Transparent seal for liquid crystal display cells

• US 3,990,781 A
• Filed: 05/29/1974
• Issued: 11/09/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Babcock Display Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Beckman Instruments, Inc. (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Gum, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koren, Matthew W.
• Application Number:
  US05/474,220
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 350/160 LC, 156/106, 156/107, 156/333
• 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

A composition and method of forming a seal in a liquid crystal display cell wherein planar glass plates are bonded together with a dispersion of fluorocarbon and an organosilane coupling agent to form a hermetically sealed cell wherein the seal does not react with the liquid crystal material.

Claims

1. An improved liquid crystal display comprising a glass envelope having portions thereof bonded together by seal means comprised of an improved sealant material;

said display including liquid crystal material disposed in said envelope;

said sealant comprising a fluorocarbon material together with co-operational organosilane coupling agent material, these being adapted and applied to form a tight seal between the glass envelope portions and being selected to be relatively transparent, hermetic and substantially chemically inert to said liquid crystal material so as not to degrade it or reduce its useful operating life, and so as not to deteriorate in the presence of high humidity or otherwise allow or encourage contamination of said cell.

2. The display cell recited in claim 1 wherein said sealant material comprises a dispersion of vinylidene fluoride intermixed with an alkoxy-silane coupling agent solution.

3. The display cell recited in claim 2 wherein said sealant material comprises a dispersion of a major weight percentage of vinylidene fluoride resin, with a relatively minor weight percentage of vinylidene fluoride powder and of substituted alkoxy-silane coupling agent solution, said sealant comprising the product of these materials as intermixed, disposed upon the bonding margin of said glass envelope portions and cured, in-situ, there, with said portions pressed together and held in contact.

4. The display cell recited in claim 3, wherein said opposed glass plates are also provided with transparent electrode conductor means on the facing surfaces thereof, and are arranged to include electrical interconnect means extending between said electrode means and at least one corner of said cell, said interconnect means comprising a dispersion of conductive metal in a fluorocarbon matrix.

5. The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said coupling agent comprises an alkoxysilane.

6. The combination as recited in claim 5 wherein said fluorocarbon material is vinylidene fluoride.

7. The combination recited in claim 6 wherein said sealant comprises the product of about 60 to 85% by weight vinylidene fluoride resin plus about 15% by weight of vinylidene fluoride powder and about 2 to 25% by weight of said silane, these being applied and cured in-situ between said bonded portions.

8. The combination recited in claim 7 wherein said sealant comprises the product of about 77% by weight vinylidene fluorocarbon resin plus about 15% by weight vinylidene fluoride powder, and about 8% by weight of said silane.