Liquid crystal cells – elements and systems – Particular structure – Having significant detail of cell structure only
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-05
2003-08-26
Dudek, James (Department: 2871)
Liquid crystal cells, elements and systems
Particular structure
Having significant detail of cell structure only
C349S042000, C349S146000, C349S138000, C349S143000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06611310
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to liquid crystal display devices and in particular, to a liquid crystal display device of the so-called reflection type.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display device is arranged so that a pair of substrates being disposed opposite to each other with layer of liquid crystals interposed between them are for use as an outer housing while comprising a liquid crystal display unit that is made up from a great number of picture elements or “pixels” in spreading directions of the liquid crystal layer.
Liquid crystals of each pixel are arranged to be controlled in optical transmissivity by the strength or intensity of an electrical field as applied thereto.
In addition, a liquid crystal display device of the so-called reflection type is designed to comprise a reflective film with increased light reflection efficiency, which is on the liquid crystal side surface of one substrate of the respective substrates at an entirety of at least a pixel region (or alternatively at pat of it: in this case, called the partial reflection type in some cases). In this case, this reflective film is ordinarily arranged to constitute one electrode upon application of electric fields to the liquid crystals.
Images at the liquid crystal display unit can be recognized by observing light rays being reflected off from the reflective film through the liquid crystals of each pixel when external attendant light falls onto the liquid crystal display unit of the liquid crystal display device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, in the liquid crystal display device arranged in the way stated above, it will be desirable that the reflective film be designed in such a way that a convexo-concave configuration is formed on its surface to thereby disperse the illumination direction of reflected light for a certain degree.
The reason for this is that in the case of a reflective film with flat surface, when an observer observes the liquid crystal display unit, the observer's face or his or her background scenes will possibly be clearly “mirrored” therein from time to time.
However, processing or machining the reflective film in the way noted above would result in an increase in mass-production process steps, which leads to establishment of another technical approach.
One invention was made in view of the above-mentioned technical background, and one object of this application is to provide a liquid crystal display device excellent in reliability for use as the reflection type without any need to employ any neither “special” arrangement nor configuration.
A brief explanation of the summary of a representative one of those inventions as disclosed herein is as follows.
A liquid crystal display device in accordance with the invention is featured, for example, in that in each pixel region on the liquid crystal side of one substrate of respective substrates as disposed opposite to each other with a layer of liquid crystals being interposed therebetween, one electrode and an insulating film plus a remaining electrode are stacked over one another from the one substrate side, wherein the one electrode is formed as an arrangement which also serves as a reflective film whereas the remaining electrode is formed of a plurality of electrodes extending in one direction within a formation region of the one electrode and being parallel-provided in a direction crossing the one direction.
The liquid crystal display device thus arranged is such that an upper layer with its underlying insulating film of one electrode also functioning as a reflective film is expected to be formed as a surface plane with a convexo-concave configuration formed thereon by the other electrode.
Due to this, externally incoming light behaves to fall onto the reflective film through the liquid crystals, resulting in reflected light at this reflective film being dispersed or scattered by the presence of the convexo-concave configuration.
Consequently, it is possible to obtain the intended liquid crystal display device of excellent reliability for use as the reflection type, without having to employ any special arrangements.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6091473 (2000-07-01), Hebiguchi
patent: 6392730 (2002-05-01), Ohta et al.
patent: 6411357 (2002-06-01), Ting et al.
Anno Kouichi
Kurahashi Nagatoshi
Nakayoshi Yoshiaki
Sasaki Tohru
Dudek James
Duong Thoi V
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