Liquid crystal display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9684208-B2
Application number	US-201414281604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2014
Priority date	May 28, 2013
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

To improve the display quality of a vertical alignment liquid crystal display apparatus. The apparatus comprises two substrates, a first electrode extending in a first direction, a second electrode extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, a crystal layer provided between the substrates, a pixel is configured where the two electrodes intersect, an electrode edge of the second electrode is of a shape that includes line segments obliquely crossed relative to the second direction and bend back, the pixel edges of the pixel are demarcated, including the line segments that are obliquely crossed, and the liquid crystal layer is disposed so that the angle of the alignment direction of the crystal molecules at the center and the direction perpendicular to the second direction is greater than 0°, and the alignment direction of the crystal molecules and the direction of obliquely crossed line segments don't become perpendicular.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid crystal display apparatus, comprising:
a first substrate and a second substrate placed opposite each other,
a plurality of first electrodes which are provided on one surface of the first substrate and which extend in a first direction,
a plurality of second electrodes which are provided on one surface of the second substrate and which extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction; and
a mono-domain vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer with a pretilt angle of less than 90°, provided between said one surface of the first substrate and said one surface of the second substrate,
wherein a plurality of pixels are defined in respective regions where the first electrodes and the second electrodes intersect each other,
wherein in a planer view, an electrode edge of at least one side of each of the second electrodes is of a shape that includes line segments that are periodically and obliquely crossed relative to the second direction and bend back,
wherein pixel edges of the pixels are demarcated by edges of the first electrodes and the second electrodes, including the line segments that are obliquely crossed
wherein all bending points formed by the line segments that are periodically and obliquely crossed relative to the second direction and bend back overlap within edges demarcated by the edges of the first electrodes of respective corresponding pixels,
wherein all bending points where directions of the line segments of the electrode edges of the second electrodes change are disposed overlapping in the planar view with corresponding ones of the first electrodes,
wherein in the planer view, the liquid crystal layer is disposed so that an angle of an alignment direction of liquid crystal molecules at a substantial center in a layer thickness direction and a direction perpendicular to the second direction is set to be greater than 0° and equal to or less than 15°, and
wherein the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules and the directions of the line segments that are obliquely crossed do not become perpendicular.

2. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the angle in the planer view of the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules at the substantial center in the layer thickness direction and the direction perpendicular to the second direction is defined as φ, and
wherein, with respect to a given one of the pixels:
an angle formed by the electrode edge of the second electrode and the second direction is defined as θ 1 ,
an angle formed by a left-side pixel edge defined by the line segments that are obliquely crossed in the second electrode and the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules at the substantial center in the layer thickness direction of the liquid crystal layer is θ 1 +φ, and an angle formed by a right-side pixel edge defined by the line segments that are obliquely crossed in the second electrode and the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules at the substantial center in the layer thickness direction of the liquid crystal layer is θ 1 −φ, and
respective absolute values of θ 1 +φ and θ 1 −φ are greater than 0°.

3. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each bending point is disposed at a center between electrode edges of both sides of a corresponding one of the first electrodes, and
wherein respective absolute values of θ 1 +φ and θ 1 −φ are equal to or greater than 5°.

4. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each bending point is disposed so that it is biased toward a side near the edge of either side of a corresponding one of the first electrodes.

5. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the line segments that are obliquely crossed are disposed at an angle greater than 0° and less than or equal to 15° using the second direction as standard.

6. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the line segments that are obliquely crossed are disposed at an angle greater than 0° and less than or equal to 15° using the second direction as standard.

7. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the line segments that are obliquely crossed are disposed at an angle greater than 0° and less than or equal to 15° using the second direction as standard.

8. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the line segments that are obliquely crossed are disposed at an angle greater than 0° and less than or equal to 15° using the second direction as standard.

9. A liquid crystal display apparatus, comprising:
a first substrate and a second substrate placed opposite each other,
a plurality of first electrodes which are provided on one surface of the first substrate and which extend in a first direction,
a plurality of second electrodes which are provided on one surface of the second substrate and which extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction; and
a mono-domain vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer with a pretilt angle of less than 90°, provided between said one surface of the first substrate and said one surface of the second substrate,
wherein a plurality of pixels are defined in respective regions where the first electrodes and the second electrodes intersect each other,
wherein in a planer view, an electrode edge of at least one side of each of the second electrodes is of a shape that includes line segments that are periodically and obliquely crossed relative to the second direction and bend back,
wherein all bending points formed by the line segments that are periodically and obliquely crossed relative to the second direction and bend back constitute edges of the pixels,
wherein all bending points where directions of the line segments of the electrode edges of the second electrodes change are disposed overlapping in the planar view with corresponding ones of the first electrodes,
wherein pixel edges of the pixel are demarcated, including the line segments that are obliquely crossed, and
wherein in the planer view, the liquid crystal layer is disposed so that an angle of an alignment direction of liquid crystal molecules at a substantial center in a layer thickness direction and a direction perpendicular to the second direction is set to be greater than 0° and equal to or less than 15°, and
wherein the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules and the directions of the line segments that are obliquely crossed do not become perpendicular.

10. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the angle in the planer view of the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules at the substantial center in the layer thickness direction and the direction perpendicular to the second direction is defined as φ, and
wherein, with respect to a given one of the pixels:
an angle formed by the electrode edge of the second electrode and the second direction is defined as θ 1 ,
an angle formed by a left-side pixel edge defined by the line segments that are obliquely crossed in the second electrode and the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules at the substantial center in the layer thickness direction of the liquid crystal layer is θ 1 +φ, and an angle formed by a right-side pixel edge defined by the line segments that are obliquely crossed in the second electrode and the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules at the substantial center in the layer thickness direction of the liquid crystal layer is θ 1 −φ, and
respective absolute values of θ 1 +φ and θ 1 −φ are greater than 0°.

11. The liquid crystal display apparatus accordin

Assignees

• Stanley Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kobayashi Makoto
• Fujii Mitsuo
• Nomura Yasuhiro
• Iwamoto Yoshihisa

Classifications

• G02F1/133784 Primary

  by rubbing · CPC title

• G02F1/134336

  Matrix · CPC title

• G02F2001/133742

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02F2001/13712

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02F2201/122

  having a particular pattern · CPC title