Light control device and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

To provide a dimmer and a method for manufacturing the dimmer with which corner parts of a dimming panel are suppressed from projecting from side parts of a panel unit.SOLUTION: A dimmer includes a panel unit in which a rectangular dimming panel including a lower board and an upper board that overlap the lower board is laminated in plurality in a first direction, and which has a shape of a square column. Each of the plurality of dimming panels has a first side, a second side that is adjacent to the first side, and a first corner part where the first and second sides intersect. When two of the plurality of dimming panels that are adjacent in the first direction are seen from the first direction, a first corner part of one dimming panel is located inward of an edge of the other dimming panel, and a first corner part of the other dimming panel is located inward of an edge of the one dimming panel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a light control device and a method for manufacturing a light control device. [Background technology]

[0002] The light control device includes, for example, a panel unit in which multiple light control panels are stacked vertically (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The light control panel includes multiple substrates and a sealant and a liquid crystal layer sealed between the substrates. When the light control panel has, for example, a polygonal shape, a sharp corner is provided at the intersection of two adjacent sides. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-333567 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If a corner of the light control panel protrudes from the side of the panel unit, the corner may interfere with other components and be damaged.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a dimming device and a method for manufacturing a dimming device that further prevents the corners of the dimming panel from protruding from the sides of the panel unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A dimming device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a panel unit having a prismatic shape in which a plurality of polygonal dimming panels, each including a lower substrate and an upper substrate overlapping the lower substrate, are stacked in a first direction, and each of the plurality of dimming panels has a first side, a second side adjacent to the first side, and a first corner where the first side and the second side intersect, and when two of the plurality of dimming panels adjacent to each other in the first direction are viewed from the first direction, the first corner of one of the dimming panels is located inside the edge of the other of the dimming panels, and the first corner of the other of the dimming panels is located inside the edge of the one of the dimming panels.

[0007] A method for manufacturing a light control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a substrate preparation step of preparing a substrate having two rectangular light-transmitting substrates stacked in a first direction, a sealant material and a liquid crystal layer to be filled inside the sealant material, and a light control panel cutting step of, after the substrate preparation step, making a first incision from an edge of the light-transmitting substrate along a direction intersecting the edge, and then forming successive incisions along the outside of the sealant material to the edge, thereby cutting out a single light control panel from the substrate, the polygon having one side being the edge, and a plurality of light control panels are manufactured by repeating the light control panel cutting step. and a lamination process of laminating the plurality of dimming panels in a first direction after the dimming panel production process, wherein in the dimming panel cutting process, a first corner portion where the first notch and the end face intersect is formed in the dimming panel, and in the lamination process, when two dimming panels adjacent to each other in the first direction among the plurality of dimming panels are viewed from the first direction, the first corner portion of one of the dimming panels is located inside an edge of the other of the dimming panels, and the first corner portion of the other of the dimming panels is located inside an edge of the one of the dimming panels. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a light control panel according to an embodiment, viewed from above. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the surface of the lower substrate according to the embodiment, viewed from above. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the front surface of the upper substrate according to the embodiment, on which wiring is provided, when the upper substrate is turned over. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the light control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged portion of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the procedure for cutting one light control panel out of the base material. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged portion of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a procedure for cutting a part of the upper substrate from the light control panel. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the first light control panel located at the uppermost side of the panel unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the second light control panel located second from the top in the panel unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a third light control panel that is located third from the top in the panel unit. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a fourth light control panel that is the fourth panel from the top in the panel unit. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of the panel unit according to the embodiment as viewed from above. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Modes (embodiments) for carrying out the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. Furthermore, the components described below include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art and those that are substantially identical. Furthermore, the components described below can be combined as appropriate.

[0010] It should be noted that the disclosure is merely an example, and appropriate modifications that a person skilled in the art can easily conceive of while maintaining the gist of the disclosure are naturally included within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in order to clarify the explanation, the drawings may show the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part schematically compared to the actual embodiment, but these are merely examples and do not limit the interpretation of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in this specification and each drawing, elements similar to those described above with respect to the previous drawings may be assigned the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions may be omitted as appropriate.

[0011] In the XYZ coordinate system shown in the figure, the X direction is the left-right direction, and the X1 side is opposite the X2 side. The X1 side is also referred to as the left side, and the X2 side is also referred to as the right side. The Y direction is the front-to-back direction, and the Y1 side is opposite the Y2 side. The Y1 side is also referred to as the front side, and the Y2 side is also referred to as the rear side. The Z direction is the up-down direction (stacking direction). The Z1 side is opposite the Z2 side. The Z1 side is also referred to as the upper side, and the Z2 side is also referred to as the lower side. The Z direction is also referred to as the first direction, and the X direction and Y direction are also referred to as the second direction. The Z2 side is also referred to as one side of the first direction, and the Z1 side is also referred to as the other side of the first direction.

[0012] [Light control device] A light control device according to an embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a light control panel according to an embodiment as viewed from above. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the surface of a lower substrate according to an embodiment as viewed from above. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an upper substrate according to an embodiment as turned over, showing the surface on which wiring is provided.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1 , the dimming panel 1 includes a lower substrate 2 and an upper substrate 3 disposed above the lower substrate 2. The dimming panel 1 is substantially octagonal in plan view, having sides 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18. To more clearly illustrate the outer shape of the dimming panel 1, a virtual regular octagon conforming to the outer shape of the dimming panel 1 is depicted by dashed lines. The regular octagon depicted by dashed lines has vertices A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H. The eight corners of the dimming panel 1 are arc-shaped. Therefore, the eight corners of the dimming panel 1 are located closer to the center O than the vertices of the regular octagon depicted by dashed lines. Side 15 of the dimming panel 1 corresponds to side 15A on the Y2 side of the regular octagon. Side 15 of the dimming panel 1 is located closer to the Y1 side than side 15A on the Y2 side of the regular octagon. In the present invention, the shape of the light control panel 1 is not limited to an octagon, and polygons other than an octagon are also included in the present invention.

[0014] The side 11 is located on the Y1 side of the light-controlling panel 1. The side 11 is parallel to the X direction in the drawing. The side 11 of the light-controlling panel 1 coincides with the side 211 of the lower substrate 2 shown in FIG. 2. In contrast, the side 311 of the upper substrate 3 shown in FIG. 3 is located on the Y2 side of the side 211 of the lower substrate 2. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, when the upper substrate 3 is stacked on top of the lower substrate 2, the end 2c on the Y1 side of the lower substrate 2 is exposed. A first terminal group 10 is provided on the end 2c.

[0015] The side 12 is located on the X1 side of the light-controlling panel 1. The side 12 is parallel to the Y direction in the drawing. The side 12 of the light-controlling panel 1 coincides with the side 212 of the lower substrate 2 shown in FIG. 2. In contrast, the side 312 of the upper substrate 3 shown in FIG. 3 is located on the X2 side of the side 212 of the lower substrate 2. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, when the upper substrate 3 is stacked on top of the lower substrate 2, the end 2d on the X1 side of the lower substrate 2 is exposed. A second terminal group 20 is provided at the end 2d.

[0016] Side 13 intersects both the X1 direction and the Y1 direction. The intersection angle is 45 degrees. Side 13 coincides with side 213 of lower substrate 2 shown in FIG. 2. In contrast, side 313 of upper substrate 3 shown in FIG. 3 is located closer to the X2 and Y2 directions than side 213 of lower substrate 2. In other words, in a plan view, side 313 of upper substrate 3 is located closer to center O than side 213 of lower substrate 2. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, when upper substrate 3 is stacked on top of lower substrate 2, end 2e of lower substrate 2 is exposed.

[0017] Side 14 intersects with both the X1 direction and the Y2 direction at an intersecting angle of 45 degrees. Side 14 overlaps with side 214 of lower substrate 2 shown in FIG. 2 and side 314 of upper substrate 3 shown in FIG.

[0018] Side 15 is located on the Y2 side of the light control panel 1. Side 15 overlaps with side 215 of the lower substrate 2 shown in Fig. 2 and side 315 of the upper substrate 3 shown in Fig. 3. As described above, side 15 of the light control panel 1 is located closer to the Y1 side (center O side) than side 15A on the Y2 side of the regular octagon.

[0019] Side 16 intersects both the X2 direction and the Y2 direction at an intersecting angle of 45 degrees. Side 16 overlaps with side 216 of lower substrate 2 shown in FIG. 2 and side 316 of upper substrate 3 shown in FIG.

[0020] The side 17 is located on the X2 side of the light control panel 1. The side 17 overlaps with the side 217 of the lower substrate 2 shown in FIG. 2 and the side 317 of the upper substrate 3 shown in FIG.

[0021] Side 18 intersects with both the X2 direction and the Y1 direction at an intersecting angle of 45 degrees. Side 18 overlaps with side 218 of lower substrate 2 shown in FIG. 2 and side 318 of upper substrate 3 shown in FIG.

[0022] As such, since the area of ​​the upper substrate 3 is smaller than the area of ​​the lower substrate 2, the first terminal group 10 provided at the end 2c of the lower substrate 2 and the second terminal group 20 provided at the end 2d are exposed.

[0023] Next, the lower substrate 2 and the upper substrate 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Note that FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the front surface 3a, which is the surface on which wiring is provided, of the front and back surfaces of the upper substrate 3. Therefore, the directions of X1 and X2 in the upper substrate 3 in FIG. 3 are opposite to the directions of X1 and X2 in the lower substrate 2 in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a center line CL1 that passes through the center of the lower substrate 2 in the X direction and extends in the Y direction, and a center line CL2 that passes through the center of the lower substrate 2 in the Y direction and extends in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 2, at an end 2c along a side 211 of the lower substrate 2, a first terminal group 10 is provided at a first end 21 (indicated by a two-dot chain line) that is closer to the side 212 (or the side 213) than the center of the side 211. That is, the end 2c is the end on the Y1 side of the lower substrate 2, and the first end 21, indicated by a two-dot chain line, is located on the X1 side of the end 2c relative to the center line CL1. A first terminal group 10 is provided at the first end portion 21. As shown in Fig. 2, the first terminal group 10 includes a first terminal 101, a second terminal 102, a third terminal 103, and a fourth terminal 104. The first terminal 101, the second terminal 102, the third terminal 103, and the fourth terminal 104 are arranged side by side in order in the X direction (fourth direction) from the X1 side to the X2 side. These terminals 101, 102, 103, and 104 have a pair of short sides 105 parallel to the side 211 and a pair of long sides 106 parallel to the side 212.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, a second terminal group 20 is provided at an end 2d along a side 212 of the lower substrate 2, at a second end 22 (indicated by a two-dot chain line) closer to the side 211 (or the side 213) than the center of the side 212. That is, the end 2d is the end on the X1 side of the lower substrate 2, and the second end 22 indicated by the two-dot chain line is disposed on the Y1 side of the center line CL2 of the end 2d. The second terminal group 20 is provided at the second end 22. As shown in FIG. 2, the second terminal group 20 includes a fifth terminal 201, a sixth terminal 202, a seventh terminal 203, and an eighth terminal 204. The fifth terminal 201, the sixth terminal 202, the seventh terminal 203, and the eighth terminal 204 are arranged in order in the front-to-rear direction (Y direction) from the Y1 side to the Y2 side. These terminals 201 , 202 , 203 , and 204 have a pair of long sides 107 parallel to the side 211 and a pair of short sides 108 parallel to the side 212 .

[0025] Next, we will explain the wiring on the lower substrate 2 and the upper substrate 3. Of the front and back surfaces of the substrates, the wiring is provided on the front surface. That is, the surface on which the wiring is provided is referred to as the front surface, and the surface opposite the front surface is referred to as the back surface.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 2, wiring, liquid crystal drive electrodes, and connection portions are provided on the surface 2a of the lower substrate 2. Note that connection portion C1 of the lower substrate 2 and connection portion C3 of the upper substrate 3 (see Fig. 3) are electrically connected via a conductive pillar (not shown). Similarly, connection portion C2 of the lower substrate 2 and connection portion C4 of the upper substrate 3 (see Fig. 3) are electrically connected via a common electrode (not shown) that is electrically connected.

[0027] The first terminal 101 and the fifth terminal 201 are electrically connected via a wire (first wire) 241. A branch point 242 is provided midway along the wire 241, and the wire extends from the branch point 242 to a connection point C1.

[0028] The second terminal 102 and the sixth terminal 202 are electrically connected via wiring (second wiring) 243, 245. A branch point 244 is provided in the wiring 243, and a wiring 246 extends from the branch point 244 to an end 247.

[0029] The third terminal 103 and the seventh terminal 203 are electrically connected via a wire (third wire) 248. The fourth terminal 104 and the eighth terminal 204 are electrically connected via wires (fourth wires) 249 and 251. The wire 249 extends from the fourth terminal 104 toward the X2 side to a branch point 250. The wire 251 extends from the branch point 250 to the eighth terminal 204. The wire extends from the branch point 250 to a connection part C2.

[0030] The liquid crystal driving electrodes 261 are connected to the wiring 243 and 246. The liquid crystal driving electrodes 261 extend linearly along the X direction. The liquid crystal driving electrodes 261 are arranged at equal intervals in the Y direction.

[0031] The multiple liquid crystal drive electrodes 262 are connected to the wiring 248. The liquid crystal drive electrodes 262 extend linearly along the X direction. The liquid crystal drive electrodes 262 are arranged at equal intervals in the Y direction. The liquid crystal drive electrodes 261 and the liquid crystal drive electrodes 262 are arranged alternately in the Y direction.

[0032] 3, wiring, liquid crystal drive electrodes, and connection portions are provided on the surface 3a of the upper substrate 3. Note that center lines CL1 and CL2 shown in FIG. 3 correspond to the center lines CL1 and CL2 shown in FIG.

[0033] The connection portion C3 is connected to wires 342 and 343 via a branch point 341. The wire 342 extends to an end 348. The wire 343 extends to an end 349. The connection portion C4 is connected to wires 345 and 346 via a branch point 344. The wire 346 extends to an end 347.

[0034] The liquid crystal driving electrodes 361 are connected to the wirings 342 and 343. The liquid crystal driving electrodes 361 extend linearly along the Y direction. The liquid crystal driving electrodes 361 are arranged at equal intervals in the X direction.

[0035] The liquid crystal drive electrodes 362 are connected to the wiring 346. The liquid crystal drive electrodes 362 extend linearly along the Y direction. The liquid crystal drive electrodes 362 are arranged at equal intervals in the X direction. The liquid crystal drive electrodes 361 and the liquid crystal drive electrodes 362 are arranged alternately in the X direction.

[0036] Next, a brief description will be given of the cross-sectional structure of the dimming panel 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the dimming panel 1 includes a lower substrate 2, an upper substrate 3, and a liquid crystal layer 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper substrate 3 is disposed on the upper side (Z1 side) of the lower substrate 2. The liquid crystal layer 4 is disposed between the upper substrate 3 and the lower substrate 2. That is, the surface 2a of the lower substrate 2 and the surface 3a of the upper substrate 3 are disposed so as to face each other with the liquid crystal layer 4 sandwiched therebetween. Note that the opposite side of the surface 2a of the lower substrate 2 is the back surface 2b, and the opposite side of the surface 3a of the upper substrate 3 is the back surface 3b. As described above, the upper substrate 3 has a smaller area than the lower substrate 2, and therefore the third terminal 103 provided on the surface 2a of the lower substrate 2 is exposed. Note that an insulating layer is provided to prevent contact between two wires. However, in the dimming panel 1 according to this embodiment, the lower substrate 2 does not have any overlapping portions of the wires, and therefore no insulating layer is provided.

[0037] 4, an alignment film 610 is laminated on both substrates and electrodes. Specifically, the alignment film 610 is laminated on the surface 2a of the lower substrate 2, the liquid crystal driving electrodes 261 and 262, and the upper surfaces of parts of the third wiring 248. The alignment film 610 is also laminated on the surface 3a of the upper substrate 3 and the upper surface of the liquid crystal driving electrode 361. The lower substrate 2 and the upper substrate 3 are bonded together by a sealant 600 that surrounds the effective area, and a liquid crystal layer 4 is filled inside the sealant 600.

[0038] Next, the light control device of the embodiment will be described. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the light control device of the embodiment.

[0039] 5, the light control device 100 according to this embodiment includes a panel unit 110 and a light source 620. In the light control device 100 according to this embodiment, a liquid crystal cell for p-wave polarization and a liquid crystal cell for s-wave polarization are stacked and combined.

[0040] The panel unit 110 is formed by stacking a plurality of light control panels 1 in the Z direction (first direction). In this embodiment, a plurality of (four in this embodiment) light control panels 1 shown in FIG. 1 are stacked. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the four light control panels 1 are stacked in the following order from the top: a first light control panel 1A, a second light control panel 1B, a third light control panel 1C, and a fourth light control panel 1D. The first light control panel 1A is disposed at the top of the four light control panels 1. In other words, the first light control panel 1A is located closest to the Z2 side of the plurality of light control panels. The fourth light control panel 1D is disposed at the bottom of the four light control panels 1. In other words, the fourth light control panel 1D is located closest to the Z1 side of the plurality of light control panels. The second light control panel 1B and the third light control panel 1C are stacked between the first light control panel 1A and the fourth light control panel 1D. The dimming panels 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D are bonded together via an adhesive layer 72. That is, all of the dimming panels adjacent to each other in the Z direction are bonded together via the adhesive layer 72. The flexible printed circuit board 400 is electrically connected to the terminals. The number of dimming panels 1 included in the dimming device 100 is not limited to four, and may be two or more. The light source 620 is disposed on the Z1 side of the panel unit 110. Light 621 is emitted from the light source 620.

[0041] Next, a detailed description will be given of the corners of the light control panel 1. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged portion of Fig. 1.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 6, the dimming panel 1 is an octagon (polygon) and has sides 14, 15, and 16. As described above, side 15 of the dimming panel 1 corresponds to side 15A on the Y2 side of the regular octagon. Side 15 of the dimming panel 1 is located closer to the Y1 side than side 15A on the Y2 side of the regular octagon. The distance between side 15 and side 15A is distance d1.

[0043] Here, assuming that side 15 is the first side and side 14 is the second side, side 15 (first side) and side 14 (second side) are adjacent to each other. The end of side 14 has a curved portion 14a. Side 15 (first side) and curved portion 14a of side 14 (second side) intersect at point P1 to form a first corner 80. At first corner 80, an interior angle θ2 where curved portion 14a intersects with side 15 is greater than 90 degrees. Straight line L1 is a tangent to curved portion 14a that passes through point P1. The intersection angle between straight line L1 and side 15 is angle θ1. Angle θ1 is smaller than 90 degrees. Straight line L2 is an extension of side 15. The regular octagon indicated by the dashed line has side 14A. The intersection point between side 14A and line L2 is intersection point R1. Point P1 is located on the X2 side (the side of center line CL1) of intersection point R1. The distance between point P1 and intersection point R1 is distance d2. Curved portion 14a extends from point Q1 to point P1. If the line connecting point Q1 and point P1 is line L4, curved portion 14a is located on the center O side of line L4.

[0044] Furthermore, if side 15 is the first side and side 16 is the second side, side 15 (first side) and side 16 (second side) are adjacent to each other. The end of side 16 has a curved portion 16a. Side 15 (first side) and curved portion 16a of side 16 (second side) intersect at point P2 to form a first corner 81. At first corner 81, an interior angle θ4 where curved portion 16a intersects with side 15 is greater than 90 degrees. Line L3 is a tangent to curved portion 16a that passes through point P2. The intersection angle between line L3 and side 15 is angle θ3. Angle θ3 is less than 90 degrees. Line L2 is an extension of side 15. The regular octagon indicated by the dashed line has side 16A. The intersection point between side 16A and line L2 is intersection point R2. Point P2 is located on the X1 side (the center line CL1 side) of intersection point R2. The distance between point P2 and intersection point R2 is distance d2. Curved portion 16a extends from point Q2 to point P2. If the line connecting point Q2 and point P2 is line L5, curved portion 16a is located on the center O side of line L5.

[0045] As will be described in detail later, in the dimming device 100 according to the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14 , when two dimming panels 1 adjacent in the Z direction are viewed from the Z direction, first corners 80 and 81 of one dimming panel 1 are located inside (closer to the center O) than the edge of the other dimming panel 1, and the first corners 80 and 81 of the other dimming panel 1 are located inside (closer to the center O) than the edge of the one dimming panel 1. Also, as shown in FIG. 1 , in addition to the first corners 80 and 81, the dimming panel 1 is provided with second corners 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, and 87. The second corner 82 is a corner where the side 14 intersects with the side 12. The second corner 83 is a corner where the side 13 intersects with the side 12. The second corner 84 is a corner where the side 13 intersects with the side 11. The second corner 85 is a corner where the side 11 intersects with the side 18. The second corner 86 is a corner where the side 18 and the side 17 intersect. The second corner 87 is a corner where the side 17 and the side 16 intersect. The second corners 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, and 87 are formed in an arc shape. The interior angles of the second corners 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, and 87 are all the same and larger than the first corners 80 and 81.

[0046] [Manufacturing method of light control device] Next, a method for manufacturing a light control device will be described. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the procedure for cutting out one light control panel from a base material. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged portion of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the procedure for cutting out a portion of the upper substrate from the light control panel. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a first light control panel located at the uppermost position in a panel unit. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a second light control panel located second from the top in a panel unit. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a third light control panel located third from the top in a panel unit. Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a fourth light control panel located fourth from the top in a panel unit. Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram of a panel unit according to an embodiment viewed from above.

[0047] The manufacturing method of the light control device includes a base material preparation step, a light control panel cutting step, a light control panel fabrication step, and a lamination step.

[0048] (Base material preparation process) In the substrate preparation step, a substrate 500 is prepared. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the substrate 500 includes two overlapping rectangular light-transmitting substrates 510, a sealant 600 disposed between the two light-transmitting substrates 510, and a liquid crystal layer 4 filled inside the sealant 600. The light-transmitting substrate 510 has a rectangular shape extending in the X direction. The light-transmitting substrate 510 has an end face 501 on the Y2 side and an end face 502 on the Y1 side. As shown in FIG. 8, the sealant 600 is provided along the edge of the upper substrate 3. The sealant 600 has an injection port 601 at its end on the Y2 side. Liquid crystal is injected into the sealant 600 from the injection port 601 to form the liquid crystal layer 4.

[0049] (Dimming panel cutting process) After the substrate preparation step, a light control panel cutting step is performed. In the light control panel cutting step, as shown in FIG. 7 , one octagonal (polygonal) light control panel 1 is cut out from a substrate 500. Specifically, in the light control panel cutting step, successive cuts 511, 512, 513, 514, 515, 516, and 517 are made in the substrate 500 to cut out the light control panel 1. The cuts are made using, for example, a blade. The cut 511 is also referred to as a first cut. The cut (first cut) 511 is made from an end surface 501 of the light-transmitting substrate 510 in a direction intersecting with the end surface 501. The cut 511 forms a first corner 80, which is a corner where the cut 511 and the end surface 501 intersect. The intersection angle between the direction of the cut (first cut) 511 and the end surface 501 is angle θ1. Angle θ1 is smaller than 90 degrees. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the cut (first cut) 511 forms the side 14 including the curved portion 14a. That is, immediately after the cut (first cut) 511 is made, the curved portion 14a is formed, and then the portion of the side 14 other than the curved portion 14a is cut along a straight line.

[0050] At the end of side 14, the blade is turned to make incision 512, forming side 12. Thereafter, the blade is advanced and turned in the same way to form sides 13, 11, 18, and 17. Then, in the incision of side 16, as shown in FIG. 6 , curved portion 16a is formed, and then the blade is pulled out from end face 501. In this way, in the light control panel cutting process, incisions are continuously made along the outside of sealing material 600 up to end face 501.

[0051] (Dimming panel manufacturing process) In the light control panel manufacturing process, the above-described light control panel cutting process is repeated to manufacture a plurality of light control panels 1 (four in this embodiment).

[0052] (Top board cutting process) After the light control panel manufacturing step, an upper substrate cutting step is performed. As shown in Fig. 9, the upper substrate 3 is cut by making incisions 521, 522, and 523. As a result, sides 312, 313, and 311 of the upper substrate 3 are formed, and a plurality of light control panels 1 (for example, four panels) are produced.

[0053] (Lamination process) After the upper substrate cutting process, a lamination process is performed to form the panel unit 110. In the lamination process, a plurality of (for example, four) light control panels 1 are stacked in the Z direction. In the lamination process, for two light control panels 1 adjacent to each other in the Z direction, the light control panel 1 on the Z2 side is arranged in a state where the light control panel 1 is rotated around the center O relative to the light control panel 1 on the Z1 side. The arrangement of the four light control panels 1 will be described below.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 10, the dimming panel 1A (first dimming panel) arranged at the top (Z2 side, one side in the first direction) of the panel unit 110 has side 15 located on the Y2 side and side 11 located on the Y1 side.

[0055] 11, the dimming panel 1B (second dimming panel) arranged second from the top in the panel unit 110 is obtained by rotating the dimming panel 1A (first dimming panel) by 90 degrees counterclockwise (left-handed) around the center O. The dimming panel 1B (second dimming panel) has a side 15 located on the X1 side and a side 11 located on the X2 side.

[0056] 12, the dimming panel 1C (third dimming panel) arranged third from the top in the panel unit 110 is obtained by rotating the dimming panel 1B (second dimming panel) by 90 degrees counterclockwise (left-handed) around the center O. The dimming panel 1C (third dimming panel) has a side 15 located on the Y1 side and a side 11 located on the Y2 side.

[0057] 13, the fourth dimming panel 1D (fourth dimming panel) arranged fourth from the top in the panel unit 110 is obtained by rotating the dimming panel 1C (third dimming panel) by 90 degrees counterclockwise (left-handed) around the center O. The dimming panel 1D (fourth dimming panel) has a side 15 located on the X2 side and a side 11 located on the X1 side.

[0058] When four dimming panels 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D are stacked in the Z direction, a panel unit 110 shown in Fig. 14 is formed. As shown in Fig. 14, in the panel unit 110, when two dimming panels 1 adjacent in the Z direction are viewed from the Z direction, first corners 80 and 81 of one dimming panel 1 are located inside (toward the center O) the edge of the other dimming panel 1, and the first corners 80 and 81 of the other dimming panel 1 are located inside (toward the center O) the edge of the one dimming panel 1. That is, for example, the first corners 80 and 81 of the first dimming panel 1A are located inside (toward the center O) the edge of the second dimming panel 1B, and the first corners 80 and 81 of the second dimming panel 1B are located inside (toward the center O) the edge of the first dimming panel 1A. In this way, for all four dimming panels 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, for two dimming panels 1 adjacent in the Z direction, the first corners 80, 81 of one dimming panel 1 are located inside (towards the center O) the edge of the other dimming panel 1, and the first corners 80, 81 of the other dimming panel 1 are located inside (towards the center O) the edge of the one dimming panel 1.

[0059] As described above, the light control device 100 includes the panel unit 110. The panel unit 110 has a prismatic shape in which a plurality of polygonal light control panels 1, each including a lower substrate 2 and an upper substrate 3 overlapping the lower substrate 2, are stacked in the Z direction. Each of the plurality of light control panels 1 has a side 15 (first side), a side 14 (second side) adjacent to the side 15, and a first corner 80 where the side 15 and the side 14 intersect. When two light control panels 1 adjacent in the Z direction are viewed from the Z direction, the first corners 80 and 81 of one light control panel 1 are located inside (closer to the center O) than the edge of the other light control panel 1, and the first corners 80 and 81 of the other light control panel 1 are located inside (closer to the center O) than the edge of the one light control panel 1.

[0060] As mentioned above, in Patent Document 1, when multiple dimming panels are stacked one on top of the other, if the corners of the dimming panels protrude from the sides of the panel unit, the corners may interfere with other components, etc., and be damaged.

[0061] In contrast, in the panel unit 110 according to the present embodiment, when two dimming panels 1 adjacent in the Z direction are viewed from the Z direction, the first corners 80 and 81 of one dimming panel 1 are located more inward (toward the center O) than the edge of the other dimming panel 1, and the first corners 80 and 81 of the other dimming panel 1 are located more inward (toward the center O) than the edge of the one dimming panel 1. Therefore, the first corner 80 does not protrude from the side of the panel unit 110, and damage to the first corner 80 can be further suppressed. Furthermore, even if there is a molding defect such as a burr in the first corner 80, the burr does not protrude from the side of the panel unit 110, and therefore, the burr does not protrude from the side of the panel unit 110, and therefore, the burr does not get caught on the hand of a worker during the manufacturing process, hindering work.

[0062] At a first corner 80 of the first light control panel 1A (predetermined light control panel 1), an interior angle θ2 at which the side 15 (first side) and the side 14 (second side) intersect is greater than 90 degrees. Also, at the first corner 80, an interior angle θ2 at which the notch 511 (first notch) and the end face 501 intersect is greater than 90 degrees.

[0063] If the interior angle θ2 is smaller than 90 degrees, the corner will be sharper. Therefore, by making the interior angle θ2 larger, damage to the corner can be reduced.

[0064] The method for manufacturing the dimming device includes a substrate preparation process for preparing a substrate 500 having a sealing material 600 and a liquid crystal layer 4 between two rectangular light-transmitting substrates 510 stacked in the Z direction; a dimming panel cutting process for cutting out a single dimming panel 1 from the substrate 500 after the substrate preparation process, by making a cut 511 (first cut) from an edge 501 of the light-transmitting substrate 510 along a direction intersecting the edge 501, and then forming successive cuts along the outside of the sealing material 600 up to the edge 501, thereby forming a polygonal dimming panel 1 whose one side is the edge 501; a dimming panel manufacturing process for repeatedly performing the dimming panel cutting process to manufacture multiple dimming panels 1; and a stacking process for stacking multiple dimming panels 1 in the Z direction after the dimming panel manufacturing process. In the lamination process, for two dimming panels 1 adjacent in the Z direction, the dimming panel 1 on the Z2 side is arranged in a rotated state relative to the dimming panel 1 on the Z1 side, centered on the center O (central portion) of the dimming panel 1 when viewed from the Z direction. Also, the lamination process forms a panel unit 110. When the panel unit 110 is viewed from the Z direction, when two dimming panels 1 adjacent in the Z direction are viewed from the Z direction, first corners 80 and 81 of one dimming panel 1 are located inside (toward the center O) relative to the edge of the other dimming panel 1, and the first corners 80 and 81 of the other dimming panel 1 are located inside (toward the center O) relative to the edge of one dimming panel 1.

[0065] Therefore, it is possible to more easily manufacture the dimming device 100 in which the first corner 80 is prevented from protruding from the side of the panel unit 110. That is, by using a simple method in which a plurality of dimming panels 1 rotated around the center O are stacked one on top of the other in order, it is possible to prevent the first corner 80 from protruding from the side of the panel unit 110. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 Dimming Panel 1A Dimming Panel (First Dimming Panel) 1B Dimming Panel (Second Dimming Panel) 1C Dimming Panel (3rd Dimming Panel) 1D Dimming Panel (4th Dimming Panel) 2 Lower board 2a surface 2b Back side 2c end 2d end 2e end 3 Upper board 3a surface 3b back side 4 Liquid crystal layer 10 First terminal group Sides 11, 12, and 13 14th side (2nd side) 14a Curved section 15 sides (first side) 16th side (2nd side) 16a Curved section Sides 17 and 18 20 Second terminal group 21 First end 22 Second end 72 Adhesive layer 80, 81 1st corner 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87 2nd corner 100 Dimmer 101 1st terminal 102 2nd terminal 103 3rd terminal 104 4th terminal 105 short side 106 Long side 107 Long Side 108 short side 110 Panel Unit 201 5th terminal 202 6th terminal 203 7th terminal 204 8th terminal 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218 241, 243, 245, 246, 248, 249, 251, 342, 343, 345, 346 wiring 242, 244, 250, 341, 344 Junction 247, 347, 348, 349 edge 261, 262, 361, 362 Liquid crystal drive electrodes 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318 sides 400 Flexible Printed Circuit Board 500 Base material 501, 502 end face 510 Transparent substrate 511 Notch (First Notch) 512, 513, 514, 515, 516, 517 Notches 521, 522, 523 notches 600 Sealing material 601 Inlet 610 Alignment film 620 light source 621 light C1, C2, C3, C4 connections CL1, CL2 center line O center

Claims

1. A panel unit having a prismatic shape is provided in which a plurality of polygonal light control panels including a lower substrate and an upper substrate overlapping the lower substrate are stacked in a first direction, Each of the plurality of light control panels has a first side, a second side adjacent to the first side, and a first corner where the first side and the second side intersect, When two of the plurality of dimming panels adjacent to each other in a first direction are viewed from the first direction, The first corner portion of one of the light control panels is located inside an edge of another of the light control panels, and the first corner portion of the other of the light control panels is located inside an edge of the one of the light control panels. Dimmer.

2. At the first corner portion of the light control panel, The interior angle at which the first side and the second side intersect is greater than 90 degrees. The light control device according to claim 1 .

3. a substrate preparation step of preparing a substrate including two rectangular light-transmitting substrates stacked in a first direction, a sealant material provided between the two rectangular light-transmitting substrates, and a liquid crystal layer to be filled between the sealant material; After the substrate preparation step, a light-control panel cutting process in which a first cut is made from an end face of the light-transmitting substrate along a direction intersecting the end face, and then a cut is continuously formed along an outer side of the sealing material up to the end face, thereby cutting out one light-control panel from the base material into a polygon having one side defined by the end face; a light control panel manufacturing step of manufacturing a plurality of light control panels by repeatedly performing the light control panel cutting step; a stacking step of stacking the plurality of light control panels in a first direction after the light control panel fabrication step, In the light control panel cutting out step, a first corner portion where the first notch and the end surface intersect is formed in the light control panel, In the lamination step, When two of the plurality of dimming panels adjacent to each other in a first direction are viewed from the first direction, The first corner portion of one of the light control panels is located inside an edge of another of the light control panels, and the first corner portion of the other of the light control panels is located inside an edge of the one of the light control panels. A method for manufacturing a light control device.

4. At the first corner portion of the light control panel, an interior angle formed by the first cut and the end surface is greater than 90 degrees; A method for manufacturing the light control device according to claim 3 .

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