Liquid Crystal Process, Composition, Or Product Patents (Class 430/20)
  • Patent number: 8226851
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a liquid-crystalline polymer composition comprising a nanostructured hollow-carbon material and a liquid-crystalline polymer. The nanostructured hollow-carbon material may comprises particles, each particle of which is selected from the group consisting of a particle which is composed of a carbon part and a hollow part and has a structure that the hollow part is entirely enclosed by the carbon part; and a particle which is composed of a carbon part and a hollow part and has a structure that the hollow part is partly enclosed by the carbon part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Harada, Hirokazu Matsui
  • Patent number: 8216649
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid crystal aligning agent which contains a reaction product of at least one selected from the group consisting of a polysiloxane having a structure represented by the following formula (S-1), a hydrolysate thereof and a condensate of the hydrolysate and a compound represented by the following formula (1): (YI in the formula (S-1) is a hydroxyl group, an alkoxyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or an aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, R in the formula (1) is a group having an alkyl group with 4 to 20 carbon atoms, a fluoroalkyl group with 1 to 20 carbon atoms or a cyclohexyl group, or a group having 17 to 51 carbon atoms and a steroid skeleton, and XI in the formula (S-1) and Z in the formula (1) are reacted with each other to form a bond group for bonding the silicon atom in the formula (S-1) to R in the formula (1)).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: JSR Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Akiike, Tsutomu Kumagai, Shoichi Nakata, Kenichi Sumiya, Eiji Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8216489
    Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal compound represented by the following formula having stability to heat, light and so forth, a wide temperature range of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a large optical anisotropy and a suitable elastic constant K33 (K33: bend elastic constant), and further having a suitable and negative dielectric anisotropy and an excellent compatibility with other liquid crystal compounds, and provides a liquid crystal composition including the compound, wherein R1 and R2 are hydrogen, alkyl or the like, ring A1 is trans-1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,4-phenylene or the like, L1 to L4 are hydrogen or fluorine, and at least three of them are fluorine; when the ring A1 is trans-1,4-cyclohexylene or the like, Z1 is a single bond, —(CH2)2— or the like, when ring A1 is 1,4-phenylene, Z1 is —(CH2)2— or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignees: JNC Corporation, Chisso Petrochemical Corporation
    Inventor: Masahide Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8211332
    Abstract: The subject is to provide a liquid crystal composition that satisfies at least one characteristic among characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a low viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a negatively large dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, a high stability to ultraviolet light and a high stability to heat, or that is suitably balanced regarding two or more characteristics. The subject is to provide an AM device that has a short response time, a high voltage holding ratio, a high contrast ratio, a long service life and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignees: JNC Corporation, Chisso Petrochemical Corporation
    Inventors: Norikatsu Hattori, Subaru Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 8206610
    Abstract: A liquid crystal composition is provided that satisfies at least one of characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a negatively large dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, a high stability to ultraviolet light and a high stability to heat, or that is suitably balanced regarding at least two of the characteristics. The crystal liquid display device using the composition is suitable for an AM device that has a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a large contrast ratio, a long service life and so forth, and can be used for a liquid crystal projector, a liquid crystal television and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignees: JNC Corporation, Chisso Petrochemical Corporation
    Inventors: Norikatsu Hattori, Masayuki Saito
  • Patent number: 8202447
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a liquid crystal composition which mixes two or more liquid crystal compounds, namely, a method for producing a liquid crystal composition, including conducting agitation or ultrasonic irradiation of two or more liquid crystal compounds without applying external heat, wherein at least one of the liquid crystal compounds has a melting point higher than 40° C., and a temperature at a start of the agitation or ultrasonic irradiation is not more than 40° C. The production method of the present invention enables a highly reliable, high-quality liquid crystal composition to be produced without the necessity for large-scale equipment such as a pressure reduction apparatus or heating apparatus. Accordingly, this method is extremely practical for the production of liquid crystal compositions that require a high level of reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: DIC Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuki Kurisawa, Kunihiko Kotani
  • Patent number: 8202728
    Abstract: Described herein are substrates coated with crystals having uniform crystalline morphology on the surface of the substrate. The coated substrates are useful in culturing and performing functional assays on cells such as, for example, resorption studies on bone cells. New methods for producing such coated substrates are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Calvin T. Coffey, Charlotte D. Milia, Hongwei H. Rao, Yichun C. Wang, Christine C. Wolcott
  • Patent number: 8197709
    Abstract: The present invention relates to chemical compounds containing five or more benzene rings arranged in a linear manner and two bridging units between these rings, where at least one of these units represents a —CF2O— bridge. The invention additionally relates to liquid-crystalline media and to high-frequency components comprising these media, in particular antennae, especially for the gigahertz range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft mit berschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Lars Lietzau, Werner Binder, Atsutaka Manabe, Helmut Haensel
  • Patent number: 8199290
    Abstract: A display device includes a display panel, a backlight assembly providing a light to the display panel, a receiving container receiving the backlight assembly and a heat sink member disposed between the backlight assembly and the receiving container. The display panel includes a first substrate including a pixel electrode formed on a pixel region and electrically connected to a switching device, a first alignment layer formed on the pixel electrode, a second substrate including a common electrode layer facing the first substrate, a second alignment layer formed on the common electrode layer, and a liquid crystal layer including a liquid crystal composition having a nematic-to-isotropic transition temperature higher than about 80° C. Thus, black bruising of liquid crystal may be prevented and/or reduced, thereby enhancing a display quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Soo-Jeong Huh, Nam-Seok Lee, Won-Gap Yoon, So-Youn Park, Si-Heun Kim
  • Patent number: 8197708
    Abstract: Disclosed are a new dichroic dye having liquid crystal properties and dichroic properties and capable of being used for forming a polarization film with excellent heat resistance, durability, and polarizing properties, a composition including the same for a polarization film, a method for forming a polarization plate with excellent durability using the composition, and a polarization plate prepared thereby. The new dichroic dye has a structure of R1-L1-(M,L,D) (where, D is a dichroic structure, M is a structure with liquid crystal properties, R1 is a reactive end functional group, and L and L1 are linking structures). The composition for a polarization film includes the dichroic dye. In the method for forming the polarization plate, the composition for a polarization film is applied to a substrate and cured to prepare the polarization plate. The polarization plate has excellent dichroic ratio, heat resistance, durability, and polarizing properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong-Il Cho, Jeong-Su Yu, Eun-Kyung Kim, Sin-Young Kim
  • Patent number: 8197995
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an array substrate of a transreflective LCD is provided in the invention. In the method, a gate line, a common line and an embossing pattern are formed with a full tone mask, a data line, a source/drain electrode, a reflective plate and a TFT channel region are formed with a first dual tone mask, and a pixel electrode connected with the drain electrode is formed with a second dual tone mask, and thus a horizontal electric field type transreflective LCD can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Beijing Boe Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young Suk Song, Seung Jin Choi, Seong Yeol Yoo
  • Publication number: 20120135207
    Abstract: A method of forming an image having multiple phases is disclosed herein. The method includes forming exposed and unexposed areas, the exposed areas comprising a first polymer network exhibiting first and second phases that are chemically connected and have different refractive indices, the first phase being continuous, and the second phase comprising a plurality of structures dispersed within the first phase, and the unexposed areas comprising a second polymer network comprising third and fourth phases that are chemically connected and have different refractive indices, the third phase being continuous, and the fourth phase comprising a plurality of structures dispersed within the third phase. The first and second polymer networks are chemically connected, and morphology formed by the first and second phases is different than that formed by the third and fourth phases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Inventors: Mieczyslaw H. Mazurek, Raymond P. Johnston, John E. Potts, Marc D. Radcliffe, Kevin R. Schaffer, Audrey A. Sherman, Wendi J. Winkler
  • Patent number: 8187494
    Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal compound having stability to heat, light and so forth, a wide temperature range of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, and a suitable elastic constant K33, and further having a suitable and negative dielectric anisotropy and an excellent compatibility with other liquid crystal compounds, and a liquid crystal composition having stability to heat, light and so forth, a low viscosity, a large optical anisotropy, a suitable and negative dielectric anisotropy, and a suitable elastic constant K33, a low threshold voltage, a high maximum temperature (phase-transition temperature on a nematic phase-isotropic phase) of a nematic phase, and a low minimum temperature of the nematic phase. The liquid crystal compound which has a specific structure having fluorine at a lateral position and also having phenylene in which hydrogen on the benzene ring is replaced by fluorine, and a liquid crystal composition containing the compound are prepared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignees: JNC Corporation, Chisso Petrochemical Corporation
    Inventors: Masahide Kobayashi, Teru Shimada
  • Patent number: 8187491
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes an illuminator and a liquid crystal panel for performing displaying by using light which is emitted from the illuminator. The liquid crystal panel includes a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer provided therebetween. The liquid crystal layer is formed of a liquid crystal material which contains molecules having at least one of a carbon-carbon triple bond and a polycyclic group. The illuminator includes a light source causing primary generation of at least blue light, among other light which is used for displaying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Miyachi
  • Patent number: 8182716
    Abstract: Disclosed is a novel liquid crystal compound, a liquid crystal composition comprising the same, and an optical film using the same liquid crystal composition. More particularly, there is provided a liquid crystal material of a viewing angle compensation film with high quality characteristics, which can improve a contrast ratio and minimize variations in color with viewing angles in a black state, a liquid crystal composition comprising the same liquid crystal material, and a compensation film obtained from the same liquid crystal composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-Ho Cheong, Min-Jin Ko, Myung-Sun Moon, Bum-Gyu Choi, Dae-Ho Kang, Ki-Youl Lee, Yun-Bong Kim
  • Patent number: 8182717
    Abstract: A liquid crystal composition is provided that satisfies at least one of the characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a large optical anisotropy, a large dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, a high stability to ultraviolet light and a high stability to heat, or is properly balanced regarding at least two characteristics. An AM device is provided that has a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a large contrast ratio, a long service life and so forth. The liquid crystal composition having a negative dielectric anisotropy contains a first component having especially negatively large dielectric anisotropy, a second component having a large negative dielectric anisotropy and a low minimum temperature, a third component having a high maximum temperature or a small viscosity. The liquid crystal display device contains the liquid crystal composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignees: JNC Corporation, Chisso Petrochemical Corporation
    Inventor: Masayuki Saito
  • Patent number: 8178172
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a first display panel and a second display panel facing each other; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first display panel and the second display panel and including pre-tilted liquid crystal molecules and a first compound derived from a reactive mesogen; and an alignment layer positioned between the first display panel and the second display panel, wherein the alignment layer includes a polyimide derived from a composition including a dianhydride-based compound, and a compound represented by the following Chemical Formula 1. In the above Chemical Formula 1, R1 is a substituted or non-substituted C1-C8 alkyl group, R2 is a substituted or non-substituted C8-C30 alkyl group, and A1 is a functional group including a substituted or non-substituted aliphatic ring and a substituted or non-substituted aromatic ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hoon Kim, Chong-Uk Bang, Min-Jae Kim, Jae-Jin Lyu
  • Patent number: 8178171
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid crystal display utilizing a vertically aligned state of liquid crystal molecules when no voltage is applied and to a method of manufacturing the same. The invention is aimed at providing a liquid crystal display and a method of manufacturing the same in which the existing step for forming vertical alignment films can be omitted to achieve a cost reduction. The liquid crystal display includes a monofunctional monomer having a structure expressed by X—R (where X represents an acrylate group or a methacrylate group, and R represents an organic group having a steroid skeleton). A liquid crystal material is sandwiched between substrates which is then irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cure the monofunctional monomer, thereby forming a polymer film at an interface of a substrate. The monofunctional monomer has a hydrophobic skeleton such as an alkyl chain and a photoreactive group on one side of the skeleton.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo Kataoka, Hideaki Tsuda, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Jin Hirosawa, Seiji Tanuma, Yoshio Koike
  • Publication number: 20120105772
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate having a reflective region and a transmissive region, a second substrate corresponding to the first substrate, and a liquid crystal structure located between the first substrate and the second substrate, the liquid crystal structure including a first liquid crystal layer located in the reflective region and a second liquid crystal layer located in the transmissive region, wherein the first liquid crystal layer is configured to control movement of the second liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventors: Jae-Ik Lim, Jae-Hyun Kim, Gee-Bum Kim
  • Patent number: 8168080
    Abstract: An identifying medium comprises a nematic liquid crystal layer for forming a latent image with gradation, and the nematic liquid crystal layer has a thickness distribution corresponding to the gradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Hoshino, Itsuo Takeuchi, Shinya Nasubida
  • Patent number: 8168083
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electro-optical light-modulation element of the FFS type, and to electro-optical displays and display systems, such as, for example, television screens and computer monitors, which contain elements of this type. The light-modulation elements according to the invention contain a liquid-crystalline modulation medium which has optimised elastic constants and are distinguished, in particular, by high contrast and/or optimised transmission in addition to good contrast, a low viewing-angle dependence, short response times and low addressing voltages. The present invention likewise relates to the liquid-crystalline modulation media used in the electro-optical light-modulation elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft MIT Beschraenkter Haftung
    Inventors: Mark Goebel, Markus Czanta
  • Patent number: 8168082
    Abstract: A liquid crystalline coating solution which comprises: an azo compound represented by the following general formula (I); and a solvent to dissolve the azo compound: wherein Q1 is a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted naphthyl group; Q2 is a substituted or unsubstituted phenylene group or a substituted or unsubstituted naphthylene group; m is an integer from 1 to 5; and M is a counter ion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Shoichi Matsuda, Kyoko Nishiguchi, Tadayuki Kameyama
  • Patent number: 8168084
    Abstract: Polar nematic compounds, one example of which has the following structure: is a caged boron structure, where the sphere of the caged boron structure is C and each non-sphere vertex of the caged boron structure is B—H. R is H, an alkyl, a cycloalkyl, a bicycloalkyl, an alkenyl, a cycloalkenyl, a bicycloalkenyl, an alkynyl, an acyl, an aryl, an alkylaryl, a halogen, a cyano group, or an isothiocyanoto group, or R is a group that forms an ether, a ketone, an ester, a thioester, a sulfide, or a sulfone. X is COOR? or COSR?. R? is H, an alkyl, a cycloalkyl, a bicycloalkyl, an alkenyl, a cycloalkenyl, a bicycloalkenyl, an alkynyl, an aryl, a halogen, or a cyano group. The compounds may be used in liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and in television sets, laptop computers, computer monitors, hand-held communication devices, gaming devices, watches, cash registers, clocks, and calculators having liquid crystal displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Vanderbilt University
    Inventors: Bryan Ringstrand, Piotr Kaszynski
  • Patent number: 8168081
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of dielectrically negative, polar compounds which comprises at least one compound of the formula I in which the parameters have the meanings indicated in claim 1, to the use thereof in an electro-optical display, particularly in an active-matrix display based on the VA, ECB, PALC, FFS or IPS effect, and to displays of this type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Melanie Klasen-Memmer, Georg Bernatz, Izumi Saito, Matthias Bremer, Lars Lietzau, Volker Reiffenrath
  • Patent number: 8163200
    Abstract: The invention relates to liquid-crystalline compounds of the formula I in which R1, R2, A1, A2, A3, A4, Z1, Z2, Z3, V, a, b and c have the meanings indicated in Claim 1, and to liquid-crystalline media comprising at least one compound of the formula I, and to electro-optical displays containing a liquid-crystalline medium of this type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft MIT Beschraenkter Haftung
    Inventors: Lars Lietzau, Markus Czanta, Atsutaka Manabe, Kai Jaehrling
  • Patent number: 8163199
    Abstract: A method for alignment treatment of a substrate for a liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes the steps of: forming an alignment film including a plurality of molecules with curable parts on a substrate; applying an electrical field on the substrate to rotate the curable parts; and curing the curable parts such that the curable parts are cured along a first direction. A manufacturing method of the LCD device is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Chimei Innoloux Corporation
    Inventors: Han Lang Lee, Shu Hao Hsu, Cheng-Hsu Chuang
  • Patent number: 8158020
    Abstract: A liquid crystal element comprising a pair of transparent substrates, a liquid crystal layer which fills in between the pair of substrates and can form a chiral smectic C phase in homeotropic orientation, and an electrode which generates, at least, an electric field (parallel electric field) in directions parallel to a principal face of the substrate for the liquid crystal layer is provided, wherein the liquid crystal layer comprises, at least, a chiral compound of the following general formula (1-I) or a chiral compound of the following general formula (2-I) and a chiral compound of the following general formula (2 -II) in a base liquid crystal material which can provide a phase sequence of an isotropic liquid phase, a nematic phase, a smectic A phase and a smectic C phase from a higher temperature side, wherein R1, A2, Z1, Z2, m and 1 in formula (1-I), X, R1, R2, and * in formula (2-I), and X, R3, R4, R5, and * in formula (2-II) are defined in the specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohei Takano, Hiroyuki Sugimoto, Toshiaki Tokita, Koh Fujimura, Yasuyuki Takiguchi, Yumi Matsuki, Haruki Amagawa, Toshiaki Nonaka
  • Patent number: 8158023
    Abstract: Disclosed are a biaxial liquid crystal compound, a liquid crystal composition comprising the same, and an optical film using the same liquid crystal composition. More particularly, there is provided a liquid crystal material of a viewing angle compensation film with high quality characteristics, which can improve a contrast ratio and minimize variations in color with viewing angles in a black state, a liquid crystal composition comprising the same liquid crystal material, and a compensation film obtained from the same liquid crystal composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-Ho Cheong, Min-Jin Ko, Myung-Sun Moon, Bum-Gyu Choi, Dae-Ho Kang, Ki-Youl Lee, Yun-Bong Kim
  • Patent number: 8158024
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate; a second substrate facing the first substrate; a pair of field generating electrodes disposed on at least one of the first and the second substrates; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and the second substrates; wherein the liquid crystal layer includes a liquid crystal composition including a polar compound, the polar compound including a compound represented by Formula 1: wherein A represents X is a halogen, R1 is a substituted or unsubstituted C1-C10 alkyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted C1-C10 alkoxy group and R2 is a C1-C5 alkyl group or a C1-C5 alkoxy group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joon-Hyung Park, Jin-Lak Kim, Jeong-Uk Heo, Seong-Nam Lee, Jang-Hyun Kim
  • Patent number: 8158021
    Abstract: A polymerizable liquid crystal compound shown by the following formula (I), a polymerizable liquid crystal composition that includes the polymerizable liquid crystal compound and a chiral compound polymerizable with the polymerizable liquid crystal compound, a liquid crystalline polymer obtained by polymerizing the polymerizable liquid crystal compound or the polymerizable liquid crystal composition, and an optical anisotropic article that includes the liquid crystalline polymer. The polymerizable liquid crystal compound shows a liquid crystal phase over a wider temperature range, is chemically stable, can be inexpensively produced, and has a wide selective reflection wavelength band ?? (i.e., a large value ?n).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Sakamoto, Naoto Kogoshi, Yoshihide Yachi
  • Patent number: 8153021
    Abstract: Disclosed are: a liquid crystal composition which satisfies at least one property selected from a high upper limit temperature in a nematic phase, a low lower limit temperature in a nematic phase, a low viscosity, high optical anisotropy, high dielectric anisotropy, a high specific resistance, high stability against ultraviolet ray, high stability against heat and the like or has a proper balance between at least two properties selected from the above-mentioned properties; and an AM element having a short response time, a high voltage holding ratio, a high contrast ratio, a long service life and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignees: JNC Corporation, Chisso Petrochemical Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Kibe, Masayuki Saito
  • Publication number: 20120081652
    Abstract: A liquid crystal alignment process comprises steps of: providing a first substrate and a second substrate to form a liquid crystal accommodating space therebetween; pouring a liquid crystal composition into the liquid crystal accommodating space, the liquid crystal composition comprising liquid crystal molecules, a first monomer material, and a second monomer material; applying a voltage difference to the first and second substrates for arranging the liquid crystal molecules at a pre-tilt angle; and exposing the liquid crystal composition by mixed multi-spectrum rays for polymerizing the first monomer material and the second monomer material to form at least one type of liquid crystal alignment polymer on opposite surfaces of the first and second substrates. The liquid crystal alignment process is capable of improving the efficiency of exposure procedure, reducing time to manufacture products, and is capable of solving the problems of high costs and waste pollution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: CHUNGHWA PICTURE TUBES, LTD.
    Inventors: CHUN-WEI SU, Jan-tien Lien
  • Publication number: 20120077115
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal between substrates and alignment layers disposed on the inner surface sides of the substrates. The alignment layer is made from a material including polyamic acid containing a diamine component and polyimide containing a diamine component different from the diamine component of the polyamic acid. The alignment layer is subjected to alignment treatment by irradiation of light. UV light can be irradiated in the oblique direction onto the alignment layer through a mask having openings. A reflecting plate can be arranged between a UV light source and the mask. Also, bank structures having a thickness from 0.1 to 0.15 ?m can be provided on the alignment layer of the TFT substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideo Chida, Hidefumi Yoshida, Yasutoshi Tasaka
  • Patent number: 8139184
    Abstract: An LCD device includes a reflective area in each pixel. A reflection film having a convex-concave surface is provided in the reflective area, film in cross section configuration is formed. Each pixel includes a pixel electrode and a common electrode for applying a lateral electric field on a LC layer. The inclination angle of the reflection film has an inclination angle distribution, wherein the angle component in an area corresponding to the electrodes has a lower angle distribution than the angle components in an area corresponding to a gap between adjacent two of the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: NLT Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichirou Naka, Michiaki Sakamoto, Hiroshi Nagai, Kenichi Mori
  • Patent number: 8137583
    Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal compound having stability to heat, light and so forth, a wide temperature range of the nematic phase, a small viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a suitable dielectric anisotropy and an excellent compatibility with other liquid crystal compounds. The invention also provides a liquid crystal composition containing this liquid crystal compound and a liquid crystal display device containing this liquid crystal composition. The compound is represented by formula (a). Ra is, for example, alkyl having 1 to 10 carbons, and Rb is, for example, alkenyl having 2 to 10 carbons; La is, for example, hydrogen; and Z1, Z2 and Z3 are, for example, a single bond. The liquid crystal composition comprises this compound. The liquid crystal display device comprises this liquid crystal composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignees: JNC Corporation, Chisso Petrochemical Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Kubo, Teru Shimada
  • Patent number: 8133410
    Abstract: The invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition that satisfies at least one characteristic among the characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a large optical anisotropy, a large dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, a high stability to ultraviolet light and a high stability to heat, or that is suitably balanced concerning at least two characteristics. The invention is to provide an AM device that has a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a large contrast ratio, a long service life and so forth. The invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition having a nematic phase that contains a specific five-membered ring compound having a large optical anisotropy and a large dielectric anisotropy as a first component and a specific compound having a small viscosity as a second component, and a liquid crystal display device containing the composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignees: JNC Corporation, Chisso Petrochemical Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Saito, Shigeru Kibe
  • Patent number: 8133409
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes preparing at least a first substrate, coating an alignment material on at least the first substrate, aligning a main chain of the alignment material in a predetermined direction, and irradiating polarized ultraviolet (UV) rays onto the alignment material whose main chain has been aligned in the predetermined direction to form an alignment layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Su Hyun Park
  • Publication number: 20120052421
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a polymer film with the photonic crystal structure includes a mixing step for at least mixing an achiral liquid crystal (LC), a chiral dopant, a monomer and a photo initiator together to form an LC-monomer mixture, at least one exposure step for exposing the LC-monomer mixture through a mask, at least one diffusion step for diffusing the monomer from the area around one of the exposure areas to the exposure area, and a LC removing step for removing the achiral LC to form the polymer film. By implementing the diffusion step after the exposure step, the polymerization rate of the monomers is enhanced so as to increase the proportion of the polymer in the polymer film and raise the imprint rate of chirality. Therefore, the polymer film can reveal stronger photonic crystal structure and property of Bragg reflection when it is not filled with any fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventor: Jui-Hsiang LIU
  • Patent number: 8123977
    Abstract: Disclosed is a copolymer for liquid crystal alignment having a photoreactive group, a mesogen group, a thermosetting group, and a crosslinking group, a liquid crystal aligning layer including the copolymer for liquid crystal alignment, and a liquid crystal display including the liquid crystal aligning layer. Since the liquid crystal aligning layer has excellent thermal stability and no residual image, the liquid crystal aligning layer is usefully applied to the liquid crystal display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong Hyun Oh, Kyung Jun Kim, Jung Ho Jo, Hye Ran Seong, Sang Kook Kim, Byung Hyun Lee
  • Patent number: 8119026
    Abstract: The invention relates to a birefringent layer having negative optical dispersion, a liquid crystal (LC) medium for its preparation, and the use of the birefringent layer and the LC media in optical, electrooptical, electronic, semiconducting or luminescent components or devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Owain Llyr Parri, Kevin Adlem, Karl Skjonnemand, David Wilkes
  • Patent number: 8114310
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid-crystal (LC) display of the PSA (polymer sustained alignment) type, and to novel polymerisable compounds and novel LC media for use in PSA displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Georg Bernatz, Andreas Taugerbeck, Matthias Bremer, Achim Goetz
  • Patent number: 8105501
    Abstract: A liquid-crystal display includes a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite the first substrate, and a plurality of pixel areas formed on the first substrate, where each pixel area has red, green, blue, and white sub-pixel areas. Red, green and blue color filter layers are disposed on the red, green and blue sub-pixel areas, respectively, and an overcoat layer is disposed over the red, green and blue color filter layers, where a portion of the overcoat layer forms a white color filter layer in the white sub-pixel area. The overcoat layer is formed from a UV-curable liquid pre-polymer material, which includes monomers each having a mono-functional group, and at least a di-functional group or a tri-functional group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin Wuk Kim, Tae Joon Song, Yeon Heui Nam, Seong Pil Cho
  • Patent number: 8101249
    Abstract: A retardation layer that includes regions causing different retardations can be manufactured easily. A retardation substrate includes a substrate and a solidified liquid crystal layer supported by the substrate. The solidified liquid crystal layer includes first to third regions. The first to third regions re arranged on the substrate and different in degree of orientation of mesogens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sosuke Akao, Yuji Kubo, Masashi Aimatsu, Takao Taguchi
  • Patent number: 8092710
    Abstract: A method of making a chromonic structure comprises (a) preparing a first aqueous mixture comprising (i) a continuous water-soluble polymer phase and (ii) a discontinuous chromonic phase comprising a chromonic material, to form chromonic nanoparticles; (b) non-covalently crosslinking the resulting chromonic nanoparticles with a multivalent cation salt; (c) dispersing the resulting crosslinked chromonic nanoparticles in a water-soluble polymer phase to form a chromonic nanoparticle dispersion; and (d) preparing a second aqueous mixture comprising (i) the chromonic nanoparticle dispersion and (ii) a continuous chromonic phase comprising a chromonic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Sanat Mohanty, Hassan Sahouani, Cristin E. Moran
  • Patent number: 8092711
    Abstract: A liquid crystal compound having a good durability against light, a polymerizable liquid crystal composition and an optically anisotropic material are provided. Further, an optical element having a good durability against light and an optical information writing/reading device employing such an element are provided. The liquid crystal compound is represented by a general formula CH2?CR1—COO-(L)k-E1-E2-(E3)m-R2. E1 is preferably a trans-2,6-decahydronaphthalene group and E2 is preferably a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group. A phase difference plate 4 produced by employing the compound has a good durability against light, and accordingly, it is possible to achieve an optical head device employing a blue laser as a light source 1 and being suitable for large capacity writing/reading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Satoshi Okada, Makoto Hasegawa, Hiroshi Kumai
  • Patent number: 8092871
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes: a liquid crystal layer containing a nematic liquid crystal material; a pair of electrodes opposing each other via the liquid crystal layer; a pair of alignment films respectively provided between the pair of electrodes and the liquid crystal layer; and an alignment sustaining layer formed of a photopolymerized material on each of surfaces of the pair of alignment films which are closer to the liquid crystal layer, the alignment sustaining layer being configured to regulate a pretilt azimuth of a liquid crystal molecule of the liquid crystal layer during the absence of an applied voltage across the liquid crystal layer, wherein the pretilt azimuth of the liquid crystal molecule of the liquid crystal layer is regulated by the alignment sustaining layer during the absence of an applied voltage across the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kentaro Usui, Seiji Tanuma, Kazutaka Hanaoka, Kimiaki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8092872
    Abstract: An optical film includes a transparent support; and a hardcoat layer that is a layer formed by curing a coating solution containing (A) an octa- to pentadeca-functional urethane (meth)acrylate-based compound having a molecular weight of 800 to 2,000 and having two or more urethane bonds in its molecule, and a photopolymerization initiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Shunichi Kondo, Osamu Sawanobori
  • Patent number: 8075959
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) panel includes a liquid crystal (LC) layer interposed between top and bottom substrates. The LC layer includes a plurality of LC compounds and a stabilization-aligned polymer polymerized from a plurality of polymerizable monomers and formed on at least one surface of the top substrate or the bottom substrate. The plurality of LC compounds comprise first, second, and third LC compounds in which the third LC compound is selected from the group consisting of a compound 3A, a compound 3B, a compound 3C, and combinations thereof. As seen from the chemical formulae, the plurality of LC compounds have condensed rings so that sensitivity to light and heat is reduced and reliability of the LCD panel is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corp.
    Inventors: Chung-Ching Hsieh, Yang-Chu Lin, Chia-Hsuan Pai, Te-Sheng Chen, Norio Sugiura
  • Patent number: 8070982
    Abstract: A liquid crystal-containing composition includes a microcapsule. In the microcapsule, a liquid crystal is encapsulated by a shell material component containing polyurea. Monomer components included in the polyurea include a polyisocyanate component, a high molecular weight polyamine component and a low molecular weight polyamine component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Hiji, Takeo Kakinuma, Chikara Manabe, Tadayoshi Ozaki
  • Patent number: 8066906
    Abstract: A polymerizable compound represented by general formula (1): wherein A represents a ring assembly composed of at least two 6-membered rings each optionally having a substituent; X1 and X2 each represent a (meth)acryloyloxy group; and Y1 and Y2 each independently represent a single bond, an optionally branched alkylene group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, an ether linkage, —COO—, —OCO—, a 6-membered ring optionally having a substituent, a naphthalene ring optionally having a substituent, or a combination thereof; the substituent being a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a nitrile group, an optionally branched alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, an optionally branched alkoxy group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or an optionally branched alkenyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, wherein the alkyl, alkoxy, or alkenyl group may have its —CH2— moiety replaced with a sulfur atom or an oxygen atom and may have its hydrogen atom replaced with a halogen atom or a nitrite group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Adeka Corporation
    Inventors: Masatomi Irisawa, Mineki Hasegawa