Abstract: A polarizing plate comprises a light-scattering polarizing element and a light-absorbing polarizing element. The elements are so arranged that the polarizing transmission axis of the light-scattering polarizing element is essentially parallel to the polarizing transmission axis of the light-absorbing polarizing element. The light-scattering polarizing element has a polarizing layer comprising an optically isotropic continuous phase and an optically anisotropic discontinuous phase.

Abstract: An optical compensatory sheet comprises a cellulose acetate film. The film contains 100 weight parts of cellulose acetate having an acetic acid content of 59.0 to 61.5% and 0.01 to 20 weight parts of an aromatic compound having at least two aromatic rings. The cellulose acetate film has an Re retardation value measured at 550 nm (Re550) in the range of 0 to 200 nm and an Rth retardation value measured at 550 nm (Rth550) in the range of 70 to 400 nm. The cellulose acetate film further has a thickness in the range of 10 to 70 ?m. The optical compensatory sheet is used in a liquid crystal display.

Abstract: A polarizing plate has a polarizing membrane and an optically anisotropic layer formed from liquid crystal molecules. The optically anisotropic layer is formed on the polarizing membrane, or formed on an orientation layer that is formed on the polarizing membrane.

Abstract: An optical compensatory sheet comprises a transparent support and an optically anisotropic layer. The optically anisotropic layer is formed from liquid crystal molecules and monomers having four or more double bonds. The monomers are polymerized to form a polymer in the optically anisotropic layer.

Abstract: An optical compensatory sheet comprises a transparent support and an optically anisotropic layer. The optically anisotropic layer is formed from liquid crystal molecules and monomers having four or more double bonds. The monomers are polymerized to form a polymer in the optically anisotropic layer.

Abstract: The optical compensatory sheet has a transparent support and an optically anisotropic layer formed from liquid crystal molecules aligned in an average inclined angle of less than 5°. The optical compensatory sheet gives the retardation value in plane (Re) in the range of 10 to 1,000 nm and the retardation value along the thickness direction (Rth) in the range of 10 to 1,000 nm.

Abstract: A liquid crystal cell of bend alignment mode or hybrid alignment mode should be optically compensated suitably enough to display an image of high contrast. In the displayed image, change of hue is little, and no inversion of gradation is observed. In a liquid crystal display having a liquid crystal cell of bend alignment mode and a pair of polarizing plates, one of the polarizing plates comprises a polarizing membrane and two optically anisotropic layers. A first optically anisotropic layer is made from discotic compounds oriented in hybrid alignment, and is placed so that a direction giving the maximum refractive index in plane may be essentially at 45° to a transmission axis in plane of the polarizing membrane. The second optically anisotropic layer consists of a cellulose ester film, and is placed so that a direction giving the maximum refractive index in plane may be essentially parallel or perpendicular to a transmission axis in plane of the polarizing membrane.

Abstract: A diffusing film comprises a transparent resin in which scatterers are dispersed. The difference between the refractive index of the transparent resin and that of the scatterers is in the range of 0.04 to 1.5. The scatterers are flat particles having sizes of 0.1 to 50 ?m.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display of OCB mode or VA mode comprises a backlight unit, a backlight-side polarizing plate, a liquid crystal cell of OCB mode or VA mode, and a viewer-side polarizing plate in order. The viewer-side polarizing plate comprises a first transparent protective film, a polarizing membrane, a second transparent protective film and a light-diffusing layer in order. In the liquid crystal display of OCB mode, an optically anisotropic layer is formed from liquid crystal compound on the first transparent protective film. The first transparent protective film is a cellulose acetate film having a Re retardation value of 20 to 70 nm and a Rth retardation value of 100 to 500 nm. The light-diffusing layer comprises transparent resin and transparent fine particles dispersed therein. The transparent resin and the transparent fine particles have refractive indices that are different from each other.

Abstract: A cellulose acetate film is made of a cellulose acetate having an acetic acid content of 59.0 to 61.5%. The film is controlled to have a Re retardation value in the range of 0 to 20 nm, a Rth retardation value in the range of 30 to 70 nm, and a thickness in the range of 10 to 70 nm.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing an optical compensating sheet, comprising a step of simultaneously coating at least two coating solutions on a transparent support, wherein at least one of the coating solutions simultaneously coated in that step contains a liquid crystalline compound and another coating solution contains a surface active agent; an optical compensating sheet obtained by this method; an optical film comprising a support having thereon an optically anisotropic layer formed containing a liquid crystalline compound and a fluoroaliphatic group-containing copolymer containing a repeating unit derived from a fluoroaliphatic group-containing (meth)acrylate monomer and a repeating unit derived from a polyoxyalkylene (meth)acrylate monomer; and a polarizing plate and a liquid crystal display device each using the optical compensating sheet or optical film.

Abstract: The optical compensatory sheet has a transparent support and an optically anisotropic layer formed from liquid crystal molecules aligned in an average inclined angle of less than 5°. The optical compensatory sheet gives the retardation value in plane (Re) in the range of 10 to 1,000 nm and the retardation value along the thickness direction (Rth) in the range of 10 to 1,000 nm.

Abstract: The optical compensatory sheet has a transparent support and an optically anisotropic layer formed from liquid crystal molecules aligned in an average inclined angle of less than 5°. The optical compensatory sheet gives the retardation value in plane (Re) in the range of 10 to 1,000 nm and the retardation value along the thickness direction (Rth) in the range of 10 to 1,000 nm.

Abstract: A polymer film is used as an optical compensatory sheet or a support thereof. The polymer film contains a rod-like compound. The rod-like compound in the form of a solution gives an ultraviolet absorption spectrum. In the spectrum, the wavelength of ?max at the maximum absorption peak is shorter than 250 nm. The spectrum of the rod-like compound is measured when the rod-like compound is in the form of solution. The polymer film has an Rth retardation value of Rth450 measured at the wavelength of 450 nm in the range of 30 to 160 nm. The polymer film also has an Rth retardation value of Rth590 measured at the wavelength of 590 nm in the range of 50 to 200 nm. The values of the Rth450 and Rth590 satisfy the condition of Rth590-Rth450?2 nm.

Abstract: A polarizing plate is provided which includes a polymer film, a polarizer, a polymer substrate, and an optically anisotropic layer containing a liquid crystal compound, laminated in this order, wherein the polarizer has a thickness of 10 to 25 ?m. A liquid crystal display using the polarizing plate shows high display quality without causing light leakage.

Abstract: An optical compensatory sheet comprises a cellulose acylate film. The optical compensatory sheet can also comprises a transparent support and an optically anisotropic layer formed from a liquid crystal compound. The optical compensatory sheet is characterized in that the retardation value in plane measured at the temperature of 20° C. under the relative humidity of 20% is in the range of 97 to 103% based on the retardation value in plane measured at the temperature of 10° C. under the relative humidity of 20%.

Abstract: A diffusion film comprises a transparent substrate and a diffusion layer. The diffusion layer shows a specific scattered light profile measured by a goniophotometer. In the scattered light profile, a ratio of an intensity of scattered light at an angle of 30° to an intensity of transmitted light at an angle of 0° is 0.01 to 0.2%.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a polarizing plate capable of providing a liquid crystal display which is widened in the angle of visibility (in particular, the downward angle of visibility), hardly accompanied by thickening of the thickness of a liquid crystal panel, lowering of contrast due to variation of a visual angle, gradation reverse, black-and-white reverse, and hue variation, by using a light-scattering layer, a polarizer and an optical anisotropic layer comprising a liquid crystal compound, and the polarizing plate of the present invention comprises a polarizer; an optical anisotropic layer containing a liquid crystal compound; and a light-scattering layer containing a light-transmitting resin and a light-transmitting diffusing agent having a refractive index different from that of the light-transmitting resin, wherein the light-transmitting diffusing agent is dispersed in the light-transmitting resin, and liquid crystal display using the same.

Abstract: A diffusing film comprises a transparent resin in which scatterers are dispersed. The difference between the refractive index of the transparent resin and that of the scatterers is in the range of 0.04 to 1.5. The scatterers are flat particles having sizes of 0.1 to 50 &mgr;m.

Abstract: An optical compensatory sheet comprises a transparent substrate, an orientation layer and an optically anisotropic layer in order. The optically anisotropic layer comprises discotic liquid crystal molecules. The orientation layer comprises a denatured polyvinyl alcohol having a hydrocarbon group containing 10 to 100 carbon atoms or a denatured polyvinyl alcohol containing fluorine atoms. The discotic liquid crystal molecules are aligned at an average inclined angle in the range of 50° to 90°. An orientation layer, a liquid crystal display of an STN mode and a method of alignment of discotic liquid crystal molecules are also disclosed.