Liquid crystal display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016299394-A1
Application number	US-201415100728-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 22, 2014
Priority date	Dec 2, 2013
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device in a new display mode that is based on the horizontal alignment capable of giving a wide viewing angle and that can achieve high speed response. The liquid crystal display device includes: a first substrate that includes a pair of electrodes; a second substrate that includes a pixel electrode and a common electrode; and a liquid crystal layer that contains liquid crystal molecules aligned horizontally, at least one of the pair of electrodes including a first linear portion that extends in a first direction, at least one of the pixel electrode and the common electrode including a second linear portion that extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the liquid crystal molecules being aligned in a direction perpendicular or parallel to the first direction in a first display state in which voltage is applied between the pair of electrodes but voltage is not applied between the pixel electrode and the common electrode, the liquid crystal molecules being aligned in a direction different from the alignment direction of the first display state, in a second display state in which voltage is applied between the pair of electrodes and voltage is applied between the pixel electrode and the common electrode.

First claim

1 . A liquid crystal display device comprising:
a first substrate that includes a pair of electrodes; a second substrate that includes a switching element, a pixel electrode electrically connected to the switching element, and a common electrode; and a liquid crystal layer that is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and contains liquid crystal molecules aligned in parallel to the first substrate and the second substrate, at least one of the pair of electrodes including a first linear portion that extends in a first direction, at least one of the pixel electrode and the common electrode including a second linear portion that extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the liquid crystal molecules being aligned in a direction perpendicular or parallel to the first direction in a first display state in which voltage is applied between the pair of electrodes but voltage is not applied between the pixel electrode and the common electrode, the liquid crystal molecules being aligned in a direction different from the alignment direction of the first display state, in a second display state in which voltage is applied between the pair of electrodes and voltage is applied between the pixel electrode and the common electrode.

2 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the liquid crystal molecules are aligned in a direction parallel to the first substrate and the second substrate and perpendicular or parallel to the first direction in a voltage-off state in which voltage is not applied to any of the pair of electrodes, the pixel electrode, and the common electrode, and the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules is the same between the voltage-off state and the first display state.

3 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first linear portion and the second linear portion form an angle in the range of 60° to 85°.

4 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , further comprising
first and second polarizers that face each other with the first substrate and the second substrate in between, wherein the absorption axis of the first polarizer is perpendicular or parallel to the first direction and the absorption axis of the second polarizer is perpendicular to the absorption axis of the first polarizer.

5 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first display state provides black display and the second display state provides white display.

6 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the liquid crystal molecules have negative anisotropy of dielectric constant, are aligned in a direction parallel to the first direction in the first display state, and are aligned, in the second display state, in a direction different from the alignment direction of the first display state.

7 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the liquid crystal molecules have positive anisotropy of dielectric constant, are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the first direction in the first display state, and are aligned, in the second display state, in a direction different from the alignment direction of the first display state.

8 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pair of electrodes is a pair of comb-teeth electrodes whose comb teeth fit each other.

9 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 8 ,
wherein a combination of the pixel electrode and the common electrode is a combination of a planar electrode and an electrode in which an electrode slit is formed.

10 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 8 ,
wherein a combination of the pixel electrode and the common electrode is a pair of comb-teeth electrodes whose comb teeth fit each other.

11 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pair of electrodes is a combination of a planar electrode and an electrode in which an electrode slit is formed.

12 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11 ,
wherein a combination of the pixel electrode and the common electrode is a combination of a planar electrode and an electrode in which an electrode slit is formed.

13 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11 ,
wherein a combination of the pixel electrode and the common electrode is a pair of comb-teeth electrodes whose comb teeth fit each other.

14 . A liquid crystal display device comprising:
a first substrate that includes a pair of electrodes; a second substrate that includes a switching element, a pixel electrode electrically connected to the switching element, and a common electrode; and a liquid crystal layer that is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and contains liquid crystal molecules aligned in a direction parallel to the first substrate and the second substrate, the liquid crystal display device exhibiting different directions of a first electric field generated by the pair of electrodes and a second electric field generated by the pixel electrode and the common electrode in a projection of the electric fields on a surface parallel to the first substrate and the second substrate, the liquid crystal display device changing the strength of the second electric field while maintaining the strength of the first electric field so as to rotate the alignment direction of each liquid crystal molecule and thereby modulate display light.

15 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 14 ,
wherein the frequency of the first electric field is different from the frequency of the second electric field.

16 . The liquid crystal display device according to claim 15 ,
wherein the frequency of the first electric field is higher than the frequency of the second electric field.

Assignees

• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Yoshida Hidefumi
• Murata Mitsuhiro
• Iwata Yosuke
• Matsumura Satoshi

Classifications

• G02F1/133788

  by light irradiation, e.g. linearly polarised light photo-polymerisation · CPC title

• G02F1/13439

  characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making · CPC title

• G02F2201/121

  common or background · CPC title

• G02F1/133345

  Insulating layers (G02F1/1335, G02F1/1337, G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02F2001/134381

  Physics · mapped topic