Switching Liquid Crystal Panel Boundary Luminous Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stereoscopic video image display devices using a switching liquid crystal panel suffer from luminous regions appearing near the boundaries of light transmitting and light shielding parts due to misalignment of liquid crystal molecules, which affects image quality.
Innovation Solution
A switching liquid crystal panel with a twisted nematic type liquid crystal layer and strategically aligned electrodes and alignment films, where the rubbing direction of the alignment film on the substrate with light shield forming electrodes is at an angle of 45° or less to the lengthwise direction of these electrodes, ensuring proper alignment of liquid crystal molecules and preventing voltage-induced misorientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If electrodes are provided at positions except for where apertures are to be formed, then light shielding parts can be formed by applying driving voltage, but recesses are formed in the alignment film causing insufficient rubbing and liquid crystal molecule misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is divided into two types: first substrates with electrodes over the entire surface and second substrates with electrodes only in aperture regions. This segmentation allows the alignment film on second substrates to be properly formed and rubbed without recesses, while still enabling light shielding part formation through voltage application.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing electrodes on the substrate where apertures are formed (which causes alignment film recesses), the patent inverts the approach by placing electrodes on the opposite substrate. This allows the alignment film to be properly formed and rubbed, while light shielding is still achieved through voltage-induced liquid crystal reorientation.
2Ease of operation
If the rubbing direction is perpendicular to the light shield forming electrodes, then alignment is achieved in conventional configurations, but luminous regions appear at boundary portions of light transmitting parts
Solution Approach 1:
The rubbing direction parameter is changed from being perpendicular to the light shield forming electrodes to being at an angle of 45° or less relative to the electrode lengthwise direction. This parameter change prevents luminous regions from appearing at the boundaries of light transmitting parts while maintaining proper liquid crystal molecule alignment.
3Illumination intensity
If driving voltage is increased to improve barrier contrast, then stereoscopic image quality improves, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment film is pre-formed and pre-rubbed on substrates with electrodes at appropriate positions before liquid crystal filling. This preliminary preparation ensures proper liquid crystal molecule alignment from the start, enabling high barrier contrast to be achieved with lower driving voltages, thus reducing power consumption.
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
This configuration effectively prevents luminous regions from appearing at the boundaries between light transmitting and light shielding parts, enhancing image quality and allowing for easier manufacturing by reducing the number of voltage application lines.
Implementation Method 1
a twisted nematic type liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of the substrates
Implementation Method 2
The alignment film is subjected to rubbing, but peripheral portions of bottom faces of the recesses would not be subjected to rubbing sufficiently
Implementation Method 3
upon application of a voltage, directions of the liquid crystal molecules positioned at the peripheral portions of bottoms of the recesses tend to change easily
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a switching liquid crystal panel and a display device that have novel structures that are capable of preventing luminous regions from appearing in the light transmitting parts, in the vicinities of boundaries thereof with the light shielding parts. The switching liquid crystal panel includes a pair of substrates (26a, 26b) having a twisted nematic type liquid crystal layer (24) interposed therebetween, and a plurality of light shield forming electrodes (30) that are formed on at least one of the pair of the substrates (26a, 26b) and that form light shielding parts (40) of a parallax barrier (16) in cooperation with a counter electrode (34) when a voltage is applied, the counter electrode (34) being is opposed to the light shield forming electrodes (30) with the liquid crystal layer (24) interposed therebetween. A rubbing direction for an alignment film (36a) provided on the substrate (26a) side on which the light shield forming electrodes (30) are formed is at an angle of 45° or less to a lengthwise direction of the light shield forming electrodes (30).