JP2006234859A - Liquid crystal element - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal element wherein a liquid crystal can be sealed with high reliability and which is provided with a liquid crystal sealing structure suitable for miniaturization and thinness of a product on which the liquid crystal element is mounted. <P>SOLUTION: A liquid crystal injection hole 3a is formed in a frame-shaped sealing material 3 joining first and second glass substrates 1 and 2 at a prescribed gap and end surface parts 1a and 2a of the both substrates 1 and 2 corresponding to the liquid crystal injection hole 3a and end surface parts 1b and 2b on both sides of the end surface parts 1a and 2a are formed in inclined surface shapes whose facing gaps are gradually narrowed toward the liquid crystal injection hole 3a. The facing parts of the inclined end surface parts 1a and 1b and the inclined end surface parts 2a and 2b which are tapered are filled with a sufficient amount of sealing material 5 and the inner part of the liquid crystal injection hole 3a is compactly filled up with the sealing material 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid crystal element in which a liquid crystal injection hole is sealed with a sealing material.

  A liquid crystal element encloses a liquid crystal between a pair of transparent substrates such as a glass substrate, applies an electric field to the encapsulated liquid crystal, and controls the transmission of light by its electro-optic action, so that a desired display, optical shutter, etc. The effect is obtained. Therefore, when a narrow object, a bubble, or the like is mixed in the sealed liquid crystal, the electro-optical action changes and a desired effect cannot be obtained.

  Conventionally, a liquid crystal element is formed by joining a pair of substrates along the end surface of the substrate with a frame-shaped sealing material in which an injection hole portion for injecting liquid crystal is cut out, and the injection formed on the frame-shaped sealing material It is manufactured by injecting liquid crystal from the hole into the space surrounded by the frame-shaped sealing material, and then filling the injection hole with a sealing material such as UV curable resin and sealing the liquid crystal.

  In order to improve the sealing reliability of the liquid crystal injection hole described above, conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1, not only the sealing material is filled in the injection hole without any gap, but also the glass outside the injection hole. A large amount of sealing material was also applied to the end face of the substrate. Thereby, the liquid crystal injection hole is reliably shielded, the contact area between the sealing material and the glass substrate is increased, and the fixing strength of the sealing material to the glass substrate is increased.

However, since a large amount of sealing material applied to improve the reliability of sealing protrudes from the end face of the substrate, the size of the case that houses this liquid crystal element is the size of the protruding sealing material. There is a need to increase it. This is a major obstacle to promoting the reduction in size and thickness of products mounting this liquid crystal element.
JP 2000-338507 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal element that can seal liquid crystal with high reliability and has a liquid crystal sealing structure suitable for downsizing and thinning of a mounted product.

  The liquid crystal element of the present invention is a space in which a pair of substrates are joined together with a frame-shaped sealing material disposed along the end surfaces of these substrates with a predetermined gap, and surrounded by the pair of substrates and the frame-shaped sealing material. A liquid crystal element in which liquid crystal is enclosed, wherein the frame-shaped sealing material is formed with an injection hole for injecting liquid crystal into the space, and the injection hole of the pair of substrates is formed. In each end face, an inclined surface is formed at least in a region corresponding to the injection hole, and a sealing material for sealing the injection hole is filled in the injection hole and corresponds to the injection hole. It is characterized by being attached to each inclined surface.

  According to the liquid crystal element of the present invention, since the pair of substrate end surface portions corresponding to the liquid crystal injection holes are formed on the inclined surface, the sealing material can be sufficiently applied to the inclined end surface portion enlarged by inclining the end surface. The problem that the applied sealing material protrudes from the substrate can also be prevented. As a result, it is possible to promote a reduction in size and thickness of a product on which the present liquid crystal element is mounted, and to seal the liquid crystal with high reliability over a long period of time.

  In the liquid crystal element of the present invention, each inclined surface formed in a region corresponding to the injection hole on the end surface of the pair of substrates is opposed to the injection hole from the end surface of the pair of substrates. It is preferable that the distance is made small, so that the sealing material can be easily hermetically filled in the liquid crystal injection hole without any gap, and the workability of the liquid crystal sealing work is improved.

  Further, in the liquid crystal element of the present invention, each inclined surface formed in the region corresponding to the injection hole on the end surface of the pair of substrates is substantially the extended surface of one inclined surface, and the other inclined surface exists. It is preferable that the pair of end surface portions corresponding to the injection holes can be easily machined into a slope, and the number of work steps required for making the slope can be minimized.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a liquid crystal display element as a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2A and 2B are II-II lines in FIG. 1 showing states before and after sealing, respectively. It is sectional drawing.

  In the liquid crystal display element of this embodiment, a pair of first and second glass substrates 1 and 2 are joined together with a frame-shaped sealing material 3 while maintaining a predetermined gap, and are surrounded by the frame-shaped sealing material 3. The liquid crystal 4 is sealed between the second glass substrates 1 and 2. Although not shown, electrodes, alignment films, and the like are laminated on the inner surfaces of the first and second glass substrates 1 and 2 that face each other with the liquid crystal 4 interposed therebetween. The first and second glass substrates 1 and 2 are different in size, and have one end of the larger second glass substrate 2 projecting a predetermined length from the corresponding end surface of the smaller first glass substrate 1. Are joined. On the protruding portion of the second glass substrate 2, wirings (not shown) drawn from the electrodes and connection terminals (not shown) of the wirings are installed in a predetermined arrangement.

  The frame-shaped sealing material 3 has at least one injection hole 3 a for injecting the liquid crystal 4 into the internal space surrounded by the frame-shaped sealing material 3 and the first and second glass substrates 1 and 2. Has been. In the present embodiment, as shown in the drawing, the liquid crystal injection hole 3 a is formed only at one place in the center of one short side of the first glass substrate 1.

  In each of the end surfaces of the first and second glass substrates 1 and 2, inclined surfaces are respectively formed in regions corresponding to the liquid crystal injection holes 3 a of at least the end surfaces on the side where the liquid crystal injection holes 3 a are formed. An end face portion is provided.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, which is a view as seen from an arrow A in FIG. 2A, each end surface corresponding to the liquid crystal injection hole 3a of the first and second glass substrates 1 and 2 is used. The portions 1a and 2a and the end surface portions 1b and 2b on both sides thereof are formed on inclined surfaces having a predetermined inclination angle, respectively. In this case, the inclined end surface portions 1a and 1b of the first glass substrate 1 and the inclined end surface portions 2a and 2b of the second glass substrate 2 have a distance between the pair of substrates from the substrate end surface toward the liquid crystal injection hole 3a. It is inclined so that it gradually narrows. Here, the inclination of the inclined end surface portions 1a, 1b of the first glass substrate 1 and the inclined end surface portions 2a, 2b of the second glass substrate 2 is determined by the edge e of the substrate end surface at each end surface of each substrate 1, 2. The position where the vertical end surface portions 1c and 2c of about 1/3 of the thickness t of the substrates 1 and 2 on the respective end surfaces are left from the position, and a distance L of 2 from the vertical end surface portions 1c and 2c to the sealing material 3 It is preferable to set the angle to be inclined at an inclination connecting the position of about 3 to 5/6, and more preferably, the vertical end surface is about 1/6 to 1/4 of the thickness t of each of the substrates 1 and 2. The position where the portions 1c and 2c are left and the position where the distance L from the vertical end surface portions 1c and 2c to the sealing material 3 is about 3/4 to 4/5 is set to an angle inclined by an inclination. Good.

  The above-mentioned inclined end surface portions 1a, 1b and 2a, 2b are formed on the end surface portion corresponding to the liquid crystal injection hole 3a of the liquid crystal cell obtained by joining the glass substrates 1 and 2 with the frame-shaped seal 3, for example, a trimmer for fine processing. It can be easily formed by rotating the conical rotary blade vertically while abutting it vertically and polishing the end face over a required distance and depth.

  In this way, by forming the inclined end surface portions 1a and 1b of the first glass substrate 1 and the inclined end surface portions 2a and 2b of the second glass substrate 2, the liquid crystal display element leads to the liquid crystal injection hole 3a. A deep guide recess is formed. Therefore, when the liquid crystal injection hole 3a is sealed after the liquid crystal 4 is injected into the sealed space, a sufficient amount of the sealing material 5 is easily injected from the opening of the wide open guide recess serving as a mark. The filling hole 3a can be filled without a gap.

  The injected sealing material 5 was not only hermetically filled in the liquid crystal injection hole 3a but also widely opened as shown in FIG. It is applied over substantially the entire region including the inclined end surface portions 1a, 1b and 2a, 2b of the guide recess.

  After the filling of the sealing material 5 is completed, for example, in the case of a sealing material made of an ultraviolet curable resin material, the sealing material 5 is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays. As a result, a liquid crystal display element filled with liquid crystal is completed. In this liquid crystal display element, as shown in FIG. 1, the cured sealing material 5 protrudes from the liquid crystal injection side end surfaces of the glass substrates 1 and 2. Not. Therefore, the liquid crystal display element storage case of the present embodiment does not need to ensure a gap corresponding to the protrusion of the sealing material between the liquid crystal display element and the liquid crystal injection hole side end surface, and the liquid crystal display element including the storage case Contributes to miniaturization of modules.

  As described above, the liquid crystal display element according to the present embodiment uses the end surface portions 1a and 2a corresponding to the liquid crystal injection holes 3a of the first and second glass substrates 1 and 2 and the end surface portions 1b and 2b on both sides of the liquid crystal. Since the opposing inclined surface gradually narrows toward the injection hole 3a, when the sealing material 5 is filled into the liquid crystal injection hole 3a, the injection site of the sealing material 5 can be easily found and widely opened. A sufficient amount of the sealing material 5 can be easily injected from the opening, and the liquid crystal injection hole 3a can be filled without a gap. As a result, the workability of the sealing step of the liquid crystal injection hole 3a is remarkably improved, the sealing material 5 is hermetically filled into the liquid crystal injection hole 3a, and the contact of the sealing material 5 with the glass substrates 1 and 2 is achieved. As the area increases and the fixing strength increases, the reliability of sealing is greatly improved. The liquid crystal sealing structure of this embodiment is extremely advantageous in promoting downsizing of the mounted product because the sealing material 5 does not protrude outward from the liquid crystal injection side end surfaces of the glass substrates 1 and 2. .

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a liquid crystal display device as a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 5A and 5B show the state before sealing and after sealing, respectively, as shown in FIG. It is V line sectional drawing. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the component same as the said 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the liquid crystal display element of the second embodiment, the short end faces 1d and 2d facing the liquid crystal injection holes 3a of the glass substrates 1 and 2 are provided over the entire length, and the other end face 2d is present on one extension of the end face 1d, for example. It is inclined so as to.

  That is, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the inclined end surface 1 d of the glass substrate 1 and the inclined end surface 2 d of the glass substrate 2 are both in the plane direction of the glass substrates 1 and 2. Exists on one virtual inclined surface s inclined at an angle α. In this virtual inclined surface s, the inclination angle α and the formation position thereof are set so that both the glass substrates 1 and 2 can be cut without cutting the frame-shaped seal 3. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), it is more preferable that the end surfaces 1d and 2d of the glass substrates 1 and 2 are all inclined surfaces and the inclination angle α is as large as possible. Thus, it is good also as a form which the end surface 2e of one glass substrate 2 consists of the inclined end surface part 2f and the vertical end surface part 2g.

  The inclined end faces 1d and 2d described above can be easily formed by the same method as that for chamfering the end face of the square plate. That is, after joining the glass substrates 1 and 2 with the frame-shaped seal 3, the target end surfaces of both the glass substrates 1 and 2 may be uniformly polished by a flat polishing tool such as sandpaper.

  After the inclined end faces 1d and 2d are formed, liquid crystal is injected from the injection hole 3a by an appropriate method, and the injection hole 3a is sealed with the sealing material 5. At this time, since the inclined end faces 1d and 2d are formed, the operator can easily visually recognize the opening position of the liquid crystal injection hole 3a, and a sufficient amount of the sealing material 5 can be easily inserted into the liquid crystal injection hole 3a. Can be sealed and filled without gaps.

  Thereafter, the liquid crystal sealing structure shown in FIG. 5B is obtained by curing the sealing material 5. Similarly to the liquid crystal sealing structure of the first embodiment, the liquid crystal sealing structure of the second embodiment also has a cured sealing material 5 that does not protrude outward from the liquid crystal injection side end face position of the liquid crystal display element. It is not necessary to secure a gap corresponding to the protruding portion of the sealing material in the storage case, which contributes to downsizing of the mounted liquid crystal display module.

  As described above, in the liquid crystal display element of the second embodiment, the pair of short end faces 1d and 2d on the liquid crystal injection hole 3a side in the glass substrates 1 and 2 are formed on an inclined surface where the other exists on one extension. Thus, the pair of inclined end surfaces 1d and 2d can be easily formed by batch polishing, and when the sealing material 5 is filled in the liquid crystal injection hole 3a, the injection site of the sealing material 5 can be easily found and a sufficient amount can be obtained. The sealing material 5 can be filled in the liquid crystal injection hole 3a without a gap. As a result, the workability of the step of sealing the liquid crystal injection hole 3a is remarkably improved, and the sealing material 5 is not only sealed and filled in the liquid crystal injection hole 3a without a gap, but also the sealing material 5 is applied. Since the end surfaces 1d and 2d are inclined surfaces, the contact area between the sealing material 5 and the glass substrates 1 and 2 is increased, the fixing strength is increased, and the sealing reliability is greatly improved. And since the sealing material 5 does not protrude outside from the liquid crystal injection side end face position of the liquid crystal display element, it does not become an obstacle to promoting the downsizing of the product on which the liquid crystal display element is mounted.

  The present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments described above. For example, the slope formed on the end face corresponding to the liquid crystal injection hole is not limited to a flat slope, but may be a curved slope or an uneven slope. In short, a pair of end faces corresponding to the liquid crystal injection hole The sealant that inclines the part and protrudes without being filled in the liquid crystal injection hole even if applied, contacts the substrate over a wide area, and only the sealant for the protrusion is accommodated. What is necessary is just to set it as the structure in which a space is formed.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to a single liquid crystal injection hole formed, and is effectively applied to a liquid crystal element in which two or more liquid crystal injection holes are formed. In this case, each pair of end surface portions corresponding to each liquid crystal injection hole is formed on a slope.

  In addition, the liquid crystal element of the present invention is not limited to the liquid crystal display element, and can of course be widely applied to various liquid crystal elements such as a liquid crystal shutter and an optical switch.

It is a top view which shows the liquid crystal display element as 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the fragmentary sectional view which cut | disconnected the said liquid crystal display element by the II-II line | wire of FIG. 1, (a) shows the state before apply | coating a sealing material, (b) is the state which apply | coated and hardened the sealing material. Is shown. (A) is an A arrow view in the said FIG. 2 (a), (b) is an A arrow view in the said FIG.2 (b). It is a top view which shows the liquid crystal display element as 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal display element taken along line VV in FIG. 4, where (a) shows a state before applying the sealing material, and (b) shows a state where the sealing material is applied and cured. Is shown. It is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding to Drawing 5 (b) showing a modification of a liquid crystal display element of the above-mentioned 2nd embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st glass substrate 2 2nd glass substrate 1a, 1b, 2a,
2b, 2f Inclined end surface portion 1c, 2c, 2g Vertical end surface portion 1d, 2d Short end surface 3 Frame-shaped sealing material 3a Liquid crystal injection hole 4 Liquid crystal 5 Sealing material

Claims (3)

A pair of substrates are joined together with a frame-shaped sealing material disposed along the end surfaces of these substrates with a predetermined gap, and liquid crystal is sealed in a space surrounded by the pair of substrates and the frame-shaped sealing material. A liquid crystal element comprising:
The frame-shaped sealing material has an injection hole for injecting liquid crystal into the space,
Of each of the end surfaces of the pair of substrates on the side where the injection hole is formed, an inclined surface is formed at least in a region corresponding to the injection hole,
A liquid crystal element, wherein a sealing material for sealing the injection hole is filled in the injection hole and is attached to each inclined surface corresponding to the injection hole.   Respective inclined surfaces formed in regions corresponding to the injection holes on the end surfaces of the pair of substrates are configured such that a facing distance between the pair of substrates decreases from the end surfaces of the pair of substrates toward the injection holes. The liquid crystal element according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal element is formed.   Each inclined surface formed in a region corresponding to the injection hole on the end surfaces of the pair of substrates has the other inclined surface substantially as an extension surface of one inclined surface. The liquid crystal element according to claim 1.

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