Method of manufacturing liquid crystal display device

• US 6,970,227 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2003
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Corporation (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Murata, Satoshi, Kida, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Robert H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Richard H
• Application Number:
  US10/622,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20040041976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 349/153, 349/190
• US Class Current: 349/190
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1339 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1341 Filling or closing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13415 Drop filling process

Abstract

A plurality of main seal patterns and dummy seal patterns are formed by a sealant on one of substrates. The plurality of main seal patterns individually enclose each of a plurality of display areas. The dummy seal patterns individually enclose the plurality of main seal patterns, and sides of the dummy seal patterns facing sides of the one substrate are all interconnected. These formations enable constant vacuum levels to be maintained the inside and the outside of the main seal patterns when the inside of a chamber of an assembling device is recovered to atmospheric pressure. Therefore, distortion of substrates is impeded in the vicinity of the main seal patterns, and degradation of display quality can be prevented.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of main seal patterns and dummy seal patterns on one of a pair of substrates by a sealant, the main seal patterns individually enclosing each of a plurality of display areas, and the dummy seal patterns individually enclosing each of the plurality of main seal patterns, all sides of the dummy seal patterns facing sides of the one substrate being interconnected along the edge of the one substrate;

dropping liquid crystals on one of the pair of the substrates;

bonding the pair of the substrates in a vacuum atmosphere by the sealant which constitutes the main seal patterns and the dummy seal patterns; and

curing the sealant which constitutes the main seal patterns and the dummy seal patterns.

2. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising a second dummy seal pattern which encloses all the plurality of main seal patterns and dummy seal patterns.

3. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein vacuum inside the plurality of the dummy seal patterns is maintained by the second dummy seal pattern from the time that the pair of the substrates are bonded with the sealant until the sealant is cured.

4. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein an interval between the main seal patterns and the dummy seal patterns is larger than an interval between the dummy seal patterns and the second dummy seal pattern.

5. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of second dummy seal patterns which individually interconnect between sides of the dummy seal patterns facing sides of the one substrate.

6. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 5, wherein vacuum in the portion between sides of the dummy seal patterns is maintained by the plurality of second dummy seal patterns from the time that the pair of the substrates are bonded with the sealant until the sealant is cured.

7. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein an ultraviolet curing sealant is used as the sealant.

8. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein spacers for maintaining uniform cell gaps are provided on one of the substrates.

9. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein domain restricting protrusions are provided on at least one of the pair of the substrates.