Denso Corporation

Ipics Corporation

Nobuhiko Ohashi

Takeshi Kohama

Masaaki Ozaki

Kahoru Mori

Masashi Inata

Tetsuya Sano

When a liquid crystal cell is filled with smectic liquid crystal, first, smectic liquid crystal having an isotropic phase is supplied into the liquid crystal cell under a first pressure. Then, smectic liquid crystal having a smectic phase is further supplied into the liquid crystal cell under a second pressure higher than the first pressure. Accordingly, even if smectic liquid crystal having the isotropic phase and held in the liquid crystal cell is changed into the smectic phase to cause volumetric shrinkage thereof, an amount of smectic liquid crystal reduced by the volumetric shrinkage can be compensated by supplying smectic liquid crystal into the liquid crystal cell under the second pressure. As a result, the liquid crystal cell can be securely prevented from having vacancies therein.

Liquid crystal cell and method of manufacturing the same

A first electrode plate and a second electrode plate are overlapped on each other with a seal member and spacer walls interposed therebetween. The cell gap formed between both plates is filled with liquid crystal such as smectic liquid crystal. To eliminate orientation disturbance of the liquid crystal caused in the filling process, the liquid crystal flow coming from the down stream of the display area through passages outside the display area (turn-around flow) is eliminated. Dam walls for preventing the liquid crystal flow through the outer passages or structures for reducing the flow speed are formed in the outer passages. Alternatively, the filling passages in the display area are separated from the outer passages. Thus, the liquid crystal is correctly oriented in the display area, thereby achieving uniformity of images displayed.

Liquid crystal cell having filling passage preventing turn-around flow

A liquid crystal cell includes a color filter substrate and an opposite substrate which are overlapped on each other with a seal interposed therebetween. The seal has a liquid crystal inlet port through which liquid crystal is filled into a space enclosed by the seal between the substrates. A width of the liquid crystal inlet port is made wider than a width of an effective display area of the liquid crystal cell, so that, when the liquid crystal is filled into the liquid crystal cell, the liquid crystal flows uniformly without disturbing an orientation of the liquid crystal.

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Kariya, Japan

Nobuhiko Ohashi