JP2001117108A - Liquid crystal display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal display device with improved productivity. SOLUTION: Two substrates 1a, 1b placed opposite to each other via a gap are provided. A sealant 2 to seal peripheral parts of the substrates 1a, 1b is provided. A liquid crystal material 5 sealed in an interior space formed with the substrates 1a, 1b and the sealant 2 is provided. An injection port part 8 through which the liquid crystal material 5 is injected into the interior space is provided in such a way as to be formed on the sealant 2. A groove 9a that is constructed corresponding to the position and the shape of the port part 8 is provided at least on one surface of the respective surfaces of the substrates 1a, 1b in contact with the liquid crystal material 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display capable of improving productivity.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, for example, a liquid crystal panel as a liquid crystal display device has two glass substrates 21a and 21 each having predetermined electrodes.
The b to ensure a predetermined distance d ₁₁ has been facing each other. Predetermined distance d ₁₁ here is several microns (5
７7 microns).

[0003] Such two glass substrates 21a, 2a
In FIG. 1b, a sealing material 22 for fixing and sealing a peripheral portion in each of the facing surfaces, and glass substrates 21a, 21b
And a spacer 24 for ensuring a uniform interval between the two. Thus, the liquid crystal panel, two of each glass substrate 21a, by the 21b and the seal member 22 and the spacer 24 has an internal space having a certain predetermined distance d _11. Distance d ₁₁ described above, by the interposition of spacer 24, the glass substrates 21a, the entire surface of the 21b, it is substantially uniformly maintained.

In such a liquid crystal panel, an injection portion 28 is provided in the sealing material 22 as a path for injecting the liquid crystal material 25 by connecting the internal space and the outside in the manufacturing process.

Hereinafter, a liquid crystal injection step, which is one of the steps of manufacturing a conventional liquid crystal panel, will be described with reference to FIG. First, the inside of the empty liquid crystal panel before the liquid crystal material 25 is injected into the inside of the liquid crystal panel is evacuated in an airtight container. In this state, the injection portion 28 on the outer surface of the liquid crystal panel whose inner space is under reduced pressure is brought into contact with the liquid crystal material 25, and the pressure in the airtight container is gradually returned to the atmospheric pressure. The liquid crystal material 25 is filled in the internal space of the liquid crystal panel using such a pressure difference.

As shown in FIG. 4, the structure of the liquid crystal panel is of a type in which a liquid crystal material 25 is sealed between two substrates, for example, a liquid crystal panel of a type in which display is performed by each pixel electrode at an electrode intersection (simple type). This is also common to a liquid crystal panel of a TFT type (active matrix LCD) in which a thin film transistor and each pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor are displayed at the intersection of the electrodes on one side of the substrate. The LCD is an abbreviation for Liquid Crystal Display.

[0007]

[SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION However, in the conventional liquid crystal panel, the glass substrates 21a two forming a liquid crystal panel, the distance d ₁₁ between 21b is narrow as several microns and the liquid crystal material 25 is viscous Since the coefficient is large and the flow resistance is large, much time is required to fill the liquid crystal material 25 into the internal space of the liquid crystal panel.

In recent years, the size of liquid crystal panels has increased, and in particular,
In a large-sized liquid crystal panel used as a monitor, the conventional liquid crystal panel structure has a problem that the time for injecting the liquid crystal material 25 is further increased, and the productivity is significantly reduced.

Further, even if the distance d ₁₁ of the inner space of the liquid crystal panel becomes narrower, in the structure of the conventional liquid crystal panel, the injection time of the liquid crystal material 25 is also increased, lowering the productivity is remarkably that Has a problem.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal panel with a liquid crystal material 2 with respect to an inner space formed by each of the glass substrates 21a and 21b and the sealing material 22 in the liquid crystal panel.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display device having a structure capable of shortening the injection time of No. 5 and improving the productivity.

[0011]

In order to solve the above problems, the liquid crystal display device of the present invention seals two substrates facing each other with a space therebetween and a peripheral portion of the two substrates. A sealing material for sealing, a liquid crystal material sealed in the internal space by the two substrates and the sealing material, an injection section formed in the sealing material for injecting the liquid crystal material into the internal space, At least one of the contact surfaces of the substrate with the liquid crystal material has a groove provided in accordance with the injection portion.

[0012] According to the above configuration, in the two substrates,
At least one of the contact surfaces with the liquid crystal material, in the injection portion, for example, by providing the groove provided in accordance with the injection position or opening shape, in the vicinity of the injection portion in the internal space, a groove, The space between the internal space and the substrate having the groove is larger, that is, wider than the space between each of the two substrates having no groove in the two substrates.

Thus, in the above configuration, the liquid crystal material injected into the internal space quickly enters the groove, and the liquid crystal material
Since the liquid crystal material enters the internal space other than the groove not only from the injection part but also from the groove, the flow resistance of the liquid crystal material injected into the internal space from the injection part can be reduced as compared with the related art.

From the above, in the above configuration, by providing the groove, the liquid crystal material can be injected into the internal space more quickly than before, so that the injection time of the liquid crystal material can be shortened.
Productivity can be improved.

The liquid crystal display device further includes, on one of the two substrates, a color filter portion and a black matrix portion provided between the color filter portions, wherein the groove is It is preferable that the black matrix portion is formed in a portion along a direction in which the liquid crystal material is injected from the injection portion.

According to the above configuration, the groove is formed in the black matrix portion provided between the color filter portions.
Since the liquid crystal material is formed in a portion along the injection direction of the liquid crystal material from the injection portion, the thickness of the liquid crystal material in each color filter portion used for image display is reduced, that is, the response time of the liquid crystal material is shortened. However, it is possible to ensure that the injection time of the liquid crystal material is shortened as described above, while improving the image quality, and to improve the productivity.

In the above liquid crystal display device, the groove may be provided along the seal portion. According to the above configuration, in the liquid crystal material at a position along the seal portion, since light passing through the liquid crystal material becomes non-uniform due to the presence of the seal material, the position along the seal material is out of the image area. Is set.

Accordingly, in the above configuration, by forming the groove along the sealing material, the groove can be set outside the image area, and the thickness of the liquid crystal material involved in the image area can be reduced. The groove along the sealing material can be opened facing the injection portion while maintaining the shortened response time of the material (while avoiding deterioration of image quality). The time can be shortened as described above, and the productivity can be improved.

[0019]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a liquid crystal panel as a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

In the above-mentioned liquid crystal panel, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, rectangular substrates 1a and 1b each having a panel size of, for example, 15 inches are spaced from each other so as to surround the substrates 1a and 1b. The parts are bonded together by a seal material 2. Such substrates 1a and 1b and sealing material 2
Thereby, the internal space of the liquid crystal panel in which the liquid crystal material 5 described later is sealed is formed so as to be surrounded by them.

As a material of each of the substrates 1a and 1b, any material may be used as long as it has a light transmitting property and an electric insulating property.
Examples include glass and plastic. Examples of the sealing material 2 include an adhesive resin such as an ultraviolet-curable epoxy resin. The liquid crystal material 5
Has a viscosity coefficient (kinematic viscosity) of about 20 c St at room temperature.
Of the degree. The above c St is an abbreviation for centistokes, and is 10 ⁻⁶ m ² / s in SI units.

In the middle of the process of manufacturing the liquid crystal panel, the sealing material 2 has an injection port 8 for communicating the internal space with the outside at the center of one of the short sides of the substrates 1a and 1b.
Are formed so as to open to the outside. At this time,
The inner walls of the injection port 8 that are parallel to each other in the short side direction are formed so as to be in the width direction of the sealing material 2, that is, the direction orthogonal to the short side direction.

After the liquid crystal material 5 is injected into the internal space through the injection port 8 and filled therein, the opening of the injection port 8 is sealed with a sealing resin such as a silicon-based adhesive. Is sealed and sealed to form an injection portion.

The distance between such substrates 1a and 1b (4 to
(6 μm) is more uniform within a predetermined range by previously interposing a spherical or cylindrical spacer 4 between the substrates 1 a and 1 b when they are bonded together with the sealing material 2. Has been maintained. As the spacer 4, any material having electrical insulation properties may be used, and examples thereof include glass and plastic.

One of the substrates 1a and 1b has one substrate 1b,
Although not shown, a plurality of substantially rectangular pixel electrodes for displaying an image are arranged in a matrix along the surface of the substrate 1b so as to be adjacent to each other with the sides of each pixel electrode facing each other. Have been. The pixel electrode is made of ITO (I
It is made of a material having light transmittance and conductivity, such as ndium tin oxide).

Further, on the substrate 1b, although not shown, a plurality of scanning wirings for driving the respective pixel electrodes and a plurality of signal wirings intersecting with the respective scanning wirings are provided on the substrate 1b. They are provided in a grid along the sides of the pixel electrodes.

Each of the above-mentioned scanning lines is disposed so as to be parallel to the long side of the substrate 1b, and so that adjacent scanning lines are parallel to each other and at substantially equal intervals. On the other hand, the signal wirings are arranged so as to be parallel to the short side of the substrate 1b, and to make adjacent signal wirings parallel to each other at substantially equal intervals.

In addition, on the substrate 1b, a TFT (thin film transistor) for driving the pixel electrode is provided.
Switching elements such as are provided in a matrix at each intersection of each scanning wiring and each signal wiring, and are disposed at positions facing the liquid crystal material 5 such as an electrically insulating material such as an alignment film for the liquid crystal material 5. The resin film 3 is formed. When the liquid crystal panel is a simple matrix LCD, there is no need to provide the switching element.

The other substrate 1a of each substrate 1a, 1b
On the upper side, color filters (color filter portions) 7 are formed in a matrix at positions facing the respective pixel electrodes, respectively, in accordance with the arrangement of the respective pixel electrodes. A counter electrode (not shown) having light transmittance and conductivity is formed so as to face each pixel electrode. Although not shown, an alignment film is formed on the counter electrode with a substantially uniform thickness.

Further, the substrate 1a is filled between the adjacent color filters 7 so as to avoid mixing of unnecessary colors between the adjacent color filters 7 and to prevent light from being applied to the switching elements. Prevent irradiation, avoid malfunction and deterioration of the switching element,
A black matrix (black matrix portion) 6 made of a light-absorbing (that is, light-impermeable) material such as carbon black is formed in a lattice shape.

In addition, light is prevented from leaking from a position other than the image area due to each pixel electrode to the peripheral portion on the substrate 1a, that is, in the vicinity of the sealing material 2, so that the color at the peripheral portion of the image is prevented. A peripheral black matrix 6a for avoiding inconvenience of image display such as blurring of an image surrounds the aggregate block (image region) of each color filter 7, that is, outside the aggregate block (outside the image region). Is formed.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the grooves 9 are formed in the respective black matrices 6 along the long side direction of the substrate 1a at the contact surface with the liquid crystal material 5 on the substrate 1a. , Each of the black matrices 6 is formed to be thinner than the thickness of each of the color filters 7 adjacent thereto. Such a groove 9 is formed in a direction (more preferably, a parallel direction) along the injection direction of the liquid crystal material 5 in the injection port 8.
Therefore, it is provided according to the shape of the injection port 8.

Further, in this embodiment, each substrate 1a,
On each contact surface with the liquid crystal material 5 on 1b, a peripheral groove 9a is provided so as to communicate with each other along the entire vicinity of the inside of the four sides of the rectangular seal material 2. The peripheral groove 9
“a” is also formed at a position where it is opened substantially adjacent to the inlet 8, and accordingly, is provided in accordance with the position of the inlet 8. Also, the peripheral groove 9a
Are formed so as to open also in communication with the groove 9.

The peripheral groove 9a is formed so that the thickness of the peripheral black matrix 6a of the substrate 1a is thinner than the thickness of the color filter 7 adjacent thereto, and
3b, the resin film 3 is formed by removing the resin film 3 along the vicinity of the inside of the sealing material 2.

When the peripheral groove 9a is formed, the width of the removed portion of the resin film 3 (the length in the direction perpendicular to the side direction of the seal material 2) is such that the seal material 2 is formed on the resin film 3. Is set to be smaller than the width of the peripheral black matrix 6a having a small thickness in order to secure a surplus portion (glue margin portion).

In the above description, the peripheral groove 9a is formed by both reducing the thickness of the peripheral black matrix 6a and removing the resin film 3 at a position corresponding to the peripheral groove 9a. However, the peripheral groove 9a may be formed by either one of the above, that is, on one of the substrates 1a and 1b.

As described above, the grooves 9 and the peripheral grooves 9a provided facing the internal space of the liquid crystal panel allow the substrates 1a and 1b at the bottom surface of the grooves 9 and the peripheral grooves 9a to be formed.
The respective intervals d ₂ and d _{3 of the} internal space in which the liquid crystal material 5 can be injected are different from the grooves 9 and the peripheral grooves 9 a, that is, the two substrates 1 a and 1 b of the respective color filters 7.
Wider than a predetermined subinterval d ₁ between, that is respectively set to be larger.

Each of these partial intervals d ₁ , d ₂ , d ₃ is
For example, they are set to about 4.5 μm, about 8.0 μm, and about 5.0 μm, respectively. The width of the peripheral groove 9a is set to, for example, about 1.4 mm. Although a liquid crystal panel in which the width of the peripheral groove 9a was set to about 1.7 mm was also manufactured, no difference was observed between the two in the injection time of the liquid crystal material 5.

In the present embodiment, the grooves 9 forming the partial intervals d ₃ are provided so as to be substantially parallel to the injection direction using the pattern of the black matrix 6 between the color filters 7. The peripheral groove 9 a forming the partial interval d ₂ is formed in the resin film 3 along the inside of the sealing material 2.
The pattern is formed by exposing and developing the pattern of the groove 9 and removing the resin film 3 corresponding to the groove 9.

Next, a method of filling the liquid crystal panel 5 with the liquid crystal material 5 before filling the liquid crystal material 5 will be described below.
First, the interior space of the empty liquid crystal panel before injecting the liquid crystal material 5 into the interior space of the liquid crystal panel is evacuated in an airtight container, and the interior space is reduced in pressure (to a thousandth of atmospheric pressure or less). , That is, 10 ³ Pa or less). In this state,
The injection portion 8 on the outer surface of the liquid crystal panel whose inner space is under reduced pressure is brought into contact with the liquid surface of the liquid crystal material 5, and the pressure in the airtight container is gradually returned to the atmospheric pressure. The liquid crystal material 5 is made using such a pressure difference.
Is filled in the internal space of the liquid crystal panel.

At this time, since the groove 9 and the peripheral groove 9a are provided facing the internal space of the liquid crystal panel, the partial intervals d ₂ and d ₃ of the substrates 1a and 1b can be reduced. each substrate 1a of the part, because it is set to widen from subinterval d ₁ = 1b, when the liquid crystal material 5 enters the internal space, first, peripheral and opens the inlet portion 8 grooves 9a
, Quickly, and then into each groove 9 along the injection direction of the liquid crystal material 5.

At this time, since each groove 9 is along the direction in which the liquid crystal material 5 is injected, it is easy to enter the liquid crystal material 5 into each groove 9. Subsequently, the liquid crystal material 5 is provided in the peripheral groove 9a.
Then, it enters the internal space facing each color filter 7 surrounded by each groove 9, and is sequentially filled in the internal space.

As described above, the groove 9 and the peripheral groove 9a are
Each partial interval d between the plates 1a and 1b_Two, D _Three, Except groove 9
Of each substrate 1a, 1b₁Spread more
Is set to fill the internal space
Lowers the flow resistance of the liquid crystal material 5 entering the above internal space
Can be done.

As a result, in the configuration of the present invention, the injection time of the liquid crystal material 5 depending on the flow resistance can be reduced,
Since the productivity of the liquid crystal panel can be improved, the cost can be reduced.

Then, the injection time of the liquid crystal material 5 was compared between the conventional liquid crystal panel and the liquid crystal panel of the present embodiment in which the groove 9 and the peripheral groove 9a of the present application were formed with respect to the conventional liquid crystal panel. In the liquid crystal panel of the first embodiment, an injection time of about 230 minutes was required. However, in the liquid crystal panel of the present embodiment, the injection time of the liquid crystal material 5 was about 210 minutes, and the injection time could be shortened as compared with the related art. Can improve the sex,
It turned out that the cost can be reduced.

In addition, in the present invention, since the groove 9 and the peripheral groove 9a are formed outside the image area, the partial distance d corresponding to each color filter 7 serving as the image area is provided.
₁ , that is, the thickness of the liquid crystal material 5 is kept small. Therefore, in the present invention, the thickness of the liquid crystal material 5 at a portion where light is connected and disconnected to form an image is kept small, the response time of the liquid crystal material 5 is reduced, and the light transmittance is reduced. Can be maintained at a high level, so that deterioration in image quality due to improvement in productivity can be avoided.

Thus, according to the present invention, by forming the groove 9 and the peripheral groove 9a as described above, it is possible to avoid excessive work of processing each of the grooves 9 and the peripheral groove 9a, and to prevent the liquid crystal 5 In this case, it is possible to shorten the injection time of the liquid crystal material 5 while securing the response time kept small, and thus both the cost reduction and the improvement of the image quality can be realized at the same time.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a groove 9 parallel to the injection direction from the injection port 8 based on the processing of both the substrates 1a and 1b, and a sealing material for the internal space. Although the example in which the rectangular peripheral groove 9a along the inner side of the substrate 2 is provided has been described, the groove 9 and the peripheral groove 9a based on the processing of both the substrates 1a and 1b are not necessarily provided.
a, 1b, the groove 9 or the peripheral groove 9a
May be provided.

That is, in the internal space of the liquid crystal panel, a groove 9 provided in parallel with the injection direction of the liquid crystal material 5, and
By at least one peripheral groove 9a provided along the inside of the sealing material 2, at least one of each sub-interval d _2, d ₃ of the internal space of the liquid crystal material 5 through which, corresponding to the formation position of the pixel electrode position of as long as it is set wider than the sub-interval d ₁ of the internal space.

The setting of the depth of the groove 9 and the peripheral groove 9a does not hinder any setting as long as the depth can withstand the pressure at the time of injection of the liquid crystal material 5. The setting of the depth of the peripheral groove 9a is appropriately selected without any problem.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, an example has been given in which the peripheral grooves 9 a are provided so as to communicate with each other along the four sides inside the rectangular seal member 2. For example, the peripheral grooves 9 a face the inlet 8. The sealing material 2 may be provided only along one side inside, and in this case, the injection time of the liquid crystal material 5 can be shortened as compared with the related art.

[0052]

As described above, the liquid crystal display device of the present invention comprises two substrates facing each other at an interval, a sealing material for sealing the peripheral portions of the two substrates, A liquid crystal material sealed in the internal space by the two substrates and the sealing material, an injection part formed in the sealing material for injecting the liquid crystal material into the internal space, and a liquid crystal material in the two substrates. At least one of the contact surfaces has a groove provided according to the injection portion.

Therefore, in the above-described configuration, the provision of the groove provided corresponding to the injection portion allows the liquid crystal material to be injected into the internal space through the groove more quickly than before.
Since the time for injecting the liquid crystal material can be shortened and the productivity can be improved, there is an effect that the cost can be reduced.

The liquid crystal display device further includes, on one of the two substrates, a color filter portion and a black matrix portion provided between the color filter portions. The configuration is such that the black matrix portion is formed in a portion along a direction in which the liquid crystal material is injected from the injection portion.

Therefore, in the above configuration, the groove is formed in a portion of the black matrix portion along the direction in which the liquid crystal material is injected from the injection portion, so that the injection time of the liquid crystal material can be reduced as described above. It is possible to shorten the time, improve the productivity and reduce the cost, and maintain the shortening of the response time of the liquid crystal material, that is, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience of increasing the response time.

In the above liquid crystal display device, the groove is further provided along the seal portion.

Therefore, in the above configuration, since the groove is provided along the seal portion, the time for injecting the liquid crystal material can be shortened as described above, and the productivity can be improved and the cost can be reduced. At the same time, the response time of the liquid crystal material has been shortened,
That is, there is an effect that the disadvantage that the response time becomes longer can be avoided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially broken schematic plan view of a liquid crystal panel as a liquid crystal display device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal panel taken along line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional liquid crystal panel.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal panel taken along line BB of FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a Substrate 1b Substrate 2 Sealing Material 8 Inlet Port (Injection Portion) 9a Peripheral Groove (Groove)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Nao Yamada 22-22 Nagaike-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside (72) Inventor Waka Nobuhiro 22-22 Nagaike-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka (72) Inventor Eiichiro Nishimura 22-22 Nagaike-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka City, Osaka F-term (reference) 2H089 LA07 LA22 LA30 MA01X MA03X MA03Y MA07Z NA25 NA28 QA12 TA09 TA12 TA13 2H090 HC10 JB02 JB03 LA05 LA15

Claims (3)

[Claims] An internal space defined by two substrates facing each other with a space therebetween, a sealing material for sealing peripheral portions of the two substrates, and the two substrates and the sealing material. A liquid crystal material, an injection portion formed in the sealing material for injecting the liquid crystal material into the internal space, and at least one of the contact surfaces of the two substrates with the liquid crystal material, according to the injection portion. A liquid crystal display device having a groove provided. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a color filter portion on one of the two substrates; and a black matrix portion provided between the color filter portions, wherein the groove is formed from the injection portion. 2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal display device is formed in a portion of the black matrix portion along a direction in which the liquid crystal material is injected. 3. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein said groove is provided along said seal portion.