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US5103331A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Liquid crystal cell having substantially uniform distribution of spacers and non-uniform distribution of particulate adhesive

Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1989-07-31
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Granted: 1992-04-07
•
Expires: 2009-07-31
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Abstract

Abstract A liquid crystal cell is formed by a pair of substrates each provided with an electrode and disposed spaced apart from each other, spacers and particulate adhesives respectively dispersed between the substrates and a liquid crystal, particularly a ferroelectric liquid crystal, sandwiched between the substrates. The particulate adhesives are dispersed with a non-uniform distribution over the cell extension so as to minimize initial zigzag or serrate alignment defects.

Inventors

  • 👤 Osamu Taniguchi
  • 👤 Yukio Hanyu
  • 👤 Toshiharu Uchimi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 06:58
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1339; G02F1/13392

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim 80 words
A liquid crystal cell, comprising: a pair of substrates each of said substrates being provided with an electrode, said pair of substrates being disposed spaced apart from each other; said liquid crystal cell further comprising spacers and particulate adhesives dispersed between the substrates and a liquid crystal sandwiched between the substrates, wherein said particulate adhesives are dispersed with a non-uniform distribution over the cell extension and said spacers are dispersed to have a substantially uniform distribution over the cell extension.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 80 words
A liquid crystal cell, comprising: a pair of substrates each of said substrates being provided with an electrode, said pair of substrates being disposed spaced apart from each other; said liquid crystal cell further comprising spacers and particulate adhesives dispersed between the substrates and a liquid crystal sandwiched between the substrates, wherein said particulate adhesives are dispersed with a non-uniform distribution over the cell extension and said spacers are dispersed to have a substantially uniform distribution over the cell extension.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 53 words
A cell according to claim 1, wherein said particulate adhesives are dispersed to have a distribution factor of 2 or larger, said distribution factor being defined as a ratio between a maximum density and a minimum density of the particulate adhesives for regions of 1 mm square arbitrarily taken over the cell extension.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
A cell according to claim 2, wherein said particulate adhesives are dispersed to have a distribution factor of 4 or larger.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 14 words
A cell according to claim 1, wherein said particulate adhesives comprise an epoxy adhesive.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 21 words
A cell according to claim 1, wherein said particulate adhesives are dispersed to have a distribution in the form of stripes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 24 words
A cell according to claim 1, wherein said spacers are dispersed to have a substantially uniform distribution of 50-1000/mm 2 over the cell extension.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 12 words
A cell according to claim 1, wherein said spacers comprise silica beads.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 15 words
A cell according to claim 1, wherein said liquid crystal comprises a ferroelectric liquid crystal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 26 words
A cell according to claim 8, wherein said ferroelectric liquid crystal is in a ferroelectric liquid crystal phase formed by cooling from a higher temperature phase.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 138 words
A liquid crystal cell prepared according to a process comprising the steps of: (i) providing a pair of substrates each with an electrode and dispersing spacers at a substantially uniform distribution on at least one of the substrates over the extension thereof; (ii) dispersing particulate adhesives on at least one of the substrate with a non-unform distribution over the extension of the substrate; (iii) disposing the substrates opposite to each other with the spacers and particulate adhesives sandwiched therebetween and sealing the substrates to each other with a space therebetween defined by the spacers to form a blank cell; (iv) filling the blank cell with a ferroelectric liquid crystal in a higher temperature phase than its ferroelectric liquid crystal phase; and (v) cooling the ferroelectric liquid crystal from the higher temperature phase to the ferroelectric liquid crystal phase.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 138 words
A liquid crystal cell prepared according to a process comprising the steps of: (i) providing a pair of substrates each with an electrode and dispersing spacers at a substantially uniform distribution on at least one of the substrates over the extension thereof; (ii) dispersing particulate adhesives on at least one of the substrate with a non-unform distribution over the extension of the substrate; (iii) disposing the substrates opposite to each other with the spacers and particulate adhesives sandwiched therebetween and sealing the substrates to each other with a space therebetween defined by the spacers to form a blank cell; (iv) filling the blank cell with a ferroelectric liquid crystal in a higher temperature phase than its ferroelectric liquid crystal phase; and (v) cooling the ferroelectric liquid crystal from the higher temperature phase to the ferroelectric liquid crystal phase.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 28 words
A cell according to claim 10, wherein the step (V) comprises cooling the ferroelectric liquid crystal from cholesteric phase through smectic A phase into ferroelectric chiral smectic phase.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 31 words
A cell according to claim 10, wherein the step (V) comprises cooling the ferroelectric liquid crystal from isotropic phase through cholesteric phase and smectic A phase into ferroelectric chiral smectic phase.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 24 words
A cell according to claim 10, wherein the step (iv) comprises filling the blank cell with the ferroelectric liquid crystal in its cholesteric phase.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 52 words
A cell according to claim 10, wherein said particulate adhesives are dispersed to have a distribution factor of 2 or larger, said distribution factor being defined as a ratio between a maximum density and a minimum density of the particulate adhesives for regions of 1 mm square arbitrarily taken over the substrate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 21 words
A cell according to claim 14, wherein said particulate adhesives are dispersed to have a distribution factor of 4 or larger.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 14 words
A cell according to claim 10, wherein said particulate adhesives comprise an epoxy adhesive.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 21 words
A cell according to claim 10, wherein said particulate adhesives are dispersed to have a distribution in the form of stripes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 23 words
A cell according to claim 10, wherein said spacers are dispersed to have a substantially uniform distribution of 50-1000/mm 2 over the substrate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 12 words
A cell according to claim 10, wherein said spacers comprise silica beads.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4341445A Cited
JPS60153026A Cited
JPS62174726A Cited
US4732961A Cited
US4837058A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-04-07 1995-10-07 1996-04-07 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-04-07 1999-10-07 2000-04-07 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
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