiched between the plates. One of the plates has an uni-axial alignment characteristic on a surface thereof in contact with the liquid crystal material and the other plate has a random homogeneous alignment characteristic on a surface thereof in contact with the liquid crystal material.
Inventors
- 👤 Takamasa Harada
- 👤 Masaaki Taguchi
- 👤 Kokichi Ito
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 12:11
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1337; G02F1/133711; G02F1/137; G02F1/139; G02F1/141
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
72 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device comprising two opposed plates (1,2) having electrodes on the inner surfaces thereof, and a ferro-electric liquid crystal material (3) sandwiched between said plates characterised by one of said plates having an uni-axial alignment characteristic on the surface thereof in contact with the liquid crystal material and the other plate having a random homogeneous alignment characteristic on a surface thereof in contact with the liquid crystal material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
72 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device comprising two opposed plates (1,2) having electrodes on the inner surfaces thereof, and a ferro-electric liquid crystal material (3) sandwiched between said plates characterised by one of said plates having an uni-axial alignment characteristic on the surface thereof in contact with the liquid crystal material and the other plate having a random homogeneous alignment characteristic on a surface thereof in contact with the liquid crystal material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that said uni-axial alignment characteristic is obtained by rubbing a thin layer of polyimide, polyvinyl alcohol, a flourine-containing polymer, silane or silicon dioxide provided on the said surface of said one plate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 characterised in that said random homogeneous alignment characteristic is obtained by a homeotropic alignment treatment to said surface of said other plate and thereafter a heat treatment.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that said random homogeneous alignment characteristic is biassed in the direction of the uni-axial alignment characteristic.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device as claimed iri claim 4 characterised in that the angle between the direction of the bias and the direction of the uni-axial alignment treatment on said one plate is substantially equal to the tilt angle of the liquid crystal material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device as claimed in claim 3 characterised in that said random homogeneous alignment characteristic is biassed in the direction of the uni-axial alignment treatment by rubbing said surface of said other plate prior to said heat treatment.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device as claimed in claim 3 characterised in that said random homogeneous alignment characteristic is biassed in the direction of the uni-axial alignment treatment by rubbing said surface of said other plate after said heat treatment.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device as claimed in claim 3 characterised in that said random homogeneous alignment characteristic is biassed in the direction of the uni-axial alignment treatment by rubbing said surface of said other plate prior to said homeotropic alignment treatment.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
50 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that said random homogeneous alignment characteristic is obtained by providing a layer of polyimide, epoxy, polyvinyl alcohol, fluorine-containing polymer, polyurethane, silane, phenol, urea, silicon dioxide or magnesium fluoride on said surface of said other plate, without rubbing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that said random homogeneous alignment characteristic is obtained by providing no alignment layer on said surface of said other plate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the liquid crystal material is a chiral smectic liquid crystal material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the device is a display device.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11 characterised in that the device is a shutter for a printer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
86 words
A smectic liquid crystal electro-optical device comprising two, parallel plates (1,2) with a ferro-electric chiral smectic liquid crystal material (3) in a gap therebetween, said gap being less than the spiral pitch of the liquid crystal material characterised in that one of the plates has an uni-axial alignment characteristic on a surface thereof in contact with the liquid crystal material and the other plate has either a random homogeneous alignment characteristic or no alignment characteristic on the surface thereof in contact with the liquid crystal material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
86 words
A smectic liquid crystal electro-optical device comprising two, parallel plates (1,2) with a ferro-electric chiral smectic liquid crystal material (3) in a gap therebetween, said gap being less than the spiral pitch of the liquid crystal material characterised in that one of the plates has an uni-axial alignment characteristic on a surface thereof in contact with the liquid crystal material and the other plate has either a random homogeneous alignment characteristic or no alignment characteristic on the surface thereof in contact with the liquid crystal material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
117 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device comprising two electrode-holding plates (1,2) at least one of which is transparent and between which is sandwiched a ferro-electric liquid crystal material (3), and means for selecting on-off conditions by a selecting voltage ± Vap and for memorising the on-off conditions with an AC pulse whose width is smaller than that of the said voltage Vap and which has equal positive and negative amplitude characterised in that one plate has a uni-axial alignment treatment characteristic on the surface thereof in contact with the liquid crystal material and the other plate has a random homogeneous alignment treatment or no alignment treatment on the surface thereof in contact with the liquid crystal material.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
117 words
A ferro-electric liquid crystal electro-optical device comprising two electrode-holding plates (1,2) at least one of which is transparent and between which is sandwiched a ferro-electric liquid crystal material (3), and means for selecting on-off conditions by a selecting voltage ± Vap and for memorising the on-off conditions with an AC pulse whose width is smaller than that of the said voltage Vap and which has equal positive and negative amplitude characterised in that one plate has a uni-axial alignment treatment characteristic on the surface thereof in contact with the liquid crystal material and the other plate has a random homogeneous alignment treatment or no alignment treatment on the surface thereof in contact with the liquid crystal material.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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