Patents by Inventor Ippei Inou
Ippei Inou 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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Publication number: 20040051838Abstract: A liquid crystal cell is moved into a vacuum oven in a “vacuum oven loading” step. The heater power source of the vacuum oven is turned off and the chamber in the vacuum oven is evacuated to a degree of vacuum (vacuum condition) of about 100 Pa in an “evacuation starting” step. Then, the liquid crystal cell is slowly cooled to, for example, 40° C. while maintaining that degree of vacuum. Subsequently, nitrogen gas is substituted for the contents of the liquid crystal cell in a “nitrogen gas substitution” step, by introducing nitrogen gas to the chamber in the slow cooled vacuum oven and thereby restoring normal pressure. Thereafter, liquid crystal is charged to the liquid crystal cell in an “injection” step, followed by a “sealing” step whereby an injection opening is sealed with a sealant, and ultraviolet light from which 330 nm or shorter wavelength light is projected to cure the sealant.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2003Publication date: March 18, 2004Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Ippei Inou
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Patent number: 6674503Abstract: A liquid crystal display element includes a pair of substrates made of plastic, a liquid crystal sandwiched between the pair of substrates, and a plurality of spacers for maintaining a gap d between the pair of substrates, which are sandwiched between the pair of substrates, and when x is an average value of thickness of the plurality of spacers in a state without a load in such a direction that the plurality of spacers are sandwiched between the pair of substrates, d<x≦1.1d is satisfied. Further, in the liquid crystal display element, a numerical density of the spacers is set to be not less than 240 pieces/mm2 and not more than 300 pieces/mm2. Further, in the liquid crystal display element, an elastic modulus of the spacers is set to be larger than that of the pair of substrates. As a result, in the liquid crystal display element, color shading is suppressed while suppressing generation of bubbles in a vacuum region and reduction in contrast, thus obtaining desirable display quality of a display image.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2000Date of Patent: January 6, 2004Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hirotaka Niiya, Ippei Inou
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Patent number: 6639647Abstract: A liquid crystal cell is moved into a vacuum oven. The heater power source of the vacuum oven is turned off and the chamber in the vacuum oven is evacuated to a degree of vacuum (vacuum condition) of about 100 Pa. Then, the liquid crystal cell is slowly cooled to, for example, 40° C. while maintaining that degree of vacuum (vacuum condition). Subsequently, nitrogen gas is substituted for the contents of the liquid crystal cell in a “nitrogen gas substitution” step, by introducing nitrogen gas to the chamber in the slow cooled vacuum oven and thereby restoring normal pressure. Thereafter, liquid crystal is charged to the liquid crystal cell, followed by an injection opening is sealed with a sealant, and ultraviolet light from which 330 nm or shorter wavelength light is projected to cure the sealant. A liquid crystal display element in accordance with the present invention is thus fabricated.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2000Date of Patent: October 28, 2003Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Ippei Inou
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Patent number: 6366334Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device which can easily remove a removal part even from the liquid crystal display device using substrates made of thermoplastic resin. The liquid crystal display device is constructed by sticking the first and second substrates made of thermoplastic resin to each other using a sealing material. A dividing line is formed on the first substrate by a dicing method which is a half cut with a predetermined remaining thickness so that the removal part within the first substrate becomes easy to be removed. A jet of compressed air is emitted into between the first substrate the half cut is performed on and the second substrate so as to lift up the removal part. The jet of compressed air is emitted in the diagonal direction toward the liquid crystal display device. When the jet of compressed air is emitted, a removal head is inserted between the removal part and a terminal area so as to remove the removal part.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2000Date of Patent: April 2, 2002Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Ippei Inou, Hiroshi Mizusaki
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Publication number: 20010005255Abstract: A liquid crystal display element includes a pair of substrates made of plastic, a liquid crystal sandwiched between the pair of substrates, and a plurality of spacers for maintaining a gap d between the pair of substrates, which are sandwiched between the pair of substrates, and when x is an average value of thickness of the plurality of spacers in a state without a load in such a direction that the plurality of spacers are sandwiched between the pair of substrates, d<x≦1.1d is satisfied. Further, in the liquid crystal display element, a numerical density of the spacers is set to be not less than 240 pieces/mm2 and not more than 300 pieces/mm2. Further, in the liquid crystal display element, an elastic modulus of the spacers is set to be larger than that of the pair of substrates. As a result, in the liquid crystal display element, color shading is suppressed while suppressing generation of bubbles in a vacuum region and reduction in contrast, thus obtaining desirable display quality of a display image.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2000Publication date: June 28, 2001Inventors: Hirotaka Niiya, Ippei Inou
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Patent number: 6078274Abstract: A touch panel is made up of (a) an insulating substrate provided with a transparent conductive film, and (b) a flexible insulating substrate provided with a transparent conductive film. A double-sided adhesive tape combines together (a) and (b), between which is provided a spacer. Since the insulating substrate and the flexible insulating substrate are held apart by the spacer, there is a layer of air between the insulating substrate and the flexible insulating substrate. On the two transparent conductive layers are provided anti-reflective films, in the form, for example, of square islets 100 nm thick and with sides of 80 .mu.m, with a pitch Pd of 100 .mu.m and an interval Dw of 20 .mu.m. Instead of providing the anti-reflective films, holes may be selectively provided in the transparent conductive films. In this way, a touch panel can be realized which enables a bright display screen without impairing input sensitivity.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 1997Date of Patent: June 20, 2000Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Ippei Inou
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Patent number: 5852487Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus having an input function includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a third substrate; a display medium provided between the first substrate and the second substrate; a first electrode provided between the first substrate and the display medium; a second electrode provided between the second substrate and the display medium; spacers for supporting the second substrate and the third substrate with respect to each other; and at least two electrodes provided between the second substrate and the third substrate. The display medium includes a polymer projection and a liquid crystal region at least partially surrounded by the polymer projection, and the first, second and third substrates are each formed of a polymer material, at least one of the first, second and third substrates has a polarizing function, and at least one of the first, second and third substrates has a phase contrasting function.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 1997Date of Patent: December 22, 1998Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kohichi Fujimori, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Ippei Inou, Shuichi Kozaki
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Patent number: 5793461Abstract: A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display element composed of a lamination of a plastic substrate and a glass substrate with a gap therebetween comprising the steps of: interposing an ultraviolet-ray setting sealing agent between the plastic and glass substrates; and irradiating an ultraviolet laser beam and a carbon dioxide gas laser beam to the sealing agent simultaneously. As a result, a thin, light liquid crystal display element comprising the glass substrate with active elements thereon and the plastic substrate with a color filter thereon can be manufactured stably.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 1995Date of Patent: August 11, 1998Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Ippei Inou
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Patent number: 5774107Abstract: A display apparatus with input-functions which includes touch-panel spacers placed overlapping the area other than the pixels, to thereby enhance its contrast and to increase its input position-detection precision.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 1996Date of Patent: June 30, 1998Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Ippei Inou
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Patent number: 5729319Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates opposed to each other, polymeric walls patterned in a predetermined pattern, and a liquid crystal layer at least a part of which is surrounded by the polymeric wall, and the polymeric wall and the liquid crystal layer are interposed between the substrates, wherein the polymeric wall has a predetermined rotatory polarization corresponding to an alignment regulating force of the substrates.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 1996Date of Patent: March 17, 1998Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Ippei Inou, Yoshihiro Shirai, Makoto Shiomi