Liquid crystal display with colors from dye and polarizer mixed

Claim 1

A liquid crystal display element comprising: a nematic liquid crystal cell comprising a pair of spaced opposing side plates which define a region therebetween containing a nematic liquid crystal having liquid crystal molecules, a positive dielectric anisotropy, and an N type dichroic dye mixed therein, a transparent electrode located on an inner surface of each of said opposing side plates to which electrodes a voltage may be applied to said cell, at least one of said transparent electrodes being formed in a pattern to be displayed, the molecules of the liquid crystal near the respective side plates of the liquid crystal cell having orientations which are substantially parallel to the respective side plates but perpendicular to each other to form a twisted nematic structure, molecules of the N type dichroic dye having the same orientation as the molecules of the liquid crystal, and the molecules of both the liquid crystal and the N type dichroic dye being oriented substantially at right angles to the planes of the respective side plates of the liquid crystal cell when a voltage is applied to said cell; a neutral polarizing plate disposed opposite one of the side plates of the liquid crystal cell and having a direction of polarization substantially parallel to the orientation of the molecules of the liquid crystal and the N type dichroic dye near said side plate to exhibit a substantially uniform polarizing characteristic over a visible wavelength region; and a color polarizing plate disposed adjacent the other side plate of the liquid crystal cell and having a direction of polarization substantially parallel to the orientation of the molecules of the liquid crystal and the N type dichroic dye on said other side plate to exhibit a polarizing characteristic over a specific wavelength region; said display element being operative, upon application of a voltage across said transparent electrodes, to display said pattern in a mixed color resulting from said N type dichroic dye and said color polarizing plate.