Abstract: A liquid crystal composition comprising a liquid crystal and a second substance dispersed therein, the second substance having affinity for the liquid crystal and being composed of particles having a particle size and an aspect ratio of a predetermined value or greater, and a liquid crystal composition comprising a liquid crystal containing electric field sensitive liquid crystal molecules having a positive dielectric anisotropy as the principal component and flat plate-shaped particles having affinity for the liquid crystal being dispersed therein at such a degree of density suitable for effectively forming liquid crystal domains. Also described are a liquid crystal device using the same, a light-controlling element, a recording medium, and a light shutter.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes a TFT or active element substrate on which TFTs and pixel electrodes are arranged in the form of a matrix, a counter substrate having a counter electrode formed thereon and arranged to oppose the active element substrate, a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer arranged between the active element substrate and the counter substrate and having a polymer resin and a liquid crystal which are dispersed, and a fluorescent film arranged on the pixel electrode. The device displays an image by controlling scattering, absorption, and transmission of light passing through the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer. The phosphor film converts part of supplied light into fluorescent light having a predetermined wavelength and outputs colored light. Light used for a display is increased in intensity by the fluorescent light emitted from the phosphor film, thereby displaying a bright image.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a pair of electrode substrates and a polymer dispersed liquid crystal complex film interposed between the pair of substrates. The polymer dispersed liquid crystal complex film includes a liquid crystal composition and a polymer resin composition. It is ensured that a value .DELTA.T is 25.degree. C. or less, and a glass transition temperature T.sub.g of the polymer resin composition is 60.degree. C. or more, the value .DELTA.T being defined as a difference between a phase transition temperature T.sub.CI of the liquid crystal composition between a liquid crystal phase and an isotropic liquid phase thereof and a phase transition temperature T.sub.matrix of the polymer dispersed liquid crystal complex film.

Abstract: An electro-optical liquid crystal device comprises a pair of glass substrates, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the substrates, a transparent electrode arrangement formed on inside surfaces of the substrates in order to apply an electric field to the liquid crystal layer to modulate the optical characteristics of the liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layer consists of a number of liquid crystal capsules dispersed in a carrier which includes a dielectric material having a high dielectric constant. The dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer is adjusted by selecting the amount of the dielectric material contained in the liquid crystal layer.

Abstract: A twisted/splayed O-plate compensation device, in accordance with the invention, is comprised of an organic liquid crystal polymer thin film and possibly one or more other birefringent layers. The O-plate thin film is a birefringent medium with its optical symmetry axis, on average, oriented obliquely with the surface of the film. Within this constraint, the direction of the material's optical symmetry axis is allowed to vary continuously along the axis normal to the film surface. Such films may be fabricated by applying thin layers of chiral doped nematic or semectic liquid crystal monomer solutions in inert solvents to transparent substrates. The carrier solvents are then evaporated and the monomers polymerized by UV irradiation. Compensation devices may also be comprised of multiple layers of twisted/splayed O-plate material in conjunction with A-plates, C-plates, and simple O-plates. Fabrication techniques for twisted/splayed O-plates are described.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a dispersion type liquid crystal electro-optical device comprising liquid crystal droplets of uniform size without impairing the scattering properties. The present invention realizes a liquid crystal electro-optical device having excellent scattering properties which is achieved by increasing or decreasing the fraction of the organic constituent of the light-transmitting resin material without changing the amount of the liquid crystal and the number and density of the liquid crystal droplets so that the light scattering properties of the device may not be impaired, and thereby controlling the precipitation temperature of the liquid crystal droplets from the mixture to the vicinity of a temperature convenient in the fabrication, so that the solidification temperature of the resin material can be set at the vicinity of that temperature.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for obtaining composite material comprising a network of cross-linked polymer and fluid molecules. Such materials, using molecules of liquid crystal, are notably used in display screens. The originality of the disclosure lies in the drying, in supercritical phase, of the molecules that have enabled the preparation of the network. Generally, the operation of evaporation drying of the solvent leads to a deterioration of the network structure. With the method according to the invention, the network keeps its initial structure, making it possible to obtain high performance characteristics in scattering of light. Application to display screens and protection for detectors.No abstract figure.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a dispersion type liquid crystal electro-optical device comprising liquid crystal droplets of uniform size without impairing the scattering properties. The present invention realizes a liquid crystal electro-optical device having excellent scattering properties which is achieved by increasing or decreasing the fraction of the organic constituent of the light-transmitting resin material without changing the amount of the liquid crystal and the number and density of the liquid crystal droplets so that the light scattering properties of the device may not be impaired, and thereby controlling the precipitation temperature of the liquid crystal droplets from the mixture to the vicinity of a temperature convenient in the fabrication, so that the solidification temperature of the resin material can be set at the vicinity of that temperature.

Abstract: An optically responsive film that includes liquid crystal dispersed in a polymer matrix that includes the reaction product of (1) one or more polymerizable matrix reactants other than an acid reactant and (2) at least one copolymerizable acid reactant.

Abstract: An optical modulation device is described, which comprises two substrates, which are provided with at least one electrode, and an optically active layer situated between said two substrates, the optically active layer comprising a liquid crystalline material having ferroelectric, antiferroelectric or electroclinic properties. In accordance with the invention, the device is characterized in that the optically active layer comprises a permanently oriented anisotropic network of polymerized material containing free molecules of a chiral liquid crystalline material. Said network is preferably composed of a polymer formed from reactive monomers comprising at least two reactive groups on the basis of acrylates, methacrylates, epoxy compounds and/or thiolene systems. By means of such an optical modulation device grey levels which can be passively maintained for a relatively long period of time can be obtained in a relatively simple manner.

Abstract: In one aspect, an optically responsive film in which liquid crystal is dispersed in a matrix that includes siloxane linkages. The film has a transmissivity at -20.degree. C. that is substantially the same as the transmissivity at 20.degree. C. and a V.sub.90 at -20.degree. C. that is less than twice the value at 20.degree. C.In another aspect, an optically responsive film in which liquid crystal is dispersed in a matrix that includes the polymerization product of at least one mercapto-functional siloxane.In another aspect, an optically responsive film in which liquid crystal is dispersed in a matrix that includes the polymerization product of at least one multi-functional ene and at least one multi-functional silicon hydride.In another aspect, an optically responsive film in which liquid crystal is dispersed in a matrix that includes the reaction product of at least one multi-functional vinyl silane and at least one multi-functional thiol.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a pair of electrode substrates and a polymer dispersed liquid crystal complex film interposed between the pair of substrates. The polymer dispersed liquid crystal complex film includes a liquid crystal composition and a polymer resin composition. It is ensured that a value a .DELTA.T is 25.degree. C. or less, and a glass transition temperature T.sub.g of the polymer resin composition is 60.degree. C. or more, the value .DELTA.T being defined as a difference between a phase transition temperature T.sub.CI of the liquid crystal composition between a liquid crystal phase and an isotropic liquid phase thereof and a phase transition temperature T.sub.matrix of the polymer dispersed liquid crystal complex film.

Abstract: The information recording medium of the present invention comprises an information recording layer made of acrylic resin or metacrylic resin 11 being laminated on an electrode layer 13, a liquid crystal phase 12 being dispersed and fixed on said information recording layer, whereby said acrylic resin or metacrylic resin has weight average molecular weight of 10,000 to 100,000, electrostatic information can be permanently recorded and stored as visible information, and the visible information can be reproduced at any desired time. Further, the visible information can be easily erased by heating, and medium can be re-used.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer comprises, an ink tank for receiving an ink, a printing head including a nozzle for injecting an array of ink-particles, electrode means for charging the ink-particles with electricity, electrically controllably energized deflecting means for deflecting the electrically charged ink-particles so that each of the ink-particles injected from the ink-jet printer reaches a desirable position on a work piece to be printed, and a gutter for receiving a part of the array of ink-particles which is not used to print the work piece, and pump means for taking the part of the array of ink-particles through the gutter into the ink tank, wherein an air in the printing head is taken into the pump means through the gutter, and the ink-jet printer further comprises a feed back path which opens to an inside of the printing head at an outside of the gutter to return the air taken from the printing head by the pump means through the gutter to the inside of the printing head at the outside of the gutter.