Patent · US Expired

Distributed index light deflector and method of light deflection

US5596430A · kind A · utility

10Cited by
15References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 22, 1994
Grant dateJan 21, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 22, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F1/13439
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A high-resistance transparent electrode is bonded on the opposite surface of a first glass substrate from a second glass substrate, and a low-resistance transparent electrode is bonded on the opposite surface of the second glass substrate from the first glass substrate. A pair of deflecting angle control electrodes are fixed to the high-resistance transparent electrode in parallel. A liquid crystal orientation film covers the high-resistance transparent electrode and the deflecting angle control electrodes, and another liquid crystal orientation film covers the low-resistance transparent electrode. Spacers are disposed in parallel between the liquid crystal orientation films, and the cell formed by the liquid crystal orientation films and spacers is filled with a nematic liquid crystal. When the voltage impressed between the low-resistance transparent electrode and the high-resistance transparent electrode and to both ends of the high-resistance transparent electrode is varied, the potential gradient varies, and the refraction index gradient varies in the same way. When light passes through a liquid crystal having such a refraction index gradient, the light is deflected depending o…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.