Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a light control device having a large transmittance and little scattering of light with no voltage applied and having a small transmittance and little scattering of light with a voltage applied.

Abstract: There are provided at least two liquid crystal panels 10, 20 including the liquid crystals developing a memory effect, the liquid crystal developing a memory effect on a no-viewer side has a selective reflection wavelength set at 615 nm to 665 nm, the liquid crystal developing a memory effect on a viewer side has a selective reflection wavelength set at 490 nm to 540 nm, and a color filter 40 having a certain transmission property is provided between the liquid crystal developing a memory effect on the viewer side and the liquid crystal developing a memory effect on the no-viewer side.

Abstract: A composite display device comprising a first display member 1 and a second display member disposed between the first display member 1 and an observer 14 wherein the second display member is an electro-optical element 2 which transmits light under application of no voltage and scatters light under application of a voltage, and the composite display device is clear and provides a feeling of open air in an unused state: allows an observer to see simultaneously a background scenery and a display effected by the electro-optical element in a used state, and provides to an observer an impression that a picture image is suspended in space.

Abstract: On substrates 2a, 2b of a chiral nematic liquid crystal optical element 1, transparent electrodes 3a, 3b and electrical insulation layers 4a, 4b are formed, and further, resin layers 5a, 5b having a pencil hardness of “B” or less are formed on the electrical insulation layers by a spin coating method so as to be in contact with a liquid crystal layer 7. When the surface hardness of the resin layers is to be measured, a glass substrate on which a resin layer is formed by screen-printing is prepared as a test piece, and the test piece is fitted to a pencil-scratching tester. The surface hardness is measured by scratching the test piece with two kinds of testing pencil selected from testing pencils having 17 grades of density.

Abstract: On substrates 2a, 2b of a chiral nematic liquid crystal optical element 1, transparent electrodes 3a, 3b and electrical insulation layers 4a, 4b are formed, and further, resin layers 5a, 5b having a pencil hardness of “B” or less are formed on the electrical insulation layers by a spin coating method so as to be in contact with a liquid crystal layer 7 When the surface hardness of the resin layers is to be measured, a glass substrate on which a resin layer is formed by screen-printing is prepared as a test piece, and the test piece is fitted to a pencil-scratching tester. The surface hardness is measured by scratching the test piece with two kinds of testing pencil selected from testing pencils having 17 grades of density.

Abstract: An information display comprises a planar electrical optical element including a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels having an optical state controlled by an electrical signal; the optical element having at least two optical states of a light scattering state and a light transmissive state, each of the pixels having the optical state reversibly changed between the scattering state and the light transmissive state; information being displayed in a planar fashion by combining the optical states of pixels; and the information being capable to be held with no electrical signal applied, and visible light having a transmittance of 60% or higher when the visible light passes from one of surfaces of the electrical optical element to the other surface through a pixel in the light transmissive state.

Abstract: Presentation of a chiral nematic liquid crystal optical element which is bright within a wide temperature range and which has a high contrast. A liquid crystal composition comprising an optically active compound of the formula R1—X1—A1—C*HY1—(CH2)mX2—A2—(X3—A3)n—(X4—A4)p—X5—R2 and a nematic liquid crystal, wherein each R1 and R2 is an alkyl group, etc., each of X1, X2, X3, X4 and X5 is a single bond, etc., each of A1, A2, A3 and A4 is a cyclic group, C* is an asymmetric carbon atom, Y1 is a methyl group, etc., m is an integer of from 0 to 5, and each of n and p is 0 or 1.

Abstract: There are provided at least two liquid crystal panels 10, 20 including the liquid crystals developing a memory effect, the liquid crystal developing a memory effect on a no-viewer side has a selective reflection wavelength set at 615 nm to 665 nm, the liquid crystal developing a memory effect on a viewer side has a selective reflection wavelength set at 490 nm to 540 nm, and a color filter 40 having a certain transmission property is provided between the liquid crystal developing a memory effect on the viewer side and the liquid crystal developing a memory effect on the no-viewer side.

Abstract: When a new image is written to a liquid crystal panel, row electrodes are scanned a-line-at-a-time in time periods Tp1, Tp2, selected row electrodes are set at a voltage Vr, and all column electrodes are set at −Vc. The portions of a liquid crystal at the selected row electrodes have a voltage of Vr+Vc applied thereacross to bring the liquid crystal in the entire screen into a planar state. After the portions of the liquid crystal at all pixels have been brought into the planar state, new display is written by a-line-at-a-time scanning in time periods Td1, Td2.

Abstract: There are provided at least two liquid crystal panels 10, 20 including the liquid crystals developing a memory effect, the liquid crystal developing a memory effect on a side opposite to a viewer side has a selective reflection wavelength set at 615-665 nm, the liquid crystal developing a memory effect on the viewer side has a selective reflection wavelength set at 490-540 nm, and a color filter having a certain transmission property is provided between the liquid crystal developing a memory effect on the viewer side and the liquid crystal developing a memory effect on the side opposite to the viewer side.

Abstract: Presentation of a chiral nematic liquid crystal optical element which is bright within a wide temperature range and which has a high contrast.

Abstract: On substrates 2a, 2b of a chiral nematic liquid crystal optical element 1, transparent electrodes 3a, 3b and electrical insulation layers 4a, 4b are formed, and further, resin layers 5a, 5b hating a pencil hardness of “B” or less are formed on the electrical insulation layers by a spin coating method so as to be in contact with a liquid crystal layer 7. When the surface hardness of the resin layers is to be measured, a glass substrate on which a resin layer is formed by screen-printing is prepared as a test piece, and the test piece is fitted to a pencil-scratching tester. The surface hardness is measured by scratching the test piece with two kinds of testing pencil selected from testing pencils having 17 grades of density.

Abstract: On substrates 2a, 2b of a chiral nematic liquid crystal optical element 1, transparent electrodes 3a, 3b and electrical insulation layers 4a, 4b are formed, and further, resin layers 5a, 5b having a pencil hardness of “B” or less are formed on the electrical insulation layers by a spin coating method so as to be in contact with a liquid crystal layer 7. When the surface hardness of the resin layers is to be measured, a glass substrate on which a resin layer is formed by screen-printing is prepared as a test piece, and the test piece is fitted to a pencil-scratching tester. The surface hardness is measured by scratching the test piece with two kinds of testing pencil selected from testing pencils having 17 grades of density.

Abstract: In a liquid crystal display element provided with a liquid crystal layer having a memory function, 4.0≦a≦d·V/10 is satisfied where a represents a space (an interline width) between transparent electrodes 31, 31 adjacent to each other on the same surface of a substrate 3, d (&mgr;m) represents the thickness of the liquid crystal layer interposed between the transparent electrodes 21, 31 (a pixel portion D) opposing between upper and lower substrates 2, 3, VMAX represents the maximum effective voltage required to change a display, and a (&mgr;m) represents the maximum space of the transparent electrodes whereby a uniform alignment state in a pixel portion and an interline portion can be obtained.

Abstract: A driving method for a liquid crystal display device with a cholesteric liquid crystal having a memory mode of operation comprises a first stage of applying a first voltage to change the state of the cholesteric liquid crystal to a homeotropic state; a second stage of applying a second voltage to change the state of the cholesteric liquid crystal to a homogeneous state or a homogeneous/planar-mixed state, and a third stage of applying a third voltage to change the state of the cholesteric liquid crystal from the homogeneous state or the homogeneous/planar-mixed state to a focalconic state.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display element comprises a pair of substrates provided with electrodes and a liquid crystal and solidified matrix composite material, disposed between the pair of substrates, which includes a nematic liquid crystal dispersed and held in a solidified matrix, the nematic liquid crystal being such that the refractive index of the liquid crystal is changed depending on states of applying a voltage wherein in a state, the refractive index of the liquid crystal substantially coincides with that of the solidified matrix to thereby pass light, and in the other state, the former does not coincide with the latter to thereby cause the scattering of light, wherein the refractive index anisotropy .DELTA.n of the liquid crystal used is 0.18 or higher, and the dielectric anisotropy .DELTA..epsilon..sub.LC of the liquid crystal used satisfies the relation of 5<.DELTA..epsilon..sub.LC <13.

Abstract: A composition for use in a liquid crystal optical element, such as a liquid crystal display or laser shutter device, comprised of a liquid crystal material and a solidified polymer material. The liquid crystal is such that its refractive index is changed depending on states of applying a voltage. In one state, the refractive index of the liquid crystal substantially coincides with the refractive index of the solidified matrix to thereby pass light. While in the other state, the refractive index of the liquid crystal does not coincide with the refractive index of the solidified matrix to thereby cause the scattering of light. Specifically, the liquid crystal material used in the composition has a refractive index anisotropy (.DELTA.n) is greater than 0.18 and the dielectric anisotropy (.DELTA..epsilon.) satisfies the relation of 5<.DELTA..epsilon.<11.6.

Abstract: A liquid crystal optical element comprising a pair of substrates with electrodes and a liquid crystal/polymer composite material interposed between the pair of substrates wherein polymer which constitutes a polymer phase has a maximum value of 20.degree. C. or less in the temperature dependence of the loss dielectric constant (a frequency for measurement=100 Hz).

Abstract: A liquid crystal optical element comprising a pair of substrates with electrodes and a liquid crystal/polymer composite material which is composed of a liquid crystal and a polymer and interposed between the pair of substrates, wherein the polymer phase of the liquid crystal/polymer composite material is a polymeric cured product of a polymerizable curable material comprising an addition-polymerizable compound presented by the following formula (1):CXY=CZ--CO--O--R--OH (1)wherein each of X, Y and Z is --H or --CH.sub.3, and R is a bivalent hydrocarbon group which has 4 to 8 carbon atoms in total and at least one carbon atom between the carbon atom bonded to the ester linkage and the carbon atom bonded to the hydroxyl group in the formula (1), and may have at least one linkage selected from the group consisting of an ether linkage, an ester linkage and a carbonate linkage, substituted for one or more carbon--carbon linkages.

Abstract: To a bifunctional acrylurethane compound having acrylate groups at its both ends, which is a reaction product of polypropylene glycol, a mixture of 2,2,4-trimethyl-1, 6-diisocyanatohexane and 2,4,4-trimethy1-1, 6-diisocyanatohexane, and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, nematic liquid crystal and a photo-reaction initiator are mixed to obtain a uniformly dissolved mixture, and the mixture undergoes a phase separation treatment by photopolymerization to thereby form a liquid crystal/polymer composite material layer 7 which is utilized for a liquid crystal optical element 1. The phase separation by photo-polymerization improves controllability of the structure of the liquid crystal/polymer composite material layer.