Abstract: An inclined optical compensation film formed from a non-liquid-crystal polymer, which is useful in a TN mode liquid crystal display. A substrate is coated with a non-liquid-crystal polymer to thereby form a coating film; the non-liquid-crystal polymer of the coating film is inclined and aligned; and the coating film is solidified, thereby forming an inclined optical compensation film. The non-liquid-crystal polymer can be inclined and aligned by, for example, applying external force, such as wind blowing, to the coating film. This inclined optical compensation film exhibits, for example, a birefringence (?n) ranging from 0.001 to 0.5 and thus is useful in a TN mode liquid crystal display, etc.

Abstract: A method for preparing an optical film, which comprises applying and developing an application liquid mixture containing a liquid crystal monomer, a chiral agent and a polymerization initiator on an orientation substrate, subjecting the resultant developed layer to a heat treatment, to orient the monomer to a cholesteric structure, and then subjecting the developed layer to a poltmerization treatment, to polymerize the oriented liquid crystal monomer, thereby forming an optical film exhibiting a selective reflection wave length of 100 to 320 nm. An optical film prepared by the above method is reduced in the coloring due to selective reflection.

Abstract: An optical film of the invention comprises: a complex type scattering-dichroic absorbing polarizer including a film that has a structure having a minute domain dispersed in a matrix formed of an optically-transparent water-soluble resin including an iodine based light absorbing material; and a retardation layer including a transparent layer that has a thickness of at most 10 ?m and exhibits refractive index anisotropy characterized by nx?ny>nz, where a thickness direction of the transparent layer is defined as Z-axis and refractive index in Z-axial direction is defined as nz, an in-plane refractive index of the transparent layer perpendicular to Z-axis gives a maximum is defined as X-axis and refractive index in X-axial direction is defined as nx, and a refractive index of the transparent layer perpendicular to Z- and X axes is defined as X-axis and refractive index in Y-axial direction is defined as ny.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical compensation plate having an optical compensation layer in which cracks occurring due to an applied pressure is suppressed. By applying a curable adhesive agent onto at least one surface of the optical compensation layer and curing the adhesive, an anti-cracking layer is formed directly on the surface of the optical compensation layer. The occurrence of cracks in the optical compensation layer can be prevented by this anti-cracking layer. The optical compensation layer preferably is a layer having a cholesteric structure, and the constituent material thereof is preferably a non-liquid crystal polymer formed by polymerizing aligned liquid crystal monomers or an aligned liquid crystal polymer.

Abstract: An optical film, which includes a laminate of a base and a birefringent layer, and which is excellent in adhesiveness between the base and the birefringent layer, is provided. The birefringent layer is formed on the base by: coating a material of the birefringent layer on the base so as to form a coating film; stretching/shrinking the base so as to stretch/shrink the coating film; and solidifying the material of the coating film. The material is dispersed or dissolved previously in a solvent and coated in a form of solution, where the solvent used exhibits solubility with respect to the base, and in the coating step, the solvent is infiltrated into a part of the interior of the base, thereby obtaining an optical film with excellent adhesiveness between the base and the birefringent layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a birefringent optical film having a high orientation for easily obtaining a desired retardation value and also a small photoelastic coefficient. The birefringent optical film includes at least two kinds of polymer materials. A total of products of Cn and Wn satisfies a numerical formula (1): ?(Cn×Wn)?30×10?8 cm2/N??(1) where Cn and Wn denote respectively a photoelastic coefficient and a volume fraction of each polymer material, and at least one of the polymer materials of the film has a photoelastic coefficient value of at least 60×10?8 cm2/N.

Abstract: The present invention can provide an optical film suitable for a liquid crystal display apparatus providing colorless neutral display in all azimuth angle directions, a liquid crystal panel employing the optical film, and a liquid crystal display apparatus employing the liquid crystal panel. The optical film of the present invention includes a first transparent protective film, a polarizer, a second transparent protective film, and a birefringent layer having a relationship of nx>ny=nz and positive uniaxial property in the stated order, in which the second transparent protective film has a thickness direction retardation (Rth) represented by the formula (1) of 10 nm or less.

Abstract: An optical film including a transparent polymer film (b) and a birefringent layer (a) formed of a polymer and laminated above the transparent polymer film (b) is provided. The birefringent layer (a) and the transparent polymer film (b) satisfy the following formula (1), the birefringent layer (a) satisfies the following formulae (2) and (3), and the polymer forming the birefringent layer (a) has a weight-average molecular weight in the range between 10,000 and 400,000 inclusive. ?n(a)>?n(b)×10??(1) 1<(nx?nz)/(nx?ny)??(2) 0.0005??n(a)?0.5??(3) This optical film can prevent the occurrence of iridescence, the occurrence of cracks, and the occurrence of variation in retardation.

Abstract: There is provided: an optical film suitable for a liquid crystal display apparatus providing a colorless neutral display in all azimuth angle directions; a liquid crystal panel employing the optical film; and a liquid crystal display apparatus employing the liquid crystal panel. An optical film includes a transparent protective film, a polarizer, and a birefringent layer having a relationship of nx>ny=nz and positive uniaxial property, in the stated order, in which the polarizer and the birefringent layer are laminated directly through one of a pressure-sensitive adhesive and an adhesive.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal panel and a liquid crystal display apparatus each allowing excellent viewing angle compensation and having excellent contrast and small color shift in an oblique direction. The liquid crystal panel of the present invention includes: a first polarizer; a first cellulose-based film; an optical compensation layer having an Nz coefficient represented by an equation (1) of 2?Nz?20; a liquid crystal cell; a second cellulose-based film; and a second polarizer in the order given from a backlight side to a viewer side, in which: the first cellulose-based film has a thickness direction retardation (Rth) represented by an equation (2) of 10 nm or less; and the second cellulose-based film has a thickness direction retardation (Rth) represented by the equation (2) of 10 nm or less.

Abstract: A polarizing plate with an optical compensation layer is provided, which has an excellent peelability and is easy to reattach after mounted on an image display apparatus. A pressure-sensitive adhesive layer satisfying the condition (I) below is formed on both surfaces of an optical compensation layer, and one of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layers is further laminated with a polarizing plate.

Abstract: As a polarizing plate with optical compensation function, that is thin and excellent in optical characteristics, the present invention provides a polarizing plate with optical compensation function including at least two optically compensating layers. The optically compensating layers includes: an optically compensating A-layer formed of a polymer film, satisfying conditions represented by formulae (I) and (II) below; and an optically compensating B-layer formed of a non-liquid crystalline polymer film, satisfying conditions represented by formulae (III) to (V) below. 20 (nm)?Rea?300 (nm)??(I) 1.0?Rza/Rea?8??(II) 1 (nm)?Reb?100 (nm)??(III) 5?Rzb/Reb?100??(IV) 1 (?m)?db?20 (?m)??(V) The present invention also provides a liquid crystal display using the polarizing plate.

Abstract: An optical film, which includes a laminate of a base and a birefringent layer, and which is excellent in adhesiveness between the base and the birefringent layer, is provided. The birefringent layer is formed on the base by: coating a material of the birefringent layer on the base so as to form a coating film; stretching/shrinking the base so as to stretch/shrink the coating film; and solidifying the material of the coating film. The material is dispersed or dissolved previously in a solvent and coated in a form of solution, where the solvent used exhibits solubility with respect to the base, and in the coating step, the solvent is infiltrated into a part of the interior of the base, thereby obtaining an optical film with excellent adhesiveness between the base and the birefringent layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composite birefringent member including a first birefringent layer and a second birefringent layer. The second birefringent layer is formed on at least one surface of the first birefringent layer. In the wavelength range from 400 to 800 nm, a value of ?ndx/?nd550 and a value of Rthx/Rth550 of the composite birefringent member as a whole are different from each other. The composite birefringent member satisfies a requirement that the second birefringent layer is formed of a polymer such as polyamide and/or a requirement that ?nd and Rth of the composite birefringent member satisfy formulae (I) and (II) below. As a result, the composite birefringent member allows a liquid crystal display to achieve a wide viewing angle, compensates birefringence of a liquid crystal cell, and does not cause display coloring of the liquid crystal display.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus of the present invention includes: a liquid crystal cell including a pair of substrates provided with a color filter on one substrate, and a liquid crystal layer as a display medium provided between the substrates; and an optical compensation element including at least an optical compensation layer. The optical compensation element is arranged on the same side as the color filter with respect to the liquid crystal layer. The substrate provided with the color filter preferably has a haze value of 10% or less. Such a liquid crystal display apparatus allows excellent viewing angle compensation, exhibits exceptional contrast in an oblique direction, and can be reduced in thickness.

Abstract: The present invention provides a birefringent optical film having a high orientation for easily obtaining a desired retardation value and also a small photoelastic coefficient. The birefringent optical film includes at least two kinds of polymer materials. A total of products of Cn and Wn satisfies a numerical formula (1): ?(Cn×Wn)?20×10?8 cm2/N??(1) where Cn and Wn denote respectively a photoelastic coefficient and a volume fraction of each polymer material, and at least one of the polymer materials of the film has a photoelastic coefficient value of at least 60×10?8 cm2/N, while at least one of the remaining polymer materials has a negative value of photoelastic coefficient.

Abstract: The present invention provides a transparent optical film that has excellent optical characteristics for realizing the uniform retardation distribution and restraining rainbow-colored irregularities. The optical film, which is obtained by laminating a birefringent layer (a) on a transparent film (b), satisfies all the following formulae (I), (II) and (III). ?n(a)>?n(b)×10??(I) 1<(nx?nz)/(nx?ny)??(II) 0.0005??n(a)?0.5??(III) In the above formulae (I), (II) and (III), ?n(a) and ?n(b) denote respectively birefringent indexes of the birefringent layer (a) and the transparent film (b). The signs of nx, ny and nz indicate refractive indexes in an X-axis direction, a Y-axis direction and a Z-axis direction in the birefringent layer (a), respectively.

Abstract: An optical film includes a transparent polymer film layer, an adhesive layer formed by coating a polyurethane-based resin solution on the transparent polymer film layer, a birefringent layer formed by coating a non-liquid crystal polymer on the adhesive layer. These layers together form a laminated film that is subjected to a stretching treatment. The thus formed optical film is unlikely to cause separation of the transparent polymer film from the birefringent layer and to cause variation in retardation of the birefringent layer.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus of the present invention includes: a liquid crystal cell including a pair of substrates provided with a color filter on one substrate, and a liquid crystal layer as a display medium provided between the substrates; and an optical compensation element including at least an optical compensation layer. The optical compensation element is arranged on the opposite side against the color filter with respect to the liquid crystal layer. Such a liquid crystal display apparatus allows excellent viewing angle compensation, exhibits exceptional contrast in an oblique direction, and can be reduced in thickness.

Abstract: There is provided a polarizing plate including a polyimide layer on at least one side of a polarizer, the polarizing plate having excellent durability causing no peeling or floating of each film to be formed even in a high temperature and high humidity environment. The polarizing plate of the present invention includes a polarizer and a protective film attached to at least one side of the polarizer through an adhesive layer, in which: the protective film is a laminate film including a transparent film layer and a polyimide layer; and the polarizer and the protective film are attached together such that the polyimide layer opposes the polarizer.