Liquid Crystal Cell Spacer Alignment to Block Light Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electronic devices with liquid crystal cells, spacers cause light leakage due to rubbing alignment issues, leading to visual disturbances such as white dots on black images or black dots on white images, affecting user experience.
Innovation Solution
A liquid crystal cell design featuring a first substrate with an electrochromic layer and spacers where the orthographic projection of the spacer is within the range of the electrochromic layer, preventing light leakage by controlling the electrochromic layer's color change with electric fields, and using a second substrate with aligned electrodes to manage the liquid crystal layer's dichroic dyes and molecules for optimal light absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If spacers are used in liquid crystal cells to maintain cell gap, then cell gap uniformity is improved, but light leakage occurs due to rubbing alignment issues causing visual disturbances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful rubbing alignment effect by eliminating the alignment layer entirely. Without the alignment layer, the spacers no longer cause light leakage through rubbing alignment issues, while still maintaining their function of defining cell gap. This resolves the contradiction by removing the source of harm while preserving the useful function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs electrochromic layers that can change their optical properties (transparent to opaque) in response to electrical signals. This allows the cell to dynamically control light transmission, compensating for any potential light leakage and improving overall display quality without being constrained by spacer positioning limitations.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If electrochromic layer is added to control light transmission, then light leakage is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the electrochromic layer with the existing substrate and electrode structures. The electrochromic layer is deposited directly on the substrate, and electrodes are integrated into the existing cell architecture, combining multiple functions into a unified structure that minimizes additional complexity while achieving light control.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrochromic layer serves multiple functions: it controls light transmission to prevent light leakage, provides display functionality through its transparent-opaque transitions, and can be integrated with the existing electrode and spacer structures. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by delivering multiple benefits from a single layer.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces light leakage, improving the display effect by ensuring that the electrochromic layer blocks or transmits light appropriately, thereby enhancing the visual experience by minimizing unwanted light transmission through spacers and optimizing image display.
Implementation Method 1
controlling the electrochromic layer's color change with electric fields
Implementation Method 2
using a second substrate with aligned electrodes to manage the liquid crystal layer's dichroic dyes and molecules for optimal light absorption
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid crystal cell includes a first substrate, a second substrate and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate includes a first base, and an electrochromic layer disposed on a side of the first base. The second substrate includes a second base, and a plurality of spacers arranged at intervals and disposed on a side of the second base proximate to the first substrate. An orthographic projection of at least one spacer of the plurality of spacers arranged at intervals on the first base is within a range of an orthographic projection of the electrochromic layer on the first base.