Liquid crystal devices and electronic equipment

Abstract

To separate a flexible substrate for supplying power to a heating member from another flexible substrate.SOLUTION: A liquid crystal device comprises: an element substrate 30; a terminal 320 provided on the element substrate 30; an FPC substrate 61 electrically connected to the terminal 320; a counter substrate 20 arranged overlapping on the element substrate 30; a heater 230 including connections 231b, 231c provided on the counter substrate 20; FPC substrates 62b, 62c electrically connected to the connections 231b, 231c; and a liquid crystal 50 held between the element substrate 30 and the counter substrate 20. In plan view, the terminal 320 is provided outside one side of a rectangular area where the element substrate 30 and the counter substrate 20 overlap each other. The connections 62b, 62c are provided outside sides other than the side of the rectangular area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid crystal device and an electronic apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In a liquid crystal panel, when the temperature of the liquid crystal is low, the optical responsiveness decreases. For this reason, there is known a liquid crystal panel that incorporates a heater, raises the temperature of the liquid crystal by heat generated by the heater, and improves optical responsiveness (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Specifically, in the liquid crystal panel described in Patent Document 1, a heater is arranged so as to planarly overlap a driving region.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, the FPC substrate that supplies control signals to the driving region is configured to supply electric power to the heater. Since a larger current flows through the heater compared to the control signals, there is a problem that noise is likely to be superimposed on the control signals. In consideration of such circumstances, an object of one aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that suppresses superimposition of noise on control signals in a configuration in which a voltage is applied to a heater to cause a current to flow therethrough.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, an electro-optical device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: A heating element is arranged on a first substrate on which a first connection portion is disposed; a first flexible substrate electrically connected to the first connection portion; a second substrate on which a heating element is disposed, having a frame portion that overlaps with the first substrate and has an overhang portion extending from the first substrate, and is located outside the display area in the region overlapping with the first substrate, and a second connection portion and a third connection portion disposed on the overhang portion; a second flexible substrate electrically connected to the second connection portion; a third flexible substrate electrically connected to the third connection portion; and a liquid crystal disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The heating member has a layer and a frame portion having one end and the other end arranged through a slit, the heating member has a first extending portion extending from one end of the frame portion in a first direction and connected to the second connecting portion, and a second extending portion extending from the other end of the frame portion in a first direction and connected to the third connecting portion, and in the protruding portion, the second connecting portion extends from the first extending portion in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the third connecting portion extends from the second extending portion in a third direction intersecting the first direction and opposite to the second direction. .

Brief Description of Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1]This figure shows the optical configuration of a projection-type display device to which the electro-optical device according to the first embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] This block diagram shows the electrical configuration of the drive system in a projection-type display device. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the configuration for controlling a heater in a projection-type display device. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing an electro-optical device. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an electro-optical device. [Figure 6] This block diagram shows the electrical configuration of an electro-optical device. [Figure 7] This diagram shows the configuration of a pixel circuit in an electro-optical device. [Figure 8] This is a plan view showing the opposing substrates of an electro-optical device. [Figure 9] This is a plan view showing the element substrate of an electro-optical device. [Figure 10] This diagram shows the connection status between the FPC substrate and the element substrate. [Figure 11] This figure shows a first modified example of an FPC substrate that can be connected to a counter-substrate. [Figure 12] This figure shows a second modified example of an FPC substrate that can be connected to a counter-substrate. [Figure 13] This figure shows the connection state between the FPC substrate and the opposing substrate according to the second modified example. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view showing an electro-optical apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] This is a plan view showing the opposing substrate in an electro-optical device. [Figure 16] This is a plan view showing a modified example of a counter substrate in an electro-optical device. [Figure 17] This is a perspective view showing an electro-optical apparatus according to the third embodiment. [Figure 18] This is a plan view showing dustproof glass in an electro-optical device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] Hereinafter, an electro-optical apparatus according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensions and scale of each part in each drawing have been appropriately changed from those of the actual parts. Furthermore, the embodiments described below are preferred examples and are subject to various technically preferred limitations, but the scope of this disclosure is not limited to these forms unless otherwise stated in the following description to specifically limit this disclosure.

[0008] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 shows the optical configuration of a projection-type display device 100 to which the electro-optical device according to the first embodiment is applied. As shown in the figure, the projection-type display device 100 includes electro-optical devices 10R, 10G, and 10B. The projection-type display device 100 is also provided with a lamp unit 2102 consisting of a white light source such as a halogen lamp. The projected light emitted from this lamp unit 2102 is separated into three primary colors, red (R), green (G), and blue (B), by three mirrors 2106 and two dichroic mirrors 2108. Of these, the R light is incident on the electro-optical device 10R, the G light on the electro-optical device 10G, and the B light on the electro-optical device 10B. Furthermore, since the optical path B is longer than the optical paths R and G, it is necessary to prevent losses in the optical path B. For this reason, the optical path B is provided with a relay lens system 2121 consisting of an incident lens 2122, a relay lens 2123, and an exit lens 2124.

[0009] In this embodiment, the electro-optical device 10R is a liquid crystal panel having a plurality of pixel circuits. Each of the plurality of pixel circuits includes a liquid crystal element. The liquid crystal elements of the electro-optical device 10R are driven based on a data signal corresponding to R, as described later, and their transmittance is determined according to the effective value of the voltage of the data signal. Therefore, in the electro-optical device 10R, a transmitted image of R is generated by individually controlling the transmittance of the liquid crystal elements. Similarly, in the electro-optical device 10G, a transmitted image of G is generated based on a data signal corresponding to G, and in the electro-optical device 10B, a transmitted image of B is generated based on a data signal corresponding to B.

[0010] Transmitted images of respective colors respectively generated by electro-optical devices 10R, 10G and 10B are incident on a dichroic prism 2112 from three directions. In the dichroic prism 2112, R light and B light are refracted by 90 degrees, while G light travels straight. Accordingly, the dichroic prism 2112 combines the images of respective colors. The combined image formed by the dichroic prism 2112 is incident on a projection lens 2114. The projection lens 2114 enlarges and projects the combined image formed by the dichroic prism 2112 onto a screen Scr.

[0011] It should be noted that the transmitted images from the electro-optical devices 10R and 10B are emitted after being reflected by the dichroic prism 2112, whereas the transmitted image from the electro-optical device 10G is emitted traveling straight. Accordingly, each of the transmitted images from the electro-optical devices 10R and 10B has a horizontally inverted relationship with respect to the transmitted image from the electro-optical device 10G.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration for controlling display among the electrical configurations of the projection display device 100. As shown in the drawing, the projection display device 100 includes the aforementioned electro-optical devices 10R, 10G, 10B, and a display control circuit 15.

[0013] Video data Vid-in is supplied to the display control circuit 15 in synchronization with a synchronization signal Sync from a host device such as an upper-level apparatus not shown in the drawings. The video data Vid-in specifies, for each of RGB, the grayscale level of a pixel in an image to be displayed as, for example, 8 bits.

[0014] In the projection-type display device 100, the color image projected onto the screen Scr is represented by combining the transmitted images of the electro-optical devices 10R, 10G, and 10B, as described above. Therefore, the smallest unit of a color image, the pixel, can be divided into red subpixels from the electro-optical device 10R, green subpixels from the electro-optical device 10G, and blue subpixels from the electro-optical device 10B. However, in cases where it is not necessary to specify the color of the subpixels in the electro-optical devices 10R, 10G, and 10B, or when only brightness and darkness are relevant, it is not necessary to refer to them as subpixels. Therefore, in this explanation, the display unit in the electro-optical devices 10R, 10G, and 10B will simply be referred to as a pixel.

[0015] The Sync synchronization signal includes a vertical synchronization signal that instructs the start of vertical scanning of the video data Vid-in, a horizontal synchronization signal that instructs the start of horizontal scanning, and a clock signal that indicates the timing of one video pixel in the video data Vid-in.

[0016] The display control circuit 15 separates the video data Vid-in from the host device into RGB components and converts them into analog voltage data signals, which are then supplied to the electro-optical devices 10R, 10G, and 10B. Specifically, the display control circuit 15 converts the R component of the video data Vid-in into analog and supplies it as data signal Vid-R to the electro-optical device 10R via the FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits) board 61. Similarly, the display control circuit 15 converts the G component of the video data Vid-in into analog and supplies it as data signal Vid-G to the electro-optical device 10G via the FPC board 61, and converts the B component into analog and supplies it as data signal Vid-B to the electro-optical device 10B via the FPC board 61. The display control circuit 15 supplies data signals Vid_R, Vid_G, and Vid_B via the FPC board 61, synchronized with the control signal Ctr for controlling the operation of the electro-optical devices 10R, 10G, and 10B, respectively.

[0017] Next, we will describe the electro-optical devices 10R, 10G, and 10B. The only difference between the electro-optical devices 10R, 10G, and 10B is the color of the incident light, i.e., the wavelength; their structure is common to all. Therefore, we will refer to the electro-optical devices 10R, 10G, and 10B as "10" and describe them generally without specifying the color.

[0018] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration for controlling the heating of the electro-optical device 10. The electro-optical device 10 is equipped with a heater 230 and a temperature sensor 17. The heater 230 is an example of a heating element. The temperature control circuit 16 applies a voltage to the heater 230 via FPC substrates 62a and 62b. The temperature sensor 17 detects the temperature of the electro-optical device 10 and outputs information Temp, which indicates the temperature, as the detected value. The information Temp is supplied to the temperature control circuit 16 via an FPC board separate from FPC boards 62a and 62b, for example, FPC board 61.

[0019] The temperature control circuit 16 controls the voltage applied to the heater 230 so that the temperature indicated by the information Temp becomes the target temperature. Specifically, if the temperature indicated by the information Temp is lower than the target temperature, the temperature control circuit 16 increases the voltage applied to the heater 230. The target temperature is the temperature suitable for the use of the electro-optical device 10, and is preset in the temperature control circuit 16. Furthermore, fluctuations in the voltage applied to the heater 230 become a source of noise. For this reason, the temperature control circuit 16 controls the voltage applied to the heater 230 to a constant voltage and switches this constant voltage in steps, for example every minute, according to the temperature indicated by the information Temp.

[0020] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the electro-optical device 10, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line Hh in Figure 4. The line Hh is a virtual line that cuts the electro-optical device 10 along the X-axis so as to include the region where the opposing substrate 20 and the element substrate 30 overlap. As shown in Figure 5, in the electro-optical device 10, a counter substrate 20 on which a common electrode 22 is provided and an element substrate 30 on which a pixel electrode 32 is provided are bonded together with a sealing material 40 so that their electrode-forming surfaces face each other while maintaining a certain gap, and liquid crystal 50 is sealed in this gap. Note that the element substrate 30 is an example of a first substrate, the opposing substrate 20 is an example of a second substrate, and the liquid crystal 50 is an example of an electro-optical layer.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, in this embodiment, the opposing substrate 20 and the element substrate 30 have the same side length along the X-axis, but are bonded together with a offset along the Y-axis. For this reason, the opposing substrate 20 is provided with an overhang 210 extending from the element substrate 30, and the element substrate 30 is provided with an overhang 310 extending from the opposing substrate 20.

[0022] The Y-axis, as described later, refers to the direction in which data lines extend in the electro-optical device 10, without a defined orientation, and aligns with the longer side of the display area. The X-axis, as described later, intersects the Y-axis in a plan view and does not have a defined orientation in which scan lines extend in the electro-optical device 10. The X-axis aligns with the shorter side of the display area. In this explanation, a plan view refers to viewing the substrate from the direction perpendicular to the substrate surface, i.e., from the direction of the substrate's thickness, while a cross-sectional view refers to viewing the substrate as if it were fractured in the direction perpendicular to the substrate surface.

[0023] The opposing substrate 20 and the element substrate 30 are made of light-transmitting and insulating materials such as glass and quartz, respectively. The protruding portion 310 is provided with multiple terminals, as will be described later, and is connected to one end of each of the multiple wirings provided on the FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits) substrate 61. The FPC substrate 61 is an example of a first flexible substrate. The other ends of the multiple terminals provided on the FPC substrate 61 are connected to the display control circuit 15 and the temperature control circuit 16. As a result, the data signals and control signals mentioned above are supplied from the display control circuit 15 to the electro-optical device 10, and the temperature information Temp is supplied from the electro-optical device 10 to the temperature control circuit 16.

[0024] The protruding portion 210 is provided with two terminals connected to the heater 230, to which one end of the wiring provided on the FPC substrates 62a and 62b is connected. The other ends of the wiring provided on the FPC substrates 62a and 62b are connected to the temperature control circuit 16. As a result, a voltage controlled by the temperature control circuit 16 is applied to the heater 230 via the FPC substrates 62a and 62b. The FPC substrates 62a and 62b are examples of second flexible substrates.

[0025] The FPC substrates 62a and 62b are each constructed with two 90-degree bends, because the temperature control circuit 16 is located on the same side as the display control circuit 15 relative to the electro-optical device 10. In addition, in the electro-optical device 10, light from the lamp unit 2102 is incident on the opposing substrate 20 and emitted from the element substrate 30.

[0026] For convenience, the electrical configuration of the electro-optical device 10 will now be explained. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the electro-optical device 10. The element substrate 30 of the electro-optical device 10 is provided with a scan line drive circuit 360 and a data line drive circuit 370 at the periphery of the display area 5.

[0027] In detail, the element substrate 30 is provided with multiple scan lines 36 extending along the X-axis. Multiple data lines 37 are provided extending along the Y-axis, and are electrically isolated from the scan lines 36. Pixel circuits 38 are arranged in a matrix corresponding to the intersections of the multiple scan lines 36 and the multiple data lines 37.

[0028] If the number of scan lines 36 is m and the number of data lines 37 is n, the pixel circuits 38 are arranged in a matrix with m rows and n columns. Both m and n are integers greater than or equal to 2. In the scan lines 36 and pixel circuits 38, the rows of the matrix are sometimes referred to as 1, 2, 3, ..., (m-1), and m rows in the diagram from top to bottom. Similarly, in the data lines 37 and pixel circuits 38, the columns of the matrix are sometimes referred to as 1, 2, 3, ..., (n-1), and n columns in the diagram from left to right.

[0029] The scan line driving circuit 360 selects scan lines 36 one by one in the order of, for example, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, ..., mth row, according to the control signal Ctr from the display control circuit 15, and sets the scan signal to the selected scan line 36 to the H level. The scan line driving circuit 360 also sets the scan signal to the scan lines 36 other than the selected scan line 36 to the L level. The data line driving circuit 370 latches one line of data signals supplied from the display control circuit 15, and outputs to the pixel circuit 38 located on the scan line 36 via the data line 37 during the period when the scan signal to the scan line 36 is at a high level.

[0030] Multiple terminals 320 are provided along the X-axis on the protruding portion 310. These terminals 320 are used to supply control signals Ctr to the scan line drive circuit 360, to supply data signals etc. to the data line drive circuit 370, and to supply information Temp from the temperature sensor 17 to the temperature control circuit 16. The multiple terminals 320 are an example of the first connection portion.

[0031] Figure 7 shows the equivalent circuit of a pixel circuit 38. Note that Figure 7 shows the equivalent circuits for a total of four pixel circuits 38, two vertically and two horizontally, corresponding to the intersections of two adjacent scan lines 36 and two adjacent data lines 37. The circuit configuration of each pixel circuit 38 is common to all of them.

[0032] The pixel circuit 38 includes a transistor 382, ​​a liquid crystal element 384, and a storage capacitor 386. The transistor 382 is, for example, an n-channel thin-film transistor. In the pixel circuit 38, the gate electrode of the transistor 382 is electrically connected to the scan line 36. The source region of the transistor 382 is electrically connected to the data line 37, and its drain region is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 32 and one end of the storage capacitor 386.

[0033] In transistor 382, ​​the source region and drain region are swapped when the direction of current flow is reversed. In this explanation, the region electrically connected to the data line 37 is defined as the source region, and the region electrically connected to the pixel electrode 32 is defined as the drain region. Furthermore, in this explanation, "electrically connected" or simply "connected" means a direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, including, for example, cases where two or more elements on a substrate are not directly connected but are connected via contact holes.

[0034] A common electrode 22 is provided for all pixels, facing the pixel electrode 32. A constant voltage LCcom is applied to the common electrode 22 over time. As described above, liquid crystal 50 is sandwiched between the pixel electrode 32 and the common electrode 22. Therefore, for each pixel circuit 38, a liquid crystal element 384 is formed, with the liquid crystal 50 sandwiched between the pixel electrode 32 and the common electrode 22. Furthermore, a storage capacitor 386 is provided electrically in parallel with the liquid crystal element 384. One end of the storage capacitor 386 is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 32, and the other end is electrically connected to a capacitance line 39. A constant voltage over time, for example, the same voltage LCcom as the voltage applied to the common electrode 22, is applied to the capacitance line 39.

[0035] When the scanning signal reaches a high level on scan line 36, the transistor 382 of the pixel circuit 38, which is provided in conjunction with that scan line 36, turns on. When transistor 382 turns on, the data line 37 and the pixel electrode 32 are electrically connected, so the data signal supplied to the data line 37 reaches the pixel electrode 32 and one end of the storage capacitor 386 via the on-state transistor 382. When scan line 36 reaches a low level, transistor 382 turns off, but the voltage of the data signal that reached the pixel electrode 32 is held by the liquid crystal element 384 and the storage capacitor 386.

[0036] As is well known, in the liquid crystal element 384, the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules changes in response to the electric field generated by the pixel electrode 32 and the common electrode 22. Therefore, the transmittance of the liquid crystal element 384 corresponds to the effective value of the applied voltage. Furthermore, if the liquid crystal element 384 is in normally black mode, the transmittance increases as the voltage applied to the liquid crystal element 384 increases.

[0037] The operation of supplying data signals to the pixel electrodes 32 of the liquid crystal elements 384 is performed in the order of rows 1, 2, 3, ..., m during one vertical scanning period. As a result, a voltage corresponding to the data signal is maintained in each of the liquid crystal elements 384 of the pixel circuit 38 arranged in m rows and n columns, so that each liquid crystal element 384 reaches the desired transmittance, and a transmitted image of the corresponding color is generated by the liquid crystal elements 384 arranged in m rows and n columns. In this way, the transmission image is generated for each RGB channel, and the resulting color image, created by combining the RGB channels, is projected onto the screen (Scr).

[0038] In the electro-optical device 10, the region where a transmitted image is generated is the region where the matrix-arranged pixel electrodes 32 and the common electrode 22 overlap when viewed from above. Therefore, the display region 5 is the region where the matrix-arranged pixel electrodes 32 and the common electrode 22 overlap when viewed from above.

[0039] The projection-type display device 100 may be used not only indoors but also outdoors. The optical responsiveness of the liquid crystal element 384, specifically the characteristic change in transmittance in response to voltage changes to the liquid crystal element 384, decreases as the temperature decreases. Therefore, in this embodiment, a heater 230 is provided to heat the liquid crystal element 384, particularly the liquid crystal 50, in order to prevent a decrease in optical responsiveness even when the outside temperature drops.

[0040] If the liquid crystal 50 in the display area 5 is heated unevenly by the heater 230, the optical response will be uneven in the display area 5, and the display quality of videos in particular will deteriorate. Therefore, in this embodiment, the heater 230 is provided on the opposing substrate 20 at the outer edge of the display area 5 in a plan view, and at a position that overlaps with the frame (border).

[0041] Figures 8 and 9 are plan views of the electro-optical device 10, respectively. Figure 8 is a plan view mainly showing the opposing substrate 20, and Figure 9 is a plan view showing the element substrate 30. For explanatory purposes, Figure 8 shows the opposing substrate 20 of the electro-optical device 10 separated from the element substrate 30, viewed from the direction in which light from the lamp unit 2102 is incident. This separation of the element substrate 30 from the electro-optical device 10 and viewing the opposing substrate 20, on which the heater 230 is provided, from the direction in which light is incident is similar to what is shown in Figures 10, 11, 15, and 16, which will be described later. Furthermore, Figure 9 is a diagram of the electro-optical device 10, showing the element substrate 30 separated from the opposing substrate 20 and viewed from the direction of light incidence, for illustrative purposes.

[0042] The sealing material 40 is provided in a frame shape along the inside of the periphery of the rectangular region where the opposing substrate 20 and the element substrate 30 overlap in a plan view. In Figures 8 and 9, the four corners of the rectangular region where the opposing substrate 20 and the element substrate 30 overlap in a plan view are designated as A, B, C, and D, respectively. In other words, the outline of the rectangular region is composed of four sides: AB, BC, CD, and DA. On the opposing substrate 20, the protruding portion 210 is provided on the outside of side DA, as shown by the solid line in Figure 8 (dashed line in Figure 9), and on the element substrate 30, the protruding portion 210 is provided on the outside of side BC, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 8 (dashed line in Figure 9).

[0043] The light-shielding film 241 is provided in a frame shape inside the sealing material 40 in a plan view. The light-shielding film 241 is a frame that defines the outer edge of the display area 5 and has light-shielding properties. Scan line drive circuits 360 are provided so as to be hidden in two regions along the Y axis within the frame-shaped light-shielding film 241. In addition, a data line drive circuit 370 is provided so as to be hidden in one of the two regions along the X axis within the light-shielding film 241, specifically the region along side BA.

[0044] By concealing the scan line drive circuit 360 and the data line drive circuit 370 with the light-shielding film 241, light incident from the opposing substrate 20 toward the element substrate 30 is prevented from entering the transistors constituting the scan line drive circuit 360 and the data line drive circuit 370. This prevents malfunctions of the scan line drive circuit 360 and the data line drive circuit 370 due to light leakage.

[0045] Furthermore, when an ultraviolet-curable resin is used as the sealing material 40, the light-shielding film 241 is provided so as not to overlap with the sealing material 40 in a plan view. This is to prevent the light-shielding film 241 from hindering the curing of the sealing material 40 when ultraviolet light is irradiated in the direction from the opposing substrate 20 toward the element substrate 30 after the sealing material 40 has been applied and the opposing substrate 20 and the element substrate 30 have been bonded together.

[0046] In the heater 230, as shown in Figure 8, a frame portion 231a is located between the display area 5 and the sealing material 40 in a plan view and overlaps with the light-shielding film 241, and connection portions 231b and 231c for applying voltage to the frame portion 231a are integrated. In detail, the frame portion 231a is provided with a slit S1, electrically separating it into one end and the other. One end extends to the protruding portion 210 to become the connecting portion 231b, and the other end extends to the protruding portion 210 to become the connecting portion 231c. In other words, the portion of the heater 230 excluding the connecting portions 231b and 231c is the frame portion 231a. The frame portion 231a is provided so as to overlap the light-shielding film 241 in a plan view, and with a width narrower than the width of the light-shielding film 241. The width of the frame portion 231a or the light-shielding film 241 refers to the dimension in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the frame portion 231a or the light-shielding film 241 in a plan view. The connecting portions 231b and 231c are examples of second connecting portions.

[0047] The heater 230 is a wiring film patterned with a conductive layer such as aluminum (Al), titanium nitride (TiN), or tungsten silicide (WSi). Electrically, it has one end and the other, and generates heat when current flows from one end to the other. In this explanation, "layer" refers to a conductive layer or wiring layer that does not involve patterning, while "film" refers to a conductive layer or wiring layer that has undergone patterning.

[0048] As shown in Figure 9, a plurality of terminals 320 are provided along the X-axis on the protruding portion 310 of the element substrate 30. Figure 10 is a plan view showing the connection between the multiple terminals 320 on the protruding portion 310 and the FPC substrate 61. As shown in Figure 10, the multiple terminals 320 are electrically connected, for example, one-to-one, to the multiple wirings 610 provided on the FPC substrate 61. Anisotropic adhesive or isotropic conductive film is used for this electrical connection. The multiple wirings 610 on the FPC substrate 61 also serve as connection terminals to the multiple terminals 320, each having a width W1 and arranged at equal intervals from one another.

[0049] As described above, in this first embodiment, the light-shielding film 241 that shields the scan line drive circuit 360 and the data line drive circuit 370 from light is provided in a frame shape outside the display area 5 in a plan view and inside the sealing material 40. Therefore, even when an ultraviolet-curable resin is used as the sealing material 40, the light-shielding film 241 does not overlap with the sealing material 40 in a plan view, so the light-shielding film 241 does not hinder the curing of the sealing material 40 by ultraviolet irradiation. As a result, the occurrence of defects in bonding between the opposing substrate 20 and the element substrate 30 can be suppressed. In a plan view, the frame portion 231a of the heater 230 overlaps with the light-shielding film 241 and is narrower than the width of the light-shielding film 241. Since the heat generated by the frame portion 231a is generated almost uniformly outside the display area 5, uneven heating is less likely to occur in the display area 5. Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, since the FPC board 61 that supplies the control signal and the FPC boards 62a and 62b that supply power by applying voltage to the heater 230 are separated, the influence of noise generated during constant voltage switching on the control signal can be suppressed.

[0050] The FPC boards 62a and 62b for applying voltage to the heater 230 do not need to be separated into two. Therefore, the first and second modified examples in which the FPC boards 62a and 62b are combined into one will be described next.

[0051] Figure 11 shows an FPC substrate 62c according to the first modified example, indicated by a dashed line. The FPC substrate 62c has at least two wirings. One end of the FPC substrate 62c is forked, with one wiring included in one of the forks, which is electrically connected to the connector 231b. The other wiring included in the other fork is electrically connected to the connector 231c. Furthermore, at the other end of the FPC substrate 62c, the two wires are electrically connected to the temperature control circuit 16, which applies a voltage to the heater 230 corresponding to the temperature indicated by the information Temp.

[0052] Figure 12 is a diagram showing an FPC substrate 62d according to a second modified example, indicated by dashed lines, and Figure 13 is a plan view showing the wiring included in the FPC substrate 62d. As shown in Figure 13, the FPC substrate 62d has, for example, eight wires 620. The eight wires 620 also serve as connection terminals to the connection parts 231b, 231c and the temperature control circuit 16, each having a width W2 and arranged at equal intervals from one another. The eight wires 620 are covered with a coverlay, except for the parts connected to the connectors 231b and 231c and the temperature control circuit 16.

[0053] The eight wires 620 are classified into three groups: group 621 to which either the positive or negative voltage of the voltage applied to the heater 230 is applied; group 622 to which the other of the positive or negative voltage is applied; and group 623 which is not connected to the heater 230. Of the eight wires 620, the three wires belonging to group 621 are located at the leftmost end, the three wires belonging to group 622 are located at the rightmost end, and the two wires belonging to group 623 are located between the three wires 620 belonging to group 621 and the three wires 620 belonging to group 622.

[0054] Each wiring 620 on the FPC board 62d is connected in such a way that the following relationship is satisfied: three wirings 620 belonging to group 621 are connected to connection part 231b, and three wirings 620 belonging to group 622 are connected to connection part 231c. The two wirings 620 belonging to group 623 are left unconnected to either connection part 231b or 231c between connection parts 231b and 231c. Note that, in this example, the number of traces 620 on the FPC board 62d is set to "8," but this is not the only example.

[0055] The width W2 of the wiring 620 on the FPC substrate 62d is wider than the width W1 of the wiring 610 on the FPC substrate 61. This is because a larger current flows through the wiring 620 compared to the wiring 610, which supplies various control signals to the electro-optical device 10, as the voltage applied to the heater 230 is applied to the wiring 620.

[0056] According to this second modification, instead of using a dedicated FPC substrate 62d, a general-purpose substrate with equally spaced wiring of the same width can be used. This allows for lower costs.

[0057] In the first embodiment, including the first and second modified examples, a plurality of terminals 320 are provided on a protruding portion 210 that extends beyond one side of a rectangular region where the opposing substrate 20 and the element substrate 30 overlap in a plan view, and connection portions 231b and 231c for applying voltage to the heater 230 are provided on a side other than the one side of the rectangular region, on a protruding portion 310 that extends beyond the side opposite to that side. The connection portion for applying voltage to the heater 230 is not limited to this. Next, a second embodiment will be described in which the connection portion for applying voltage to the heater 230 is provided on an edge other than the edge opposite one side of the rectangular region, specifically, on an edge outside the two edges that intersect one side of the rectangular region.

[0058] Figure 14 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the electro-optical device 10 according to the second embodiment, and Figure 15 is a plan view mainly showing the opposing substrate 20 of the electro-optical device 10.

[0059] In the second embodiment, the element substrate 30 is provided with an overhang 310, similar to the first embodiment in Figure 4, but the length of the X-axis on the opposing substrate 20 is longer than the length of the X-axis on the element substrate 30. In the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, the opposing substrate 20 and the element substrate 30 are aligned and bonded together at their far edges, but the opposing substrate 20 extends outwards from the element substrate 30 on the outside of edges AB and on the outside of edges CD, respectively. Of these, the portion of the opposing substrate 20 that extends outwards from the element substrate 30 on the outside of edges AB is designated as the overhang 210a, and the portion that extends outwards from edge CD is designated as the overhang 210b.

[0060] The protruding portion 210a is provided with a connection portion 231b for applying voltage to the heater 230, and the protruding portion 210b is provided with a connection portion 231c for applying voltage to the heater 230. One end of the wiring provided on the FPC board 62e is connected to the connection part 231b, and one end of the wiring provided on the FPC board 62f is connected to the connection part 231c. The other ends of the wiring provided on the FPC substrate 62e and the other ends of the wiring provided on the FPC substrate 62f are connected to the temperature control circuit 16, which applies a voltage to the heater 230 corresponding to the temperature indicated by the information Temp.

[0061] In the second embodiment, the sealing material 40 is provided in a frame shape inside the periphery of the rectangular area where the opposing substrate 20 and the element substrate 30 overlap in a plan view, similar to the first embodiment. The light-shielding film 241 is also provided in a frame shape inside the sealing material 40 and outside the display area 5, similar to the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 15.

[0062] The heater 230 has the shape shown in Figure 15 in plan view. More specifically, the heater 230 includes a frame portion 231a and connecting portions 231b and 231c, but unlike the first embodiment, the frame portion 231a is rectangular in shape and does not have a gap in the slit S1. Furthermore, the connecting portion 231b connects to the frame portion 231a via the midpoint of side AB in a plan view, and the connecting portion 231c connects to the frame portion 231a via the midpoint of side CD in a plan view.

[0063] According to the second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the frame portion 231a of the heater 230 overlaps with the frame-shaped light-shielding film 241 in a plan view and is provided with a width narrower than the width of the light-shielding film 241. Therefore, even when an ultraviolet-curable resin is used as the sealing material 40, the light-shielding film 241 does not hinder the curing of the sealing material 40, and the heat generated by the frame portion 231a is generated evenly outside the display area 5, so uneven heating in the display area 5 can be suppressed. Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, since the FPC board 61 that supplies the control signal and the FPC boards 62e and 62f that supply power by applying voltage to the heater 230 are separated, the influence of noise generated during constant voltage switching on the control signal can be suppressed.

[0064] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the path length of the current flowing from one connection portion 231b or 231c to the other is halved compared to the first embodiment, making it easier for current to flow. Therefore, if the voltage applied to the connection portions 231b and 231c is the same as in the first embodiment, and the material of the heater 230 is the same (the resistivity is the same), the film thickness of the heater 230 in the second embodiment can be reduced to half compared to the first embodiment, while still achieving the same amount of heat generation as in the first embodiment.

[0065] Figure 16 is a plan view showing the opposing substrate 20 of the electro-optical device 10 according to a modified example of the second embodiment. In this modified example, multiple openings Slt are provided at two locations where the heater 230 intersects with the sealing material 40 in a plan view. When an ultraviolet-curable resin is used as the sealing material 40, if an opening Slt is provided at the point where the heater 230 intersects with the sealing material 40, ultraviolet rays can penetrate the sealing material 40 through the opening Slt, thereby accelerating the curing of the sealing material 40.

[0066] In the first and second embodiments, the heater 230 is provided on the opposing substrate 20, but it may also be provided on a substrate separate from the opposing substrate 20 and the element substrate 30. Therefore, a third embodiment in which the heater is provided on a separate substrate will be described.

[0067] Figure 17 is a perspective view showing the electro-optical device 10 according to the third embodiment, and Figure 18 is a plan view showing the shape of the dustproof glass 70, particularly the heater. As shown in Figure 17, in the third embodiment, the dustproof glass 70 is bonded to the opposing substrate 20. If dust or dirt adheres to the incident surface of the opposing substrate 20, it is close to the focal point and is projected onto the screen Scr, causing a decrease in display quality. To prevent this, dustproof glass 70 is bonded to the opposing substrate 20. Even if dust or dirt adheres to the dustproof glass 70, the object is moved away from the focal point by the thickness of the glass. As a result, the object is blurred and projected onto the screen Scr in an enlarged manner, thus suppressing a decrease in display quality.

[0068] In the third embodiment, the opposing substrate 20, the element substrate 30, and the dustproof glass 70 have the same length of sides along the X-axis. The length of the side along the Y-axis of the opposing substrate 20 is shorter than the length of the side along the Y-axis of the element substrate 30. In Figure 4, the opposing substrate 20, the element substrate 30, and the dustproof glass 70 are aligned at the back. The element substrate 30 is provided with an overhang 310 that extends from the opposing substrate 20. In the third embodiment, the opposing substrate 20 is not provided with an overhang 210.

[0069] The length of the side of the opposing substrate 20 along the Y-axis is shorter than the length of the side of the dustproof glass 70 along the Y-axis. Since the opposing substrate 20 and the dustproof glass 70 are aligned on the front side in Figure 4, the dustproof glass 70 protrudes from the opposing substrate 20. This protruding portion is referred to as the overhang portion 710.

[0070] On the light incident surface of the dustproof glass 70, in a plan view, the protruding portion 710, that is, on the same side as the protruding portion 310, is provided with two terminals connected to the heater, and one end of the wiring on the FPC substrate 62g and the other end of the wiring on the FPC substrate 62h are electrically connected to them, respectively. Furthermore, as with the opposing substrate 20 and the element substrate 30, the dustproof glass 70 is made of a substrate that has light-transmitting and insulating properties, such as glass or quartz.

[0071] In the third embodiment, the heater 730 provided on the dustproof glass 70 is a conductive film in which the frame portion 731a and connecting portions 731b and 731c are integrally patterned, as shown in Figure 18. It is preferable that the heater 730 has light-shielding properties with respect to the heater 230. The frame portion 731a is provided along the inside of the periphery of the rectangular area where the opposing substrate 20 and the element substrate 30 overlap in a plan view, and is provided so as to open in the display area 5. The frame portion 731a is provided with a slit S2, electrically separating it into one end and the other. One end extends to the protruding portion 710 to become the connecting portion 731b, and the other end extends to the protruding portion 710 to become the connecting portion 231c. In other words, the portion of the heater 730 excluding the connecting portions 731b and 731c is the frame portion 731a.

[0072] According to the third embodiment, the FPC board 61 that supplies the control signal and the FPC boards 62g and 62h that supply power by applying voltage to the heater 230 are separated, so that the influence of noise generated during constant voltage switching on the control signal can be suppressed. Furthermore, according to the third embodiment, the heater 730 is provided on a dustproof glass 70 separate from the opposing substrate 20 on which the common electrode 22 is provided. As a result, the distance between the heater 730 and the common electrode 22 is longer by the thickness of the opposing substrate 20 compared to the configuration in which the heater 230 is provided on the opposing substrate 20. Therefore, even if the voltage applied to the heater 730 is switched, the fluctuation in this voltage is less likely to propagate to the common electrode 22 via parasitic capacitance, thus suppressing adverse effects on the display.

[0073] In the third embodiment, the dustproof glass 70 is bonded to the opposing substrate 20, but the dustproof glass 70 may also be bonded to the element substrate 300.

[0074] <Note> From the forms exemplified above, the following aspects can be understood, for example.

[0075] A liquid crystal apparatus according to one embodiment (embodiment 1) comprises a first substrate on which a first connection portion is disposed, a first flexible substrate electrically connected to the first connection portion, a second substrate disposed on top of the first substrate and on which a second connection portion and a heating element are disposed, a second flexible substrate electrically connected to the heating element via the second connection portion, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the first connection portion is provided along one side of the first substrate in a region that does not overlap with the second substrate in a plan view, and the second connection portion is provided along one side of the second substrate in a region that does not overlap with the first substrate in a plan view. According to this embodiment, since the second flexible substrate electrically connected to the heating element is separated from the first flexible substrate, the influence on the signal supplied to the first flexible substrate can be suppressed.

[0076] In the liquid crystal device according to a specific embodiment 2 of embodiment 1, the second connection portion is positioned outside the side opposite to the side of the rectangular area. In the liquid crystal device according to specific embodiment 3 of embodiment 1, the second connection portion is arranged outside of the two sides that intersect one side of the rectangular area. In the liquid crystal apparatus according to specific embodiment 4 of embodiment 1, the second flexible substrate has wiring for applying a voltage to the heating element.

[0077] In the liquid crystal device according to a specific embodiment 5 of embodiment 4, a temperature sensor is provided, and a constant voltage corresponding to the value detected by the temperature sensor is applied to the wiring of the second flexible substrate. According to embodiment 5, the heating of the electro-optic device can be controlled according to the value detected by the temperature sensor.

[0078] In a liquid crystal apparatus according to a specific embodiment 6 of embodiment 1, the first flexible substrate has a plurality of terminals electrically connected to the first connection portion, and the second flexible substrate has a plurality of terminals electrically connected to the second connection portion, and the width of the terminals arranged on the second flexible substrate is wider than the width of the terminals arranged on the first flexible substrate. According to embodiment 6, the current flowing through the terminals provided on the second flexible substrate can be made larger than the current flowing through the terminals provided on the first flexible substrate.

[0079] In a liquid crystal apparatus according to a specific embodiment 7 of embodiment 6, the plurality of terminals arranged on the second flexible substrate include a first terminal that supplies a first potential to the heating member, a second terminal that supplies a second potential to the heating member, and a third terminal arranged between the first and second terminals and electrically disconnected from the heating member. According to embodiment 7, a general-purpose product having wiring of the same width arranged at equal intervals can be used as the second flexible substrate.

[0080] Furthermore, a liquid crystal apparatus according to another embodiment 8 comprises a first substrate on which a first connecting portion is disposed, a first flexible substrate electrically connected to the first connecting portion, a second substrate disposed overlapping the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, a third substrate bonded to either the first substrate or the second substrate on which a second connecting portion and a heating member are disposed, and a second flexible substrate electrically connected to the heating member via the second connecting portion, wherein the first connecting portion is also provided along one side of the first substrate in a region that does not overlap with the second substrate in a plan view, and the second connecting portion is provided along one side of the first substrate in a region that does not overlap with the second substrate in a plan view. According to embodiment 8, similar to embodiment 1, the second flexible substrate electrically connected to the heating element is separated from the first flexible substrate, thereby reducing the influence on the signal supplied to the first flexible substrate.

[0081] The electronic device according to embodiment 9 has an electro-optical device according to any of embodiments 1 to 8. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 10... Electro-optical device, 15... Display control circuit, 20... Opposing substrate, 22... Common electrode, 30... Element substrate, 32... Pixel electrode, 40... Sealing material, 50... Liquid crystal, 61, 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d, 62e, 62f, 62g, 62h... FPC substrate, 230, 730... Heater, 231a, 731... Frame part, 231b, 231c, 231g, 231h, 231e, 231f, 731b, 731c... Connection part, 241... Light-shielding film.

Claims

1. A first circuit board on which the first connection part is located, A first flexible substrate electrically connected to the first connection portion, A heating element is arranged on a second substrate, which is arranged overlapping the first substrate and has an overhang portion extending from the first substrate, and has a frame portion arranged outside the display area in the region overlapping with the first substrate, and a second connecting portion and a third connecting portion arranged on the overhang portion. A second flexible substrate electrically connected to the second connection portion, A third flexible substrate electrically connected to the third connection portion, A liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, It has, The frame portion of the heating element has one end and the other end arranged with a slit in between. The heating member has a first extending portion that extends from one end of the frame portion along the first direction and connects to the second connecting portion, and a second extending portion that extends from the other end of the frame portion along the first direction and connects to the third connecting portion. In the aforementioned protruding portion, the second connecting portion extends from the first extending portion along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the third connecting portion extends from the second extending portion along a third direction that intersects the first direction and is opposite to the second direction. Liquid crystal display (LCD) device.

2. The first flexible substrate extends from the first connection portion along a fourth direction opposite to the first direction, The second flexible substrate has a first portion extending from the second connection portion along the first direction, a second portion extending from the first portion along the second direction, and a third portion extending from the second portion along the fourth direction. The third flexible substrate has a fourth portion extending from the third connection portion along the first direction, a fifth portion extending from the fourth portion along the third direction, and a sixth portion extending from the fifth portion along the fourth direction. The first flexible substrate is arranged so as not to overlap with the second and third flexible substrates in a plan view. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 1.

3. A first substrate on which the first connection portion is arranged, A first flexible substrate electrically connected to the first connection portion, A heating element is arranged on a second substrate, which is arranged overlapping with the first substrate and has a first protruding portion extending from the first substrate in a first direction and a second protruding portion extending from the first substrate in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and has a frame portion arranged outside the display area in the region overlapping with the first substrate, a second connecting portion arranged on the first protruding portion and a third connecting portion arranged on the second protruding portion. A second flexible substrate electrically connected to the second connection portion, A third flexible substrate electrically connected to the third connection portion, A liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, It has, The heating member has a first extending portion that extends from the frame portion along the first direction and connects to the second connecting portion, and a second extending portion that extends from the frame portion along the second direction and connects to the third connecting portion, In the first protruding portion, the second connecting portion extends from the first extending portion along a third direction intersecting the first and second directions and a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, and in the second protruding portion, the third connecting portion extends from the second extending portion along the third and fourth directions. Liquid crystal display (LCD) device.

4. The first flexible substrate extends from the first connection portion along the third direction, The second flexible substrate and the third flexible substrate extend from the second and third connection portions, respectively, along the third direction. The first flexible substrate is arranged so as not to overlap with the second and third flexible substrates in a plan view. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The second flexible substrate is The heating element has wiring for applying voltage. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 1.

6. It has a temperature sensor, A constant voltage corresponding to the temperature sensor's detection value is applied to the wiring of the second flexible substrate. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 4.

7. The first flexible substrate includes: Multiple terminals are arranged to be electrically connected to the first connection portion. The second flexible substrate includes: Multiple terminals are arranged to be electrically connected to the second connection portion. The width of the terminals arranged on the second flexible substrate is wider than the width of the terminals arranged on the first flexible substrate. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 1.

8. A first circuit board on which the first connection part is located, A first flexible substrate electrically connected to the first connection portion, A second substrate is positioned overlapping the first substrate, A liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, A third substrate on which a heating element is disposed is arranged, having a frame portion that is positioned outside the display area in the region overlapping with either the first substrate or the second substrate, and a second connecting portion and a third connecting portion positioned on the protruding portion, and the third substrate being positioned on the frame portion that is positioned overlapping with either substrate. A second flexible substrate electrically connected to the second connection portion, A third flexible substrate electrically connected to the third connection portion, It has, The frame portion of the heating element has one end and the other end arranged with a slit in between. The heating member has a first extending portion that extends from one end of the frame portion along the first direction and connects to the second connecting portion, and a second extending portion that extends from the other end of the frame portion along the first direction and connects to the third connecting portion. In the aforementioned protruding portion, the second connecting portion extends from the first extending portion along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the third connecting portion extends from the second extending portion along a third direction that intersects the first direction and is opposite to the second direction. Liquid crystal display (LCD) device.

9. An electronic device having a liquid crystal apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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