Liquid crystal cells – elements and systems – Nominal manufacturing methods or post manufacturing...
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-22
2001-02-27
Sikes, William L. (Department: 2871)
Liquid crystal cells, elements and systems
Nominal manufacturing methods or post manufacturing...
C349S189000, C349S190000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195149
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention broadly relates to a method for producing a liquid crystal panel. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for producing a liquid crystal panel in which a plurality of liquid crystal panels are produced by cutting a large-area liquid crystal panel having a plurality of liquid crystal sealing-in areas formed between a pair of large-area substrates.
2. Description of Related Art
In a known conventional method for producing a liquid crystal panel, a large-area liquid crystal panel is formed by forming a plurality of liquid crystal sealing-in areas in a plane between a pair of large-area substrates, and the large-area liquid crystal panel is cut into a plurality of liquid crystal panels.
FIGS. 28
to
31
schematically illustrate the conventional method for producing a liquid crystal panel.
Referring to
FIG. 28
, for example, predetermined wirings, transparent electrodes, and active elements are formed on the inside faces of two transparent substrates
101
and
104
, each of which is made of glass, followed by coating of orientation films. Then, seals
106
are printed on either one of the transparent substrates
101
and
104
to form liquid crystal sealing-in areas
117
, followed by bonding of the transparent substrates
101
and
104
using the seals
106
, as shown in
FIG. 28
, thereby forming a large-area empty panel
110
with the plurality of liquid crystal sealing-in areas
117
arranged in a plane. A liquid crystal injection opening
106
a
is formed in each liquid crystal sealing-in area
117
bordered by its associated seal
106
.
Thereafter, cuts or grooves
108
are scribed in the surfaces of the transparent substrates
101
and
104
. Two parallel scribed grooves
108
each are formed along the direction of arrangement of the liquid crystal injection openings
106
a
, of which one of each pair crosses the liquid crystal injection openings
106
a
. When pressure is applied to the vicinity of these scribed grooves
108
to cut the transparent substrates
101
and
104
, the large-area empty panel
110
is cut into rectangular intermediate-area empty panels
10
a
, with the liquid crystal injection openings
106
a
and the connecting terminals
120
a
exposed to the outside, as shown in FIG.
29
.
From the liquid crystal injection openings
106
a
, liquid crystal is injected into the intermediate-area empty panels
110
a
, after which the liquid crystal injection openings
106
a
are sealed. This forms intermediate-area liquid crystal panels with the liquid crystal layer sealed in the liquid crystal sealing-in areas
117
. Thereafter, as shown in
FIG. 30
, grooves
118
are scribed on each of the intermediate-area liquid crystal panels
110
a
. The scribed grooves
118
divide the intermediate-area liquid crystal panels
110
a
according to the individual liquid crystal sealing-in areas
11
, and allow connecting terminals
120
b
formed on the inside surface of the transparent substrate
101
to be exposed to the outside so as to extend from the sides of the liquid crystal sealing-in areas
117
. Applying pressure to the vicinity of these scribed grooves
118
to cut the intermediate-area liquid crystal panels
110
a
results in the production of individual liquid crystal panels
119
, as shown in FIG.
31
.
In the above-described conventional method for producing a liquid crystal panel, however, it is necessary to cut the large-area empty panel
110
(
FIG. 28
) into intermediate-area empty panels
110
a
(FIG.
29
), and to further cut the intermediate-area liquid crystal panels
110
a
formed by filling the intermediate-area empty panels
110
a
with liquid crystal into the individual liquid crystal panels
119
, so that it is necessary to prepare producing devices and panel jigs in correspondence with the large-area empty panel
110
, the intermediate-area empty panels or the intermediate-area liquid crystal panels
110
a
, and producing devices, inspection devices, and panel jigs for the individual liquid crystal panels. This results in higher facility costs and more complicated steps.
Liquid crystal panels of different standards that are constructed with different dimensions may be formed in the large-area empty panel. In such a case, the intermediate-area empty panels and individual liquid crystal panels formed by dividing the large-area panel have different structures and dimensions, which results in more sophisticated step control and thus increased production costs.
In addition, since the large-area panel is completely cut during the production process, pieces of glass flies from the cut portions of the cut panel, so that, for example, the pieces of glass stick onto the surfaces of the connecting terminals
120
a
and
120
b
in the liquid crystal panels
119
. This gives rise to the problem of poor connection when, for example, connecting integrated circuits and flexible substrates to the connecting terminals
120
a
and
120
b.
In view of the above-described problems, an object of the invention is to provide a method for producing a liquid crystal panel, which allows a large-area empty panel to be successively processed, without cutting it completely during the liquid crystal panel producing process, thereby reducing production costs such as facility costs and control costs, and preventing the production of defective products due to flying pieces of glass.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To these ends, according to the invention, there is provided a method for producing a liquid crystal by forming a plurality of liquid crystal sealing-in areas between a pair of large-area substrates, at least one of the substrates being a light-transmitting substrate, and cutting the plurality of liquid crystal sealing-in areas into separate areas, the method comprising:
(1) an electrode forming step in which transparent electrodes required to form a plurality of liquid crystal panels are formed an a surface of each substrate of the pair of large-area substrates;
(2) a seal forming step performed on the electrode-formed surface of one of the pair of large-area substrates, in which a plurality of seals, each of which surround the transparent electrode required to form one liquid crystal panel, are formed to form the plurality of liquid crystal sealing-in areas, and liquid crystal injection openings are formed in each of the seals;
(3) a substrate bonding step in which the pair of large-area substrates are bonded together such that the transparent electrode of one large-area substrate faces the transparent electrode of the other of the large-area substrates, with the seals interposed between the substrates;
(4) a substrate removing step in which a portion of one of the pair of large-area substrates bonded together is removed such that at least one of the liquid crystal injection openings is exposed to the outside;
(5) a liquid crystal sealing-in step in which liquid crystal is injected into the liquid crystal sealing-in area through the liquid crystal injection opening exposed to the outside, and then the liquid crystal injection opening is sealed; and
(6) a panel dividing step in which the pair of bonded large-area substrates are divided into separate liquid crystal panels after the liquid crystal injection.
In the above-described method for producing a liquid panel, at the time the liquid crystal is injected into the liquid crystal sealing-in area from the liquid crystal injection opening, one of the transparent substrates of the pair of large-area substrates is not cut so that it remains a continuous large-area substrate. In the liquid crystal sealing-in step, the large-area transparent substrate is set in a device, and the liquid crystal is injected into all of the liquid crystal sealing-in areas by, for example, the dropwise injection method, followed by sealing of the liquid crystal injection openings with a sealing agent. Thereafter, the large-area transparent substrate is divided to form individual liquid crystal panels.
According to the method for producing a liquid crystal panel, after
Gyota Kozo
Kodera Takumi
Murata Masami
Obata Fumio
Duong Tai V.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Seiko Epson Corporation
Sikes William L.
LandOfFree
Method for producing a liquid crystal panel does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method for producing a liquid crystal panel, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method for producing a liquid crystal panel will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2593936