Patent US5784137A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5784137A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Liquid crystal display device and method for producing the same
Assignee: Sharp Corp
•
Filing: 1996-02-16
•
Granted: 1998-07-21
•
Expires: 2016-02-16
Abstract
Abstract A liquid crystal display device includes substrates opposed to each other, a polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least partially surrounded by the polymeric layer. The polymeric layer and the liquid crystal layer are interposed between the substrates. The polymeric layer is at least partially formed by polymerizing a liquid crystalline polymerization precursor in a state where the molecules of the liquid crystalline polymerization precursor are aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment regulating force of at least one of the substrates.
Inventors
- 👤 Makoto Shiomi
- 👤 Shinji Yamagishi
- 👤 Tokihiko Shinomiya
- 👤 Shuichi Kozaki
- 👤 Kohichi Fujimori
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 06:40
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1337; C; C09; C09K; C09K19/00; C09K19/52; C09K19/54; C09K19/542; C09K19/544; G02F1/133377; G02F1/1339; G02F1/13394; G02F1/137
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
A liquid crystal display device including substrates opposed to each other, a polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least partially surrounded by the polymeric layer, the polymeric layer and the liquid crystal layer being interposed between the substrates, wherein the polymeric layer is at least partially formed by polymerizing a liquid crystalline polymerization precursor in a state where the molecules of the liquid crystalline polymerization precursor are aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment regulating force of at least one of the substrates, wherein the difference between a birefringence Δn 1 of the liquid crystalline polymerization precursor and a birefringence Δn 2 of a liquid crystal material forming the liquid crystal layer is less than ±15% of the birefringence Δn 2 .
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
130 words
A liquid crystal display device including substrates opposed to each other, a polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least partially surrounded by the polymeric layer, the polymeric layer and the liquid crystal layer being interposed between the substrates, wherein the polymeric layer is at least partially formed by polymerizing a liquid crystalline polymerization precursor in a state where the molecules of the liquid crystalline polymerization precursor are aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment regulating force of at least one of the substrates, wherein the difference between a birefringence Δn 1 of the liquid crystalline polymerization precursor and a birefringence Δn 2 of a liquid crystal material forming the liquid crystal layer is less than ±15% of the birefringence Δn 2 .
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined pattern is a matrix shape.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
104 words
A liquid crystal display device including substrates opposed to each other, a polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least partially surrounded by the polymeric layer, the polymeric layer and the liquid crystal layer being interposed between the substrates, wherein the polymeric layer is at least partially formed by polymerizing a polymerization precursor in a state where the molecules of the polymerization precursor are aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment regulating force of at least one of the substrates, and where the polymeric layer is patterned by a surface treatment which is formed on the substrates.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
104 words
A liquid crystal display device including substrates opposed to each other, a polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least partially surrounded by the polymeric layer, the polymeric layer and the liquid crystal layer being interposed between the substrates, wherein the polymeric layer is at least partially formed by polymerizing a polymerization precursor in a state where the molecules of the polymerization precursor are aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment regulating force of at least one of the substrates, and where the polymeric layer is patterned by a surface treatment which is formed on the substrates.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A liquid crystal display device according to claim 3, wherein the surface treatment is performed by forming a thin film having surface energy different from the substrate surface on the surface of the substrate in accordance with a pattern of electrodes formed on the substrate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
A liquid crystal display device according to claim 3, wherein the polymerization precursor contains a liquid crystalline polymerization precursor and a non-liquid crystalline polymerization precursor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
A liquid crystal display device according to claim 5, wherein a liquid crystal transition temperature of the polymerization precursor is lower by at least 20° C. than a transition temperature of a liquid crystal material forming the liquid crystal layer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
A liquid crystal display device according to claim 5, wherein a mixture of the polymerization precursor and a liquid crystal material forming the liquid crystal layer exhibits a two-phase region of liquid crystal phase and isotropic phase at temperatures in a range from 10° C. to 70° C.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
A liquid crystal display device according to claim 5, wherein the non-liquid crystalline polymerization precursor is selected from the group consisting of an acrylate type polymerization precursor and a methacrylate type polymerization precursor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
A liquid crystal display device according to claim 5, wherein a difference between a birefringence Δn 1 of the polymerization precursor and a birefringence Δn 2 of a liquid crystal material forming the liquid crystal layer is less than ±15% of the birefringence Δn 2 .
Claim 12
Independent Claim
194 words
A method for producing a liquid crystal display device including substrates opposed to each other, a polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least partially surrounded by the polymeric layer, the polymeric layer and the liquid crystal layer being interposed between the substrates, the method comprising the steps of: forming a thin film in a predetermined pattern on at least one of the substrates, the thin film having a surface energy different from the substrate surface; injecting a mixture containing a liquid crystal material forming the liquid crystal layer and a polymerization precursor forming the polymeric layer between a pair of substrates on at least one of which the thin film is formed; forming the liquid crystal layer by causing phase separation between the liquid crystal material and the polymerization precursor and by patterning the polymerization precursor with a pattern of the thin film; and forming the polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern by polymerization the phase-separated polymerization precursor, in a state where the molecules of the polymerization precursor are aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment regulating force of at least one of the substrates.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
194 words
A method for producing a liquid crystal display device including substrates opposed to each other, a polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least partially surrounded by the polymeric layer, the polymeric layer and the liquid crystal layer being interposed between the substrates, the method comprising the steps of: forming a thin film in a predetermined pattern on at least one of the substrates, the thin film having a surface energy different from the substrate surface; injecting a mixture containing a liquid crystal material forming the liquid crystal layer and a polymerization precursor forming the polymeric layer between a pair of substrates on at least one of which the thin film is formed; forming the liquid crystal layer by causing phase separation between the liquid crystal material and the polymerization precursor and by patterning the polymerization precursor with a pattern of the thin film; and forming the polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern by polymerization the phase-separated polymerization precursor, in a state where the molecules of the polymerization precursor are aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment regulating force of at least one of the substrates.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
113 words
A liquid crystal display device including substrates opposed to each other, a polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least partially surrounded by the polymeric layer, the polymeric layer and the liquid crystal layer being interposed between the substrates, wherein the polymeric layer is at least partially formed by polymerizing a polymerization precursor, in a state where the molecules of the polymerization precursor are aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment regulating force of at least one of the substrates, and the polymerization precursor includes at least a component having a negative dielectric anisotropy, and the polymerization precursor has the negative dielectric anisotropy as a whole.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
113 words
A liquid crystal display device including substrates opposed to each other, a polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least partially surrounded by the polymeric layer, the polymeric layer and the liquid crystal layer being interposed between the substrates, wherein the polymeric layer is at least partially formed by polymerizing a polymerization precursor, in a state where the molecules of the polymerization precursor are aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment regulating force of at least one of the substrates, and the polymerization precursor includes at least a component having a negative dielectric anisotropy, and the polymerization precursor has the negative dielectric anisotropy as a whole.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
59 words
A liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein a mixture of the polymerization precursor and a liquid crystal material forming the liquid crystal layer exhibits a two-phase region of liquid crystal phase and isotropic phase at temperatures in a range from 10° C. to 70° C., and the mixture has a positive dielectric anisotropy as a whole.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
A liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein a difference between a birefringence Δn 1 of the polymerization precursor and a birefringence Δn 2 of a liquid crystal material forming the liquid crystal layer is less than ±15% of the birefringence Δn 2 .
Claim 18
Independent Claim
189 words
A method for producing a liquid crystal display device including substrates opposed to each other, a polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least partially surrounded by the polymeric layer, the polymeric layer and the liquid crystal layer being interposed between the substrates, the method comprising the steps of: injecting a mixture between a pair of substrates on which electrodes are formed in a predetermined pattern, the mixture containing a liquid crystal material forming the liquid crystal layer and a polymerization precursor at least including a component having a negative dielectric anisotropy and having the negative dielectric anisotropy as a whole; applying an electric field to the electrodes to cause phase separation between the liquid crystal material and the polymerization precursor in accordance with a pattern of the electrodes, so as to form the liquid crystal layer; and polymerizing the phase-separated polymerization precursor, in a state where the molecules of the polymerization precursor are aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment regulating force of at least one of the substrates, so as to form the polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
189 words
A method for producing a liquid crystal display device including substrates opposed to each other, a polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least partially surrounded by the polymeric layer, the polymeric layer and the liquid crystal layer being interposed between the substrates, the method comprising the steps of: injecting a mixture between a pair of substrates on which electrodes are formed in a predetermined pattern, the mixture containing a liquid crystal material forming the liquid crystal layer and a polymerization precursor at least including a component having a negative dielectric anisotropy and having the negative dielectric anisotropy as a whole; applying an electric field to the electrodes to cause phase separation between the liquid crystal material and the polymerization precursor in accordance with a pattern of the electrodes, so as to form the liquid crystal layer; and polymerizing the phase-separated polymerization precursor, in a state where the molecules of the polymerization precursor are aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment regulating force of at least one of the substrates, so as to form the polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
135 words
A liquid crystal display device including substrates opposed to each other, a polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least partially surrounded by the polymeric layer, the polymeric layer and the liquid crystal layer being interposed between the substrates, wherein the polymeric layer is at least partially formed by polymerizing a liquid crystalline polymerization precursor in a state where the molecules of the liquid crystalline polymerization precursor are aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment regulating force of at least one of the substrates, wherein the difference between a birefringence Δn 1 of a mixture of compounds for the liquid crystalline polymerization precursor and a birefringence Δn 2 of a liquid crystal material forming the liquid crystal layer is less than ±15% of the birefringence Δn 2 .
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
135 words
A liquid crystal display device including substrates opposed to each other, a polymeric layer patterned into a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least partially surrounded by the polymeric layer, the polymeric layer and the liquid crystal layer being interposed between the substrates, wherein the polymeric layer is at least partially formed by polymerizing a liquid crystalline polymerization precursor in a state where the molecules of the liquid crystalline polymerization precursor are aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment regulating force of at least one of the substrates, wherein the difference between a birefringence Δn 1 of a mixture of compounds for the liquid crystalline polymerization precursor and a birefringence Δn 2 of a liquid crystal material forming the liquid crystal layer is less than ±15% of the birefringence Δn 2 .
References Cited (Backward Citations)
WO1985004262A1
Cited
US5305126A
Cited
JPH0527242A
Cited
JPH06160818A
Cited
US5612803A
Cited
JPH0836164A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-07-20 | 2002-01-19 | 2002-07-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-07-20 | 2006-01-19 | 2006-07-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-07-20 | 2010-01-19 | 2010-07-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |