Abstract: A liquid crystal orientation film, which is formed of a liquid crystal polymer, having a satisfactory orientation property is obtained by a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal orientation film, comprising the steps; coating a polymerizable liquid crystal monomer on an orientation substrate; orienting said polymerizable liquid crystal monomer in a state of liquid crystal; polymerizing said polymerizable liquid crystal monomer to form a liquid crystal orientation layer (1); coating a liquid crystal polymer on said liquid crystal orientation layer (1); and orienting said liquid crystal polymer in a state of liquid crystal to form a liquid crystal orientation layer (2).

Abstract: A method for manufacturing liquid crystal alignment film of the present invention comprises the steps of: (1) aligning a transparent substrate film by rubbing; (2) laminating a surface protective sheet having a release force of 0.5 N/50 mm or less onto an aligned face of the transparent substrate; (3) coating a liquid crystal material comprising a liquid crystal monomer and/or a liquid crystal polymer onto the aligned face after releasing the surface protective sheet; and (4) fixing the liquid crystal material after aligning the liquid crystal material. The method can make satisfactorily align the liquid crystal material on the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides: a method of producing a broadband and wide viewing angle elliptically polarizing plate having excellent characteristics in an oblique direction as well; and an image display using the elliptically polarizing plate obtained through the method.

Abstract: A surface-treated film, a transparent rigid layer and a transparent relaxing layer are laminated in this order to form a transparent laminate. Particularly, the transparent relaxing layer is made of an adhesive. The dynamic storage modulus G? of the transparent rigid layer at 20° C. is not lower than 2×108 Pa. On the other hand, the dynamic storage modulus G? of the transparent relaxing layer at 20° C. is not higher than 1×107 Pa. The transparent laminate is directly laminated onto a visual surface side (pen-input side) of a liquid crystal panel provided as an image display panel so that the transparent relaxing layer is placed inward. Thus, a pen-input image display device is produced.

Abstract: An optical film in which a function of a brightness enhancement film is maintained and variations in brightness and chromaticity within a film plane are suppressed is provided. An optical film is a laminate of an absorptive dichroic polarizing plate and a brightness enhancement film. A maximum chromaticity difference ?xy(max) of in-plane transmitted light is 0.008 or smaller after the optical film is attached to a glass plate and allowed to stand at 70° C. for 120 hours. The brightness enhancement film includes a layer having a circularly polarized light separating function, and a quarter wavelength plate. The quarter wavelength plate is a film showing an in-plane retardation (?nd) satisfying ?nd(450 nm)/?nd(550 nm)<1.02 or a film containing a polymer having a photoelastic coefficient of 40×10?12 m2/N or smaller.

Abstract: An optical film having excellent light utilization efficiency and high brightness, and a liquid crystal display using the optical film. The optical film is formed by laminating integrally a brightness enhancement film (A) that separates natural light into transmitted light and reflected light and a collimating film (B) having an uneven portion on a surface thereof. Since an air interface is eliminated by the integral lamination of the brightness enhancement film and the collimating film, stray light is reduced, and the brightness enhancement film has an improved efficiency in reflecting and polarizing light; thereby, enhancing the brightness.

Abstract: An optical film in which at least one layer of a cholesteric liquid crystal layer (1) and a retardation layer (2) are laminated, wherein an in-plane retardation of the retardation layer (2): (nx1?ny1)×Dre is 5 nm or less, and a virtual thickness direction retardation: RZch, and a thickness direction retardation: RZre have a relationship of RZre/(?RZch)=0.05 through 0.35, can be used as a brightness enhancement film, and further that provides an excellent visibility satisfactory also when observed not only from a front direction but from an oblique direction in image viewing displays, such as liquid crystal displays.

Abstract: There is provided a polarizing member having a sheet-like member formed so that linearly polarized light can be obtained as transmitted light through the sheet-like member after natural light is incident on a rear surface of the sheet-like member, wherein the sheet-like member exhibits a transmittance difference of not larger than 6% between transmitted light components within a 20 nm-wide wavelength region in a transmission spectrum of light in a wavelength range of from 520 to 640 nm when natural light is incident on the sheet-like member at any angle ranging from an angle viewing from a line normal to a surface of the sheet-like member to an elevation angle of 80 degrees. There is provided an illuminator having a planar light source including a reflection layer on a rear surface side of the planar light source, and a polarizing member defined above and disposed on a front surface side of the planar light source.

Abstract: A retardation plate characterized by being obtained by laminating a homeotropic liquid-crystal film formed from a homeotropic liquid-crystal polymer of the side chain type or from a homeotropic liquid-crystalline composition comprising the side chain type liquid-crystal polymer and a photopolymerizable liquid-crystal compound to a stretched film having a retardation function. In the retardation plate, the retardation in the thickness direction can be regulated to a value in a wide range.

Abstract: A diffusing/polarizing member (1) is provided which comprises a laminate (1) of a reflective polarizer (12) which separates incident natural light into a reflected light comprising a polarized light and a transmitted light, and a diffusing layer (11), wherein the reflective polarizer and the diffusing layer, when viewed from a slantwise direction, have respective colors which are complementary. Also provided is a liquid crystal display having the diffusing/polarizing member. In this diffusing/polarizing member, the color of the reflective polarizer viewed from a slantwise direction is negated by the color of the diffusing layer, these colors being complementary, whereby the member as a whole can be reduced in coloration when viewed from a slantwise direction. Thus, a reflective, semi-transmitting, or another liquid crystal display reduced in display unevenness, e.g., coloration in viewing from a slantwise direction, can be provided.

Abstract: A process for producing an optical element which comprises a polymeric liquid crystal layer having a helically twisted molecular structure and has satisfactory thickness precision and satisfactory optical properties. The process comprises applying a mixed solution containing a polymerizable nematic liquid crystal compound and a polymerizable chiral reagent to an oriented substrate, followed by drying, to orient the liquid crystal compound; and irradiating the mixed solution applied with radiation from the oriented substrate side while maintaining the mixed solution in contact with a gas comprising oxygen to thereby polymerize and cure the mixed solution.

Abstract: An optical film in which at least one layer of a cholesteric liquid crystal layer (1) and a retardation layer (2) are laminated, wherein an in-plane retardation of the retardation layer (2): (nx1−ny1)×Dre is 5 nm or less, and a virtual thickness direction retardation: RZch, and a thickness direction retardation: RZre have a relationship of RZre/(−RZch)=0.05 through 0.35, can be used as a brightness enhancement film, and further that provides an excellent visibility satisfactory also when observed not only from a front direction but from an oblique direction in image viewing displays, such as liquid crystal displays.

Abstract: An optical film in which a function of a brightness enhancement film is maintained and variations in brightness and chromaticity within a film plane are suppressed is provided. An optical film is a laminate of an absorptive dichroic polarizing plate and a brightness enhancement film. A maximum chromaticity difference &Dgr;xy(max) of in-plane transmitted light is 0.008 or smaller after the optical film is attached to a glass plate and allowed to stand at 70° C. for 120 hours. The brightness enhancement film includes a layer having a circularly polarized light separating function, and a quarter wavelength plate. The quarter wavelength plate is a film showing an in-plane retardation (&Dgr;nd) satisfying &Dgr;nd(450 nm)/&Dgr;nd(550 nm)<1.02 or a film containing a polymer having a photoelastic coefficient of 40×10−12 m2/N or smaller.

Abstract: There is provided an optical element having: a laminate including a reflective type polarizer for separating incident light into polarized light components through reflection and transmission, and a dichromatic polarizer, wherein a variation of hue between two points calculated by the expression: {(x2−x1)2+(y2−y1)2} is not larger than 0.06 when x1 and y1 express a hue at a point with a predetermined elevation angle and any azimuth angle, and x2 and y2 express a hue at another point with the same elevation angle and a changed azimuth angle in the case where transmitted light is obliquely viewed in the condition that the laminate is disposed on a planar light source so that the reflective type polarizer is located in an inner side. An illuminator having the above planar light source and laminate and including a reflection layers on its rear surface side, is disposed behind a liquid crystal cell.

Abstract: There is provided an optical element having: a laminate including a reflective type polarizer for separating incident light into polarized light components through reflection and transmission, and a dichromatic polarizer, wherein a variation of hue between two points calculated by the expression: {square root}{(x2−x1)2+(y2−y1)2} is not larger than 0.06 when x1 and y1 express a hue at a point with a predetermined elevation angle and any azimuth angle, and x2 and y2 express a hue at another point with the same elevation angle and a changed azimuth angle in the case where transmitted light is obliquely viewed in the condition that the laminate is disposed on a planar light source so that the reflective type polarizer is located in an inner side.

Abstract: A liquid crystal orientation film, which is formed of a liquid crystal polymer, having a satisfactory orientation property is obtained by a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal orientation film, comprising the steps; coating a polymerizable liquid crystal monomer on an orientation substrate; orienting said polymerizable liquid crystal monomer in a state of liquid crystal; polymerizing said polymerizable liquid crystal monomer to form a liquid crystal orientation layer (1); coating a liquid crystal polymer on said liquid crystal orientation layer (1); and orienting said liquid crystal polymer in a state of liquid crystal to form a liquid crystal orientation layer (2).

Abstract: A polarizing element for a liquid crystal display is disclosed having high brightness, and less coloration when viewed squarely or obliquely in a wide viewing angle range. The polarizing element is produced by providing a light-diffusion pressure-sensitive adhesive layer onto a reflective polarizing plate that separates incident natural light into reflected light and transmitted light both of which are composed of polarized light.

Abstract: A process for producing an optical element which comprises a polymeric liquid crystal layer having a helically twisted molecular structure and has satisfactory thickness precision and satisfactory optical properties. The process comprises applying a mixed solution containing a polymerizable nematic liquid crystal compound and a polymerizable chiral reagent to an oriented substrate, followed by drying, to orient the liquid crystal compound; and irradiating the mixed solution applied with radiation from the oriented substrate side while maintaining the mixed solution in contact with a gas comprising oxygen to thereby polymerize and cure the mixed solution.

Abstract: There is provided a polarizing member having a sheet-like member formed so that linearly polarized light can be obtained as transmitted light through the sheet-like member after natural light is incident on a rear surface of the sheet-like member, wherein the sheet-like member exhibits a transmittance difference of not larger than 6% between transmitted light components within a 20 nm-wide wavelength region in a transmission spectrum of light in a wavelength range of from 520 to 640 nm when natural light is incident on the sheet-like member at any angle ranging from an angle viewing from a line normal to a surface of the sheet-like member to an elevation angle of 80 degrees. There is provided an illuminator having a planar light source including a reflection layer on a rear surface side of the planar light source, and a polarizing member defined above and disposed on a front surface side of the planar light source.

Abstract: An optical film having excellent light utilization efficiency and high brightness, and a liquid crystal display using the optical film. The optical film is formed by laminating integrally a brightness enhancement film (A) that separates natural light into transmitted light and reflected light and a collimating film (B) having an uneven portion on a surface thereof. Since an air interface is eliminated by the integral lamination of the brightness enhancement film and the collimating film, stray light is reduced, and the brightness enhancement film has an improved efficiency in reflecting and polarizing light; thereby, enhancing the brightness.