Liquid crystal display device with elastic layer

• US 6,369,865 B2
• Filed: 07/20/1998
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Hinata, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Parker, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US09/117,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20010020985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 49/12, 491/27, 491/38
• US Class Current: 349/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A liquid crystal (L) is sealed in a cell gap to be formed between a pair of transparent substrates (8a), (8b) to constitute a liquid crystal display device (2). Another plastic film (17b) of an input device (3) in which one plastic film (17a) is pressed by a pen (21), etc. under the instruction of the positional information is stacked on the liquid crystal display device (2) across a transparent elastic member (4), and a liquid crystal display device (1) is formed thereby. Both the descriptive durability and the input touch of a film-film type input device are improved at the same time. When the transparent substrates (8a),(8b) are formed of flexible material, the external force is prevented from being applied to the flexible transparent substrates (8a),(8b) easy to be locally deformed by absorbing the external force to be applied to the input device (3) by the transparent elastic member (4).

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a liquid crystal display having a pair of transparent substrates opposite to each other forming a cell gap therebetween and a liquid crystal sealed in the cell gap; and

an input mechanism having a pair of plastic films stacked on each other with a clearance therebetween, one plastic film of which is pressed to display positional information and the other plastic film of which is stacked on said liquid crystal display and a polarizer former of a main body layer laminated on both sides by surface layers positioned between said liquid crystal display and said input mechanism, wherein a transparent elastic member is provided between said liquid crystal display and said other plastic film, said transparent elastic member having a thickness which is not less than 0.5 and not greater than 2 mm and a Young'"'"'s modulus which is not less that 1×

10⁴ N/m² to less than 1×

10⁸ N/m².

2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent elastic member is made of silicone rubber.

3. An electronic device having the liquid crystal display device according to claim 1.

4. A liquid crystal display device having a pair of flexible transparent substrates opposite to each other forming a cell gap and a liquid crystal sealed in the cell gap, comprising:

a transparent elastic member which is arranged on an outer side of one flexible transparent substrate and uniformly covers the flexible transparent substrate;

a transparent covering member to uniformly cover the transparent elastic member; and

a polarizer formed of a main body layer laminated on both sides by surface layers positioned between said transparent covering member and said one flexible transparent substrate, wherein the transparent covering member is an input device having a pair of transparent substrates stacked on each other with a clearance therebetween, and one of the transparent substrates is arranged on the other side of the transparent elastic member so as to uniformly cover said flexible transparent substrate and wherein the transparent covering member is lower in elasticity than the transparent elastic member.

5. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 4, wherein the transparent covering member is a protective plate to protect the flexible transparent substrate.

6. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 4, wherein the transparent elastic member is arranged in contact with the outer side of the one flexible transparent substrate, and the transparent covering member is arranged on an outer side of the transparent elastic member.

7. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 4, wherein the Young'"'"'s modulus of the transparent elastic member is not less that 1×

10⁴ N/m² to less than 1×

10⁸ N/m² and the thickness of the transparent elastic member is not less than 0.5 mm to less than 2 mm.

8. An electronic device having the liquid crystal display device according to claim 4.

9. A display device comprising:

a liquid crystal panel;

an elastic layer disposed on a display area of said visible information display, said elastic layer being substantially transparent;

an input device disposed on said elastic layer, said input device having a first plastic film and a second plastic film disposed on said first plastic film with a gap formed between said first and second plastic film; and

a polarizer formed of a main body layer laminated on both sides by surface layers positioned between said liquid crystal panel and said device, wherein the Young'"'"'s modules of said elastic member is not less than 1×

10⁴ N/m² to less than 1×

10⁸ N/m² and the thickness of the elastic member is not less that 0.5 mm to less than 2 mm.

10. A display device according to claim 9 wherein said polarizer is positioned between said liquid crystal panel and said elastic layer.

11. A display device comprising:

a liquid crystal panel;

an elastic layer disposed on a display area of said visible information display, said elastic layer being substantially transparent;

an input device disposed on said elastic layer, said input device having a first plastic film and a second plastic film disposed on said first plastic film with a gap formed between said first and second plastic films; and

a polarizer formed of a main body layer laminated on both sides by surface layers positioned between said liquid crystal panel and said input device, wherein said elastic layer is made of a material selected from a group consisting of a silicone rubber, an acrylic rubber and a natural rubber,

wherein the thickness of the elastic layer is not less than 0.5 mm to less than 2 mm.

12. A display device according to claim 11 wherein said polarizer is positioned between said liquid crystal panel and said elastic layer.

13. A display device comprising:

a liquid crystal panel having a pair of flexible substrates and liquid crystal sandwiched therebetween;

an elastic layer disposed on a display area of said liquid crystal panel, said elastic layer being sufficiently transparent;

an input device disposed on said elastic layer; and

a polarizer formed of a main body layer laminated on both sides by surface layers positioned between said liquid crystal panel and said input device;

wherein said input device has higher Young'"'"'s modules than that of said elastic member and includes a first plastic film and a second plastic film disposed on said first plastic film with a gap formed between said first and second films;

wherein said elastic layer is made of a material selected from a group consisting of a silicone rubber, an acrylic rubber and a natural rubber; and

wherein the thickness of the elastic member is between 0.5 mm and 2 mm.

14. A display device according to claim 13, wherein said cover member further comprises a polarizer.