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:
Jul. 21, 2009
Filed:
Mar. 14, 2006
Hiroyuki Sugimoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshiaki Tokita, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuhiro Fujita, Tokyo, JP;
Toshiharu Murai, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasuyuki Takiguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Atsushi Takaura, Tokyo, JP;
Kazuya Miyagaki, Kanagawa, JP;
Takanobu Osaka, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroyuki Sugimoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshiaki Tokita, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuhiro Fujita, Tokyo, JP;
Toshiharu Murai, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasuyuki Takiguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Atsushi Takaura, Tokyo, JP;
Kazuya Miyagaki, Kanagawa, JP;
Takanobu Osaka, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A light path shift device is disclosed that is able to divide an effective region of a light path and drive the divided regions independently. The light path shift device includes a liquid crystal layer held between at least two opposite transparent substrates, the liquid crystal layer being homeotropically aligned and being able to form a chiral smectic C phase; and plural electrodes for applying an electric field in the liquid crystal layer in a horizontal direction. An effective region of the liquid crystal layer through which a light path passes is divided into plural sub-regions, plural light path shift elements with the electrodes formed thereon are stacked only at positions corresponding to the sub-regions, and are arranged so that boundary lines of the sub-regions are in agreement when being viewed along the direction of light propagation.