The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 01, 2001
Filed:
May. 19, 1999
Itaru Homma, Tokyo, JP;
Toru Iwane, Kanagawa, JP;
Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
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 light is large, the diffusion coefficient can be made about zero, and the diffusing characteristics of the diffusion plate can be made suitable.