Patents Examined by Geraldina Visconti
  • Patent number: 11279879
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium, characterised in that it comprises one or more compounds of the formula IA, and one or more compounds of the formula IB, in which RA, RB, XA, XB and Y1-13 have the meanings indicated in Claim 1, and to the use thereof for electro-optical purposes, in particular for shutter glasses, 3D applications, in TN, PS-TN, STN, TN-TFT, OCB, IPS, PS-IPS, FFS, PS-FFS and PS-VA-IPS displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: MERCK PATENT GMBH
    Inventors: Harald Hirschmann, Sabine Schoen
  • Patent number: 11279878
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical article comprising a birefringent liquid crystal composition, said composition comprising more than 30% by weight based on the total weight of the composition of tolane compounds of formula R—S—Z1-A-Z2—NCS, in which R is a substituted or unsubstituted, linear or branched alkyl group, Z1 and Z2 are aryl groups, and A is an ethynyl group, an arylethynyl group or an ethynylarylethynyl group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignees: Essilor International, Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Przemyslaw Kula, Jakub Herman
  • Patent number: 11268026
    Abstract: Liquid-crystalline media containing one or more compounds of formula T and one or more compounds of formulae I, II and/or III, high-frequency components containing these media, especially microwave components for high-frequency devices, such as devices for shifting the phase of microwaves, tunable filters, tunable metamaterial structures, and electronic beam steering antennas, e.g., phased array antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Dagmar Klass, Carsten Fritzsch
  • Patent number: 11261163
    Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds of formula M in which RM has the meaning indicated in claim 1, to liquid crystal mixture comprising the same, to the use of these liquid-crystal media, in particular in components for high-frequency technology, and to components of this type which contain media according to the invention, and to the production and use of these components. The components according to the invention are suitable, in particular, as phase shifters in the microwave and millimetre wave region, for microwave and millimetre wave array antennae and very particularly for so-called tunable “reflectarrays”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Bremer, Atsutaka Manabe
  • Patent number: 11254872
    Abstract: Liquid crystal (LC) media comprising polymerisable compounds as further specified in the description and claims and a self-alignment additive for vertical alignment. The media are adapted for use in LC displays, especially in LC displays of the polymer-sustained alignment type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Haensel, Steffen Gnauck, Qiong Tong, Sabrina Zeiss
  • Patent number: 11248170
    Abstract: The present invention provides a polymerizable compound with a structure of general formula I, which exhibits none or few of the problems existing in the prior art. A polymerizable liquid crystal composition comprising the polymerizable compound has good stability and higher reliability, and is embodied by having a smaller pretilt angle change and higher voltage holding ratio. Also, there is little or no image sticking effect in a liquid crystal display device comprising the polymerizable liquid crystal composition. The present invention also provides a method of synthesizing a polymerizable compound with a structure of general formula I. The present invention further provides a polymerizable liquid crystal composition comprising the polymerizable compound and a liquid crystal display device comprising the polymerizable liquid crystal composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Jiangsu Hecheng Display Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wenming Han, Wenyang Ma, Shuang Xu, Haibin Xu
  • Patent number: 11230669
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal film having an optically anisotropic layer having excellent alignment and excellent adhesiveness. The present invention further provides an optical laminate, a circularly polarizing plate, and an organic EL display device, each of which uses the optically anisotropic layer. The liquid crystal film of an embodiment of the present invention is a liquid crystal film having at least an optically anisotropic layer formed with a liquid crystal composition including a polymerizable liquid crystal compound and a fluoroaliphatic group-containing copolymer, and a support, in which the fluoroaliphatic group-containing copolymer has a repeating unit derived from a fluoroaliphatic group-containing monomer represented by General Formula (1) and a repeating unit having a polymerizable group polymerizable with the polymerizable liquid crystal compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Akutagawa, Keisuke Yoshimasa, Akio Tamura, Reiko Inushima, Tetsu Kitamura
  • Patent number: 11225605
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having excellent solubility, which is used for the formation of an optically anisotropic film having excellent durability, a method for producing the same, a polymerizable liquid crystal composition, an optically anisotropic film, an optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device. The polymerizable liquid crystal compound of the embodiment of the present invention is a polymerizable liquid crystal compound represented by Formula (1), L1-SP1-A1-D3-G1-D1-Ar-D2-G2-D4-A2-SP2-L2 . . . (1) in Formula (1), the ClogP value of the group represented by L1-SP1-A1-D3-G1-D1 and the ClogP value of the group represented by L2-SP2-A2-D4-G2-D2 are different from each other, and at least one of the ClogP values is 3.3 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Hayashi, Satoshi Shimamura, Keita Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11214737
    Abstract: Chiral polymer microspheres have a porous structure of a concentric multi-shell structure. Each layer of the multi-shell structure is optically and structurally anisotropic. The optical axes of adjacent layers have a sequential slight twist. All layers of the multi-shell structure generate a helix configuration and the chiral polymer microspheres are optically active. A method for preparing the chiral polymer microspheres, includes: forming a homogeneous liquid crystal mixture; dispersing the liquid crystal mixture into a continuous phase to form liquid crystal droplets through an emulsification process; polymerizing the reactive liquid crystal to form intermediate microspheres; and removing the one non-reactive liquid crystal and the chiral additive to form the chiral polymer microspheres. The chiral polymer microspheres have a porous structure and a swelling ability, and can be used as the stationary phase in chiral chromatograph, improving separation efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Smart Liquid Crystal Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ang Li, Jiawei Lu, Nicholas L. Abbott
  • Patent number: 11208595
    Abstract: Compounds of the formula I, in which Y1 denotes —O— or —CH2—, and the groups R1, L1 to L6 and X1 have the meanings indicated in claim 1. A process for the preparation thereof, and liquid-crystalline media comprising at least one compound of the formula I and electro-optical displays containing a liquid-crystalline medium this type. The compounds of the formula I include, as structural element, a combination of a 1,4-substituted cyclohexene ring besides a dioxane or tetrahydropyran ring and a substituted biphenyl group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Constanze Brocke, Katharina Linke, Sven Christian Laut
  • Patent number: 11208395
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a compound of which a structural formula thereof is represented as the following formula: The compound disclosed by the present invention can be used as a liquid crystal compound and overcomes the problem that solubility of the traditional dibenzothiophene-class liquid crystals is poor, and thus can be better applied to the liquid crystal material field. The present invention further discloses a liquid crystal medium containing the compound and an application thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: SHIJIAZHUANG CHENGZHI YONGHUA DISPLAY MATERIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ming Li, Hongru Gao, Guoliang Yun, Xing Zhang, Jinsong Meng, Li Zhang, Lei Zhao, Yanli Dong
  • Patent number: 11193066
    Abstract: Provided are a polymerizable compound having at least one monovalent group (A), a polymerizable composition containing the polymerizable compound, a liquid crystal composite prepared from the polymerizable composition, and a liquid crystal device having the polymerizable composition. In monovalent group (A), R1 and R2 are independently hydrogen, halogen or alkyl having 1 to 20 carbons, and in the alkyl, at least one piece of —CH2— may be replaced by —O— or —S—, and at least one piece of —(CH2)2— may be replaced by —CH?CH—, and in the groups, at least one hydrogen may be replaced by halogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignees: JNC CORPORATION, JNC PETROCHEMICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiro Yano, Fumitaka Kondo
  • Patent number: 11193065
    Abstract: A liquid crystal composition is provided containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound, the composition having high preservation stability when dissolved in a solvent and also having the ability to restrain the development of orientation defects of the liquid crystal compound. A method of producing such a liquid crystal composition is also provided with ease. The liquid crystal composition includes a first polymerizable liquid crystal compound having five or more ring structures on its principal chain and represented by the following formula (A) and a second polymerizable liquid crystal compound having five or more ring structures and represented by the following formula (B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Daichi Fujimoto, Haruki Okawa, Shinnosuke Yoshioka, Tatsuaki Kasai
  • Patent number: 11193063
    Abstract: A compound having the structure of general formula I is useful as a liquid crystal composition and as a photoelectric display device including the liquid crystal composition. The compound having the structure of general formula I is chemically and physically stable, and has higher clearing point, and both large dielectric anisotropy and large optical anisotropy at the same time. The compound having the structure of general formula I is well compatible with other liquid crystal compounds when applied in a liquid crystal composition, the composition has good stability especially in a low-temperature environment, the characteristic of fast response and a wide range of applicabilities, especially applicable to the IPS-type and TN-TFT-type liquid crystal display devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Jiangsu Hecheng Display Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wenming Han, Wenqi Zhang, Wenyang Ma, Zhaoyuan Chen
  • Patent number: 11193064
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a phase difference plate for an organic EL display device having excellent light resistance, an organic EL display device, and a method for producing a phase difference plate. The phase difference plate for an organic EL display device of an embodiment of the present invention has a phase difference layer formed from a composition containing a polymer having a repeating unit A including a photo-alignment group and a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having reciprocal wavelength dispersion, in which the photo-alignment group includes a double bond structure of C?C or C?N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichi Morishima
  • Patent number: 11186773
    Abstract: Described herein are liquid crystal compositions that can allow for the adjustment of their refractive indices by the application of an electric field. Also described herein are liquid crystal mixtures containing these compositions. In addition, selectively dimmable reverse-mode polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) elements and devices using these compositions are also described, which are transparent when no or low voltage is applied and opaque when a voltage or high voltage is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Sazzadur Rahman Khan, Shijun Zheng
  • Patent number: 11186775
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a polymerizable liquid crystal composition which has excellent coating properties, is capable of suppressing film thickness unevenness, and has good coating properties for an upper layer coating liquid after being formed as an optically anisotropic layer, an anisotropic layer formed using the same; an optical laminate; a method for producing an optical laminate, and an image display device. The polymerizable liquid crystal composition of the embodiment of the present invention is a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound, a polymerization initiator, and a compound having a monovalent specific group including a cleavage group capable of decomposing by an action of at least one selected from the group consisting of light, heat, an acid, and a base to generate a polar group, in which the specific group has a fluorine atom or a silicon atom on a side closer to a terminal than the cleavage group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyuki Nishikawa, Kunihiro Atsumi, Yutaka Nozoe, Yuki Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 11181674
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical element including a layer comprising anisotropic optical function and alignment capability. The layer is formed from a composition comprising polymerizable liquid crystals and one or more photo-orientable substances. Alignment on top of the layer is achieved by exposure to linearly polarized light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: ROLIC TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Fabien Xavier Delbaere, Richard Frantz, Qian Tang, Jean-Francois Eckert, Patricia Scandiucci De Freitas, Hubert Seiberle
  • Patent number: 11174432
    Abstract: The present invention relates to 2,3-dihydrobenzothiophene derivatives of the general formula I In which the occurring groups and parameters have the meanings indicated in claim 1, to the use thereof in liquid-crystalline or mesogenic media, to liquid-crystalline or mesogenic media comprising these derivatives, and to electro-optical display elements containing these liquid-crystalline or mesogenic media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: MERCK PATENT GMBH
    Inventors: Dmitry Ushakov, Helga Haas, Thorsten Vom Stein
  • Patent number: 11174431
    Abstract: There are provided a liquid crystal composition containing one or two or more compounds represented by general formula (L) and three or four or more dichroic dyes selected from azo compounds, and a guest-host liquid crystal display device or light-controlling device that uses the liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition according to the present invention contains dichroic dyes that satisfy high contrast, high solubility, high nematic-isotropic transition temperature (TNI), and low birefringent anisotropy (?n) effective for high light resistance and high thermal resistance at the same time. The use of the liquid crystal composition according to the present invention provides a liquid crystal display device or a light-controlling device that exhibits a good-looking black color and has high contrast, high display quality, and high practicality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: DIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haruki Ohishi, Tsuyoshi Sasaki