With Particular Non-zero Angle Between Polarization Axis And Orientation Direction Patents (Class 349/99)
  • Patent number: 5734455
    Abstract: A color liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate having a surface on which a transparent electrode and a first aligning film covering the transparent electrode are arranged, a second substrate having an electrode arranged to oppose the first substrate, and a second aligning film covering the electrode, the electrode having a plurality of pixels formed on its inner surface, and the pixels being formed in an area opposing the transparent electrode, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates and having an initial aligned state in which liquid crystal molecules are aligned in a predetermined direction by the first and second aligning films, a polarizing member arranged outside the first substrate such that the polarization axis of the polarizing member crosses an aligning direction of liquid crystal molecules adjacent to the first aligning film at an angle other than a right angle, and a reflecting member, arranged on the second substrate side, for reflecting light w
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsushi Yoshida, Shinichi Shimomaki
  • Patent number: 5730899
    Abstract: An optically anisotropic film comprising a liquid crystal composition having twisted nematic alignment, characterized in that the helical axis of twisted nematic alignment is substantially parallel to the direction normal to the film plane, and the liquid crystal composition shows a cholesteric phase, contains at least one liquid crystal oligomer selected from the linear or cyclic liquid crystal oligomers (A) such as obtained from reaction of a vinyl monomer having a specific cholesterol group and pentamethylcyclopentasiloxane, and is defined by the fact that when the thickness of the film is represented by d (.mu.m) and the helical pitch of the twisted nematic phase is represented by P (.mu.m), d.gtoreq.3.times.P and P.ltoreq.0.3 .mu.m or P.gtoreq.0.8 .mu.m, wherein when the numbers of the recurring units (I) and (II) in one molecule of the liquid crystal oligomer (A) are supposed to be n and n', respectively, n and n' are each an integer of 1 to 20 and satisfy the relations of 4.ltoreq.n+n'.ltoreq.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
    Inventors: Toshihiro Ohnishi, Kayoko Ueda, Masato Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 5724115
    Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid crystal device comprising a liquid crystal cell filled with a liquid crystal material capable of exhibiting a smectic phase, said cell including upper and lower substrates each having in order an electrode and an orientation film in contact with the liquid crystal material, a cross angle .THETA. formed by the orientation treatment directions of the orientation films is 180.degree.-.delta. or 360.degree.-.delta. (0.degree.<.delta..ltoreq.90.degree.). Also disclosed is a process for preparing the above-mentioned liquid crystal device comprising treating the orientation films and preparing the liquid crystal cell so as to have the orientation treatment directions of the orientation films form the cross angle .THETA. within the above range in the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: Mitsui Petrochemical Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukari Sakai, Mitsuko Nagai, Hideo Hama
  • Patent number: 5724112
    Abstract: A color liquid crystal display device including a transparent first substrate having an inner surface and at least one transparent electrode formed thereon, and an insulating second substrate having an inner surface arranged to oppose the inner surface of the first substrate and at least one electrode formed on the inner surface of the second substrate. A liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between the inner surfaces of the first and second substrates and has a predetermined initial aligned state. A polarizing member is arranged on a first substrate side of the liquid crystal layer, and at least one retardation plate is provided for coloring light which emerges from the liquid crystal display. The retardation plate is arranged between the liquid crystal layer and the polarizing member such that an optical axis of the retardation plate with respect to a transmission axis of the polarizing member is not parallel to or perpendicular to the transmission axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsushi Yoshida, Zenta Kikuchi, Hisashi Aoki
  • Patent number: 5719650
    Abstract: A light modulator is described which generates an output optical field from an input optical field. The light modulator features first and second polarization-rotating elements which are directly attached to one another. Each element contains an array of pixels including liquid crystals aligned along a specific axis. During operation, the pixels are biased to rotate the liquid crystals. For a particular polarization, the phase and amplitude profiles of the input optical field passing through the pixel array can be arbitrarily and independently controlled across an aperture of the light modulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Marc M. Wefers, Keith A. Nelson
  • Patent number: 5718839
    Abstract: The liquid crystalline material of the present invention comprises a compound represented by the following structural formula (1), compounds represented by the structural formulas (1) and (2), compounds represented by the structural formulas (1) and (3), or compounds represented by the structural formulas (1), (2) and (3) in an amount of 90% by weight or more of the total amount of liquid crystalline components contained therein: ##STR1## wherein R represents a linear alkyl group, C.sub.n H.sub.2n+1 in which n is 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, A represents --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 -- or direct bond (--) without --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --, and B represents --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 -- or direct bond (--) without --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --. Further, under the above conditions, the components are blended so that the nematic-isotropic transition temperature of the liquid crystalline material can be 55.degree. C. to 75.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Seiji Tanuma, Takashi Sasabayashi, Takatoshi Mayama
  • Patent number: 5699137
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a liquid crystal display device capable of obtaining a wide viewing angle without coloration caused by a viewing angle. A liquid crystal display cell is disposed between a pair of polarizers, and between the liquid crystal display cell and the pair of polarizers, first optical compensation plates are disposed at the side of the liquid crystal display cell, and second optical compensation plates are disposed at the side of the polarizer. The first optical compensation plates have a refractive index anisotropy in the plane, and the refractive index thereof in the thickness direction is nearly equal to the refractive index of a minimum value in the plane, whereas the second optical compensation plates have no refractive index anisotropy in the plane, the refractive index in the thickness direction is greater than the refractive index in the plane, and a positive phase difference is expressed by inclination from the normal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keiko Kishimoto
  • Patent number: 5684551
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of high display quality and superior sharpness is presented. Large bumps and small bumps made of synthetic resin material are formed on a glass substrate. The bottom diameters of the large bumps and small bumps are defined, for example, at 5 .mu.m and 3 .mu.m, respectively, and their interval is at least, for example, 2 .mu.m or more. Covering these bumps and filling the recesses among the bumps, a smoothing film is formed. On the smoothing film, a reflective metal film made of metal material such as aluminum is formed. This reflective a metal film is formed in plural rows in a longitudinal band form. On the glass substrate, the bumps, smoothing film, and reflective metal film are combined to compose a reflector. An orientation film is formed on the reflective metal film. By the electric field applied in the liquid crystal layer so as to be in the light shielding state when the retardation .DELTA.n.sub.1 d.sub.1 of the liquid crystal cell and the retardation .DELTA.n.sub.2 d.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kozo Nakamura, Seiichi Mitsui, Naofumi Kimura, Tatsuo Uchida, Hidehiro Seki
  • Patent number: 5619356
    Abstract: A reflective liquid crystal display device including: a first substrate; a second substrate; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; electrodes for applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer; a polarizing plate provided on a side of the liquid crystal layer on which the first substrate is provided; a reflective member provided on a side of the liquid crystal layer on which the second substrate is provided; and an optical compensation member provided between the polarizing plate and the liquid crystal layer, wherein the liquid crystal layer has a twist angle in a range of 220.degree. to 260.degree. and a retardation value of 0.5 .mu.m to 0.8 .mu.m, the optical compensation member has a retardation value in a range of 0.15 .mu.m to 0.38 .mu.m, and an angle .beta.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1997
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nakamura Kozo, Mitsui Seiichi, Fukuda Ichiro
  • Patent number: 5583678
    Abstract: A pair of polarizing plates are disposed on two sides of a TN-type liquid crystal cell constituted by a liquid crystal twist-aligned at a twist angle of 80.degree. to 120.degree.. A retardation plate is disposed between one of the polarizing plates and the liquid crystal cell in such a manner that the optical axis of the retardation plate crosses the transmission axis of the adjacent polarizing plate at 45.degree.. The pair of polarizing plates are arranged such that their transmission axes are parallel to each other. The liquid crystal cell is arranged such that the optical axis of the retardation plate crosses the aligning direction of the liquid crystal molecules on the substrate side adjacent to the retardation plate at 45.degree.. A liquid crystal driving circuit is connected to the liquid crystal. This circuit serves to change the voltage applied to the liquid crystal to change the polarized state of light transmitted through the liquid crystal so as to change the color of emerging light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiharu Nishino, Yasushi Nishida, Masayuki Takahashi