Liquid crystal cell, display device, and method of fabricating liquid crystal cell with special fill ports

• US 6,678,029 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2001
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Shunji
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Robert H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rude, Timothy L
• Application Number:
  US09/907,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20020012094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 349/154, 349/189, 349/190
• US Class Current: 349/154
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1339 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1341 Filling or closing of cells

Abstract

Bubbles mixed in liquid crystal injected into a liquid crystal cell are pushed out through an outlet. The outlet has a space secured to a maximum limit by an extended sealing portion reaching the outer peripheral end surfaces of substrates, and a step with a color filter is formed. The pushed-out bubbles are surely trapped by the space of the outlet. In a replenishing port for replenishing liquid crystal, an introduction spacer having a height equal to that of the color filter is provided, and by a capillary phenomenon, liquid crystal for replenishment can be smoothly introduced into the liquid crystal cell.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal cell, in which two substrates are united with a sealing portion extended in a peripheral direction thereof interposed therebetween, and

liquid crystal is filled in a space surrounded by the two substrates and the sealing portion, wherein first and second openings communicating with the space filled with the liquid crystal are formed on at least one side face of the liquid crystal cell,

the first opening has a step portion formed by an end portion of a color filter positioned within an outer boundary of the sealing portion with a region adjacent to the step portion surrounded by the sealing portion, and a first gap positioned adjacent to the step portion formed between the two substrates in the region surrounded by the sealing portion, and

the second opening has a second gap substantially equal to the first gap between the two substrates in the region surrounded by the sealing portion.

2. The liquid crystal cell according to claim 1, wherein the first and second openings are disposed in two side faces of the liquid crystal cell adjacent to each other.

3. The liquid crystal cell according to claim 1, wherein the first and second openings are disposed in a corner portion of the liquid crystal cell and in a middle portion of a side face in contact with the corner portion to be separated from each other.

4. A display device comprising:

a liquid crystal cell including liquid crystal filled between two substrates and a color filter provided in any one of the substrates; and

a backlight unit provided in a backside of the liquid crystal cell to irradiate the liquid crystal cell,

wherein the liquid crystal cell includes;

an outlet for discharging bubbles from the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal cell, and

a replenishing port in a side face of the liquid crystal cell for replenishing the liquid crystal cell with liquid crystal by use of a capillary phenomenon, and

the replenishing port includes an introduction portion continuous to the color filter, a surface thereof being positioned on the same plane as that of the color filter.

5. The display device according to claim 4, wherein the introduction portion is provided to be protruded outside more than the replenishing port.

6. The display device according to claim 4, wherein the introduction portion is made of the same material as that of the color filter.

7. A liquid crystal cell comprising:

two substrates separated from each other by a predetermined gap;

a sealing portion extended, between the two substrates, along the inside more than an outer peripheral end portion of each of the substrates by a specified dimension, and opened in a peripheral direction of each of the substrates in a predetermined position;

a wall portion formed around an opened portion of the sealing portion to reach the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate from the sealing portion;

an opening defined by the two substrates and a pair of the wall portions;

liquid crystal filled in a region surrounded by the sealing portion between the two substrates, wherein the opening includes bubble trapping means for preventing bubbles mixed in the liquid crystal having entered the opening from the region surrounded by the sealing portion from returning to the region surrounded by the sealing portion; and

a replenishing port formed in the sealing portion extending into the predetermined gap between the substrates and including an introduction spacer protruding beyond an outer boundary of the sealing portion by a predetermined distance.

8. The liquid crystal cell according to claim 7, wherein as the bubble trapping means, a step portion is formed in the opening.

9. The liquid crystal cell according to claim 7, wherein as the trapping means, a recessed portion is formed in a portion having the opening formed therein.

10. The liquid crystal cell according to claim 7 further comprising:

a dummy color filter formed in an outer peripheral portion of a color filter positioned within the predetermined gap between the substrates.

11. The liquid crystal cell according to claim 10, wherein the opening includes a notch formed in the dummy color filter.

12. The liquid crystal cell according to claim 7 further comprising:

a dummy color filter formed in an outer peripheral portion of a color filter positioned within the predetermined gap between the substrates and superposed on the portion, wherein the introduction spacer of the replenishing portion is continuous to the color filter.