Abstract: A jointing structure comprising multiple steps provided face to face at the coaxially built traveling path ends with an expansion gap between, multiple elastic members respectively mounted inside the multiple steps, and a joint block mounted on the multiple elastic members across the expansion gap. Multiple supporting blocks and one or more than one intermediate joint block are mounted inside the multiple steps with the joint block between. The multiple supporting blocks, the joint block and the one or more than one intermediate joint block are of concrete. The elastic members are joined together across the expansion gap. The elastic member on one side is fixed to the inside of the step on one side and then subjected to deformation toward the bridge girder axis, and thereafter, the elastic member on the other side is fixed to the inside of the step on the other side.

Abstract: A jointing structure comprising multiple steps provided face to face at the coaxially built traveling path ends with an expansion gap between, multiple elastic members respectively mounted inside the multiple steps, and a joint block mounted on the multiple elastic members across the expansion gap. Multiple supporting blocks and one or more than one intermediate joint block are mounted inside the multiple steps with the joint block between. The multiple supporting blocks, the joint block and the one or more than one intermediate joint block are of concrete. The elastic members are joined together across the expansion gap. The elastic member on one side is fixed to the inside of the step on one side and then subjected to deformation toward the bridge girder axis, and thereafter, the elastic member on the other side is fixed to the inside of the step on the other side.

Abstract: An optically active compound of the general formula (1), wherein n is an integer of 4 to 8, X is -Ph-COO-Ph-Ph-, -Ph-Ph-COO-Ph-, -Ph-OC-Ph-Ph-, -Ph-Ph-OC-Ph-, -Ph-Ph-Ph-, -Cy-COO-Ph-Ph-, -Ph-Ph-OC-Cy-, -Ph-OC-Ph-COO-Ph-, -Ph-OC-Cy-COO-Ph-, -Ph-OC-Np-COO-Ph-, -Np-OC-Ph- or -Ph-COO-Np- in which -Ph- is a 1,4-phenylene group, -Cy- is a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group and -Np- is a 2,6-naphthylene group, and C* is an asymmetric carbon, and a nematic liquid crystal composition containing the above optically active compound. According to the present invention, there is provided a nematic liquid crystal composition containing the optically active compound having a helical twisting power (HTP) of 10 or more and giving a chiral dopant for a nematic liquid crystal, which chiral dopant has a property that the pitch of its induced helix decreases in length with an increase in temperature.

Abstract: An optically active compound containing 5,5′,6,6′,7,7′,8,8′-octahydro-1,1′-bi-2-naphthol of the general formula (1) as an asymmetric source, wherein n is an integer of 1 to 10, Y is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, a phenyl group substituted with an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a phenyl group substituted with an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, X is a single bond (—), —OOC— or —OCH2—, and each of A and B is a substituent formed by specifically combining rings selected from cyclohexane, benzene, pyrimidine, naphthalene, dioxane, etc.

Abstract: An optically active compound of the following general formula (1), wherein A is —C≡C— or —COO—, each of R1 and R2 is independently CnH2n+1—, (C2H5)2CHCH2C*H(CH3)OOC—, CmH2m+1C*H(CH3)OOC— or C6H5C*H(CH3)OOC— in which n is an integer of 2 to 5, m is an integer of 5 to 9, C6H5— is phenyl group, and C* is an asymmetric carbon, provided that there is no case where R1 and R2 are together CnH2n+1— or C6H5C*H(CH3)OOC— and that when both R1 and R2 are CmH2m+1C*H(CH3)OOC—, m in CmH2m+1C*H(CH3)OOC— represented by R1 and m in CmH2m+1C*H(CH3)OOC— represented by R2 may be different integers. The optically active compound of the present invention is excellently valuable as a chiral dopant since it has properties that its helical twisting power (HTP) is at least 9, that a helical pitch induced decreases with an increase in temperature and further that its birefringence (&Dgr;n) is large.

Abstract: An optically active compound containing 5,5′,6,6′,7,7′,8,8′-octahydro-1,1′-bi-2-naphthol of the general formula (1) as an asymmetric source, 1

Abstract: An optically active compound of the general formula (1) useful as a chiral dopant, and use thereof for a liquid crystal composition, the above optically active compound having a remarkably large helical twisting power (HTP) of as large as 50 or more and having a property that the helical pitch induced decreases in length with an increase in temperature, so that the optically active compound has an excellent value as a chiral dopant for a nematic liquid crystal.

Abstract: An optically active compound of the general formula (1) useful as a chiral dopant, and use thereof for a liquid crystal composition, 1

Abstract: An optically active compound of the following general formula (1), 1

Abstract: A fluorine-substituted compound of the following general formula (1) or (2), and a ferrielectric liquid crystal composition comprising the above compound and a specific ferrielectric liquid crystal compound, wherein, in the formula (1), each of X1 and X2 is a hydrogen atom, or one of them is a hydrogen atom and the other is a fluorine atom, p is an integer of 0 to 3 and q is an integer of 1 to 3, and in the formula (2), each of X1 and x2 is a hydrogen atom, or one of them is a hydrogen atom and the other is a fluorine atom, p is an integer of 1 to 3 and q is an integer of 1 to 3.

Abstract: An anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal composition containing a phenyl triester compound of the formula (1), wherein R1 is a linear alkyl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, m is an integer of 0 to 3, n is an integer of 1 to 3, and X1 is a hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom, and an anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal compound of the formula (2),  wherein R2 is a linear alkyl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, X2 is a hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom, A is —CH3 or —CF3, r is 0 or 1 and C* is an asymmetric carbon, provided that when A is —CH3, r is 0 and p is an integer of 4 to 10, that when A is —CF3 and when r is 0, p is an integer of 6 to 8, and further than when A is —CF3 and when r is 1, q is an integer of 5 to 8 and p is 2 or 4.

Abstract: A two-rings-containing phenyl ester compound of the following general formula (1), ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is a linear alkyl group having 5 to 12 carbon atoms, R.sup.2 is a linear alkyl group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms, X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 are both hydrogen atoms or one of X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 is a fluorine atom and the other is a hydrogen atom, Y.sup.1 and Y.sup.2 are both hydrogen atoms or one of Y.sup.1 and Y.sup.2 is a fluorine atom and the other is a hydrogen atom, and A.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom, --CH.sub.3 or --CF.sub.3, provided that when A.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom or --CH.sub.3, p is 0 and that when A.sup.1 is --CF.sub.3, p is 1 and q is an integer of 5 to 8, and an anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal composition containing at least one of two-rings-containing phenyl ester compounds of the above general formula (1) in claim 1 and either an anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal compound or a mixture of anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal compounds.

Abstract: A liquid crystal compound represented by the following general formula (1): ##STR1## wherein R is a linear alkyl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, X and Y are both a hydrogen atom, or one of them is a hydrogen atom and the other is a fluorine atom, m is an integer of 0 to 5, n is an integer of 1 to 5, and C* is an asymmetric carbon atom. Since the liquid crystal compounds of the present invention have an anti-ferroelectric phase or a ferrielectric phase and the anti-ferroelectric phase or a ferrielectric phase has a highly practical phase sequence and wide temperature range, they are of great industrial value.

Abstract: Provided are an anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal composition consisting essentially of (a) a swallow-tailed compound of the formula (1), (b) an anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal compound of the formula (2), and (c) a phenyl ester compound of the formula (3), and a liquid crystal display device using the composition, ##STR1## The above anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal composition has an anti-ferroelectric phase in a broad temperature range, has a high response time I in the transition from an anti-ferroelectric state to a ferroelectric state and a proper response time II in the transition from a ferroelectric state to an anti-ferroelectric state, and can therefore provide an anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal display device having high display quality.

Abstract: A racemic compound of the formula (1) ##STR1## and an anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal composition consisting essentially of said racemic compound and one anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal compound of the formula (2) or a mixture of two or more compounds selected from anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal compounds of the formula (2), ##STR2## said composition having excellent steepness of threshold, having an anti-ferroelectric phase over a broad temperature range and having the performance of a high response speed and a high contrast.

Abstract: A racemic compound of the formula (1) ##STR1## and an anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal composition consisting essentially of said racemic compound and one anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal compound of the formula (2) or a mixture of two or more compounds selected from anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal compounds of the formula (2), ##STR2## said composition of the present invention, exhibiting a small spontaneous polarization and a fast response so that a display device having a high display quality can be achieved.

Abstract: A swallow-tailed compound of the following general formula (1), ##STR1## wherein m is an integer of 4 to 10, n is an integer of 2 to 6, p is 0 or 1 and each of X and Y is independently a hydrogen or fluorine atom; and a ferrielectric liquid crystal composition consisting essentially of the swallow-tailed compound of the general formula (1) and a ferrielectric liquid crystal compound of the following general formula (2), ##STR2## wherein R is a linear alkyl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, Z is a hydrogen or fluorine atom, r is an integer of 2 to 4 and s is an integer of 2 to 4. The ferrielectric liquid crystal composition has a ferrielectric phase in a broad temperature range and attains a fast response and a large tilt angle in a broad temperature range so that a ferrielectric liquid crystal display device having high display qualities can be provided.

Abstract: ?I! An optically active compound of the formula (1), ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is a linear alkyl group, each of X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 is a hydrogen atom or one of X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 is a hydrogen atom and the other is a fluorine atom, each of Y.sup.1 and Y.sup.2 is a hydrogen atom or one of Y.sup.1 and Y.sup.2 is a hydrogen atom and the other is a fluorine atom, m is an integer of 3 to 10, and C* is an asymmetric carbon atom,?II! an anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal composition consisting essentially of the optically active compound of the above formula (1) and a compound of the formula (2), ##STR2## and ?III! a ferrielectric liquid crystal composition consisting essentially of the optically active compound of the formula (1) and a compound of the formula (3).

Abstract: A process for the production of a phenol derivative of the formula (2), which comprises subjecting a diester compound of the formula (1) in which a hydroxyl group is protected by an acyl group, to a reaction for removal of protection, wherein the reaction is carried out in the presence of an aliphatic amine as a protection-removal agent, ##STR1## wherein X is hydrogen or fluorine, Y is --CH.sub.3 or --CF.sub.3, Q is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, p is 0 or 1, m is an integer of 2 to 7, n is an integer of at least 1, and C* is an asymmetric carbon,the process enabling to obtain the phenol derivative of the formula (2) useful as an intermediate for a liquid crystal compound with ease and at high purity.

Abstract: A liquid crystal compound of the formula (1) ##STR1## wherein R is a linear alkyl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms,both X and Y are hydrogen atoms or one of X and Y is a fluorine atom and the other is a hydrogen atom,A is --CF.sub.3 or --C.sub.2 F.sub.5,m is an integer of 2 to 4,n is an integer of 2 to 4, andC* is an asymmetric carbon,having a ferrielectric phase in its phase sequence, or a ferrielectric liquid crystal composition containing the liquid crystal compound of the formula (1) having a ferrielectric phase, may be injected between substrates provided with nonlinear active elements, such as thin film transistors or diodes formed on each pixel, to form an active matrix liquid crystal display device.