Patents by Inventor Yuuichi Nishikouji
Yuuichi Nishikouji has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 7773174Abstract: A wide viewing angle compensation polarizing plate of the invention comprises a laminate comprising an optical film (1) that is formed of an obliquely oriented material exhibiting optically-negative uniaxiality, an anisotropic light-scattering film (2) and a polarizer (3). The wide viewing angle compensation polarizing plate can widen viewing angle characteristics both in the lateral and vertical directions with respect to the direction of the normal to the screen when used in liquid crystal displays.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2005Date of Patent: August 10, 2010Assignee: Nitto Denko CorporationInventors: Kiichi Shimodaira, Hiroyuki Okada, Tatsuya Oosuka, Yuuichi Nishikouji
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Patent number: 7586571Abstract: The present invention provides a composite birefringent member including a first birefringent layer and a second birefringent layer. The second birefringent layer is formed on at least one surface of the first birefringent layer. In the wavelength range from 400 to 800 nm, a value of ?ndx/?nd550 and a value of Rthx/Rth550 of the composite birefringent member as a whole are different from each other. The composite birefringent member satisfies a requirement that the second birefringent layer is formed of a polymer such as polyamide and/or a requirement that ?nd and Rth of the composite birefringent member satisfy formulae (I) and (II) below. As a result, the composite birefringent member allows a liquid crystal display to achieve a wide viewing angle, compensates birefringence of a liquid crystal cell, and does not cause display coloring of the liquid crystal display. ?nd400/?nd550<1 ??(I) Rth400/Rth550>1 ??(II).Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2004Date of Patent: September 8, 2009Assignee: Nitto Denko CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Yoshimi, Yuuichi Nishikouji, Nao Murakami
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Patent number: 7535531Abstract: The present invention provides a birefringent optical film that allows a liquid crystal display to achieve excellent contrast and a wide viewing angle and does not cause coloring of the liquid crystal display. The birefringent optical film includes at least one birefringent A-layer having a property satisfying nya?nza>nxa or nza>nya>nza and at least one birefringent B-layer having a property satisfying nxb?nyb>nzb.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2004Date of Patent: May 19, 2009Assignee: Nitto Denko CorporationInventors: Yuuichi Nishikouji, Hiroyuki Yoshimi, Nao Murakami
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Patent number: 7494689Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a birefringent film that can reduce the amount of a remaining solvent in the birefringent film without degrading appearance uniformity or an alignment in its thickness direction. The method of the present invention for manufacturing an optical film includes the steps of: coating a base with a polymer solution obtained by dissolving a polyimide-containing polymer in a solvent so as to form a coating film; and drying the coating film so as to form a birefringent film, in which the drying step includes at least two stages of drying processes. The drying step preferably include two stages of the drying processes, and a temperature in the former stage of the drying process is preferably lower than a temperature in the latter stage of the drying process. If adding a step of providing the birefringent film with an anisotropy of a refractive index in an in-plane direction, a birefringent film with an optical biaxiality can be manufactured.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2004Date of Patent: February 24, 2009Assignee: Nitto Denko CorporationInventors: Masaki Hayashi, Nao Murakami, Yuuichi Nishikouji, Hiroyuki Yoshimi
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Publication number: 20080303995Abstract: A wide viewing angle compensation polarizing plate of the invention comprises a laminate comprising an optical film (1) that is formed of an obliquely oriented material exhibiting optically-negative uniaxiality, an anisotropic light-scattering film (2) and a polarizer (3). The wide viewing angle compensation polarizing plate can widen viewing angle characteristics both in the lateral and vertical directions with respect to the direction of the normal to the screen when used in liquid crystal displays.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2005Publication date: December 11, 2008Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATIONInventors: Kiichi Shimodaira, Hiroyuki Okada, Tatsuya Oosuka, Yuuichi Nishikouji
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Patent number: 7462381Abstract: A method of manufacturing a birefringent film is provided, by which a birefringent film including a liquid crystal compound birefringent layer and another birefringent layer can be manufactured so as to have a reduced thickness in a reduced number of process steps. In the manufacturing method, a non-liquid crystal polymer birefringent layer that has been subjected to an aligning treatment is used as an alignment layer for a liquid crystal compound. According to the manufacturing method, the process step of separately preparing an alignment layer and the need for the additional alignment layer can be eliminated, thereby allowing the total thickness of the birefringent film to be reduced.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2003Date of Patent: December 9, 2008Assignee: Nitto Denko CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Yoshimi, Yuuichi Nishikouji, Nao Murakami, Masaki Hayashi
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Patent number: 7428029Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical film that is excellent in optical properties and can be produced at low cost. In the optical film formed by laminating a transparent polymer film layer and a birefringent layer of a non-liquid crystalline polymer, the birefringent layer satisfies a condition represented by nx?ny>nz and the in-plane retardation of the transparent polymer film layer is 50 nm or less. In the above formula, nx, ny and nz are the refraction indices in the X-, Y- and Z-axes directions of the birefringent layer, respectively. The X-axis direction is the axial direction in which the refraction index shows a maximum value in the in-plane direction of the birefringent layer, the Y-axis direction is the axial direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction in the plane, and the Z-axis direction is the thickness direction perpendicular to the X- and Y-axes directions.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2003Date of Patent: September 23, 2008Assignee: Nitto Denko CorporationInventors: Nao Murakami, Hiroyuki Yoshimi, Yuuichi Nishikouji, Masaki Hayashi
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Patent number: 7223452Abstract: An optical film, which includes a laminate of a base and a birefringent layer, and which is excellent in adhesiveness between the base and the birefringent layer, is provided. The birefringent layer is formed on the base by: coating a material of the birefringent layer on the base so as to form a coating film; stretching/shrinking the base so as to stretch/shrink the coating film; and solidifying the material of the coating film. The material is dispersed or dissolved previously in a solvent and coated in a form of solution, where the solvent used exhibits solubility with respect to the base, and in the coating step, the solvent is infiltrated into a part of the interior of the base, thereby obtaining an optical film with excellent adhesiveness between the base and the birefringent layer.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2004Date of Patent: May 29, 2007Assignee: Nitto Denko CorporationInventors: Nao Murakami, Yuuichi Nishikouji, Hiroyuki Yoshimi
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Publication number: 20070013843Abstract: A liquid crystal panel that has a high contrast ratio over a wide range and can suppress color shifting effectively is provided. In a liquid crystal panel including between two polarizing plates arranged in a crossed Nicols state a birefringent layer A with nx>ny?nz, a birefringent layer B with nx?ny>nz and a VA-mode liquid crystal cell C, it is set that a wavelength dispersion characteristic (?40(A)) of the birefringent layer A, the birefringent layer B (?40(B)) and (?40(C)) of the liquid crystal cell C satisfy conditions ?40(B)>?40(C)>?40(A) and 1>?40(A). The wavelength dispersion characteristic ?40 represents a ratio of a retardation Re measured with incident light at 430 nm to that measured with incident light at 550 nm, the incident light being inclined by 40° with respect to a normal direction (0°) of a surface of the birefringent layer or a surface of the liquid crystal cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2005Publication date: January 18, 2007Inventors: Yuuichi Nishikouji, Hiroyuki Yoshimi
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Publication number: 20070013844Abstract: A liquid crystal panel that has a high contrast ratio over a wide range and can suppress color shifting effectively is provided. In a liquid crystal panel including between two polarizing plates arranged in a crossed Nicols state a birefringent layer A with nx>ny?nz, a birefringent layer B with nx?ny>nz and a VA-mode liquid crystal cell C, it is set that a wavelength dispersion characteristic (?40(A)) of the birefringent layer A, a wavelength dispersion characteristic (?40(B)) of the birefringent layer B and a wavelength dispersion characteristic (?40(C)) of the liquid crystal cell C satisfy conditions ?40(B)>?40(C)>?40(A) and 1>?40(A). The wavelength dispersion characteristic ?40 represents a ratio of a retardation Re measured with incident light at 430 nm to that measured with incident light at 550 nm, the incident light being inclined by 40° with respect to a normal direction (0°) of a surface of the birefringent layer or a surface of the liquid crystal cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2005Publication date: January 18, 2007Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATIONInventors: Yuuichi Nishikouji, Hiroyuki Yoshimi
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Patent number: 7153547Abstract: The present invention provides a birefringent optical film having a high orientation for easily obtaining a desired retardation value and also a small photoelastic coefficient. The birefringent optical film includes at least two kinds of polymer materials. A total of products of Cn and Wn satisfies a numerical formula (1): ?(Cn×Wn)?30×10?8 cm2/N??(1) where Cn and Wn denote respectively a photoelastic coefficient and a volume fraction of each polymer material, and at least one of the polymer materials of the film has a photoelastic coefficient value of at least 60×10?8 cm2/N.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2003Date of Patent: December 26, 2006Assignee: Nitto Denko CorporationInventors: Yuuichi Nishikouji, Nao Murakami, Masaki Hayashi, Hiroyuki Yoshimi
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Patent number: 7148946Abstract: An optical device including a laminate of cholesteric liquid-crystal layers in which the wavelength ranges of selective reflection of circularly polarized light beams are out of visible light region and which are combined so that circularly polarized light beams transmitted through the cholesteric liquid-crystal layers to be left-handed and right-handed are inverted to each other. A liquid-crystal display apparatus including a vertically aligned liquid-crystal cell, polarizers disposed on opposite surfaces of the liquid-crystal cell, and one or two optical devices defined above and interposed between the liquid-crystal cell and either or each of the polarizers.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2001Date of Patent: December 12, 2006Assignee: Nitto Denko CorporationInventors: Shuuji Yano, Yuuichi Nishikouji
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Patent number: 7128952Abstract: An optical film including a transparent polymer film (b) and a birefringent layer (a) formed of a polymer and laminated above the transparent polymer film (b) is provided. The birefringent layer (a) and the transparent polymer film (b) satisfy the following formula (1), the birefringent layer (a) satisfies the following formulae (2) and (3), and the polymer forming the birefringent layer (a) has a weight-average molecular weight in the range between 10,000 and 400,000 inclusive. ?n(a)>?n(b)×10??(1) 1<(nx?nz)/(nx?ny)??(2) 0.0005??n(a)?0.5??(3) This optical film can prevent the occurrence of iridescence, the occurrence of cracks, and the occurrence of variation in retardation.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2003Date of Patent: October 31, 2006Assignee: Nitto Denko CorporationInventors: Nao Murakami, Yuuichi Nishikouji, Masaki Hayashi, Hiroyuki Yoshimi
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Publication number: 20060182896Abstract: An optical film, which includes a laminate of a base and a birefringent layer, and which is excellent in adhesiveness between the base and the birefringent layer, is provided. The birefringent layer is formed on the base by: coating a material of the birefringent layer on the base so as to form a coating film; stretching/shrinking the base so as to stretch/shrink the coating film; and solidifying the material of the coating film. The material is dispersed or dissolved previously in a solvent and coated in a form of solution, where the solvent used exhibits solubility with respect to the base, and in the coating step, the solvent is infiltrated into a part of the interior of the base, thereby obtaining an optical film with excellent adhesiveness between the base and the birefringent layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 28, 2004Publication date: August 17, 2006Inventors: Nao Murakami, Yuuichi Nishikouji, Hiroyuki Yoshimi
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Publication number: 20060176427Abstract: The present invention provides a composite birefringent member including a first birefringent layer and a second birefringent layer. The second birefringent layer is formed on at least one surface of the first birefringent layer. In the wavelength range from 400 to 800 nm, a value of ?ndx/?nd550 and a value of Rthx/Rth550 of the composite birefringent member as a whole are different from each other. The composite birefringent member satisfies a requirement that the second birefringent layer is formed of a polymer such as polyamide and/or a requirement that ?nd and Rth of the composite birefringent member satisfy formulae (I) and (II) below. As a result, the composite birefringent member allows a liquid crystal display to achieve a wide viewing angle, compensates birefringence of a liquid crystal cell, and does not cause display coloring of the liquid crystal display.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2004Publication date: August 10, 2006Applicant: Nitto Denko CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Yoshimi, Yuuichi Nishikouji, Nao Murakami
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Patent number: 7052747Abstract: The present invention provides a birefringent optical film having a high orientation for easily obtaining a desired retardation value and also a small photoelastic coefficient. The birefringent optical film includes at least two kinds of polymer materials. A total of products of Cn and Wn satisfies a numerical formula (1): ?(Cn×Wn)?20×10?8 cm2/N??(1) where Cn and Wn denote respectively a photoelastic coefficient and a volume fraction of each polymer material, and at least one of the polymer materials of the film has a photoelastic coefficient value of at least 60×10?8 cm2/N, while at least one of the remaining polymer materials has a negative value of photoelastic coefficient.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2003Date of Patent: May 30, 2006Assignee: Nitto Denko CorporationInventors: Yuuichi Nishikouji, Nao Murakami, Tokio Fujita, Hiroyuki Yoshimi
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Patent number: 7054049Abstract: The present invention provides a transparent optical film that has excellent optical characteristics for realizing the uniform retardation distribution and restraining rainbow-colored irregularities. The optical film, which is obtained by laminating a birefringent layer (a) on a transparent film (b), satisfies all the following formulae (I), (II) and (III). ?n(a)>?n(b)×10??(I) 1<(nx?nz)/(nx?ny)??(II) 0.0005??n(a)?0.5??(III) In the above formulae (I), (II) and (III), ?n(a) and ?n(b) denote respectively birefringent indexes of the birefringent layer (a) and the transparent film (b). The signs of nx, ny and nz indicate refractive indexes in an X-axis direction, a Y-axis direction and a Z-axis direction in the birefringent layer (a), respectively.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2003Date of Patent: May 30, 2006Assignee: Nitto Denko CorporationInventors: Nao Murakami, Takashi Yamaoka, Hiroyuki Yoshimi, Yuuichi Nishikouji, Masaki Hayashi
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Publication number: 20060072221Abstract: The present invention provides a birefringent optical film that allows a liquid crystal display to achieve excellent contrast and a wide viewing angle and does not cause coloring of the liquid crystal display. The birefringent optical film includes at least one birefringent A-layer having a property satisfying nya?nza>nxa or nza>nya>nza and at least one birefringent B-layer having a property satisfying nxb?nyb>nzb.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2004Publication date: April 6, 2006Inventors: Yuuichi Nishikouji, Hiroyuki Yoshimi, Nao Murakami
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Publication number: 20060055853Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical film that is excellent in optical properties and can be produced at low cost. In the optical film formed by laminating a transparent polymer film layer and a birefringent layer of a non-liquid crystalline polymer, the birefringent layer satisfies a condition represented by nx?ny>nz and the in-plane retardation of the transparent polymer film layer is 50 nm or less. In the above formula, nx, ny and nz are the refraction indices in the X-, Y- and Z-axes directions of the birefringent layer, respectively. The X-axis direction is the axial direction in which the refraction index shows a maximum value in the in-plane direction of the birefringent layer, the Y-axis direction is the axial direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction in the plane, and the Z-axis direction is the thickness direction perpendicular to the X- and Y-axes directions.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2003Publication date: March 16, 2006Inventors: Nao Murakami, Hiroyuki Yoshimi, Yuuichi Nishikouji, Masaki Hayashi
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Publication number: 20050231839Abstract: An optical film including a transparent polymer film (b) and a birefringent layer (a) formed of a polymer and laminated above the transparent polymer film (b) is provided. The birefringent layer (a) and the transparent polymer film (b) satisfy the following formula (1), the birefringent layer (a) satisfies the following formulae (2) and (3), and the polymer forming the birefringent layer (a) has a weight-average molecular weight in the range between 10,000 and 400,000 inclusive. ?n(a)>?n(b)×10??(1) 1<(nx?nz)/(nx?ny)??(2) 0.0005??n(a)?0.5??(3) This optical film can prevent the occurrence of iridescence, the occurrence of cracks, and the occurrence of variation in retardation.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2003Publication date: October 20, 2005Applicant: Nitto Denko CorporationInventors: Nao Murakami, Yuuichi Nishikouji, Masaki Hayashi, Hiroyuki Yoshimi