Liquid crystal cells – elements and systems – Particular structure – Interconnection of plural cells in parallel
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-17
2003-11-11
Ton, Toan (Department: 2871)
Liquid crystal cells, elements and systems
Particular structure
Interconnection of plural cells in parallel
C349S096000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06646697
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device used to display time information for a timepiece such as hours, minutes, and seconds and calendar information such as date, a day of the week, month, and year in digital form, using a liquid crystal display panel, or to display information from a microcomputer, a memo or the like, or to display information upon receiving a signal from the outside.
BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY
There exist various electronic equipments and devices to display, using a liquid crystal display panel, time information such as hours, minutes, and seconds, or a memorandum or other information, utilizing memory in a microcomputer such as a PC (a personal computer), a handy computer, a PDA (a personal data assistant), a digital camera, a cellular phone or the like having a communication function.
The liquid crystal display panel in the liquid crystal display device used for these electronic machines and devices can be broadly classified into two groups. One includes liquid crystal display panels using a polarizing film and the other includes types of liquid crystal display panels not using a polarizing film. The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display panel using a combination of a liquid crystal cell with a polarizing film.
Conventionally, this kind of liquid crystal display device performs display by voltage control of the transmission and absorption of light through a liquid crystal layer and a polarizing film.
Here, an example of a conventional liquid crystal display device to display information in digital form will be explained with reference to drawings.
FIG. 17
is a perspective view of a conventional liquid crystal display device used to perform the display of data.
FIG. 18
is a schematic sectional view taken along the line
18
—
18
in FIG.
17
.
FIG. 19
is an enlarged sectional view of a portion in the liquid crystal display panel in FIG.
18
.
A liquid crystal display panel
300
used in this liquid crystal display device includes, in order from the side of glass
2
shown in
FIG. 18
(the side visible to a viewer), a first substrate
11
, a first electrode
12
, a second substrate
13
facing the first substrate
11
at a predetermined distance, and a second electrode
14
provided on the second substrate
13
, wherein a portion where the first electrode
12
and the second electrode
14
overlap one another serves as a display pixel.
The first electrode
12
and the second electrode
14
are striped electrodes and are in a matrix-type display pixel arrangement.
A liquid crystal layer
15
exists between the first substrate
11
and the second substrate
13
, and the liquid crystal layer
15
is sealed with a sealing agent
33
and a sealant.
An alignment layer is provided on the first substrate
11
and the second substrate
13
to align the liquid crystal layer
15
in a predetermined direction.
For instance, in the case of a twisted nematic liquid crystal, the liquid crystal layer
15
aligns in the direction corresponding to the time 7:30 on the first substrate
11
side, and the time 4:30 on the second substrate
13
, and has a twist angle of 90°. When the capacity of data display is required large, a super twisted nematic liquid crystal having an enlarged twist angle from 210° to 260° is sometimes used.
A first polarizing film
21
consists of an absorption-type polarizing film on which a coloring agent is spread in the one direction is provided on the first substrate
11
, and a second polarizing film
22
consists of, for example, DBEF (trade name) made by Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd. is provided as a reflection-type polarizing film on the second substrate
12
.
The transmission axes of the first polarizing film
21
and the second polarizing film
22
are disposed parallel with each other and by combination with a liquid crystal panel, a strong reflection state can be shown when the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer
15
is low, and a transmission state can be shown when the applied voltage is high.
Below the liquid crystal display panel
300
, a light source
7
consisting of an electroluminescent element (EL) is provided, and a printed circuit board
5
to apply a predetermined voltage to the liquid crystal display panel
300
and the light source
7
is provided.
On the first substrate
11
forming the liquid crystal display panel
300
, an integrated circuit (IC)
96
comprising a driver circuit to drive a liquid crystal display panel is provided and a flexible printed circuit (FPC)
36
is used to connect the printed circuit board
5
and the liquid crystal display panel.
The printed circuit board
5
and the light source
7
are connected through a terminal for a light source (not shown).
The liquid crystal display panel
300
is held with a panel stopper, and is connected to the printed circuit board
5
and the like with a circuit board stopper holding the printed circuit board
5
and the like.
On the side face of the printed circuit board
5
, a battery
6
is connected by means of a battery stopping spring
38
.
A liquid crystal display device module consisting of the liquid crystal display panel
300
and the printed circuit board
5
is housed in the inside of a case
1
of the liquid crystal display device, having a glass
2
and a case back
3
.
The liquid crystal display device having such a structure has a display section
41
shown in
FIG. 17
, and the display section
41
has a input-letter display section
48
which makes it possible to input on the liquid crystal display panel with an input-pen
10
. The liquid crystal display device also has a series of control switches to display information necessary to a viewer.
The liquid crystal display device is provided with buttons such as scroll (+), (−) buttons
51
and
52
to scroll the display, a display mode shifting button
53
, and an electric power switch
54
and with a speaker
40
for acoustic information. These control switch or buttons are mounted on a switch board
70
shown in FIG.
18
and are connected with the printed circuit board
5
through a FPC
71
.
The display of only the data alone imparts a monotonous design, and further lacks an interesting feature, which leads to loss of popularity among customers.
As is shown in the conventional example, even when a metallic display can be realized by applying a reflection-type polarizing film, a liquid crystal display device which can perform a data display in a variety of designs has been still required.
A method of shielding (opening and closing of a shutter) a portion or all of the data-display section of the liquid crystal display device in accordance with circumstances at the time of use or internal condition of the liquid crystal display device has been studied, but it can not be said sufficient with regard to making the liquid crystal display device thinner and controllable.
It is also required that the closing and opening of a time-display section can be performed by a liquid crystal display device user, a timer, or a signal from the outside through communication, or that display or no display of information can be carried out by using a portion of the time-display section itself as a shutter. However, the above design challenges of such a liquid crystal display device have not been solved.
An object of the present invention is to solve the disadvantages described above and provide a digital-type liquid crystal display device having a variety of designs. Another object of the present invention is to improve the design and provide a variously configurable liquid crystal display device, wherein the time-display section can be closed or opened in accordance with circumstances where the liquid crystal display device is in use, a control signal from a user, or internal conditions of the liquid crystal display device.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above described object, a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention is comprised of laminated plural liquid crystal display panels, each of which comprises a liquid c
Akiba Yuichi
Akiyama Takashi
Hoshino Koichi
Ide Masafumi
Kikuchi Masami
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP
Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
Ton Toan
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