Patents by Inventor Shoichi Kurauchi
Shoichi Kurauchi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 6947110Abstract: A semi-transparent type liquid crystal display device includes circuit array substrate AR, counter substrate CT and liquid crystal layer LQ held between circuit array and counter substrates AR and CT. The alignment of liquid crystal layer LQ is also controlled by circuit array and counter substrates AR and CT. Circuit array substrate AR has transparent and reflective electrode films 8 and 9 at pixel regions. Transparent electrode films 8 to allow light from a rear light source to pass are lower in level than the reflective electrode films 9 to reflect ambient incident light. Counter substrate CT is provided with recesses RS corresponding to the transparent electrode films 8 of circuit array substrate AR to make the thickness of liquid crystal layer LQ thicker at transparent electrode films 8 than at reflective electrode films 9.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2003Date of Patent: September 20, 2005Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Hirokazu Morimoto, Shoichi Kurauchi
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Patent number: 6888608Abstract: A improved liquid crystal display device including two substrates each having transparent electrode thereon disposed in parallel while keeping a predetermined gap by means of pillar-shaped spacers and a liquid crystal held between said first and second substrates is proposed. In the liquid crystal display device, density or volume of the number of the pillar-shaped spacers provided in the off-display area is higher than those of a density of the number of said pillar-shaped spacers provided in the display area. This change is made continuously or stepwise along areas. The spacers are preferably disposed so that a contact area between the spacer and a rubbing cloth during the rubbing process is minimized, or so that an orientation defective area caused starting from the spacer does not extend into the pixel area, or so that a plurality of spacers are disposed along a flow of liquid crystal from filling port into the gap between the first and second substrate.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2002Date of Patent: May 3, 2005Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Daisuke Miyazaki, Shoichi Kurauchi, Hitoshi Hatoh, Akiko Ueno, Teruyuki Midorikawa, Makoto Hasegawa
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Publication number: 20040066477Abstract: A semi-transparent type liquid crystal display device includes circuit array substrate AR, counter substrate CT and liquid crystal layer LQ held between circuit array and counter substrates AR and CT. The alignment of liquid crystal layer LQ is also controlled by circuit array and counter substrates AR and CT. Circuit array substrate AR has transparent and reflective electrode films 8 and 9 at pixel regions. Transparent electrode films 8 to allow light from a rear light source to pass are lower in level than the reflective electrode films 9 to reflect ambient incident light. Counter substrate CT is provided with recesses RS corresponding to the transparent electrode films 8 of circuit array substrate AR to make the thickness of liquid crystal layer LQ thicker at transparent electrode films 8 than at reflective electrode films 9.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2003Publication date: April 8, 2004Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Hirokazu Morimoto, Shoichi Kurauchi
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Publication number: 20020171800Abstract: A improved liquid crystal display device including two substrates each having transparent electrode thereon disposed in parallel while keeping a predetermined gap by means of pillar-shaped spacers and a liquid crystal held between said first and second substrates is proposed. In the liquid crystal display device, density or volume of the number of the pillar-shaped spacers provided in the off-display area is higher than those of a density of the number of said pillar-shaped spacers provided in the display area. This change is made continuously or stepwise along areas. The spacers are preferably disposed so that a contact area between the spacer and a rubbing cloth during the rubbing process is minimized, or so that an orientation defective area caused starting from the spacer does not extend into the pixel area, or so that a plurality of spacers are disposed along a flow of liquid crystal from filling port into the gap between the first and second substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2002Publication date: November 21, 2002Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Daisuke Miyazaki, Shoichi Kurauchi, Hitoshi Hatoh, Akiko Ueno, Teruyuki Midorikawa, Makoto Hasegawa
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Patent number: 6445437Abstract: A improved liquid crystal display device including two substrates each having transparent electrode thereon disposed in parallel while keeping a predetermined gap by means of pillar-shaped spacers and a liquid crystal held between said first and second substrates is proposed. In the liquid crystal display device, density or volume of the number of the pillar-shaped spacers provided in the off-display area is higher than those of a density of the number of said pillar-shaped spacers provided in the display area. This change is made continuously or stepwise along areas. The spacers are preferably disposed so that a contact area between the spacer and a rubbing cloth during the rubbing process is minimized, or so that an orientation defective area caused starting from the spacer does not extend into the pixel area, or so that a plurality of spacers are disposed along a flow of liquid crystal from filling port into the gap between the first and second substrate.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 1999Date of Patent: September 3, 2002Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Daisuke Miyazaki, Shoichi Kurauchi, Hitoshi Hatoh, Akiko Ueno, Teruyuki Midorikawa, Makoto Hasegawa
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Patent number: 6323921Abstract: The color filter substrate used for the liquid crystal display device comprises a substrate portion, a color filter portion composed of colored layers of plural colors disposed on the substrate portion, a first spacer portion such that colored layers of at least two different colors of the colored layers of the plural colors are stacked on the substrate portion and one colored layer of the stacked colored layers and the colored layer of the same color as that of the one colored layer of the color filter portion are continuous with each other, and a second spacer portion such that the colored layers of at least two different colors of the colored layers of the plural colors are stacked on the substrate portion and all of the stacked colored layers are discontinuous with respect to any one of the colored layers constituting the color filter portion.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2000Date of Patent: November 27, 2001Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Shoichi Kurauchi, Daisuke Miyazaki, Hitoshi Hatoh, Teruyuki Midorikawa
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Patent number: 6287733Abstract: A liquid crystal display element includes a pillar-shaped spacer as a stack of a plurality of color layers, which exists on either an active matrix substrate or an opposite substrate facing to the former substrate. An impurity concentration and an impurity elution quantity of the color layer closest to a switching element among the color layers constituting the pillar-shaped spacer are made lowest among the plurality of color layers, or a bridging density of a resin is made highest among the color layers, thereby restraining an influence of the impurities upon the switching element and enhancing a display quality and a yield. Damages to contact areas when the active matrix substrate is disposed facing to the opposite substrate are reduced by making a hardness of the farthest layer from a surface of a substrate on which the pillar-shaped spacer is disposed lowest among the color layers.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 1998Date of Patent: September 11, 2001Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Daisuke Miyazaki, Shoichi Kurauchi, Hitoshi Hatoh, Teruyuki Midorikawa
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Patent number: 6147729Abstract: A color filter substrate and a liquid crystal display device having high opening ratio and capable of preventing unsatisfactory display as far as possible are provided.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 1997Date of Patent: November 14, 2000Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Shoichi Kurauchi, Daisuke Miyazaki, Hitoshi Hatoh, Teruyuki Midorikawa
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Patent number: 6120943Abstract: Ultraviolet light is selectively radiated onto a portion corresponding to each pixel on a color accepting base layer and only this portion is activated. Thus, the accepting ability (coloring ability or absorbing ability) of the coloring material for a color filter in this portion is higher than that of the other portions to which the ultraviolet light is not radiated. Alternatively, with an ultraviolet light hardening resin as the material of the color accepting base layer, the accepting layer to which the ultraviolet light is radiated and hardened is formed in an island shaped pattern. The other portions are not hardened and can be removed. The coloring material of the color filter is projected to the accepting layer formed corresponding to each pixel and only this portion can be selectively colored.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 1998Date of Patent: September 19, 2000Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Shoichi Kurauchi, Hitoshi Hatoh
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Patent number: 6043857Abstract: Ultraviolet light is selectively radiated onto a portion corresponding to each pixel on a color accepting base layer and only this portion is activated. Thus, the accepting ability (coloring ability or absorbing ability) of the coloring material for a color filter in this portion is higher than that of the other portions to which the ultraviolet light is not radiated. Alternatively, with an ultraviolet light hardening resin as the material of the color accepting base layer, the accepting layer to which the ultraviolet light is radiated and hardened is formed in an island shaped pattern. The other portions are not hardened and can be removed. The coloring material of the color filter is projected to the accepting layer formed corresponding to each pixel and only this portion can be selectively colored.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1997Date of Patent: March 28, 2000Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Shoichi Kurauchi, Hitoshi Hatoh
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Patent number: 5978061Abstract: A improved liquid crystal display device including two substrates each having transparent electrode thereon disposed in parallel while keeping a predetermined gap by means of pillar-shaped spacers and a liquid crystal held between said first and second substrates is proposed. In the liquid crystal display device, density or volume of the number of the pillar-shaped spacers provided in the off-display area is higher than those of a density of the number of said pillar-shaped spacers provided in the display area This change is made continuously or stepwise along areas. The spacers are preferably disposed so that a contact area between the spacer and a rubbing cloth during the rubbing process is minimized, or so that an orientation defective area caused starting from the spacer does not extend into the pixel area, or so that a plurality of spacers are disposed along a flow of liquid crystal from filling port into the gap between the first and second substrate.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 1996Date of Patent: November 2, 1999Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Daisuke Miyazaki, Shoichi Kurauchi, Hitoshi Hatoh, Akiko Ueno, Teruyuki Midorikawa, Makoto Hasegawa
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Patent number: 5969784Abstract: A color filter substrate has a substrate structure, spacers which include a first spacer layer and a plurality of second spacer layers. Each of the second spacer layers has a sectional plane which is substantially parallel to the substrate structure. And the sectional plane has a entire projective area of the first spacer layer therein and an elongated portion from the projective area, so that an area of effective thickness of the spacer to maintain the gap between two substrates depends on an area of a smaller of the first and second surfaces of the first spacer layer. In other words, the outline of the first spacer layer is located so as to be entirely included within the outline of these second spacer layers. If the central axis of the first spacer layer is shifted from that of the second spacer layers in the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display apparatus, misalignment between first and second spacer layers occurs.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 1998Date of Patent: October 19, 1999Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Daisuke Miyazaki, Shoichi Kurauchi, Hitoshi Hatoh, Takeshi Yamamoto, Teruyuki Midorikawa
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Patent number: 5917572Abstract: A spacer is constructed of a stacked colored layers constituting color filters and is disposed in such a position as to exhibit a high dielectric breakdown strength on an active matrix substrate. A display performance is enhanced because of using no plastic beads, and insulation can be maintained. When the spacer assumes an inversely tapered shape, a contact position of the spacer can be freely selected because of forming no conductive layer on side surfaces.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 1996Date of Patent: June 29, 1999Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Shoichi Kurauchi, Daisuke Miyazaki, Hitoshi Hatoh, Muneharu Akiyoshi, Teruyuki Midorikawa
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Patent number: 5815232Abstract: A color filter substrate has a substrate structure, spacers which include a first spacer layer and a plurality of second spacer layers. Each of the second spacer layers has a sectional plane which is substantially parallel to the substrate structure. And the sectional plane has a entire projective area of the first spacer layer therein and an elongated portion from the projective area, so that an area of effective thickness of the spacer to maintain the gap between two substrates depends on an area of a smaller of the first and second surfaces of the first spacer layer. In other words, the outline of the first spacer layer is located so as to be entirely included within the outline of these second spacer layers. If the central axis of the first spacer layer is shifted from that of the second spacer layers in the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display apparatus, misalignment between first and second spacer layers occurs.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 1996Date of Patent: September 29, 1998Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Daisuke Miyazaki, Shoichi Kurauchi, Hitoshi Hatoh, Takeshi Yamamoto, Teruyuki Midorikawa
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Patent number: 5757451Abstract: A liquid crystal display element includes a pillar-shaped spacer as a stack of a plurality of color layers, which exists on either an active matrix substrate or an opposite substrate facing to the former substrate. An impurity concentration and an impurity elution quantity of the color layer closest to a switching element among the color layers constituting the pillar-shaped spacer are made lowest among the plurality of color layers, or a bridging density of a resin is made highest among the color layers, thereby restraining an influence of the impurities upon the switching element and enhancing a display quality and a yield. Damages to contact areas when the active matrix substrate is disposed facing to the opposite substrate are reduced by making a hardness of the farthest layer from a surface of a substrate on which the pillar-shaped spacer is disposed lowest among the color layers.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 1996Date of Patent: May 26, 1998Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Daisuke Miyazaki, Shoichi Kurauchi, Hitoshi Hatoh, Teruyuki Midorikawa
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Patent number: 5706064Abstract: The present invention includes a substrate for a display device and a liquid crystal display device using the same having a functional layer at least partially made of an organic-inorganic hybrid glass. The present invention includes a method of manufacturing a substrate for a display device having the steps of forming a switching element on a substrate, forming a polysilane layer on the substrate, irradiating ultraviolet light to the polysilane layer, to form a latent image for a pattern, dipping the substrate into a dipping solution so that a material of the dipping solution soaks into the exposed portion, vitrificating the exposed portion by heating. According to the method, a pattern having different regions in characteristics (insulating, conductive, and coloring) can be formed easily by changing in composition of the dipping solution.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 1996Date of Patent: January 6, 1998Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Yoko Fukunaga, Yoshiko Tsuji, Mitsushi Ikeda, Masaru Nikaido, Shoichi Kurauchi
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Patent number: 5681675Abstract: Ultraviolet light is selectively radiated onto a portion corresponding to each pixel on a color accepting base layer and only this portion is activated. Thus, the accepting ability (coloring ability or absorbing ability) of the coloring material for a color filter in this portion is higher than that of the other portions to which the ultraviolet light is not radiated. Alternatively, with an ultraviolet light hardening resin as the material of the color accepting base layer, the accepting layer to which the ultraviolet light is radiated and hardened is formed in an island shaped pattern. The other portions are not hardened and can be removed. The coloring material of the color filter is projected to the accepting layer formed corresponding to each pixel and only this portion can be selectively colored.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 1995Date of Patent: October 28, 1997Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Shoichi Kurauchi, Hitoshi Hatoh