← Back to Patent Explorer
US4892390A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Multi-layered liquid crystal panel with twisted nematic liquid crystal material having polarizers displaced for sharp-rising characteristic

Assignee: Sharp Corp
•
Filing: 1989-02-07
•
Granted: 1990-01-09
•
Expires: 2009-02-07
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A multi-layered liquid crystal display device is disclosed, which includes a stack of liquid crystal layers in which the longitudinal axes of the liquid crystal molecules extend spirally, the liquid crystal layers being disposed in parallel with the spiral axes. A voltage supply is provided for supplying a voltage to at least a portion of the liquid crystal layers for conversion of the molecular alignment. Also provided is a pair of polarizers for making visible the conversion of the molecular alignment. More particularly, the polarization direction of the polarizers or direction normal to the polarization direction is deflected within the range of 3° to 15° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal molecules in a sense to reduce the spiral angle of the liquid crystal layers and the deflection angle is substantially in alignment with the longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal molecules.

Inventors

  • 👤 Fumiaki Funada
  • 👤 Masataka Matsuura
  • 👤 Tomio Wada

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-05 15:34
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1347; G02F1/13471; G02F1/1335; G02F1/133528; G02F1/133531; G02F1/137; G02F1/139; G02F1/1396

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 202 words
A multilayer liquid crystal display comprising: two liquid crystal cells disposed adjacent to each other so as to include a common middle substrate plate disposed therebetween and upper and bottom substrate plates disposed on either side thereof, wherein each cell contains twisted nematic liquid crystal material with molecules that are oriented (i) in the direction r 2 2 at the underside of said upper substrate plate, (ii) in a direction r 2 1 at an angle of 90° against r 2 2 at the topside of said middle substrate plate, (iii) in a direction r 1 2 which is opposite to r 2 1 at the underside of said middle substrate plate, and (iv) in a direction r 1 1 which is opposite to r 2 2 at the topside of said bottom substrate plate; an analyzer above the liquid crystal cells; and a polarizer underneath the liquid crystal cells, wherein the analyzer is twisted by an angle of Δθ 1 against r 2 2 , the polarizer is twisted by an angle Δθ 2 against r 1 1 in the same direction as the analyzer, and Δθ 1 and Δθ 2 are essentially the same and are between 3° and 15°.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 202 words
A multilayer liquid crystal display comprising: two liquid crystal cells disposed adjacent to each other so as to include a common middle substrate plate disposed therebetween and upper and bottom substrate plates disposed on either side thereof, wherein each cell contains twisted nematic liquid crystal material with molecules that are oriented (i) in the direction r 2 2 at the underside of said upper substrate plate, (ii) in a direction r 2 1 at an angle of 90° against r 2 2 at the topside of said middle substrate plate, (iii) in a direction r 1 2 which is opposite to r 2 1 at the underside of said middle substrate plate, and (iv) in a direction r 1 1 which is opposite to r 2 2 at the topside of said bottom substrate plate; an analyzer above the liquid crystal cells; and a polarizer underneath the liquid crystal cells, wherein the analyzer is twisted by an angle of Δθ 1 against r 2 2 , the polarizer is twisted by an angle Δθ 2 against r 1 1 in the same direction as the analyzer, and Δθ 1 and Δθ 2 are essentially the same and are between 3° and 15°.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 90 words
A liquid crystal display device comprising: a stack of liquid crystal layers each containing liquid crystal molecules having axes which progressively twist throughout the thickness of the layer, and a polarizer disposed above and below the stack of layers, wherein the axes of the molecules most closely adjacent each polarizer extend at an angle, measured in the same sense as the twist of the molecules in the direction approaching the polarizer, of from 3° to 15° to the polarization direction of the polarizer, or the normal to the polarization direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 90 words
A liquid crystal display device comprising: a stack of liquid crystal layers each containing liquid crystal molecules having axes which progressively twist throughout the thickness of the layer, and a polarizer disposed above and below the stack of layers, wherein the axes of the molecules most closely adjacent each polarizer extend at an angle, measured in the same sense as the twist of the molecules in the direction approaching the polarizer, of from 3° to 15° to the polarization direction of the polarizer, or the normal to the polarization direction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 31 words
A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the liquid crystal molecules of each layer have axes which twist through an angle of substantially 90° throughout the thickness of the layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 19 words
A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein each liquid crystal layer is formed of nematic liquid crystal material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 19 words
A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein each liquid crystal layer is formed of cholesteric liquid crystal material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 20 words
A device as claimed in claim 3, including electrode means for applying a voltage across each said liquid crystal layer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 15 words
A device as claimed in claim 3, in which there are two liquid crystal layers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 58 words
A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the axes of the molecules most closely adjacent each polarizer extend at an angle, measured in the same sense as the twist of the molecules in the direction approaching the polarizer, of from 5° to 10° to the polarization direction of the polarizer, or the normal to the polarization direction.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3941454A Cited
US3977767A Cited
US4231639A Cited
US4231640A Cited
JPH05249854A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1993-01-08 1993-07-10 1994-01-09 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1997-01-08 1997-07-10 1998-01-09 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2001-01-08 2001-07-10 2002-01-09 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag