Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Yumi Matsuki

Toshiaki Tokita

Hiroyuki Sugimoto

Masanori Kobayashi

Yasuyuki Takiguchi

Shigeaki Nimura

Takanobu Osaka

Koh Fujimura

Sumio Kamoi

Yukiko Hirano

Kazuhiro Fujita

Hisashi Kikuchi

Yohei Takano

Kenji Kameyama

Atsushi Takaura

Kazuya Miyagaki

Takumi Suzuki

Kenji Namie

Ikuo Katoh

Tomomi Suetake

Satosi Komori

Reiko Kameyama

Toshiharu Murai

Toshiaki Nonaka

Akihiko Kanemoto

Toshimichi Hagiya

Haruki Amagawa

A liquid crystal element comprising a pair of transparent substrates, a liquid crystal layer which fills in between the pair of substrates and can form a chiral smectic C phase in homeotropic orientation, and an electrode which generates, at least, an electric field (parallel electric field) in directions parallel to a principal face of the substrate for the liquid crystal layer is provided, wherein the liquid crystal layer comprises, at least, a chiral compound of the following general formula (1-I) or a chiral compound of the following general formula (2-I) and a chiral compound of the following general formula (2 -II) in a base liquid crystal material which can provide a phase sequence of an isotropic liquid phase, a nematic phase, a smectic A phase and a smectic C phase from a higher temperature side, wherein R, A, Z, Z, m and 1 in formula (1-I), X, R, R, and * in formula (2-I), and X, R, R, R, and * in formula (2-II) are defined in the specification. 

Liquid crystal element, optical path deflecting element, and image displaying apparatus

A disclosed electric field generating device includes an electric field generating unit including a substrate, line electrodes, and an electric field generating resistor and configured to generate an electric field. In the disclosed electric field generating device, the line electrodes are formed on at least one side of the substrate in parallel with each other so as to divide the side of the substrate into multiple sections; the electric field generating resistor is shaped like a strip and positioned so as to touch a part of each of the line electrodes; and some of the line electrodes have connectors for electric connection.

Electric field generating device comprising an electric field generating resistor and line electrodes, light deflecting device having the same, and image display apparatus having the same

An image display apparatus acquires a high-quality image by suppressing positional fluctuation of projected dots due to a positional offset of an optical path deflecting element. A spatial light modulation element () displays an image by projecting a light from an illumination light source. A projection optical system () enlarges and projects the image formed on the spatial light modulation element (). An optical path deflecting element () is provided between the spatial light modulation element () and the image formed on a screen () so as to deflect an optical path in accordance with a screen frame period. The optical path deflecting element () shifts the optical path for the image projected on the screen () at a high rate so as to apparently increase a number of picture elements. The optical path deflecting element () is located within the projection optical system.

Image display apparatus and projection optical system

An optical element, an optical device, and a display device are disclosed that are able to change a polarization state in time order and to produce polarized light with little wavelength dependence and superior in polarization purity, and able to perform pixel shift easily and accurately to realize high resolution image display. The optical element has a translucent surface parallel to the rotational axis of the optical element, and at least a portion of the translucent surface is formed from an optically anisotropic medium. A polarization state of a light beam transmitting through the translucent surface is switched in time order along with rotation of the optical element.

Optical device, display device, and three-dimension image display device for changing a polarization state of a light beam in time

An optical axis deflecting element is provided with a pair of transparent substrates, a liquid crystal layer disposed between substrate surfaces of the pair of transparent substrates and having a chiral smectic C-phase forming a homeotropic orientation, and a plurality of electrode pairs each defining one of a plurality of divided regions into which an effective region of the liquid crystal layer is divided, wherein an electric field is independently applicable to each divided region defined by a corresponding electrode pair in a direction parallel to the substrate surfaces.

Optical axis deflecting method, optical axis deflecting element, optical path deflecting unit, method of driving optical axis deflecting element, and image display apparatus

A light deflection element has a pair of transparent substrates; a chiral smectic C phase liquid crystalwith a homeotropic alignment filled between the pair of transparent substrates; and at least an electric field applying devicefor activating an electric field in the liquid crystal. Because a chiral smectic C phase liquid crystal is used, the problems of the conventional light deflection element, such as high cost, light loss, large size, and optical noise etc. due to its complicated structure, can be greatly improved. The conventional low response time due to the smectic A phase or the nematic liquid crystal is improved, thereby the high-speed response is possible.

Light deflection element, light deflection device and image display device

An optical deflection device includes an optical deflection element having a pair of transparent boards arranged in a mutually opposing manner. A liquid crystal layer is filled between the boards and forms a chiral smectic C phase. An orientation film orients liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the liquid crystal layer. Electrodes generate an electric field in a substantially parallel direction with respect to the liquid crystal layer. A first voltage application part applies, to the electrodes, an ac voltage of a deflection frequency switching the optical deflection direction of the optical deflection element. A second voltage application part applies, to the electrodes, an ac voltage of a higher frequency than the deflection frequency. A stop process part causes the second voltage application part to apply the ac voltage of the higher frequency than the deflection frequency after causing the first voltage application part to apply the ac voltage of the deflection frequency, when stopping an operation of switching the optical deflection direction of the optical deflection element.

Optical deflection device and optical deflection method that control occurrence of alignment defect

An imaging unit images light on a light receiving element, and includes an optical path shifting element, and a lens arranged on an input side or an output side of the optical path shifting element. The optical path shifting element includes a liquid crystal layer which is applied with an electrical field in a direction approximately parallel to an in-plane direction. The liquid crystal layer is made of a chiral smectic C phase ferroelectric liquid crystal having a homeotropic alignment. The optical path shifting element shifts an optical path of the light input thereto in an optical path shifting direction.

Imaging unit, optical write unit, optical read unit and image forming apparatus

In a method for displaying a three-dimensional stereo image, a left-eye image defined by multiple left-eye strip pixels and a right-eye image defined by multiple right-eye strip pixels are displayed such that the left-eye pixels and the right-eye pixels are arranged alternately from the left to the right in a width direction. The left-eye image and the right-eye image are guided separately to the left eye and the right eye of an observer. Then, the left-eye image and the right-eye image are shifted by one pixel in an oscillating manner, and the left-eye image and the right-eye image are deflected synchronized with the one-pixel shifting operation.

Method and apparatus for displaying three-dimensional stereo image using light deflector

An optical deflection device includes an optical deflection element having a pair of transparent boards arranged in a mutually opposing manner. A liquid crystal layer is filled between the boards and forms a chiral smectic C phase. An orientation film orients liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the liquid crystal layer. Electrodes generate an electric field in a substantially parallel direction with respect to the liquid crystal layer. A first voltage application part applies, to the electrodes, an ac voltage of a deflection frequency switching the optical deflection direction of the optical deflection element. A second voltage application part applies, to the electrodes, an ac voltage of a higher frequency than the deflection frequency. A stop process part causes the second voltage application part to apply the ac voltage of the higher frequency than the deflection frequency after causing the first voltage application part to apply the ac voltage of the deflection frequency, when stopping an operation of switching the optical deflection direction of the optical-deflection element.

An optical path deflecting element, an optical path deflecting apparatus, an image displaying apparatus, an optical writing apparatus, an optical interconnection apparatus, an optical element, and a fabrication method thereof. The optical path deflecting element includes a pair of transparent substrates, transparent electrode films on the substrates to which a voltage having an inverse polarity is selectively applied, an alignment layer in the inner sides of the substrates, and a liquid crystal layer formed of a chiral smectic C phase between the substrates via the alignment layer and homogeneously aligned by the alignment layer. The optical deflecting element can realize the uniformly-aligned liquid crystal layer more easily than a case in which the liquid crystal is aligned to become in a bistable condition. For this reason, it is possible to improve yield in the fabrication.

Optical path deflecting element, optical path deflecting apparatus, image displaying apparatus, optical element and manufacturing method thereof

In a liquid crystal display device (LCD), a spacer is interposed between an upper and a lower substrate implemented by flexible films. Liquid crystals are confined in the gap between the two substrates. The spacer is scattered in the crystals at a density higher than 201/mm.sup.2 and lower than 800/mm.sup.2. The device allows a minimum of bubbles to be produced in the crystals without resorting to gas barrier coatings or similar conventional implementation against bubbles. When the spacer is sprayed, it is uniformly distributed to set up a uniform cell gap. The device is, therefore, free from display speckles and other defects and inexpensive.

Liquid crystal display apparatus which prevents bubbles with a spacer

Method of producing a liquid crystal display with a spacer

A liquid crystal/prepolymer composition which is composed of a liquid crystal component, a prepolymer composition and a polymerization initiator, the liquid crystal/prepolymer composition, when polymerized, being capable of causing phase separation into the liquid crystal and a polymer, the prepolymer composition containing a monofunctional acrylate component having one double bond, with an HLB value of 2.5 to 7.0; and a bifunctional acrylate component having two double bonds, with an HLB value of 3.5 to 11. In addition, there is also disclosed a liquid crystal display device composed of a pair of support materials and a liquid crystal/polymer composition held between the support materials, with the phase separation into the liquid crystal component and the polymer composition, which is formed by polymerizing the above-mentioned liquid crystal/prepolymer composition.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Yumi Matsuki