Liquid crystal device
First Claim
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1. A liquid crystal device for controlling certain characteristics of light from a light source incident thereon comprising:
- first and second transparent substrates;
a liquid crystal material sandwiched between the substrates;
a transparent electrode supported by the first substrate;
a grid including parallel electrical conductors supported by the second substrate adjacent the liquid crystal material, where the spacing between adjacent conductors in said grid is sufficiently small in relation to the wavelength of the incident light that the grid acts as a polarizer which transmits through it a substantial portion of light polarized along a first plane, and reflects from it a substantial portion of light polarized along a second plane; and
second light polarizer positioned between the first substrate and the light source.
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Abstract
A liquid crystal device (22) is disclosed which employs a wire grid (24) as a polarizer, a mirror and an electric field electrode. A twisted nematic liquid crystal display device is described which employs the wire grid (24) in place of the rear electrode (15), polarizer (19) and mirror (20) to provide a display which is less complicated and has better contrast and resolution than that of prior art displays.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A liquid crystal device for controlling certain characteristics of light from a light source incident thereon comprising:
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first and second transparent substrates; a liquid crystal material sandwiched between the substrates; a transparent electrode supported by the first substrate; a grid including parallel electrical conductors supported by the second substrate adjacent the liquid crystal material, where the spacing between adjacent conductors in said grid is sufficiently small in relation to the wavelength of the incident light that the grid acts as a polarizer which transmits through it a substantial portion of light polarized along a first plane, and reflects from it a substantial portion of light polarized along a second plane; and second light polarizer positioned between the first substrate and the light source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A high-contrast, low-parallax liquid crytal display device for responding to incident light from a light source, said device comprising:
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first and second transparent substrates; a liquid crystal material sandwiched between the substrates; a transparent electrode supported on said first substrate; an absorbing-type polarizer positioned adjacent to said first substrate and between the light source and said first substrate; a grid including parallel electrical conductors supported by said second substrate and in contact with said liquid crystal material, where the spacing between adjacent conductors in said grid is sufficiently small in relation to the wavelength of the incident light so that the grid acts as a polarizer which transmits through it a substantial portion of light polarized along a first plane, and as a mirror which reflects a substantial portion of light polarized along a second plane; and connection means for making electrical connections to one or more of the grid conductors whereby these conductors are a second electrode. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A high-contrast liquid crystal display device operated with back-illumination provided by a light source and responding to incident light from said source, said device comprising:
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first and second transparent substrates; a liquid crystal material sandwiched between the substrates; a transparent electrode supported on said first substrate; a grid including parallel electrical conductors supported by the second substrate adjacent the liquid crystal material, where the spacing between adjacent conductors in said grid is sufficiently small in relation to the wavelength of the incident light that the grid acts as a polarizer which transmits through it a substantial portion of light polarized along a first plane, and as a mirror which reflects from it a substantial portion of light polarized along a second plane; and said light source positioned behind said second substrate such that said second substrate is between said light source and said grid.
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Specification