Patent · US Expired

Macromolecular liquid crystal element used in a diffusion plate

US6226461A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
3References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 19, 1999
Grant dateMay 1, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 19, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03B13/24
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A liquid crystal element which can regulate diffusivity simply. The liquid crystal element includes a diffusion plate having a macromolecular dispersion type liquid crystal interposed between a first glass plate and a second glass plate. The surface of the first glass plate toward the macromolecular dispersion type liquid crystal has random roughness, and a transparent electrode layer is formed on the roughened surface of the first glass plate. Moreover, a surface of the second glass plate toward the macromolecular dispersion type liquid crystal is a flat surface, and a transparent electrode layer is formed directly on the flat surface of the second glass plate. When not being driven, light which is incident perpendicularly on the plate surface from below the diffusion plate passes through the second glass plate, is scattered, and is incident on the macromolecular dispersion type liquid crystal. Moreover, when light which passes through the macromolecular dispersion type liquid crystal is incident on the first glass plate, diffusion arises corresponding to the configuration of roughness as a result of refraction. Accordingly, when the blurring angle with respect to the incident lig…

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