Abstract: The invention intends to provide a liquid crystal display device that, even when a liquid crystal is fixed without completely maintaining a homeotropically aligned state, may effectively inhibit light from leaking.

Abstract: The invention provides a retardation-controlling optical member that includes a retardation layer obtained by aligning and fixing crosslinkable liquid crystal molecules and columnar structures disposed on the retardation layer. When a liquid crystal cell is formed by use of the retardation-controlling optical member, the columnar structures are effectively inhibited from subsiding in the retardation layer to locally make the cell gap smaller even when pressure is externally applied in a thickness direction of the liquid crystal cell. A sum total of lower bottom areas of columnar structures disposed on a retardation layer is made larger sufficiently compared to a total area of, in particular, an effective display region of a retardation layer surface where the columnar structures are disposed, whereby pressure applied from a thickness direction is dispersed.

Abstract: Provided is a projection system capable of obtaining a sharp contrast without being influenced by an ambient light, the projection system including a projection screen, containing a substrate and a polarized light selective-reflection layer formed on the substrate that diffuse-reflects right-handed circularly polarized light or left-handed circularly polarized light. An image is displayed by reflecting an image light irradiated from a projector on the projection screen. An external light screen is installed at an external light entrance and disposed in a sequence of a linearly polarizing plate and a retardation plate from an external side, and the external light screen circularly polarizes a light in reverse direction to the circularly polarized light diffuse-reflected by the polarized light-selective reflection layer. A transmission axis of the linearly polarizing plate is in a horizontal direction.

Abstract: The main object of the present invention is to present a projection system excellent in visibility from inside of projection system to outside, and capable of obtaining a sharp contrast display without being influenced by the ambient light.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition intended to be applied to the surface of a base material to form a phase difference layer, the liquid crystal composition being capable of forming a phase difference layer well indicating homeotropic orientation without the presence of an oriented film, even if the liquid crystal composition is directly applied to the base material surface, as well as a phase difference layer formed by the liquid crystal composition, a color filter and a liquid crystal display apparatus using the phase difference layer, and further a method of forming the phase difference layer. To a liquid crystal composition containing one kind or two or more kinds of crosslinking liquid crystal compounds is further added at least an amino-based silane coupling agent to prepare a liquid crystal composition.

Abstract: Optical system for guiding subject light incident through a photo-taking lens 20 toward a finder 100 through a prism 90 is prepared and a plate-like diffractive element 50 is provided on the optical path. Light from an LED 70 to be turned on when a focusing state is achieved is introduced into the plate-like diffractive element 50 via a light guide member 60, and “auxiliary light indicating a focusing state” to travel upward in the drawing from the plate-like diffractive element 50 is generated and synthesized with the subject light. The auxiliary light shall have a linear polarization property. The subject image and the focusing state indication can be visually recognized on the finder 100. Part of the light toward the finder 100 is branched through a mirror 110 and then guided toward photometric unit 140. Auxiliary light separating unit 130 for excluding auxiliary light based on the difference in polarization property is provided in front of the photometric unit 140.

Abstract: The optical element in accordance with the present invention comprises a substrate having a light transmission ability and a fixed liquid crystal layer formed on the substrate. The fixed liquid crystal layer is composed of liquid crystal phase sections in which a liquid crystalline compound is fixed in a liquid crystal phase state and isotropic phase sections in which a liquid crystalline compound is fixed in an isotropic phase state. The layer thickness of the liquid crystal phase sections is larger than that of the isotropic phase sections, and the liquid crystal phase sections are formed so as to protrude with respect to the isotropic phase sections.

Abstract: There are provided a substrate which has solved an unsatisfactory adhesion problem of a seal part in a liquid crystal cell comprising a retardation layer provided on the inner side of the cell, and a liquid crystal cell using the substrate. A black matrix layer 12 formed of a metal and its picture frame part 12A, a color filter layer 13, and a retardation layer 14 are stacked on a substrate 11, and an area including at least the picture frame part 12A is an area to be sealed.

Abstract: There are provided a substrate which has solved an unsatisfactory adhesion problem of a seal part in a liquid crystal cell comprising a retardation layer provided on the inner side of the cell, and a liquid crystal cell using the substrate. A color filter substrate includes a substrate 11, and at least a black matrix layer 12, a color filter layer 13, and a retardation layer 14 stacked on the substrate 11. The black matrix layer 12 and the color filter layer 13 are stacked on the substrate it while providing a margin around the periphery of the substrate 11. The retardation layer 14 is stacked on the black matrix layer 12 and the color filter layer 13 in a larger area than the area where the black matrix layer 12 and the color filter layer 13 are stacked. The substrate 11 in its margin, where neither the black matrix layer 12 nor the color filter layer 13 is stacked, is a predetermined seal area.

Abstract: There are provided a substrate which has solved an unsatisfactory adhesion problem of a seal part in a liquid crystal cell comprising a retardation layer provided on the inner side of the cell, and a liquid crystal cell using the substrate. A black matrix layer 12 formed of a resin composition containing a black colorant and its picture frame part 12A, a color filter layer 13, and a retardation layer 14 are stacked on a substrate 11, and an area including at least the picture frame part 12A is an area to be sealed.

Abstract: The invention has for its object the provision of a phase difference control component that, albeit comprising a phase difference control layer formed of a polymerizable liquid crystal, enables a given spacing to be maintained between opposite substrates, etc. A phase difference control component 1 comprises a multilayer structure wherein a phase difference control layer 3 formed of a liquid crystal polymer is stacked on a substrate 2, and a plurality of prismatic, cylindrical or other columns is provided on the phase difference control layer 3. The columns are formed of a material obtained by curing an ionizing radiation-curable resin composition. With the multilayer structure, the object of the invention can be accomplished. A black matrix, a color filter layer or the like may be interposed between substrate 2 and phase difference control layer 3, and an electrode and an alignment film may be provided on the phase difference control layer.

Abstract: A process for producing an optical element having a patterned quarter-wave retardation for use in a semitransmission reflection liquid crystal display device is provided. The process includes the steps of coating a coating liquid including a polymerizable liquid crystal onto a base material to form a coating film, aligning the polymerizable liquid crystal to a liquid crystal phase state, applying an ionizing radiation to the coating film through a photomask to polymerize the polymerizable liquid crystal in the liquid crystal phase state, whereby the polymerizable liquid crystal only in its exposed part is cured to form the liquid crystal layer, and heating the resultant substrate with the coating film formed thereon to bring the polymerizable liquid crystal in the uncured state to an isotropic phase state and, in this state, to polymerize the uncured polymerizable liquid crystal to form an isotropic layer.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal composition capable of inexpensively and easily forming a phase difference layer excellent in mechanical strength such as hardness and in substrate adhesion properties, a color filter using the same, and a liquid crystal display apparatus using the color filter. Specifically, provided are a liquid crystal composition, a color filter 1 provided with a phase difference layer 4 produced by applying the liquid crystal composition onto a transparent substrate 2 and immobilizing, and a liquid crystal display apparatus 11 using the color filter 1 as a display side substrate 12.

Abstract: A display board with a retardation control function has a retardation control layer containing liquid crystalline polymers with a fixed orientation, and a liquid crystal layer. The display board has a voltage holding ratio of 90% or higher after a forced impurity extraction is performed on the display board with the retardation control layer in contact with the liquid crystal layer, and application of a voltage to the liquid crystal layer. The display board is capable of providing a high quality display while preventing a drop in the voltage holding ratio attributed to impurities mixed into the liquid crystal layer, and thus preventing the occurrence of display defects, such as flickering.

Abstract: A plate inspection system and a plate inspection method with which irregularities in phase difference caused in a retardation layer can be efficiently detected. The inspection system is for inspecting a plate to be inspected having a retardation layer 3. The plate inspection system comprises a polarized-light source for irradiating a polarized light 50 and an observation-side polarizer 20 placed on the observation side. In the inspection system, a plate to be inspected is placed between the polarized-light source 50 and the observation-side polarizer 20 so that the plate to be inspected is irradiated with polarized light from the polarized-light source 50. The position of at least the observation-side polarizer 20 or the plate to be inspected is changeable relative to the polarized-light source 50.

Abstract: There are provided a phase difference control component, which can realize a liquid crystal display device having a wide angle of visibility, has excellent phase difference symmetry and can realize optical compensation, and a process for producing the same. The phase difference control component comprises a base material; and a phase difference control layer formed of a fixed liquid crystal material provided on the base material through an aligning film and is characterized in that the angle of liquid crystal molecules, present at the interface of the aligning film and the phase difference control layer, to the base material being substantially 0 (zero) degree.

Abstract: The invention intends to provide a liquid crystal display device that, even when a liquid crystal is fixed without completely maintaining a homeotropically aligned state, may effectively inhibit light from leaking.

Abstract: Disclosed are an optical compensator element, which can realize switching between a wide angle of visibility and a narrow angle of visibility through a simple operation, and a liquid crystal display using the same. An optical compensation layer 4B? comprising, for example, a liquid crystal material having positive dielectric anisotropy sealed between two substrates comprising a transparent electrode and an aligning film stacked on top of each other is provided. An optical compensation layer 4A as a negative C plate and the optical compensation layer 4B? are stacked in that order on a homeotropically aligned liquid crystal cell 2A to constitute a liquid crystal display 1. Upon the application of voltage to the optical compensation layer 4B?, a narrow angle of visibility is provided, while, when no voltage is applied, a wide angle of visibility is provided.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display capable of high-contrast displays, in which a phase difference control layer is positioned directly on a liquid crystal layer side of a substrate forming a part of an LCD, thereby canceling interfacial reflection due to an adhesive material. At least one of a positive uniaxial phase layer a including polymerizable liquid crystal molecules and having an optical axis within a layer plane and a negative uniaxial phase layer c including polymerizable liquid crystal molecules and having an optical axis in a normal direction to that layer plane is patterned on the inner surface at least one of transparent substrates (1) and (1?) with a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between them.

Abstract: The main object of the present invention is to provide a colour filter with a retardation layer, capable of minimizing light leakage even in the case the visual angle is large in the black display state, for a liquid crystal display.