EP0348939A2 — Method of orienting liquid crystal optical device…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 58 words

A method of orienting a liquid crystal optical device including a smectic liquid crystal and two flexible substrates which support the smectic liquid crystal layer between them and carry on their surfaces facing each other their respective electrode layers which method comprises orienting the smectic liquid crystal by subjecting the liquid crystal optical device to a bending treatment.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 58 words

A method of orienting a liquid crystal optical device including a smectic liquid crystal and two flexible substrates which support the smectic liquid crystal layer between them and carry on their surfaces facing each other their respective electrode layers which method comprises orienting the smectic liquid crystal by subjecting the liquid crystal optical device to a bending treatment.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal optical device is subjected to a bending treatment in the course of continuous move of the liquid crystal optical device.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 46 words

The method according to claim 2, wherein the liquid crystal optical device is subjected to a bending treatment in the course of continuous move of the liquid crystal optical device moving through at least one free rotation roll, preferably through at least two free rotation rolls.

Claim 5

Independent Claim 81 words

The method according to any of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the orientation of the smectic liquid crystal by subjecting the liquid crystal optical device to a bending treatment is conducted within the range of temperatures at which the smectic liquid crystal exhibits a phase selected from the following group : a) a liquid crystal phase; b) a mixed phase of isotropic phase and smectic A phase; or c) a mixed phase of isotropic phase and chiral smectic C phase.

Claim 6

Independent Claim 66 words

The method according to any of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the orientation of the smectic liquid crystal by subjecting the liquid crystal optical device to a bending treatment is conducted during cooling the smectic liquid crystal from a temperature at which the smectic liquid crystal exhibits isotropic phase or above to a temperature at which the smectic liquid crystal exhibits a liquid crystal phase.

Claim 7

Independent Claim 111 words

The method according to any of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the smectic liquid crystal is a ferroelectric liquid crystal, and the bending treatment is conducted with the bending direction of the bending treatment adjusted so that the bending direction and the optically principal axis (orientation direction) of at least one of the substrates approximately make, on the plane of the substrate, the tilt angle ϑ of the ferroelectric liquid crystal or 90° - ϑ , or so that the bending direction and the longitudinal direction of the substrates approximately make, on the planes of the substrates, the tilt angle ϑ of the ferroelectric liquid crystal or 90° -ϑ .

Claim 8

Independent Claim 90 words

A method of orienting a liquid crystal optical device including a smectic liquid crystal, and two flexible substrates which support the smectic liquid crystal layer between them, and carry on their surfaces facing each other their respective electrode layers, which method comprises orienting the smectic liquid crystal by supporting the liquid crystal optical device with a supporting means consisting of at least one supporting sheet and subjecting the supporting means supporting the liquid crystal optical device to a bending treatment in the course of continuous move of the supporting means.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 90 words

A method of orienting a liquid crystal optical device including a smectic liquid crystal, and two flexible substrates which support the smectic liquid crystal layer between them, and carry on their surfaces facing each other their respective electrode layers, which method comprises orienting the smectic liquid crystal by supporting the liquid crystal optical device with a supporting means consisting of at least one supporting sheet and subjecting the supporting means supporting the liquid crystal optical device to a bending treatment in the course of continuous move of the supporting means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 57 words

The method according to claim 7 wherein the orientation of the smectic liquid crystal by a bending treatment is performed by making one surface of the supporting means supporting the liquid crystal optical device come into contact with the roll surface of at least one heating roll in the course of continuous move of the supporting means.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 60 words

The method according to claim 8, wherein the orientation of the smectic liquid crystal by a bending treatment is performed by making the obverse and reverse of the supporting means supporting the liquid crystal optical device alternately come into contact with the roll surfaces of at least two heating rolls in the course of continuous move of the supporting means.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method according to claim 8 or 9 , wherein the liquid crystal optical device has a form of a cut-sheet.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 77 words

An apparatus for orienting a liquid crystal optical device comprising two supporting belts for supporting a liquid crystal optical device between them, at least two heating rolls for heating the liquid crystal optical device supported between the two supporting belts, a driving means for driving the two supporting belts, and at least one support roll for supporting jointly with at least one of the heating rolls the liquid crystal optical device supported between the two supporting belts.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 77 words

An apparatus for orienting a liquid crystal optical device comprising two supporting belts for supporting a liquid crystal optical device between them, at least two heating rolls for heating the liquid crystal optical device supported between the two supporting belts, a driving means for driving the two supporting belts, and at least one support roll for supporting jointly with at least one of the heating rolls the liquid crystal optical device supported between the two supporting belts.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 19 words

The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the supporting belts is formed into a loop.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 26 words

The apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, which further comprises a controller for controlling the tension of at least one of the two supporting belts.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 57 words

The apparatus according to any of the claims 11 to 13, wherein the apparatus includes three heating rolls, and the three heating rolls are movably installed so as to make it possible to change the relative position between the three heating rolls and to permit the three heating rolls to make any desired angles with each other.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 22 words

The apparatus according to any of the claims 11 to 14, wherein one of the three heating rolls is a driving roll.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 16 words

The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the rotating speed of the driving roll is controllable.

Claim 20

Independent Claim 38 words

The apparatus according to any of the claims 11 to 16, wherein the apparatus further comprises an angle controlling device for controlling the panel angle of the liquid crystal optical device having a form of a cut sheet.

Claim 21

Independent Claim 38 words

The apparatus according to any of the claims 11 to 17, wherein the apparatus further comprises a supply roll for supplying a lengthy liquid crystal optical device and a winding roll for winding the lengthy liquid crystal device.

Claim 22

Independent Claim 90 words

An apparatus for orienting a liquid crystal optical device comprising a supply roll for supplying a lengthy liquid crystal optical device, at least one heating roll whose roll surface comes into contact with the supplied lengthy liquid crystal optical device in the course of the move of the lengthy liquid crystal optical device so that the lengthy liquid crystal optical device is heated and subjected to a bending treatment by the heating roll, and a winding roll for winding the lengthy liquid crystal optical device subjected to the bending treatment.

Claim 23

Independent Claim 90 words

An apparatus for orienting a liquid crystal optical device comprising a supply roll for supplying a lengthy liquid crystal optical device, at least one heating roll whose roll surface comes into contact with the supplied lengthy liquid crystal optical device in the course of the move of the lengthy liquid crystal optical device so that the lengthy liquid crystal optical device is heated and subjected to a bending treatment by the heating roll, and a winding roll for winding the lengthy liquid crystal optical device subjected to the bending treatment.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 31 words

The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the apparatus further comprises a support roll for supporting jointly with the heating roll the liquid crystal optical device supplied from the supply roll.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 26 words

The apparatus according to any of the claims 11 to 20, wherein the temperature of the heating roll or of each heating roll is independently controlled.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 57 words

The apparatus according to any of the claims 19 to 21, wherein the apparatus includes three heating rolls, and the three heating rolls are movably set so as to make it possible to change the relative position between the three heating rolls and to permit the three heating rolls to make any desired angles with each other.

Claim 27

Independent Claim 21 words

The apparatus according to any of the claims 19 to 22, wherein the rotating speed of the winding roll is controllable.

Method of orienting liquid crystal optical device and apparatus usable for the method

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