Abstract: The present invention provides an optical film having a liquid crystal layer having excellent durability, and a liquid crystal film. The optical film of the present invention has an organic base material and a liquid crystal layer disposed on the organic base material, the liquid crystal layer contains a photo-alignment compound, and in the liquid crystal layer, the photo-alignment compound is unevenly distributed on a side of the organic base material.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a photo-alignment copolymer which makes it possible to produce a photo-alignment film having excellent solvent resistance and liquid crystal aligning properties, and a photo-alignment film and an optical laminate produced using the photo-alignment copolymer. A photo-alignment copolymer of the invention is a photo-alignment copolymer having a repeating unit A including a photo-alignment group represented by Formula (A) and a repeating unit B including a crosslinkable group represented by Formula (B).

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an optical laminate in which optically anisotropic layers exhibiting reverse wavelength dispersibility have excellent moisture-heat resistance, and the adhesiveness between a first optically anisotropic layer and a second optically anisotropic layer is excellent; and a polarizing plate and an image display device, each using the optical laminate.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a photo-alignment copolymer capable of improving upper layer coatability after layer formation, a binder composition, a binder layer, an optical laminate, and an image display device. A photo-alignment copolymer according to the embodiment of the invention has a repeating unit A including a photo-alignment group, a repeating unit B including a crosslinkable group which causes a crosslinking reaction by the action of at least one selected from the group consisting of light, heat, an acid, and a base, and a repeating unit C including a cleaving group which decomposes by the action of at least one selected from the group consisting of light, heat, an acid, and a base to produce a polar group, and the repeating unit C has the cleaving group on a side chain, and has a group of atoms which is provided on a side closer to a terminal than the cleaving group on the side chain to be able to unevenly distribute the photo-alignment copolymer on an air interface side.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a binder composition in which air unevenness is suppressed and which has excellent upper layer coating properties after being formed as a layer, a compound, a binder layer, an optical laminate, an optical laminate manufacturing method, and an image display device. The binder composition of the present invention is a binder composition containing a binder and a compound having a group represented by Formula (B1) or (B2). In Formulae (B1) and (B2), Z represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having a fluorine atom or an organosiloxane group.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an optical laminate in which an optically anisotropic layer provided as an upper layer has good liquid crystal alignment properties, and a polarizing plate and an image display device using the optical laminate. An optical laminate of the present invention is an optical laminate including: a first optically anisotropic layer; and a second optically anisotropic layer, in which the first and second optically anisotropic layers are directly laminated, each of the first and second optically anisotropic layers consists of a liquid crystal layer, and a photo-alignment polymer having a photo-alignment group and at least one type of polar group selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl group and a ketone group is present in a surface of the second optically anisotropic layer on a side in contact with the first optically anisotropic layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical film having a liquid crystal layer having excellent durability, and a liquid crystal film. The optical film of the present invention has an organic base material and a liquid crystal layer disposed on the organic base material, the liquid crystal layer contains a photo-alignment compound, and in the liquid crystal layer, the photo-alignment compound is unevenly distributed on a side of the organic base material.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a photo-alignable polymer which has excellent coating properties, is capable of suppressing film thickness unevenness, and has excellent upper layer coating properties and good liquid crystal alignment properties after being formed as a layer; a binder composition; a binder layer; an optical laminate; a method for producing an optical laminate; and an image display device. The photo-alignable polymer of an embodiment of the present invention is a photo-alignable polymer having a repeating unit A 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 repeating unit A has the cleavage group in a side chain, has a fluorine atom or a silicon atom on a side closer to a terminal than the cleavage group in the side chain, and the photo-alignable polymer satisfies Condition 1 or Condition 2 shown below.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a photo-alignment copolymer capable of improving upper layer coatability after layer formation, a binder composition, a binder layer, an optical laminate, and an image display device. A photo-alignment copolymer according to the embodiment of the invention has a repeating unit A including a photo-alignment group, a repeating unit B including a crosslinkable group which causes a crosslinking reaction by the action of at least one selected from the group consisting of light, heat, an acid, and a base, and a repeating unit C including a cleaving group which decomposes by the action of at least one selected from the group consisting of light, heat, an acid, and a base to produce a polar group, and the repeating unit C has the cleaving group on a side chain, and has a group of atoms which is provided on a side closer to a terminal than the cleaving group on the side chain to be able to unevenly distribute the photo-alignment copolymer on an air interface side.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a photo-alignment copolymer which makes it possible to produce a photo-alignment film having excellent solvent resistance and liquid crystal aligning properties, and a photo-alignment film and an optical laminate produced using the photo-alignment copolymer. A photo-alignment copolymer of the invention is a photo-alignment copolymer having a repeating unit A including a photo-alignment group represented by Formula (A) and a repeating unit B including a crosslinkable group represented by Formula (B).

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a photo-alignable polymer which has excellent coating properties, is capable of suppressing film thickness unevenness, and has excellent upper layer coating properties and good liquid crystal alignment properties after being formed as a layer; a binder composition; a binder layer; an optical laminate; a method for producing an optical laminate; and an image display device. The photo-alignable polymer of an embodiment of the present invention is a photo-alignable polymer having a repeating unit A 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 repeating unit A has the cleavage group in a side chain, has a fluorine atom or a silicon atom on a side closer to a terminal than the cleavage group in the side chain, and the photo-alignable polymer satisfies Condition 1 or Condition 2 shown below.

Abstract: There is provided an optical film including: a Layer A containing a cyclic olefin-based resin; and a Layer B disposed on at least one surface of the Layer A and containing a cyclic olefin-based resin, wherein the Layer B contains a rubber elastomer having a carbon-carbon double bond that forms no aromatic ring in an amount of 2.5 mass % or more based on a total mass of the Layer B, and a thickness of the Layer B is less than 10 ?m.

Abstract: In conventional electron microscopes, orthogonality has been defined for each electron microscope individually in such a manner that a lattice sample is observed, and correction is applied to a control circuit so that the sample is observed as being orthogonal on a screen. Further, the correction has been determined by visual observation on a screen, and manually performed by a human operator. However, in this method, due to manufacturing variation of a lattice sample, the orthogonality may vary between devices. Further, there has been a problem in that the accuracy of correction varies by manually performing the correction. In order to solve the above problems, a particulate sample is used instead of a lattice sample for defining orthogonality, and adjustment is performed so that an image that should be a circle is observed as a circle, thereby making it possible to define the orthogonality.

Abstract: In conventional electron microscopes, orthogonality has been defined for each electron microscope individually in such a manner that a lattice sample is observed, and correction is applied to a control circuit so that the sample is observed as being orthogonal on a screen. Further, the correction has been determined by visual observation on a screen, and manually performed by a human operator. However, in this method, due to manufacturing variation of a lattice sample, the orthogonality may vary between devices. Further, there has been a problem in that the accuracy of correction varies by manually performing the correction. In order to solve the above problems, a particulate sample is used instead of a lattice sample for defining orthogonality, and adjustment is performed so that an image that should be a circle is observed as a circle, thereby making it possible to define the orthogonality.

Abstract: A vehicle range switching device including a motor that is controlled according to operation of a shift range selecting portion, a driving portion that is driven by the motor, and a detecting portion for detecting a pivot position of a range control shaft for transmitting driving force from the driving portion to a shift range operating portion for switching a shift range, comprising: a case member accommodating the driving portion and the detecting portion; a support portion pivotally supported by the case member and having a recess for mounting one end of the range control shaft therein, wherein the support portion and the case member are sealed; and a removing unit disposed in the recess of the support portion for removing a play between the one end of the range control shaft and the recess of the support portion.

Abstract: A vehicle range switching device including a motor that is controlled according to operation of a shift range selecting portion, a driving portion that is driven by the motor, and a detecting portion for detecting a pivot position of a range control shaft for transmitting driving force from the driving portion to a shift range operating portion for switching a shift range, comprising: a case member accommodating the driving portion and the detecting portion; a support portion pivotally supported by the case member and having a recess for mounting one end of the range control shaft therein, wherein the support portion and the case member are sealed; and a removing unit disposed in the recess of the support portion for removing a play between the one end of the range control shaft and the recess of the support portion.

Abstract: A bent axis type axial piston pump or motor wherein the cylinder block is rotatable in synchronizm with the torque plate about an axis inclined relative to the axis of rotation of the torque plate. The shaft of the torque plate passes through the inclined cylinder block without mutual mechanical interference and is supported by bearings at the opposite sides of the casing. The torque plate and the cylinder block are connected by a mechanism which ensures exact synchronization of rotation of the two members. A static pressure balance is established between the working fluid acting on the opposite sides of the torque plate, the cylinder block and the pistons, respectively. The angle of inclination of the cylinder block with respect to the shaft can be changed thereby to change the capacity of the pump or motor. The pump or motor of this invention may be provided in a tandem type.