Liquid crystal panel

• US 20040191428A1
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Display Technologies Corporation (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Tanuma, Seiji, Tsuda, Hideaki, Koike, Yoshio
• Granted Patent: US 7,279,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/544 as dispersing or encapsulating medium around the liquid crystal
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2019/548 stabilizing the alignment; Polymer stabilized alignment
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/00 Functional layers of liquid crystal optical display excluding electroactive liquid crystal layer characterised by chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/02 Alignment layer characterised by chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/03 Viewing layer characterised by chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133368 Cells having two substrates with different characteristics, e.g. different thickness or material
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133703 by introducing organic surfactant additives into the liquid crystal material
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133742 for homeotropic alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133788 by light irradiation, e.g. linearly polarised light photo-polymerisation
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1347 Arrangement of liquid crystal layers or cells in which the final condition of one light beam is achieved by the addition of the effects of two or more layers or cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/29 for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection

Abstract

A liquid crystal panel is provided that has a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a pair of substrates, wherein the liquid crystal layer comprises a liquid crystal and a cross-linked resin, the cross-linked resin comprises a cross-linked structural part adhered to a liquid crystal layer contacting surface and a terminal part rising from the liquid crystal layer contacting surface, and at least one of three conditions: the outer surface of at least one substrate is curved; a liquid crystal layer contacting surface is curved; and the thickness of one of the substrates is not more than ½ of the thickness of the other substrate, is satisfied. It is possible to obtain a liquid crystal panel having increased freedom in the appearance, device weight reduction, simplified structure, etc. by improving the outer and/or inner surfaces of the device.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal panel having a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a pair of substrates, wherein:

said liquid crystal layer comprises a liquid crystal and a cross-linked resin;

said cross-linked resin comprises a cross-linked structural part adhered to a liquid crystal layer contacting surface (adhered, cross-linked structural part) and a terminal part rising from the liquid crystal layer contacting surface (rising terminal part); and

the outer surface of at least one substrate is curved.

3. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein said liquid crystal layer contacting surface is curved.

4. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein said liquid crystal panel has a filter layer, and said liquid crystal layer contacting surface is the surface of the filter layer or the surface of an electrode or electrodes installed in contact with the filter layer.

8. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of one of said substrates is not more than ½

of the thickness of the other substrate.

10. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of at least one of said substrates is in the range of from 100 to 500 μ

m.

12. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein the material of one of said substrates is different from that of the other substrate.

14. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 12, wherein said substrates comprise a glass substrate and a plastic substrate.

16. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein said liquid crystal tilts while the tilting direction is regulated by uneven parts or slits of an electrode or electrodes when voltage is applied.

18. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein said panel does not have an alignment control film.

20. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein said liquid crystal has a negative dielectric anisotropy.

22. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein said liquid crystal layer is formed by cross-linking, in the presence of a liquid crystal, a resin composition comprising one or more first compounds having a cross-linkable structural part, and a hydrophobic terminal part with a straight-chain section having three or more carbon atoms (hydrophobic, long-chain terminal part).

24. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 22, wherein said cross-linkable structural part of the one or more first compounds comprises a polar-group structural part.

26. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 24, wherein at least one compound represented by formula (1) or (2) below is included as the one or more first compounds,

28. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 26, wherein said one or more first compounds comprise a second compound with a cross-linkable structural part and substantially without a hydrophobic, long-chain terminal part.

30. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 28, wherein at least one compound selected from the group consisting of the compounds represented by formulae (3) to (6) below is included as the second compound,

32. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 30, wherein at least one compound selected from the group consisting of the compounds represented by formulae (7) to (10) below is included as the second compound,

2. A liquid crystal panel having a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a pair of substrates, wherein:

said liquid crystal layer comprises a liquid crystal and a cross-linked resin;

said cross-linked resin comprises a cross-linked structural part adhered to a liquid crystal layer contacting surface (adhered, cross-linked structural part) and a terminal part rising from the liquid crystal layer contacting surface (rising terminal part); and

said liquid crystal layer contacting surface is curved.

5. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 2, wherein said liquid crystal panel has a filter layer, and said liquid crystal layer contacting surface is the surface of the filter layer or the surface of an electrode or electrodes installed in contact with the filter layer.

6. A liquid crystal according to claim 2, wherein said curved surface of the liquid crystal layer contacting surface is composed of a plurality of concavities and convexities.

9. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of one of said substrates is not more than ½

of the thickness of the other substrate.

11. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of at least one of said substrates is in the range of from 100 to 500 μ

m.

13. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 2, wherein the material of one of said substrates is different from that of the other substrate.

15. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 13, wherein said substrates comprise a glass substrate and a plastic substrate.

17. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 2, wherein said liquid crystal tilts while the tilting direction is regulated by uneven parts or slits of an electrode or electrodes when voltage is applied.

19. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 2, wherein said panel does not have an alignment control film.

21. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 2, wherein said liquid crystal has a negative dielectric anisotropy.

23. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 2, wherein said liquid crystal layer is formed by cross-linking, in the presence of a liquid crystal, a resin composition comprising one or more first compounds having a cross-linkable structural part, and a hydrophobic terminal part with a straight-chain section having three or more carbon atoms (hydrophobic, long-chain terminal part).

25. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 23, wherein said cross-linkable structural part of the one or more first compounds comprises a polar-group structural part.

27. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 25, wherein at least one compound represented by formula (1) or (2) below is included as the one or more first compounds,

29. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 27, wherein said one or more first compounds comprise a second compound with a cross-linkable structural part and substantially without a hydrophobic, long-chain terminal part.

31. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 29, wherein at least one compound selected from the group consisting of the compounds represented by formulae (3) to (6) below is included as the second compound,

33. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 31, wherein at least one compound selected from the group consisting of the compounds represented by formulae (7) to (10) below is included as the second compound,

7. A liquid crystal panel having a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a pair of substrates, wherein:

said liquid crystal layer comprises a liquid crystal and a cross-linked resin;

said cross-linked resin comprises a cross-linked structural part adhered to a liquid crystal layer contacting surface (adhered, cross-linked structural part) and a terminal part rising from the liquid crystal layer contacting surface (rising terminal part); and

the thickness of one of said substrates is not more than ½

of the thickness of the other substrate.

34. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 7, wherein the thickness of at least one of said substrates is in the range of from 100 to 500 μ

m.

35. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 7, wherein the material of one of said substrates is different from that of the other substrate.

36. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 35, wherein said substrates comprise a glass substrate and a plastic substrate.

37. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 7, wherein said liquid crystal tilts while the tilting direction is regulated by uneven parts or slits of an electrode or electrodes when voltage is applied.

38. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 7, wherein said panel does not have an alignment control film.

39. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 7, wherein said liquid crystal has a negative dielectric anisotropy.

40. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 7, wherein said liquid crystal layer is formed by cross-linking, in the presence of a liquid crystal, a resin composition comprising one or more first compounds having a cross-linkable structural part, and a hydrophobic terminal part with a straight-chain section having three or more carbon atoms (hydrophobic, long-chain terminal part).

41. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 40, wherein said cross-linkable structural part of the one or more first compounds comprises a polar-group structural part.

42. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 41, wherein at least one compound represented by formula (1) or (2) below is included as the one or more first compounds,

43. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 42, wherein said one or more first compounds comprise a second compound with a cross-linkable structural part and substantially without a hydrophobic, long-chain terminal part.

44. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 43, wherein at least one compound selected from the group consisting of the compounds represented by formulae (3) to (6) below is included as the second compound,

45. A liquid crystal panel according to claim 44, wherein at least one compound selected from the group consisting of the compounds represented by formulae (7) to (10) below is included as the second compound,

46. Cancelled