Abstract: The present invention provides a phase retarder made of a copolymer prepared by polymerizing one non-cyclic olefin monomer (A) selected from ethylene and &agr;-olefin compound having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, one cyclic olefin monomer (B) selected from cyclic olefin compound such as norbornene, and one cyclic vinyl monomer (C) selected from vinyl compound having a cyclic unit made of an aromatic hydrocarbon or an alicyclic hydrocarbon such as styrene or vinylcyclohexane; wherein (1) an amount of the aromatic vinyl monomer is from about 1 to about 20 mol % and a total amount of the non-cyclic olefin monomer (A) and the cyclic olefin monomer (B) is from about 80 to about 99 mol % in case the component (C) is the aromatic vinyl monomer, or (2) an amount of the alicyclic vinyl monomer is from about 80 to about 99 mol % and a total amount of the non-cyclic olefin monomer and the cyclic olefin monomer is from about 1 to about 20 mol % in case the component (C) is the alicyclic vinyl monomer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device comprising: a laminated protection panel composed of a &lgr;/4-plate, a polarizing plate and a transparent protection plate; a liquid crystal display; and a phase retarder; wherein the laminated protection panel is disposed to a top surface of a liquid crystal display with a distance, the phase retarder is disposed between the laminated protection panel and the liquid crystal display, and the sum (&agr;A+&agr;B) of a wavelength dispersion (&agr;A) of the &lgr;/4-plate and a wavelength dispersion (&agr;B) of the phase retarder is in the range of 1.11 to 1.95. In this liquid crystal display device having a transparent protection plate such as a touch panel, coloring of a displayed view looked at in an oblique direction is improved while maintaining a display quality in a front direction.

Abstract: A touch panel is constructed of a top sheet member having a resistive membrane on its inner surface and a base sheet member having a resistive membrane on its inner surface, the top and base sheet members facing each other with dot spacers being located in between. The top sheet member is formed by laminating a bulge-resistant film, a polarizing plate, a quarter wavelength plate, and a light isotropic film in this order from above. A PET film which is not heat-treated so as to have a higher thermal contraction rate than the other members of the top sheet member underneath such as the polarizing plate, is used as the bulge-resistant film. Since the bulge-resistant film contracts more than the polarizing plate under a high ambient temperature, after the ambient temperature returns to normal, the bulge-resistant film does not become slack against the polarizing plate. Accordingly, the top sheet member can be kept from bulging outward.

Abstract: The present invention provides a phase retarder made of a copolymer prepared by polymerizing one non-cyclic olefin monomer (A) selected from ethylene and &agr;-olefin compound having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, one cyclic olefin monomer (B) selected from cyclic olefin compound such as norbornene, and one cyclic vinyl monomer (C) selected from vinyl compound having a cyclic unit made of an aromatic hydrocarbon or an alicyclic hydrocarbon such as styrene or vinylcyclohexane; wherein (1) an amount of the aromatic vinyl monomer is from about 1 to about 20 mol % and a total amount of the non-cyclic olefin monomer (A) and the cyclic olefin monomer (B) is from about 80 to about 99 mol % in case the component (C) is the aromatic vinyl monomer, or (2) an amount of the alicyclic vinyl monomer is from about 80 to about 99 mol % and a total amount of the non-cyclic olefin monomer and th cyclic olefin monomer is from about 1 to about 20 mol % in case the component (C) is the alicyclic vinyl monomer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device comprising: a laminated protection panel composed of a {fraction (&lgr;/4)}-plate, a polarizing plate and a transparent protection plate; a liquid crystal display; and a phase retarder;

Abstract: A process for producing a phase retarder film, which comprises laminating a heat-shrinkable film on at least one side of a uniaxially stretched thermoplastic resin film so that the heat shrinkage axis direction of said heat-shrinkable film becomes perpendicular to the stretching axis direction of said uniaxially stretched thermoplastic resin film, subjecting the resulting laminate to heat shrinkage, and then peeling and removing the heat-shrinkable film. An object of the present invention is to provide a process for providing a phase retarder film having a desired R.sub.40 /R.sub.0 value and a desired retardation value, easily and at a high efficiency.