US5238523A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for producing a liquid crystal optical device
Assignee: Idemitsu Kosan Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1992-05-01
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Granted: 1993-08-24
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Expires: 2012-05-01
Abstract
Abstract A substrate coated with a film of liquid crystal material having a uniform thickness is produced efficiently by applying the liquid crystal material to the electrode side of a substrate using an impregnating matter impregnated with the liquid crystal material, and such a method ensures uniform thickness even for a film of liquid crystal material having a large area. A liquid crystal optical device having a uniform optical quality and a large area is produced efficiently by coating a flexible substrate with a film of liquid crystal material using the method described above, laminating the coated flexible substrate with another flexible substrate, with the film of the liquid crystal material disposed between the electrode sides of the flexible substrates, and orienting the liquid crystal material in thus obtained laminate by subjecting the laminate to bending treatment.
Inventors
- 👤 Kimihiro Yuasa
- 👤 Tetsuo Fujimoto
- 👤 Kenji Hashimoto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 10:59
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1341; B; B29; B29K; B29K2105/00; B29K2105/0079; G02F1/13415; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/12; Y10T156/1317; Y10T156/1322; Y10T156/133; Y10T156/1343; Y10T156/17; Y10T156/1702; Y10T156/1712; Y10T156/1722; Y10T156/1724; Y10T156/1734; Y10T156/1741; Y10T156/1744
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
246 words
An apparatus for producing a liquid crystal optical device wherein a ferroelectric liquid crystal material is enclosed between and in direct contact with two flexible substrates having on their surfaces facing each other their respective electrode structure, comprising: (a) a conveyor means for conveying one of the flexible substrates separately; (b) application means for applying the ferroelectric liquid crystal material directly to a side of the flexible substrate bearing the electrode structure which is conveyed by the conveyor means using an impregnating matter impregnated with the ferroelectric liquid crystal material, said application means including an applicator head for pressing said impregnating matter against the electrode-bearing side of the flexible substrate; (c) a lamination means for laminating the flexible substrate coated with the ferroelectric liquid crystal material with the other flexible substrate of the two flexible substrates, with the ferroelectric liquid crystal material disposed between the electrode-bearing sides of the flexible substrates and in contact with the electrode-bearing sides of the flexible substrates, to form a laminate; and (d) an orientation means for orienting the ferroelectric liquid crystal material in the laminate which includes means for heating the laminate and means for subjecting the laminate to a bending action during cooling of the heated laminate, the bending action of the laminate being conducted by bending the laminate along a cylindrical surface of a roll having an axis so that the ferroelectric liquid crystal material is oriented along a direction in which the axis of the roll extends.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
246 words
An apparatus for producing a liquid crystal optical device wherein a ferroelectric liquid crystal material is enclosed between and in direct contact with two flexible substrates having on their surfaces facing each other their respective electrode structure, comprising: (a) a conveyor means for conveying one of the flexible substrates separately; (b) application means for applying the ferroelectric liquid crystal material directly to a side of the flexible substrate bearing the electrode structure which is conveyed by the conveyor means using an impregnating matter impregnated with the ferroelectric liquid crystal material, said application means including an applicator head for pressing said impregnating matter against the electrode-bearing side of the flexible substrate; (c) a lamination means for laminating the flexible substrate coated with the ferroelectric liquid crystal material with the other flexible substrate of the two flexible substrates, with the ferroelectric liquid crystal material disposed between the electrode-bearing sides of the flexible substrates and in contact with the electrode-bearing sides of the flexible substrates, to form a laminate; and (d) an orientation means for orienting the ferroelectric liquid crystal material in the laminate which includes means for heating the laminate and means for subjecting the laminate to a bending action during cooling of the heated laminate, the bending action of the laminate being conducted by bending the laminate along a cylindrical surface of a roll having an axis so that the ferroelectric liquid crystal material is oriented along a direction in which the axis of the roll extends.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lamination means for laminating the flexible substrate coated with the liquid crystal material with the other flexible substrate comprises at least a pair of rolls.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, therein a temperature of at least one roll of at least a pair of rolls is controllable.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lamination means for laminating the flexible substrate coated with the liquid crystal material with the other flexible substrate comprises at least one plate and at least one roll.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein a temperature of at least one plate or a temperature of at least one roll is controllable.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate conveyed by the conveyor means is a lengthy flexible substrate, and the conveyor means comprises a supply roll from which the lengthy flexible substrate is supplied and a winder roll on which the lengthy flexible substrate is wound.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conveyor means is a conveyor belt.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the application means includes a means for controlling the amount of the liquid crystal material with which the impregnating matter is impregnated.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the orientation means comprises at least one roll.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein a temperature of at least one roll is controllable.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
94 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the orientation means comprises a heating device and at least one roll having a cylindrical surface, the heating device being means for heating the laminate to a temperature at which the ferroelectric liquid crystal material exhibits isotropic phase, the at least one roll being means for bending the laminate along a cylindrical surface, and further comprising means for controlling a temperature of the at least one roll to cool the laminate to a temperature at which the ferroelectric liquid crystal material exhibits a liquid crystal phase.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the heating device is a heating furnace and the laminate is heated to a temperature at which the ferroelectric liquid crystal material exhibits isotropic phase while the laminate is passing through the heating furnace.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the heating device is a heating roll having a cylindrical surface, and the laminate is heated to a temperature at which the ferroelectric liquid crystal material exhibits isotropic phase while the laminate is being bent along the cylindrical surface of the heating roll.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
203 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the application means includes means for pressing the impregnating matter impregnated with the liquid crystal material at a pressure of not more than 3 kg/cm 2 , said ferroelectric crystal material being in a state of isotonic liquid or in a state of solution prepared by dissolving the ferroelectric liquid crystal material in a solvent; the side of the flexible substrate in contact with the impregnating matter being moved at a speed of not more than 20 m/sec; the lamination means for laminating the flexible substrate coated with the ferroelectric liquid crystal material with the other flexible substrate operates at a speed of 0.5 to 10 m/min., at a pressure of 0 to 5 kg/cm 2 and at a temperature of room temperature plus 10° C. to cleaning temperature of the ferroelectric crystal material plus 20° C. to form said laminate, and the orientation means includes means for heating the laminate to a temperature at which the ferroelectric liquid crystal material exhibits isotropic phase and means for subjecting the laminate to the bending treatment while the laminate is being cooled to a temperature at which the ferroelectric liquid crystal material exhibits a liquid crystal phase.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
48 words
The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13, wherein at least one of the flexible substrates is a lengthy flexible substrate, and a cutting means for cutting the lengthy flexible substrate is further included before the lamination means.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
49 words
The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13, wherein at least one of the flexible substrates is a lengthy flexible substrate, and a cutting means for cutting the lengthy flexible substrate is further included after the lamination means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-08-23 | 1997-02-22 | 1997-08-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-08-23 | 2001-02-22 | 2001-08-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-08-23 | 2005-02-22 | 2005-08-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |