Patents by Inventor Kentarou Kobayashi

Kentarou Kobayashi 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).

  • Publication number: 20080284948
    Abstract: It is the object of the present invention to provide a polarizing element capable of increasing a contrast ratio in an oblique direction and reducing a color shift in an oblique direction of a liquid crystal display apparatus. A polarizing element according to the present invention includes a polarizer, a negative C plate, a positive A plate, and a positive C plate each arranged on one side of the polarizer. The positive A plate is arranged between the polarizer and the positive C plate such that a slow axis of the positive A plate is substantially perpendicular to an absorption axis of the polarizer. The positive C plate has RthPC[590] of ?60 nm or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Applicant: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Koishi, Shuuji Yano, Kenji Yoda, Kentarou Kobayashi, Masatoshi Tomonaga, Naoto Ooe
  • Patent number: 7408603
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a liquid crystal cell; a first polarizer arranged on one side of the liquid crystal cell; a second polarizer arranged on another side of the liquid crystal cell; a positive A plate and a positive C plate arranged between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizer; and an isotropic optical element arranged between the liquid crystal cell and the second polarizer, wherein the positive A plate is arranged between the first polarizer and the positive C plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Mie Nakata, Shuuji Yano, Naoki Koishi, Kentarou Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7391935
    Abstract: A retardation film of the present invention comprises a stretched film of a polymer film containing a norbornene-based resin, wherein the stretched film satisfies the following equation (1) and the equation (2); 100 nm?(nx?ny)·d?350 nm,??(1) 0.1?(nx?nz)/(nx?ny)?0.9,??(2) where the refractive indices in the slow axis direction, the fast axis direction and the thickness direction of the film are nx, ny and nz, respectively, d(nm) is thickness of the film, and the slow axis direction is a direction that the refractive index in film plane is maximum. The retardation film is hard to cause a shift or an unevenness of a retardation value due to a stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Kawahara, Masaki Hayashi, Shuuji Yano, Kenji Yoda, Kentarou Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7336857
    Abstract: A retardation film of the present invention comprises a stretched film of a polymer film containing a norbornene-based resin, wherein the stretched film satisfies the following equation (1) and the equation (2); 100 nm?(nx?ny)·d?350 nm . . . (1), 0.1?(nx?nz)/(nx?ny)?0.9 . . . (2), where the refractive indices in the slow axis direction, the fast axis direction and the thickness direction of the film are nx, ny and nz, respectively, d(nm) is thickness of the film, and the slow axis direction is a direction that the refractive index in film plane is maximum. The retardation film is hard to cause a shift or an unevenness of a retardation value due to a stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Kawahara, Masaki Hayashi, Shuuji Yano, Kenji Yoda, Kentarou Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20070279553
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal panel, a liquid television and a liquid crystal display apparatus each having significantly reduced light leak and coloring in black display, a high contrast ratio in an oblique direction and a small color shift in an oblique direction. A liquid crystal panel according to the present invention includes: a liquid crystal cell including a liquid crystal layer containing nematic liquid crystals in homogeneous alignment in an absence of an electric field; a first polarizer arranged on a viewer side of the liquid crystal cell; a first laminated optical element arranged between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizer; a second polarizer arranged on a backlight side of the liquid crystal cell; and a second laminated optical element arranged between the liquid crystal cell and the second polarizer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Yoda, Shuuji Yano, Masaki Hayashi, Kentarou Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20070211199
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display including: a liquid crystal panel; and a lighting device disposed on one side of the liquid crystal panel, the liquid crystal panel including: a liquid crystal cell; a first polarizer disposed on one side of the liquid crystal cell; a second polarizer disposed on the other side of the liquid crystal cell; and a first optical element disposed between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizer; the absorption axis direction of the first polarizer being substantially perpendicular to the absorption axis direction of the second polarizer, the first optical element having an optical indicatrix having a relationship of nx?nx>ny, the lighting device having: a maximum value of luminance in the wavelength range of 550±50 nm; and a relative luminance at a wavelength of 450 nm is 0.28 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentarou Kobayashi, Masaki Hayashi, Shuuji Yano
  • Publication number: 20070188686
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel including a liquid crystal cell having an improved contrast ratio in an oblique direction and an improved color shift in an oblique direction is provided. A liquid crystal panel according to the present invention includes: a liquid crystal cell; a first polarizer arranged on one side of the liquid crystal cell; a second polarizer arranged on another side of the liquid crystal cell; a negative C plate and a negative A plate arranged between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizer; and an isotropic optical element arranged between the liquid crystal cell and the second polarizer. The negative C plate is arranged between the first polarizer and the negative A plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuuji Yano, Kenji Yoda, Kentarou Kobayashi, Kanako Itou
  • Publication number: 20070177087
    Abstract: A retardation film of the present invention comprises a stretched film of a polymer film containing a norbornene-based resin, wherein the stretched film satisfies the following equation (1) and the equation (2); 100 nm?(nx?ny)·d?350 nm ??(1), 0.1?(nx?nz)/(nx?ny)?0.9 ??(2), where the refractive indices in the slow axis direction, the fast axis direction and the thickness direction of the film are nx, ny and nz, respectively, d(nm) is thickness of the film, and the slow axis direction is a direction that the refractive index in film plane is maximum. The retardation film is hard to cause a shift or an unevenness of a retardation value due to a stress.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Kawahara, Masaki Hayashi, Shuuji Yano, Kenji Yoda, Kentarou Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7215839
    Abstract: A retardation film of the present invention comprises a stretched film of a polymer film containing a norbornene-based resin, wherein the stretched film satisfies the following equation (1) and the equation (2); 100 nm?(nx?ny)·d?350 nm . . . (1), 0.1?(nx?nz)/(nx?ny)?0.9 . . . (2), where the refractive indices in the slow axis direction, the fast axis direction and the thickness direction of the film are nx, ny and nz, respectively, d(nm) is thickness of the film, and the slow axis direction is a direction that the refractive index in film plane is maximum. The retardation film is hard to cause a shift or an unevenness of a retardation value due to a stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Kawahara, Masaki Hayashi, Shuuji Yano, Kenji Yoda, Kentarou Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20070002233
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel of the present invention comprises at least: a liquid crystal cell comprising a liquid crystal layer containing a liquid crystal molecule that is oriented in homogeneous alignment with no electric field applied thereto; a first polarizer placed on one side of the liquid crystal cell; a first optical element placed between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizer; and a second polarizer placed on the other side of the liquid crystal cell, wherein the first optical element is substantially optically isotropic, the liquid crystal cell has an initial alignment direction that is substantially parallel to the direction of an absorption axis of the first polarizer, and the absorption axis of the first polarizer is substantially perpendicular to an absorption axis of the second polarizer. The liquid crystal panel shows less discoloration of images even when the screen is viewed from oblique directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuuji Yano, Kenji Yoda, Kentarou Kobayashi, Masatoshi Tomonaga
  • Publication number: 20060257078
    Abstract: A retardation film of the present invention comprises a stretched film of a polymer film containing a norbornene-based resin, wherein the stretched film satisfies the following equation (1) and the equation (2); 100 nm?(nx?ny)·d?350 nm . . . (1), 0.1?(nx?nz)/(nx?ny)?0.9 . . . (2), where the refractive indices in the slow axis direction, the fast axis direction and the thickness direction of the film are nx, ny and nz, respectively, d(nm) is thickness of the film, and the slow axis direction is a direction that the refractive index in film plane is maximum. The retardation film is hard to cause a shift or an unevenness of a retardation value due to a stress.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Kawahara, Masaki Hayashi, Shuuji Yano, Kenji Yoda, Kentarou Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20060119775
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a liquid crystal cell; a first polarizer arranged on one side of the liquid crystal cell; a second polarizer arranged on another side of the liquid crystal cell; a positive A plate and a positive C plate arranged between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizer; and an isotropic optical element arranged between the liquid crystal cell and the second polarizer, wherein the positive A plate is arranged between the first polarizer and the positive C plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mie Nakata, Shuuji Yano, Naoki Koishi, Kentarou Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20060114383
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a liquid crystal cell; a first polarizer arranged on one side of the liquid crystal cell; a second polarizer arranged on another side of the liquid crystal cell; a negative biaxial optical element and a positive C plate arranged between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizer; and an isotropic optical element arranged between the liquid crystal cell and the second polarizer. Here, the negative biaxial optical element is arranged between the first polarizer and the positive C plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentarou Kobayashi, Shuuji Yano, Naoki Koishi
  • Publication number: 20060028601
    Abstract: A retardation film of the present invention comprises a stretched film of a polymer film containing a norbornene-based resin, wherein the stretched film satisfies the following equation (1) and the equation (2); 100 nm?(nx?ny)·d?350 nm . . . (1),0.1?(nx?nz)/(nx?ny)?0.9 . . . (2), where the refractive indices in the slow axis direction, the fast axis direction and the thickness direction of the film are nx, ny and nz, respectively, d(nm) is thickness of the film, and the slow axis direction is a direction that the refractive index in film plane is maximum. The retardation film is hard to cause a shift or an unevenness of a retardation value due to a stress.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Kawahara, Masaki Hayashi, Shuuji Yano, Kenji Yoda, Kentarou Kobayashi