Title:
DIMMING DEVICE AND DRIVING METHOD THEREFOR, AND IMAGING DEVICE
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2004/055578
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A dimming device by liquid crystal elements which does not require a polarizer and an alignment film, is compact and high in contrast ratio, can be driven at a low application voltage, and can deliver a stable performance despite a change in environmental temperature, and a driving method therefore, and an imaging device using the dimming device. A mixture of a liquid crystal, a polymer precursor, and a polymerization initiator is poured into an empty cell formed by pasting together, with a space of 4-11 μm therebetween, two transparent substrates (8) having transparent electrodes (9) at the opposing surfaces thereof, and then the polymer precursor is polymerized to form a random 3-D network-shaped polymer (3) in the continuous layers of the liquid crystal (2), thereby producing a liquid crystal cell (1). The liquid crystal cell (1) is driven by applying a voltage to it according to an environmental temperature. With a drive voltage off, liquid crystal molecules (2) are arranged against the wall of the polymer (3) to allow the polymer (3) to form a light scattering interface surface, and, with a drive voltage on, liquid molecules are oriented in a constant direction with respect to an electric field, whereby a refractive index in a light advancing direction is kept constant to allow an incident light (5) to transmit without being scattered.
Inventors:
YANAGIDA TOSHIHARU (JP)
Application Number:
PCT/JP2003/015917
Publication Date:
July 01, 2004
Filing Date:
December 12, 2003
Export Citation:
Assignee:
SONY CORP (JP)
YANAGIDA TOSHIHARU (JP)
YANAGIDA TOSHIHARU (JP)
International Classes:
G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1334; G02B5/00; G03B9/02; G03B11/00; H04N5/225; (IPC1-7): G02F1/1334; G02F1/133; G02F1/13
Domestic Patent References:
| WO2000007065A1 | 2000-02-10 |
Foreign References:
| JPH063651A | 1994-01-14 | |||
| JPH0968701A | 1997-03-11 | |||
| JPH09304753A | 1997-11-28 | |||
| JPH11112849A | 1999-04-23 |
Other References:
See also references of EP 1574895A4
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Nakamura, Tomoyuki c/o Miyoshi International Patent Office (Toranomon Kotohira Tower 2-8, Toranomon 1-chom, Minato-ku Tokyo, JP)
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