Color liquid crystal device having thickness controlling layers disposed at non-pixel portions and between adjacent color filters

• US 5,493,429 A
• Filed: 12/17/1993
• Issued: 02/20/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Takiguchi, Yasuyuki, Kanemoto, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Gross, Anita Pellman
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, TAI V
• Application Number:
  US08/168,402
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 359/54, 359/74, 359/68, 359/66, 359/67, 359/82, 359/93, 359/891, 345/88
• US Class Current: 349/106
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13363 Birefringent elements, e.g. for optical compensation

Abstract

A color liquid crystal device comprises: a pair of transparent substrates opposing to each other and having electrodes respectively, a plurality of color filters disposed on an inner surface of one of the substrates, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the substrates, a pair of electrodes disposed on the substrates respectively for applying an electric field to the liquid crystal layer thereby to vary a state of molecular orientation of said liquid crystal layer to perform a light modulation. A thickness of the liquid crystal layer is decreased or increased at an overlapping portion of the color filters than the rest portion of said color filters.

Claims

1. A color liquid crystal device, comprising:

a pair of polarizers opposed to each other and spaced apart from each other;

a pair of transparent substrates disposed on an inner surface of each of said polarizers so as to be opposed to each other;

a liquid crystal layer disposed between said substrates;

a plurality of first color filters disposed on an inner surface of one of said substrates and spaced apart from each other;

a plurality of second color filters each disposed between two of said first color filters adjacent to each other such that each of said second color filters is spaced apart from each of said two adjacent first color filters;

thickness controlling layers each disposed so as to project from a surface of said first and second color filters facing said liquid crystal layer into said liquid crystal layer and to produce a difference in magnitudes of retardation in phase between a portion of said liquid crystal layer constituting a non-pixel portion and another portion of said liquid crystal layer constituting a pixel portion, said non-pixel portion corresponding to each of regions between said first and second color filters, said pixel portion corresponding to each of said first and second color filters, to thereby make a transmittance of said non-pixel portion smaller than that of said pixel portion; and

a pair of electrodes, one of which is disposed on said first and second color filters and said thickness controlling layers and the other of which is disposed on an inner surface of the other of said substrates, for applying an electric field to said liquid crystal layer thereby to vary a state of molecular orientation of said liquid crystal layer to perform a light modulation,

said thickness controlling layers being each disposed on said non-pixel portion.

2. A color liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a polymer film.

3. A color liquid crystal device according to claim 1, further comprising a smoothing layer formed between the thickness controlling layers and the first and second color filters.

4. A color liquid crystal device, comprising:

a pair of polarizers opposed to each other and spaced apart from each other;

a pair of transparent substrates disposed on an inner surface of each of said polarizers so as to be opposed to each other;

a liquid crystal layer disposed between said substrates;

a plurality of first color filters disposed on an inner surface of one of said substrates and spaced apart from each other;

a plurality of second color filters each disposed between two of said first color filters adjacent to each other;

thickness controlling means disposed so as to project from a surface of said first and second color filters facing said liquid crystal layer into said liquid crystal layer and for producing a difference in magnitudes of retardation in phase between portions of said liquid crystal layer constituting non-pixel portions and portions of said liquid crystal layer constituting pixel portions, to thereby make a transmittance of said non-pixel portions smaller than that of said pixel portions;

a pair of electrodes, one of which is disposed on said first and second color filters and said thickness controlling means and the other of which is disposed on an inner surface of the other of said substrates, for applying an electric field to said liquid crystal layer thereby to vary a state of molecular orientation of said liquid crystal layer to perform a light modulation,

said thickness controlling means comprising thickness controlling layers each disposed on said non-pixel portion; and

further comprising a smoothing layer formed between the thickness controlling layers and the first and second color filters.

5. A color liquid crystal device according to claim 4, wherein said substrate comprises a polymer film.