Abstract: A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine capable of being normally operated while using an output of a generator driven by the internal combustion engine as a power supply therefor. The system includes a switching circuit for switching a driving current fed to an injector from a main power circuit which uses the output of the generator as a power supply therefor. The switching circuit is controlled by a switch control circuit for which a power supply comprises a control power circuit. The control power circuit includes a storage unit for storing electric power therein, so that the storage unit may be act as a power supply when the output of the main power circuit is reduced, to thereby feed the switch control circuit with a power supply voltage of a level equal to or above an operable level.

Abstract: A functional substrate for controlling pixels, comprising;a) a substrate;b) an insulating film provided on said substrate;c) a stripe-shaped transparent conductive film provided in plurality on said insulating film;d) an opaque conductive film covered with said insulating film, arranged in parallel to said stripe-shaped transparent conductive film, and disposed between two stripe-shaped transparent conductive films adjacent to each other; ande) a contact area at which one of said two stripe-shaped transparent conductive films adjacent to each other and said opaque conductive film are electrically connected.

Abstract: A liquid crystal cell is constituted a pair of substrates each having an electrode thereon and disposed with their faces having the electrode opposite to each other, a spacer and a particulate adhesive disposed to leave a spacing between the substrates, and a liquid crystal disposed to fill the spacing between the substrates. The particulate adhesive is dispersed at a higher density in a region close to a side of the cell than in a central region of the cell, particularly in a direction of unidirectional alignment axis provided to the substrates. By such uneven distribution of the particulate adhesive, undesirable local thickening of the cell side due to movement of liquid crystal molecules during drive can be suppressed.

Abstract: A ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal device having an improved impact resistance and an improved contrast is provided by using a pair of substrates provided with uniaxial alignment axes which are parallel and identical in direction with each other. A ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal is disposed between the pair of substrates so as to assume a higher-temperature alignment state and a lower-temperature alignment state on temperature decrease in its ferroelectric smectic phase placed in a bistable alignment state. The ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal is further placed in the lower-temperature alignment state which is characterized by having an inclination of forming a connected pair of a lightning defect and a hair pin defect coming after the lightning defect.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal element has a ferroelectric liquid crystal with an orientation state represented by .theta.<.alpha.+.delta. wherein .alpha. is a pretilt angle of the ferroelectric liquid crystal, .theta. is a tilt angle, and .delta. is an inclination angle of an Sm*C layer. In another embodiment is a liquid crystal element having a chiral smectic liquid crystal satisfying T.sub.1 /T.sub.2 <2.5 in a first orientation state wherein T.sub.2 is a pulse width threshold values of a portion in a second orientation state adjacent lightning and hairpin defects and T.sub.1 is a pulse width threshold value in a first orientation state of a portion outside of the T.sub.2 portion. In both embodiments, the ferroelectric liquid crystal exhibits at least two stable states in orientation. An angle .theta..sub.a midway between optical axes of these two stable states and the tilt angle .theta. of the ferroelectric liquid crystal satisfy the condition .theta.>.theta..sub.a >.theta./2.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal device comprises a pair of opposite electrodes and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed between the electrodes. At least one of the opposite electrodes is coated with a primer layer and an alignment layer on the primer layer. The alignment layer has a thickness d.sub.2 and is made of a material having a dielectric constant .epsilon..sub.2, and the primer layer has a thickness d.sub.1 and is made of a material having a dielectric constant .epsilon..sub.1 which are greater than d.sub.2 and .epsilon..sub.2, respectively. The ferroelectric liquid crystal is at least one mesomorphic compound represented by the formula R.sub.1 --A.sub.1 --X--A.sub.2 --R.sub.2 wherein A.sub.1 and A.sub.2 respectively denote a 6-membered ring-containing divalent group; X denotes a single bond or a divalent chain group; and R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 respectively denote a branch or linear chain group, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 being the same or different.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal apparatus of the matrix type which includes a display portion provided with separate display areas which are arranged to be independently driven and a method of driving such a ferroelectric liquid crystal apparatus. In the method, dummy signals are applied to signal electrodes of one of the separate display areas while the other display area is being scanned in order to reduce differences in contrast.

Abstract: A liquid crystal apparatus, includes a liquid crystal device comprising a matrix electrode structure including scanning electrodes and data electrodes intersecting each other and forming a pixel at each intersection, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal having a negative dielectric anisotropy disposed between the scanning electrodes and the data electrodes; and means for applying to a pixel on a selected scanning electrode a bipolar pulse for causing a conversion of one optical state to the optical state of the pixel, the bipolar data pulse including a unit pulse of one polarity which has a duration set to be shorter than a minimum value .tau..sub.min of a current response time .tau..sub.0.

Abstract: An optical modulation device includes scanning electrodes and signal electrodes disposed opposite to and intersecting with the signal electrodes, and an optical modulation material disposed between the electrodes, a pixel being formed at each intersection of the electrodes and showing a contrast depending on the polarity of a voltage applied thereto.

Abstract: A display includes a matrix display panel having a first common line and a first data line intersecting to form a picture element for displaying data, with the first common line and the first data line being driven. A line recording head includes a second common line and a second data line for recording the data when the second common line and the second data line are driven. A device drives the first and second data lines by a common data-line drive circuit.

Abstract: An optical modulation device, comprising a) a cell structure including: oppositely spaced electrodes forming a pixel portion where the opposite electrodes face each other and a non-pixel portion where the opposite electrodes do not face each other, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal showing optically bistable states and disposed between the opposite electrodes over the pixel portion and the non-pixel portion; and b) at least one polarizer. The ferroelectric liquid crystal at the non-pixel portion is placed in an orientation state providing one optically stable state, and the angle between an average molecular axis of the ferroelectric liquid crystal in the orientation state and the polarization axis of one of the above mentioned at least one polarizer is smaller than the angle between the average molecular axis and a central axis of orientation of the ferroelectric liquid crystal.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal device comprises a pair of opposite electrodes and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed between the electrodes. At least one of the opposite electrodes is coated with an insulating film having a thickness of 200 .ANG. or larger. The ferroelectric liquid crystal has a capacitance C.sub.LC measured in (nF/cm.sup.2) and a spontaneous polarization PS measured in (nC/cm.sup.2) and the insulating film has a capacitance Ci measured in (nF/cm.sup.2) wherein the magnitudes of C.sub.LC, Ps, and Ci satisfy the relationship ofCi.gtoreq.7.multidot.Ps-C.sub.LC.

Abstract: A driving apparatus includes a scanning driver circuit connected to scanning electrodes and a signal driver circuit connected to signal electrodes. The scanning driver circuit includes: (1) a drive signal voltage generating unit which includes a first signal voltage generating unit for generating a scanning selection signal voltage supplied to a first bus, and a second signal voltage generating unit for generating a scanning nonselection signal voltage supplied to a second bus, (2) a switching circuit unit for selectively supplying the scanning selection signal or the scanning nonselection signal to a scanning electrode, and (3) a switching signal generating unit for supplying a switching control signal to the switching circuit unit.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device, comprises: a pair of opposite electrodes and a ferroelectric liquid crystal showing a first and a second alignment state depending on the direction of an electric field applied thereto and disposed between the opposite electrodes. The ferroelectric liquid crystal is placed in a stated of causing a relaxation such that, when a voltage pulse equal to the threshold is applied between the opposite electrodes, the ferroelectric liquid crystal causes a change in its molecular alignment state from one molecular alignment state toward the other molecular alignment state and continues the change in its molecular alignment state even after the removal of the voltage pulse until the change reaches a saturation in a certain period.

Abstract: An optical modulation device includes scanning electrodes and signal electrodes disposed opposite to and intersecting with the signal electrodes, and an optical modulation material disposed between the electrodes, a pixel being formed at each intersection of the electrodes and showing a contrast depending on the polarity of a voltage applied thereto.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal device comprising a pair of substrates each provided with an electrode thereon, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer disposed between the substrates in a thickness which is thin enough to release the spiral structure of the ferroelectric liquid crystal, wherein the ferroelectric liquid crystal provides two average molecular axis directions forming an angle 2.theta. therebetween, each average molecular axis direction corresponding to one or two stable orientation states of the ferroelectric liquid crystal, the ferroelectric liquid crystal provides two average molecular axis directions forming an angle 2 .circle.H therebetween when voltages exceeding the threshold voltage of the ferroelectric liquid crystal are applied to the ferroelectric liquid crystal, and the ferroelectric liquid crystal provides two average molecular directions forming an angle 2.theta.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a light source; an optical shutter unit comprising a pair of parallel substrates respectively having a plurality of scanning electrodes and a plurality of data electrodes disposed to intersect with each other to form a matrix electrode structure on their opposite surfaces, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed between the pair of substrates so as to form a microshutter at each intersection of the scanning electrodes and data electrodes; an optical system for forming an image at a desired position with light transmitted through the optical shutter unit; a photosensitive member as a medium for recording the thus formed image; a scanning side drive circuit for applying a scanning voltage signal to the plurality of scanning electrodes so as to sequentially select at least one scanning electrode in a prescribed cycle; and a data side drive unit for applying data voltage signals to the plurality of data electrodes in synchronism with said scanning voltage signal.

Abstract: A liquid crystal apparatus, comprising a liquid crystal panel comprising a plurality of scanning lines, and a plurality of picture elements disposed along each of the scanning lines and comprising a ferroelectric liquid crystal; a backlight disposed behind the liquid crystal panel for illuminating the liquid crystal panel, the backlight changing the light quantity emitted therefrom with the elapse of time. The liquid crystal apparatus is so driven that the low level of the light quantity of the backlight is synchronized with a time when a writing signal is applied to picture elements on at least one scanning line.

Abstract: An optical modulation device includes scanning electrodes and signal electrodes disposed opposite to and intersecting with the signal electrodes, and an optical modulation material disposed between the electrodes, a pixel being formed at each intersection of the electrodes so as to provide a matrix of pixels as a whole and having a contrast depending on the polarity of a voltage applied thereto. The device is driven by a method including, in a writing period for writing in the respective pixels on a selected scanning electrode: at least two repeating sets of phases, each set of phases comprising a state-determining phase for determining the contrast of a pixel and an auxiliary phase for not determining the contrast of the pixel.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal device comprises a pair of substrates each provided with an electrode, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed between the pair of substrates. At least one of the pair of substrates has thereon an inorganic oxide layer which has a resistance of 1-10.sup.5 .OMEGA./cm.sup.2 in the direction of the layer thickness and preferably has a pencil hardness of 4H or harder. Because of the provision of the inorganic oxide layer, the ferroelectric liquid crystal device shows good bistability on switching under application of pulse electric fields and yet free of short circuit between the upper and lower electrodes.