Apparatus and method for creating multiple tilt angles by rubbing the alignment layer applied to thin film transistors and color filter glass plates of a liquid crystal display

• US 5,710,610 A
• Filed: 12/21/1995
• Issued: 01/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Hyun-dae
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Tai V.
• Application Number:
  US08/575,875
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 349/126, 349/129, 349/187, 349/123, 264/340, 428/1, 156/229, 156/324, 430/20
• US Class Current: 349/126
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133761 with different pretilt angles
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133784 by rubbing

Abstract

An apparatus for rubbing the alignment layer applied to a thin film transistor and a color filter glass plate of a liquid crystal display to set the molecular orientation of the liquid crystals includes a cylindrical roll with a round peripheral surface covered by a piled fabric having pile, and a table for supporting the thin film transistor or color filter glass plate. The cylindrical roll is rotated with the pile contacting the alignment layer of the thin film transistor or color filter glass plate while moving the table relative to the cylindrical roll so that the surface of the alignment layer is rubbed. The pile includes a plurality of properly defined sections having alternate short and long pile so as to alternately vary the rubbing strength of the piled fabric against the alignment layer.

Claims

1. An apparatus for rubbing an alignment layer applied to at least one of a thin film transistor and a color filter glass plate of a liquid crystal display to set a molecular orientation of liquid crystals, comprising:

a cylindrical roll with a round peripheral surface covered by a fabric having pile, said pile comprising a plurality of alternate short and long pile sections which provide alternately varied rubbing strengths of said fabric against said alignment layer; and

a table for supporting at least one of said thin film transistor and said color filter glass plate, said cylindrical roll being rotated with said pile contacting said alignment layer of said at least one of said thin film transistor and said color filter glass plate while moving said table relative to said cylindrical roll so that a surface of said alignment layer is rubbed with said alternatively varied rubbing strengths.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the arrangement of said short and long pile is irregular.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the number of said pile sections is at least two.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the number of said pile sections is at least two.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein a rotational speed of said cylindrical roll is related to a moving speed of said table relative to said cylindrical roll.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein a rotational speed of said cylindrical roll is related to a moving speed of said table relative to said cylindrical roll.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the arrangement of said short and long pile is regular.

7. An apparatus for rubbing an alignment layer of a liquid crystal display, comprising:

a roll having a cylindrical surface;

a fabric which covers said cylindrical surface and includes pile having a plurality of sections, wherein pile contained in each section has different length from pile contained in the other sections, and said sections are arranged regularly.

8. A method of rubbing an alignment layer of a liquid crystal display, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a roll having a cylindrical surface covered with a fabric having pile, said pile being divided into at least two alternate sections, one of said sections containing pile of a first length and the other of said sections containing pile of a second length different than said first length; and

moving said alignment layer and said roll relative to each other, said roll rotating while contacting said alignment layer with said pile of said roll to rub said alignment layer with varying strengths.