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:
Jun. 07, 2011
Filed:
Jul. 17, 2007
John C Jones, Malvern, GB;
John C Jones, Malvern, GB;
ZBD Displays Limited, Malvern, Worcestershire, GB;
Abstract
A liquid crystal device is described that comprises a layer of liquid crystal material contained between a first cell wall and a second cell wall. The layer of liquid crystal material being switchable between at least a first state and a second state, said first state and said second state having sufficiently low splay to enable rapid electrical switching therebetween. The internal surface of said first cell wall is arranged to provide two or more surface alignment configurations of different pretilt to said layer of liquid crystal material. Said states may persist in the absence of an applied electric field. In particular, the invention relates to pi-cell devices that allow for rapid switching from the initial splay state to the bend states, and also to bistable or multistable pi-cell devices.