EP0475401A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical modulation element
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1991-09-12
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-09-12
Abstract
Abstract An optical modulation element includes a polarizer (11), a modulator (12-13), and an analyzer (14), wherein each of the polarizer, the modulator, and the analyzer has a chiral smectic liquid crystal which has substantially the same temperature dependency of a tilt angle, the polarizer (11) and the analyzer (14) are arranged so that molecular axes of the chiral smectic liquid crystal of the polarizer and the analyzer cross each other, and the chiral smectic liquid crystal of the modulator exhibits at least two stable arrangement states, and the modulator is arranged so that a molecular axis of one of the two stable arrangement states is substantially parallel to the molecular axis of one of the polarizer and the analyzer.
Inventors
- 👤 Shuzo C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Kaneko
- 👤 Hideaki C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Mitsutake
- 👤 Junko C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Shingaki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-10 02:25
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/133382; G02F1/1335; G02F1/133528; G02F1/1347; G02F1/13471; G02F1/137; G02F1/139; G02F1/141; G02F1/133531
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
An optical modulation element comprising a polarizer, a modulator, and an analyzer, wherein each of said polarizer, said modulator, and said analyzer has a chiral smectic liquid crystal which has substantially the same temperature dependency of a tilt angle, said polarizer and said analyzer are arranged so that molecular axes of the chiral smectic liquid crystals of said polarizer and said analyzer cross each other, and the chiral smectic liquid crystal of said modulator exhibits at least two stable arrangement states, and said modulator is arranged so that a molecular axis of one of the two stable arrangement states is substantially parallel to the molecular axis of one of said polarizer and said analyzer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
18 words
An element according to claim 1, wherein the chiral smectic liquid crystal of said polarizer contains two-tone dyes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
An element according to claim 1, wherein the chiral smectic liquid crystal of said analyzer contains two-tone dyes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
51 words
An element according to claim 1, wherein said polarizer, said modulator, and said analyzer have arrangement surfaces respectively, so that axes of the arrangement surfaces of said polarizer and said modulator are substantially parallel to each other and are substantially perpendicular to an axis of the arrangement surface of said analyzer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
An element according to claim 1, wherein said polarizer, said modulator, and said analyzer have arrangement surfaces, respectively, so that axes of the arrangement surfaces of said analyzer and said modulator are substantially parallel to each other and are substantially perpendicular to an axis of the arrangement surface of said polarizer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
An element according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the arrangement surfaces are constituted by uniaxial arrangement-treated surfaces, respectively.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
An element according to claim 6, wherein the uniaxial arrangement-treated surfaces are rubbed surfaces, respectively.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
An element according to claim 1, wherein molecular axes of the chiral smectic liquid crystals of said polarizer and said analyzer are perpendicular to each other.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
115 words
An optical modulation element comprising a polarizer, first and second modulators, and an analyzer, wherein said first modulator has a chiral smectic liquid crystal exhibiting at least two stable arrangement states, so that a molecular axis of one stable arrangement state of the at least two stable arrangement states is substantially parallel to a transmitting polarization axis of said polarizer, and said second modulator has a chiral smectic liquid crystal having substantially the same temperature dependency of a tilt angle as the chiral smectic liquid crystal of said first modulator, and a molecular axis of the chiral smectic liquid crystal of said second modulator is substantially parallel to a transmitting polarization axis of said analyzer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
151 words
An optical modulation element having a polarizer, first and second modulators, and an analyzer, wherein said first and second modulators have chiral smectic liquid crystals and arrangement surfaces, temperature dependency of a tilt angle of the chiral smectic liquid crystal of said first modulator is substantially identical to that of said second modulator, and said first and second modulators are arranged so that axes of arrangement surfaces of said first and second modulators across each other, and said first modulator exhibits at least two stable arrangement states and is arranged so that a transmitting polarization axis of said polarizer is substantially parallel to a molecular axis of one stable arrangement state of said at least two stable arrangement states, and said second modulator and said analyzer are arranged so that an axis of an arrangement surface of said second modulator is substantially parallel to a transmitting polarization axis of said analyzer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
An element according to claim 10, wherein the arrangement surfaces are constituted by uniaxial arrangement-treated surfaces, respectively.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
An element according to claim 11, wherein the uniaxial arrangement-treated surfaces comprise rubbed surfaces, respectively.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
An element according to claim 10, wherein the arrangement surfaces of said first and second modulators are perpendicular to each other.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
61 words
An optical modulation element comprising a polarizer, first and second modulators, and an analyzer, wherein said first and second modulators have chiral smectic liquid crystals, respectively, said first modulator exhibits at least two stable arrangement states, and a pretilt angle of the chiral smectic liquid crystal of said second modulator on one side is different from that on the other side.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
An element according to claim 14, wherein said first and second modulators have arrangement surfaces, respectively, and axes of the arrangement surfaces are substantially parallel to each other.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
An element according to claim 15, wherein the arrangement surfaces are constituted by uniaxial arrangement-treated surfaces, respectively.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
An element according to claim 16, wherein the uniaxial arrangement-treated surfaces comprise rubbed surfaces, respectively.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
79 words
An optical modulation element comprising a polarizer, first, second, and third modulators, and an analyzer, wherein said first, second, and third modulators have chiral smectic liquid crystals, respectively, and said first modulator is sandwiched between said second and third modulators, said first modulator exhibits at least two stable arrangement states, and a pretilt angle of each of the chiral smectic liquid crystals of said second and third modulators on one side is different from that on the other side.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
An element according to claim 18, wherein said first, second, and third modulators have arrangement surfaces, respectively, and axes of the arrangement surfaces are substantially parallel to each other.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
An element according to claim 19, wherein the arrangement surfaces are uniaxial arrangement-treated surfaces, respectively.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
An element according to claim 20, wherein the uniaxial arrangement-treated surfaces are rubbed surfaces, respectively.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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