TRANSFLECTIVE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY UNIT

• US 20090237600A1
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NLT Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies Limited (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Naka, Kenichirou, Mori, Kenichi, Nagai, Hiroshi, Sakamoto, Michiaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,194,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/114
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133555 Transflectors

Abstract

A LCD unit includes a reflective area and a transmissive area in each pixel, which are driven by respective drive electrode assemblies. A first substrate and a second substrate that sandwich therebetween a LC layer include respective shied films in the boundary area between the reflective area and the transmissive area.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display (LCD) unit comprising a liquid crystal (LC) cell including a LC layer and first and second substrates sandwiching therebetween said LC layer, said LC cell defining an array of pixels each including a reflective area and a transmissive area, wherein:

said second substrate includes, in said transmissive area, a first electrode assembly that drives said LC layer in said transmissive area, and includes, in said reflective area, a reflection film and at least a part of a second electrode assembly that drives said LC layer in said reflective area; and

said first and second substrates include first and second light shield members, respectively, at a boundary between said reflective area and said transmissive area and in a vicinity of said boundary, said second shield member shielding at least a space between said first electrode assembly and said second electrode assembly as viewed perpendicular to said substrates.

2. The LCD unit according to claim 1, wherein said first electrode assembly drives LC molecules in said LC layer in said transmissive area by a lateral electric field, and said shield member of said second substrate underlies said first electrode assembly and said at least a part of said second electrode assembly in said second substrate.

3. The LCD unit according to claim 1, wherein said first and second electrode assemblies each drive LC molecules in said LC layer by a lateral electric field, and said shield member of said second substrate underlies said first and second electrode assemblies in said second substrate.

4. The LCD unit according to claim 3, wherein said first and second electrode assemblies each include a pixel electrode and a common electrode, and are driven by respective drive signals that have an inverted ON-OFF relationship therebetween.

5. The LCD unit according to claim 3, wherein said first and second electrode assemblies are each configured by a transparent film.

6. The LCD unit according to claim 1, wherein said shield member is configured by a metallic film having a surface treated for reduction of reflectance or a resin film that includes therein carbon additives.

7. The LCD unit according to claim 1, wherein said second substrate includes a gate signal line, a common-electrode line and a data signal line that underlie said reflection film, and said shield member of said second substrate is configured by a pile of at least two films selected from the group consisting of said reflection film, gate signal line, common-electrode line and data signal line.

8. The LCD unit according to claim 7, wherein said shield member of said second substrate includes a pile of said reflection film and gate signal line, a pile of said reflection film and data signal line, or a pile of said reflection film and common-electrode line.

9. The LCD unit according to claim 1, wherein said reflection film underlies said second electrode assembly in said second substrate, and said shield member of said second substrate underlies said reflection film.

10. The LCD unit according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of said first electrode assembly is configured by a transparent film, and said shield member of said second substrate ranges between an edge of said reflection film and a position of said transmissive area which is 4 μ

m or more apart in a direction opposite to said reflective area from an edge of said transparent film nearest to said reflective area.

11. The LCD unit according to claim 1, wherein said first and second electrode assemblies each include a transparent film, and said shield member of said second substrate ranges between an edge of said reflection film and a position of said transmissive area which is 4 μ

m or more apart in a direction opposite to said reflective area from an edge of said transparent film in said transmissive area nearest to said reflective area.