Method of producing polarizing plate, and liquid crystal display comprising the polarizing plate

• US 6,954,240 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2004
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Inventors: Tsuchimoto, Kazuki, Sugino, Youichirou, Kusumoto, Seiichi, Hamamoto, Eiji, Kondou, Senri
• Primary Examiner(s): Lebentritt, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): LINDSAY JR, WALTER LEE
• Application Number:
  US10/921,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20050019505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 349/96, 349/122, 349/158, 349/117, 349/187
• US Class Current: 349/96
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/031 Polarizer or dye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3033 in the form of a thin sheet or foil, e.g. Polaroid
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers

Abstract

A polarizing plate produced according to the present invention includes a polarizing film and a protective layer bonded to a surface of the polarizing film, where the protective layer has no irregularities like record grooves caused by stretching of the polarizing film, so that the polarizing plate with an improved appearance provides clear images even when reflected light is applied. Such a polarizing plate is produced by laminating a protective layer on at least one surface of a polarizer while limiting moisture content of the polarizer to a range from 5% to 30%. A value for the moisture content is obtained by a calculation based on an equation of moisture content (%)=[(A−B)/B]×100, when A denotes weight of the polarizer before bonding and B denotes weight of the polarizer after being kept in a dryer of 120° C. for seven hours.

Claims

1. A method of producing a polarizing plate comprising a polarizer and a protective layer bonded to at least one surface of the polarizer, wherein moisture content of the polarizer is in a range from 5% to 30% when the protective layer is bonded to the polarizer,

wherein a surface roughness of the polarizing plate in a direction perpendicular to the stretching direction is 0.04 μ

m or less on the basis of the centerline average roughness, and wherein the polarizing plate has transmittance of at least 35% and a polarization degree of at least 90%, and

wherein the moisture content of the polarizer is in a range from 15% to 30% when the protective layer is bonded to the polarizer,

provided that the moisture content is obtained by a calculation based on an equation of moisture content (%)=[(A−

B)/B]×

100, where A denotes a weight of the polarizer before bonding and B denotes a weight of the polarizer after being kept in a dryer of 120°

C. for seven hours.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the protective layer is bonded to the polarizer through an adhesive layer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polarizer is prepared by stretching a hydrophilic polymer film while dyeing the hydrophilic polymer film in a dye bath containing a dye selected from the group consisting of dichroic iodine and dichroic dyestuff and crosslinking in a crosslinking bath containing a crosslinking agent.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the hydrophilic polymer film is a polyvinyl alcohol-based film.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a reflecting plate is additionally laminated.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a semitransparent reflecting plate is additionally laminated.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a retardation plate (X plate) is additionally laminated in order to cope with elliptically or circularly polarized light.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a viewing angle compensating plate is additionally laminated.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a brightness enhancement film is additionally laminated through either an adhesive or a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein surface roughness of the polarizing plate in a direction perpendicular to the stretching direction is 0.03 μ

m or less on the basis of the centerline average roughness.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein surface roughness of the polarizing plate in a direction perpendicular to the stretching direction is 0.01 μ

m or less on the basis of the centerline average roughness.

12. A liquid crystal display comprising a liquid crystal cell and a polarizing plate bonded to at least one surface of the liquid crystal cell,

wherein the polarizing plate comprises a protective layer bonded to at least one surface of a polarizer when moisture content of the polarizer is in a range from 5% to 30%,

wherein a surface roughness of the polarizing plate in a direction perpendicular to the stretching direction is 0.04 μ

m or less on the basis of the centerline average roughness, and

wherein the polarizing plate having transmittance of at least 35% and a polarization degree of at least 90% comprises a protective layer bonded to at least one surface of a polarizer, when moisture content of the polarizer is in a range from 15 to 20%,

provided that the moisture content is obtained by a calculation based on an equation of moisture content (%)=[(A−

B)/B]×

100, where A denotes a weight of the polarizer before bonding and B denotes a weight of the polarizer after being kept in a dryer of 120°

C. for seven hours.

13. The liquid crystal display according to claim 12, wherein the protective layer is bonded to the polarizer through an adhesive layer.

14. The liquid crystal display according to claim 12, wherein the polarizer is prepared by stretching a hydrophilic polymer film while dyeing the hydrophilic polymer film in a dye bath containing a dye selected from the group consisting of dichroic iodine and dichroic dyestuff and crosslinking in a crosslinking bath containing a crosslinking agent.

15. The liquid crystal display according to claim 14, therein the hydrophilic polymer film is a polyvinyl alcohol-based film.

16. The liquid crystal display according to claim 12, wherein a reflecting plate is additionally laminated.

17. The liquid crystal display according to claim 12, wherein a semitransparent reflecting plate is additionally laminated.

18. The liquid crystal display according to claim 12, wherein a retardation plate (λ

plate) is additionally laminated in order to cope with elliptically or circularly polarized light.

19. The liquid crystal display according to claim 12, wherein a viewing angle compensating plate is additionally laminated.

20. The liquid crystal display according to claim 12, wherein a brightness enhancement film is additionally laminated through either an adhesive or a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

21. The liquid crystal display according to claim 12, wherein surface roughness of the polarizing plate in a direction perpendicular to the stretching direction is 0.03 μ

m or less on the basis of the centerline average roughness.

22. The liquid crystal display according to claim 12, wherein surface roughness of the polarizing plate in a direction perpendicular to the stretching direction is 0.01 μ

m or less on the basis of the centerline average roughness.

23. A method of producing a polarizing plate comprising a polarizer and a protective layer bonded to at least one surface of the polarizer, wherein moisture content of the polarizer is in a range from 5% to 30% when the protective layer is bonded to the polarizer, wherein a surface roughness of the polarizing plate in a direction perpendicular to the stretching direction is 0.01 μ

m or less on the basis of the centerline average roughness.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the protective layer is bonded to the polarizer through an adhesive layer.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the polarizer is prepared by stretching a hydrophilic polymer film while dyeing the hydrophilic polymer film in a dye bath containing a dye selected from the group consisting of dichroic iodine and dichroic dyestuff and crosslinking in a crosslinking bath containing a crosslinking agent.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the hydrophilic polymer film is a polyvinyl alcohol-based film.

27. The method according to claim 23, wherein a reflecting plate is additionally laminated.

28. The method according to claim 23, wherein a semitransparent reflecting plate is additionally laminated.

29. The method according to claim 23, wherein a retardation plate (λ

plate) is additionally laminated in order to cope with elliptically or circularly polarized light.

30. The method according to claim 23, wherein a viewing angle compensating plate is additionally laminated.

31. The method according to claim 23, wherein a brightness enhancement film is additionally laminated through either an adhesive or a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

32. The method according to claim 23, wherein a surface roughness of the polarizing plate in a direction perpendicular to the stretching direction is 0.03 μ

m or less on the basis of the centerline average roughness.

33. The method according to claim 23, wherein a surface roughness of the polarizing plate in a direction perpendicular to the stretching direction is 0.01 μ

m or less on the basis of the centerline average roughness.