IP Library Granted Patent US 7,705,948
Granted Patent B2
US 7,705,948 · App. 11/907,479 · Granted Apr 27, 2010

Liquid crystal display device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,705,948
App. No.
11/907,479
Granted
Apr 27, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A liquid crystal display device having an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode layer formed on an identical substrate via an insulating layer includes slits formed on the upper electrode layer for applying voltage between the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer and driving liquid crystal molecules. Edge portions of the slits each include a first curved portion the tangential direction of which at the edge portions with respect to the rubbing direction falls within a range from 0° to +90° and a second curved portion the tangential direction of which at the edge portions with respect to the rubbing direction falls within the range from 0° to −90°. The direction toward an acute angle subtended by the long sides of the slits with respect to the rubbing direction is the positive direction. The second curved portion is smaller than the first curved portion.

Claims (40)

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a substrate;

an upper electrode layer formed on the substrate, the upper electrode layer having slits;

an insulating layer formed between the substrate and the upper electrode layer; and

a lower electrode layer formed between the substrate and the insulating layer;

the slits allowing for application of a voltage between the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer, the voltage driving liquid crystal molecules,

an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode layer formed on a same substrate via an insulating layer,

the insulating layer comprising slits formed on the upper electrode layer for applying voltage between the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer and for driving liquid crystal molecules,

edge portions of the slits each including a first curved portion the tangential direction of which at the edge portions with respect to a rubbing direction falls within a range from 0° to +90° and a second curved portion the tangential direction of which at the edge portions with respect to the rubbing direction falls within the range from 0° to −90°, where the direction toward an acute angle subtended by the long sides of the slits with respect to the rubbing direction is the positive direction, the second curved portion being smaller than the first curved portion, wherein the second curved portion includes a projecting portion, the projecting portion being located at a distal end of the second curved portion.

2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , the edge portion of the slit further including an inclined end line having an angle of inclination between α and +90° with respect to the rubbing direction, where α is an acute angle subtended by the long sides of the slits with respect to the rubbing direction and the direction toward the acute angle is the positive direction.

3. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2 , the edge portion of the slit further including a projection at the distal end thereof.

4. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , the rubbing direction with respect to the direction of axes of the rectangular shape of the pixel orthogonal to each other being at an angle of 45°.

5. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , the upper electrode being a pixel electrode.

6. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , the upper electrode being a common electrode.

7. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a substrate;

an upper electrode layer formed on the substrate, the upper electrode layer having openings;

an insulating layer formed between the substrate and the upper electrode layer; and

a lower electrode layer formed between the substrate and the insulating layer,

the openings having a comb-teeth shape including a plurality of comb teeth connected to each other on one side, the openings allowing for application of a voltage between the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer, the voltage driving liquid crystal molecules,

an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode layer formed on a same substrate and connected to each other on one side of the substrate via an insulating layer,

the insulating layer comprising openings in a comb-teeth shape on the upper electrode layer for applying voltage between the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer and for driving liquid crystal molecules,

edge portions of comb-teeth each including a first curved portion the tangential direction of which at the edge portion of comb teeth of the comb-teeth shape with respect to a rubbing direction falls within a range from 0° to +90° and a second curved portion the tangential direction of which at the edge portions of the comb-teeth with respect to the rubbing direction falls within a range from 0° to −90°, where the direction toward an acute angle subtended by the long sides of the comb-teeth with respect to the rubbing direction is the positive direction, the second curved portion being smaller than the first curved portion, wherein the second curved portion includes a projecting portion, the projecting portion being located at a distal end of the second curved portion.

8. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 7 , the edge portion of the comb-teeth further including an inclined end line having an angle of inclination between α and +90° with respect to the rubbing direction, where α is an acute angle subtended by the long sides of the comb-teeth with respect to the rubbing direction and the direction toward the acute angle is the positive direction.

9. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 8 , the edge portion of the comb-tooth further including a projection at the distal end thereof.

10. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 7 , the rubbing direction with respect to directions of axes of the rectangular shape of the pixel orthogonal to each other being at an angle of 45°.

11. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 7 , the edge portion of the comb-tooth being the distal end portion or the proximal end portion of the comb-tooth.

12. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 7 , the upper electrode being a pixel electrode.

13. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 7 , the upper electrode being a common electrode.

14. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a substrate;

an upper electrode layer formed on the substrate, the upper electrode layer having slits;

an insulating layer formed between the substrate and the upper electrode layer; and

a lower electrode layer formed between the substrate and the insulating layer,

the slits having a comb-teeth shape including a plurality of comb teeth, the slits allowing for application of a voltage between the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer, the voltage driving liquid crystal molecules, each comb tooth of the plurality of comb teeth having long sides, short sides, and edge portions at the short sides,

each edge portion including a first curved portion having a first tangential direction and a second curved portion having a second tangential direction,

when a direction toward an acute angle subtended by the long sides with respect to a rubbing direction is defined to be positive, the first tangential direction falls within a range from 0° to +90° with respect to the rubbing direction, and the second tangential direction falls with a range from 0° to −90° with respect to the rubbing direction; and

the first curved portion forming a first angle that is larger than a second angle formed at the second curved portion, wherein the second curved portion includes a projecting portion, the projecting portion being located at a distal end of the second curved portion.

15. The liquid crystal device according to claim 14 ,

the first angle being an obtuse angle, and the second angle being an acute angle.

Assignments (3)
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 2, 2024
From: EPSON IMAGING DEVICES CORPORATION; EPSON IMAGING DEVICES CORPORATION
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 067892/0147 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2018
From: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
To: 138 EAST LCD ADVANCEMENTS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 046153/0397 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 12, 2007
From: SEGAWA, YASUO; AOTA, MASAAKI; ICHIKAWA, SHINJI
To: EPSON IMAGING DEVICES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 020013/0061 →