JP2006267532A - Sealing member and liquid crystal device using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a sealing member excellent in water resistance for sealing a liquid crystal member (electrooptic conversion member) inside a pair of substrates. <P>SOLUTION: The sealing member for sealing the liquid crystal member (electrooptic conversion member) 15 between a pair of upper and lower substrates 21 and 11 is constituted of a first sealing member 27 and a second sealing member 28. The first sealing member 27 is disposed on the side of the liquid crystal member 15 and the second sealing member 28 is disposed on the outer side so as to surround the first sealing member 27. Then, the sealing member having the characteristics that the linear expansion coefficient of the first sealing member 27 is smaller than the linear expansion coefficient of the second sealing member 28 and the water absorption of the second sealing member 28 is lower than the water absorption of the first sealing member 27 is used. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a seal member that seals an electro-optic conversion member in a gap between a pair of opposing plate-like members, and further includes a liquid crystal member that is a typical example of an electro-optic conversion member using the seal member. The present invention relates to a sealed liquid crystal device and the like.

  In a conventional liquid crystal device, for example, an optical aberration correction liquid crystal device, a liquid crystal display device, or a liquid crystal lens, a double seal structure in which the periphery of the liquid crystal is double-sealed with a sealing material in order to improve moisture resistance and strength resistance There are many things that have been taken. Further, as one of the techniques of this double seal structure, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 below can be seen.

  Here, the prior art of the double seal structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal display element disclosed in Patent Document 1, and FIG. 11 is a top view of the liquid crystal display element in FIG.

  The double seal structure of the liquid crystal display element disclosed in Patent Document 1 is formed for the purpose of ensuring a uniform cell gap by preventing warpage due to a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between upper and lower substrates having different physical properties. 10 and 11, the liquid crystal layer 5 is sealed with the first sealing material 3, and the outer periphery of the first sealing material 3 has a second opening 9. The sealing material 4 is used for sealing. In FIG. 10, an array substrate 1 on which TFTs, scanning lines, signal lines, and the like are formed and a counter substrate 2 on which common electrodes, color filters, and the like are formed are arranged to face each other, and a constant cell gap is formed via a spacer 6. The liquid crystal layer 5 is sealed with the first sealing material 3 and the outer periphery of the first sealing material 3 is sealed with the second sealing material 4. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the second sealing material 4 is partially provided with an opening 9 at a bent portion or a straight portion of the pattern of the sealing material 4. The opening 9 is provided to allow the air bubbles between the first sealing material 3 and the second sealing material 4 to escape to the outside.

  Here, the first sealing material 3 is a thermosetting adhesive resin having a curing temperature of 130 ° C. to 160 ° C., and has a stronger adhesive strength than the second sealing material 4, and the second sealing material 4 is an ultraviolet ray. An ultraviolet curable adhesive resin that cures at room temperature by irradiation is used. First, the second sealing material 4 is pressurized and cured under ultraviolet irradiation to join the array substrate 1 and the counter substrate 2, and then the first sealing material 3 is heated and pressurized. Take the process of curing with. Finally, a liquid crystal material is injected to obtain a liquid crystal display element.

  According to Patent Document 1, first, the second sealing material 4 is cured by ultraviolet irradiation under a room temperature state, and the array substrate 1 and the counter substrate 2 are bonded together with a uniform cell gap. Next, the first sealing material 3 is cured under heating. Even if the substrate is warped due to a difference in thermal expansion coefficient due to heating, the sealing material 3 is cured in the warped state to join the substrate, and when the temperature is lowered, the warpage returns to the original state. When lowered, a uniform cell gap is obtained. It is said.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-64862

On the other hand, in recent years, liquid crystal panels used in mobile devices such as mobile phones, mobile audio devices, and PDAs have been required to withstand use in more severe environments. Under such circumstances, the double seal structure described above has a problem in use in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment, although a uniform cell gap can be obtained in the initial state when the liquid crystal display element is manufactured. For use under high temperature and high humidity conditions, a structure that fully considers water resistance and moisture resistance must be adopted. On the other hand, the above-described seal structure is a double seal structure, and since the opening part 9 is provided in the second sealing material 4, a substantially single-seal structure is formed. enter in. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent water permeation only with the first sealing material 3. And since the seal structure is substantially a one-layer structure, water permeability is unavoidable during long-time use in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment. When water permeation progresses in the upper and lower substrates, there arises a problem that the hermetic fluctuation in the substrates occurs and the substrate is warped. Even if the cell gap is uniform in the initial state, warping occurs with time and a non-uniform cell gap appears. In addition, there is a problem that light incident on the liquid crystal device does not come out correctly as predetermined light, for example, display unevenness failure and aberration correction failure due to phase difference fluctuation. In addition, the electrodes provided on the upper and lower substrates are corroded by water permeation, resulting in problems such as poor conduction.

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to obtain a sealing material and a liquid crystal device that can withstand use for a long period of time even in a high temperature and high humidity environment.

  The first means of the present invention for achieving the above object is a seal member for sealing an electro-optic conversion member between a pair of opposing plate-like members, and the seal member is the electro-optic conversion member. A first seal member disposed on the side and a second seal member disposed on the outside so as to surround the first seal member, and the linear expansion coefficient of the first seal member is the first seal member. 2 is smaller than the linear expansion coefficient of the seal member, and the water absorption rate of the second seal member is smaller than the water absorption rate of the first seal member.

  Further, the second means of the present invention for achieving the above object is that, in the first means, at least one layer of each of the first seal member and the second seal member is formed. Features.

  According to a third means of the present invention for achieving the above object, in the first means or the second means, the first seal member and the second seal member are mainly composed of an epoxy resin. It is made of a resin material.

  According to a fourth means of the present invention for achieving the above object, in any one of the first to third means, the electro-optic conversion member is a liquid crystal.

  Further, a fifth means of the present invention for achieving the above object is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third means, the electro-optic conversion member is a member having a switch function. To do.

  According to a sixth means of the present invention for achieving the above object, in the liquid crystal device in which a liquid crystal member is sealed with a seal member between a pair of opposing substrates having at least electrodes, the seal member is disposed on the liquid crystal member side. A first seal member provided and a second seal member disposed on the outside so as to surround the first seal member, and the linear expansion coefficient of the first seal member is the second seal member. The linear expansion coefficient of the member is smaller, and the water absorption rate of the second seal member is smaller than the water absorption rate of the first seal member.

The seventh means of the present invention for achieving the above object is the sixth means, wherein the first means
Each layer of the sealing member and the second sealing member is formed in one or more layers.

Further, an eighth means of the present invention for achieving the above object is that, in the sixth or seventh means, the first seal member and the second seal member are made of a resin material whose main component is an epoxy resin. It is characterized by becoming.

  As an effect of the invention, it comprises at least a first seal member disposed on the electro-optic conversion member and a second seal member disposed outside the first seal member, and the water absorption rate of the second seal member is By using a material having a smaller water absorption rate than the first seal member, the outer second seal member prevents water from entering from the outside, and the inner first seal member is prevented from expanding due to water absorption. Further, the expansion of the second seal member due to high temperature is prevented by this first seal member. Alternatively, the expansion of the seal member that fluctuates the gap between the substrates on which the electro-optic conversion member is arranged is suppressed to make the gap between the substrates constant, thereby preventing unevenness of light and improving the appearance. Further, even in a high temperature and high humidity environment, a seal structure that is strong in heat resistance and moisture resistance and has a stable gap can be obtained.

  In addition, it is better that the first sealing member and the second sealing member are formed of at least one layer, but since the number of work steps increases, the number of work steps and the reliability to be obtained. It is better to decide by balance. For example, a sealing layer composed of two, three, and four layers is used. The more the sealing layer, the more complete the heat resistance and moisture resistance effects.

  Further, when the first seal member and the second seal member are formed of a resin material mainly composed of an epoxy resin, the epoxy resin is excellent in water resistance and moisture resistance, and has a relatively strong adhesive force. You can choose. In addition, since it is a joint quality adhesive, it can be bonded under the same operating conditions, and it is possible to obtain a good adhesive quality (adhesion, etc.) and only one bonding operation is required, so that work efficiency is improved. Will be better.

A liquid crystal device can be obtained when the electro-optic conversion member is a liquid crystal. Further, a touch panel or the like can be obtained when the electric control member is a member having a switch function. The liquid crystal device and touch panel using the seal structure of the present invention can ensure reliability even in a high temperature and high humidity environment, and can prevent a change in gap that determines the thickness of the electro-optic conversion member. And the effect of correct light control can be obtained.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described using a liquid crystal device using liquid crystal as an electro-optic conversion member or an electric control member. Here, FIG. 1 shows a plan view and a main part sectional view of a liquid crystal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 (a) is a plan view, and FIG. 1 (b) is a main part sectional view. is there. In describing the best mode for carrying out the present invention, FIG. 1 shows only the components constituting the core in describing the embodiment of the present invention and is attached with reference numerals. Therefore, a color filter, a planarizing film, a protective film, an insulating film, an alignment film, a reflective layer, a transflective layer, a polarizing layer, a retardation layer, an antiglare film, and the like may be appropriately selected and used in combination.

First, as shown in FIG. 1B, the liquid crystal device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is an electro-optic conversion member between a pair of the lower substrate 11 and the upper substrate 21 that are arranged to face each other. The liquid crystal member 15 is sealed with a first seal member 27 and a second seal member 28. As shown in FIG. 1A, the first seal member 27 is provided so as to surround the liquid crystal member 15, and the second seal member 28 is provided outside so as to surround the first seal member 27. It has been. 1
A spacer 6 is provided between the lower substrate 11 and the upper substrate 21 in order to obtain a predetermined cell gap (layer thickness of the liquid crystal member 15). Although not shown, spacers are also dispersed in the first seal member 27 and the second seal member 28 so as to ensure a more uniform cell gap. The spacer dispersed in the first seal member 27 and the second seal member 28 may be the same as the spacer 16 or may be made of a different material.

  Here, the pair of upper and lower substrates 21 and 11 are made of flat members, while the lower substrate 11 is rubbed with a transparent electrode formed of an ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) film on a transparent substrate made of transparent glass or the like. It is made of a material on which an oriented film or the like is formed. The lower substrate 11 is not necessarily limited to a transparent substrate, and may be an opaque substrate. The upper substrate 21 is made of a transparent substrate made of transparent glass or the like, on which a transparent electrode formed of an ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) film and a rubbing alignment film are formed.

Further, the liquid crystal member 15 sealed in the first seal member 27 has anisotropic dielectric properties and changes optically according to a so-called electrical action in which the optical refractive index varies according to the applied voltage. It serves as an electro-optic conversion member that causes Such liquid crystal members include TN (Twisted Nematic) liquid crystal and STN (Super).
Twisted Nematic) liquid crystal, polymer dispersed liquid crystal, and the like. The spacer 16 is made of glass particles, plastic particles, glass fiber particles, or the like having a required particle size.

  The first seal member 27 and the second seal member 28 are made of a thermosetting resin, and the main component is formed of an epoxy resin, but the water absorption rate of the second seal member 28 is the first seal member. It has characteristics smaller than 27 water absorption. Further, the linear expansion coefficient of the first seal member 27 has a characteristic smaller than that of the second seal member 28. Here, the first seal member 27 and the second seal member 28 are selected in consideration of water resistance, thermal expansion property, adhesive strength property, and the like, and particularly limited to thermosetting epoxy resins. Instead, any other adhesive resin, such as an acrylic resin, that satisfies the above characteristics constitutes the present invention. The first seal member 27 and the second seal member 28 are preferably made of the same resin material. Further, spacers having the same particle diameter as the spacers 16 are dispersed in the first seal member 27 and the second seal member 28 in order to ensure a uniform cell gap. The spacer dispersed in the first seal member 27 and the second seal member 28 may be the same as that of the spacer 16 or may be made of a different material.

  The first sealing member 27 and the second sealing member 28 are formed by a screen printing method, a dispenser coating method, or the like. In the case of forming by the screen printing method, the first seal member 27 is printed on one of the upper substrate 21 and the lower substrate 11, and the second seal member 28 is printed on the other substrate. Then, the upper substrate 21 and the lower substrate 11 are opposed to each other, aligned with each other, and bonded together under pressure and heating, so that the first seal member 27 and the first seal member 27 are surrounded to the outside. A second seal member 28 is formed. In the case of forming by the dispenser method, a method of forming both the first seal member 27 and the second seal member 28 on either one of the upper substrate 21 and the lower substrate 11, or the first seal member A manufacturing method such as a method of forming 27 on one of the upper substrate 21 and the lower substrate 11 and forming the second seal member 28 on the other substrate can be used.

  Although not shown in FIG. 1, the first seal member 27 and the second seal member 28 are formed at one location with an opening serving as an inlet for the liquid crystal member 15. The opening is filled with an ultraviolet curable resin after the liquid crystal member 15 is vacuum-injected, and is cured and sealed.

  In the present embodiment, the first sealing member 27 and the second sealing member 28 that are formed mainly of a thermosetting epoxy resin serve as an inlet for the liquid crystal member 15 in the upper substrate 21 or the lower substrate 11. After the opening is formed, the upper substrate 21 and the lower substrate 11 are made to face each other in position, and heated while applying pressure from the outside of the upper and lower substrates 21 and 11 by a pressurizing method using an air bag method. The heating is gradually increased to a temperature of about 160 ° C., and the first seal member 27 and the second seal member 28 are cured by heating at a temperature of about 160 ° C. for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Let After the first seal member 27 and the second seal member 28 are cured in this way, the liquid crystal member 15 is vacuum-injected from the opening using a vacuum injector, and after injection, the liquid crystal member 15 is sealed with an ultraviolet curable resin. To do. The liquid crystal device 10 is obtained through such a manufacturing process.

  A liquid crystal device used in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment must have a structure that fully considers its moisture resistance and heat resistance. In the liquid crystal device 10 of the present invention having the above-described configuration, the liquid crystal member 15 is sealed with the first seal member 27, and further double sealed with the second seal member 28 so as to surround them. I take the. The second seal member has a characteristic that the water absorption rate of the second seal member 28 disposed on the outside is smaller than that of the first seal member 27 disposed on the inside. 28 prevents water from passing through the first seal member 27.

  Furthermore, the linear expansion coefficient of the first seal member 27 disposed on the inner side is smaller than the linear expansion coefficient of the second seal member 28 disposed on the outer side. Even if the upper and lower substrates 21 and 11 are deformed or the second seal member 28 expands due to high temperature, the first seal member 27 firmly fixes the substrate, so that the cell gap, which is the thickness of the liquid crystal layer, is kept constant. The effect is obtained. In addition, even in a high temperature and high humidity environment, a stable cell gap can be obtained that is strong in heat resistance and moisture resistance.

  In the present embodiment, the seal structure is composed of two layers each including the second seal member 28 on the outer side and the first seal member 27 on the inner side, but for example, the second seal is formed from the outer side to the inner side. A three-layer structure such as a member 28-second seal member 28-first seal member 27 and a structure of second seal member 28-first seal member 27-first seal member 27, etc. Further, a four-layer structure such as the second seal member 28 -the first seal member 27 -the second seal member 28 -the first seal member 27 may be adopted. As the number of layers in the multilayer structure is increased, the heat resistance and moisture resistance are improved, and the stability of the cell gap is also improved.

  Hereinafter, further detailed description will be given with reference to examples. First, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The liquid crystal device shown in the first embodiment shows a liquid crystal lens, and FIG. 2 shows a plan perspective view of the liquid crystal lens in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the liquid crystal lens in FIG. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the amount of change in the cell gap in the reliability test of the sealing member under high temperature and high humidity conditions, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the measurement location of the cell gap shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the liquid crystal lens 30 of the present invention includes a liquid crystal member 35 between a first substrate 47 and a second seal between a pair of opposed substrates of a lower substrate 31 and an upper substrate 41. It is configured to be enclosed by a double seal structure with the material 48. In FIG. 2, the inlet of the liquid crystal member 35 and its sealing are not shown. In FIG. 3, an arrow B indicates the light entering direction, and the upper substrate 41 is disposed closer to the lower substrate 31 than the light entering direction. The lower substrate 31 has a configuration in which an electrode layer in which a plurality of electrodes are planarly formed and an alignment film 34 are laminated on the upper surface of a transparent substrate 32 made of transparent glass. As shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of electrode layers include a transparent circular electrode 33a formed at the center and a circular shape around the circular electrode 33a divided into four regions and formed into a concentric annular shape. A plurality of annular electrodes 33b and annular electrodes 33 in two regions, respectively.
b and two transparent lead electrodes 33c1 and 33c2 connected to the central circular electrode 33a, and two connection electrodes 33d1 and 33d2 connected to the two lead electrodes 33c1 and 33c2, respectively. The connection electrode 33d1 is connected to the extraction electrode 33c1, and the extraction electrode 33c1 is connected to a plurality of annular electrodes 33b and a central circular electrode 33a in two regions located on the left side in FIG. Further, the connection electrode 33d2 is connected to the extraction electrode 33c2, and the extraction electrode 33c2 is connected to a plurality of annular electrodes 33b and a central circular electrode 33a in two regions located on the right side in FIG.

  On the other hand, the upper substrate 41 has a configuration in which a transparent electrode 43 and an alignment film 44 are laminated on the lower surface of a transparent substrate 42 made of transparent glass.

  Then, the lower substrate 31 and the upper substrate 41 are arranged to face each other, a certain gap is provided via the spacer 36, and the liquid crystal member 35 is sealed with the first seal member 47 and the second seal member 48. A liquid crystal lens 30 is formed. The size of the liquid crystal lens 30 here is approximately 5 mm square in the vertical and horizontal directions. As the liquid crystal member 35 to be sealed, nematic liquid crystal or mixed liquid crystal in which nematic liquid crystal and chiral nematic liquid crystal are mixed is used. The first seal member 47 is provided on the inner side to enclose the liquid crystal member 35, and the second seal member 48 is provided on the outer side so as to surround the first seal member 47.

  In FIG. 2, the plurality of annular electrodes 33 b are formed so that the width is gradually reduced toward the outside, and the intervals are also gradually reduced. A region where the annular electrode 33b is provided forms a region that functions as a lens.

  In FIG. 2, a connection electrode 33d1 is formed on the left side, and a connection electrode 33d2 is formed on the right side. A positive voltage is applied to either the connection electrode 33d1 or the connection electrode 33d2, and a negative voltage is applied to the other. Is applied. When a voltage is applied to the connection electrode 33d1 and the connection electrode 33d2, a voltage is applied to the extraction electrodes 33c1 and 33c2 connected to the connection electrode 33d1 and the connection electrode 33d2, respectively, and further to the extraction electrode 33c1 and the extraction electrode 33c2. A voltage is applied to the annular electrode 33b and the circular electrode 33a connected to each other. The plurality of annular electrodes 33b and circular electrodes 33a are applied with voltage via the extraction electrode 33c1 and the extraction electrode 33c2. However, since the distances are different, the resistance values are different and the applied voltage values are also different. For this reason, a change in optical refractive index occurs in the liquid crystal member 35, phase modulation appears, and a lens function is born.

  Here, each component constituting the liquid crystal lens 30 has the following specifications. Transparent glass plates are used for the transparent substrates 32 and 42 constituting the lower substrate 31 and the upper substrate 41. As the glass, soda glass, quartz glass, borosilicate glass, ordinary plate glass, or the like is used, and most of them have a thickness of 0.3 to 1.1 mm. In addition to glass, a plastic plate can also be used.

The circular electrode 33a constituting the lower substrate 31, the plurality of annular electrodes 33b, the extraction electrodes 33c1 and 33c2, and the transparent electrode 43 constituting the upper substrate 41 are made of an ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) film made of tin-doped indium oxide. A zinc (ZnO ₂ ) film or the like is used. This ITO film or zinc oxide film is formed by a vacuum deposition method, a sputtering method, a CVD method or the like, and then finished into a desired shape by a method such as photolithography.

The connection electrodes 33d1 and 33d2 constituting the lower substrate 31 are formed of an ITO film or a metal thin film. As the metal thin film, for example, an Au metal film or the like can be suitably applied because it has good conductivity. In this method, an organic gold compound ink is formed by a printing method, and baking is performed at a temperature of 500 ° to 600 °, whereby the resin component is evaporated and an Au metal baking film is formed to form an Au metal thin film. When the connection electrodes 33d1 and 33d2 are formed of an Au metal film or the like, the electric resistance value can be suppressed to a small value, and the applied voltage accuracy of the circular electrode 33a, the plurality of annular electrodes 33b, and the extraction electrodes 33c1 and 33c2 is increased. However, the connection electrodes 33d1 and 33d2 are not limited to the Au metal film, and there is no problem even if they are formed of an ITO film.

  The alignment films 34 and 44 constituting the lower substrate 31 and the upper substrate 41 are formed using a polyimide resin or the like by a printing method, a spin method, or the like, and are subjected to an alignment treatment by rubbing using a cotton cloth material or the like. . The alignment direction of the alignment film 34 of the lower substrate 31 and the alignment direction of the alignment film 44 of the upper substrate 41 are set to be parallel alignment, but may be slightly shifted from the direction of parallel alignment.

  The spacers 36 are provided to give a certain distance between the lower substrate 31 and the upper substrate 41, thereby securing a cell gap (d). Since insulation and transparency are required, glass particles, plastic particles, glass fiber particles, and the like are used. In general, in a liquid crystal lens, the cell gap is set in a range of approximately 5 to 30 μm.

  In the first embodiment, the first seal member 47 and the second seal member 48 are made of the first seal member 47 with struct bond XN-651 (product number) manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals Co., Ltd. Similarly, the tract bond HC-1210 (product number) manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. is used for the member 48. Here, the characteristics of the struct bond XN-651 used as the first seal member 47 are composed of an epoxy resin 50 to 75 wt% as a main component and an amine curing agent 3 to 15 wt%, The water absorption is 3.7% and the coefficient of linear expansion is 25 (ppm). In addition, the characteristics of the tract bond HC-1210 used as the second seal member 48 include those containing 30 to 50% by weight of an epoxy resin as a main component and 15 to 35% by weight of a polyhydric phenol curing agent. The water absorption rate is 1.3% and the coefficient of linear expansion is 70 (ppm). That is, the water absorption rate of the struct bond HC-1210 used as the second sealing material 48 is 1.3%, which is about 1 from the water absorption rate of 3.7% of the struct bond XN-651 used as the first sealing material 47. / 3 is smaller. Further, the linear expansion coefficient of the struct bond XN-651 used as the first sealing material 47 is 25 (ppm), and the linear expansion coefficient of the struct bond HC-1210 used as the second sealing material 48 is 70 (ppm). It is about 1/3 smaller.

  Here, the change state of the cell gap in a 1230 hour standing test in a high temperature and high humidity environment at a temperature of 60 ° C / humidity of 90% when Structbond XN-651 and Structbond HC-1210 are used as seal members This will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, the center and the periphery indicate the location of the liquid crystal lens. As shown in FIG. 5, the center (C) is the center portion of the liquid crystal lens, and the periphery is the sealing member D that seals the outer peripheral region. The four places E1 to E4 are measured, and the change values of the surrounding places are obtained with the average value. The vertical axis in FIG. 4 represents the amount of change in the cell gap (unit: μm), and shows the amount of change from before the test when the measured value before the test is zero. The horizontal axis indicates the time axis of the test. The liquid crystal lens has a size of 5 mm in length and width. The upper and lower glass substrates are both 0.5 mm thick, the cell gap is 5 μm, and the width of the seal member D is 0.5 mm in one layer. Used.

From FIG. 4, when XN-651 having a large water absorption rate of 3.7% and a linear expansion coefficient of 25 ppm is used as a seal member in a high temperature and high humidity environment, the change in the thickness direction of the seal layer is large. Change. At the center, after 100 hours, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer or the gap between the upper and lower substrates changes with a gap of −0.14 to −0.18 μm, and the gap between the upper and lower substrates is +0.03 to +0.04 μm. Change occurs. It can be seen that the center dents into a concave state with a change width of 0.14 to 0.18 μm, and the periphery jumps out into a convex state with a change width of 0.14 to 0.18 μm. On the other hand, when HC-1210 having a small water absorption rate of 1.3% and a large linear expansion coefficient of 70 ppm is used as the seal member, the moisture permeability is very small, so the change in the thickness direction of the seal layer is Very small.

  From the above, the second seal member 48 of HC-1210 having a small water absorption rate of 1.3% and a large linear expansion coefficient of 70 ppm is disposed on the outside, and the water absorption rate is large and 3.7% on the inside. By adopting a sealing structure in which the first sealing material 47 of XN-651 having a low linear expansion coefficient of 25 ppm is adopted, the second water absorption rate that is provided outside is small even in a high temperature and high humidity environment. By the action of the seal member 48, the water permeability from the outside is blocked, and the change of the cell gap can be suppressed very small.

  Further, since the linear expansion coefficient of the first seal member 47 disposed on the inner side is smaller than the linear expansion coefficient of the second seal member 48 disposed on the outer side, expansion of the second seal member 48 due to high temperature is suppressed. The upper and lower substrates 41 and 31 are prevented from being deformed by a high temperature.

  Although not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first seal member 47 and the second seal member 48 are provided between the upper substrate 41 and the lower substrate 31 in order to obtain a uniform cell gap. A spacer having the same particle diameter as the spacer 36 is dispersed. The spacer dispersed in the first seal member 47 and the second seal member 48 is preferably harder than the spacer 36. For example, when glass particles are used, the spacers 36 use plastic particles. Is good. The spacer dispersed in the first seal member 47 and the second seal member 48 is preferably about 2% by weight with respect to the entire seal member.

The first sealing member 47 is printed on one of the upper substrate 41 and the lower substrate 31 by a screen printing method, the second sealing member 48 is printed on the other substrate, and the upper substrate 41 The first sealing member 47 and the second sealing member 48 are cured under pressure and heating, and the upper substrate 41 and the lower substrate 31 are joined. The applied pressure is 200 to 1.0 kg / cm ² and the heating temperature is 160 ° C. for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Although not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first seal member 47 and the second seal member 48 are provided with an opening serving as an inlet for the liquid crystal member 35, and the liquid crystal member 35. Sealed after injection. After the upper substrate 41 and the lower substrate 31 are joined, the liquid crystal material 35 is vacuum-injected with a vacuum injector, and then the opening is sealed with an ultraviolet curable resin. Thereby, the liquid crystal lens 30 is obtained.

  In the liquid crystal lens 30 of the first embodiment, the second seal member 48 made of HC-1210 having a small water absorption rate of 1.3% and a large linear expansion coefficient of 70 ppm is arranged on the outer side, and the water absorption rate is 3.7 on the inner side. %, And the first sealing material 47 of XN-651 having a low linear expansion coefficient of 25 ppm is provided. Thereby, even in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment, by providing the second seal member 48 having a small water absorption rate on the outside, the change in the gap can be suppressed to a very small level. Further, by providing the first seal member 47 having a small linear expansion coefficient on the inside, strong bonding strength between the upper substrate 41 and the lower substrate 31 can be obtained, and at the same time, deformation of the upper and lower substrates 41 and 31 caused by high temperature. The first seal member 47 prevents the expansion of the second seal member 48 due to high temperature. Further, even in a high temperature and high humidity environment, the seal member is hardly deformed even at high humidity and temperature, and a stable cell gap can be obtained.

Further, the liquid crystal lens 30 of the first embodiment has a two-layer seal structure in which the second seal member 48 is disposed on the outer side and the first seal material 47 is disposed on the inner side. The three-layer structure of member 48 (outer side) -second seal member 48 (middle) -first seal member 47 (inner side), or second seal member 48 (outer side) -first seal member 47 (middle) -It is also possible to take a three-layer structure of the first sealing material 47 (inner side), and taking a three-layer seal structure produces further effects. Needless to say, a four-layer structure may be adopted. When the seal structure has two or more layers, the seal member that contacts the liquid crystal member on the innermost side is provided with the first seal member 47 having a small linear expansion coefficient, and the outermost seal member has a water absorption rate. A small second seal member 48 is provided.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The liquid crystal device according to the second embodiment is a liquid crystal display device, FIG. 6 is a plan view including a partial perspective view of the liquid crystal display device according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the liquid crystal display device in FIG. The figure is shown.

  First, in FIG. 6, a circled G portion is a perspective view showing a liquid crystal display device provided with a black matrix 66. In the liquid crystal display device 50, as shown in FIG. 7, a pair of substrates of an upper substrate 61 and a lower substrate 51 are arranged to face each other with a certain gap through a spacer 56, and a liquid crystal member is interposed between the gaps. 55 is enclosed by a first seal member 57 and a second seal member 58. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the second seal member 58 here is provided in two layers, the outermost side being the first second seal member 58-1 and the inner side being the second seal member 58-1. The second seal member 58-2. The first seal member 57 is provided inside the second second seal member 58-2, and the liquid crystal member 55 is enclosed inside the first seal member 57. . An upper polarizing plate 69 is provided outside the upper substrate 61, and a lower polarizing plate 59 is provided outside the lower substrate 51, thereby forming the liquid crystal display device 50. 6 and 7, the first second sealing member 58-1, the second second sealing member 58-2, and the first sealing member 57 are connected to each other. Each may be provided with a slight gap.

  Here, the lower substrate 51 includes a transparent substrate 52 made of transparent glass, a transparent electrode 53 made of an ITO film, and an alignment film 54 provided on the transparent electrode 53. Here, a plurality of transparent electrodes 53 are provided in a stripe shape, and are arranged so as to intersect at right angles with a plurality of transparent electrodes 63 provided in a stripe shape of an upper substrate 61 described later.

  On the other hand, the upper substrate 61 includes a transparent substrate 62 made of transparent glass, a grid-like black matrix 66, a color filter 67 provided so as to fill the space between the black matrix 66, and a flat upper surface of the color filter 67. A transparent and insulating flattening film 68 provided for the purpose, a transparent electrode 63 made of an ITO film provided on the flattening film 68, and an alignment film 64 provided on the upper surface of the transparent electrode 63. Yes. The color filter 67 here is three types of red, blue, and green color filters, and these three types of color filters are provided in an alternating manner. The color filter 67 is located at a portion where a plurality of transparent electrodes 63 provided in a stripe shape on the upper substrate 61 (described later) and a plurality of transparent electrodes 53 provided in a stripe shape on the lower substrate 51 intersect at right angles. Provided. A plurality of transparent electrodes 63 are provided in a stripe shape, and intersect with the plurality of transparent electrodes 53 provided in a stripe shape on the lower substrate 51 at right angles. The overlapping portion with a right angle tolerance forms one display pixel. The color filter 67 is disposed in a portion corresponding to this pixel.

  The specifications of each of the above components are as follows. Transparent glass plates are used for the transparent substrates 52 and 62 constituting the lower substrate 51 and the upper substrate 61. As the glass, soda glass, quartz glass, borosilicate glass, normal plate glass, or the like is used, and most of them have a thickness of 0.7 to 1.1 mm. In addition to glass, a plastic plate can also be used.

The transparent electrode 53 constituting the lower substrate 51 and the transparent electrode 63 constituting the upper substrate 61 are formed of an ITO film of indium oxide doped with tin, a zinc oxide (ZnO ₂ ) film, or the like. This ITO
The film and the zinc oxide film are formed by a vacuum deposition method, a sputtering method, a CVD method, or the like, and then finished into a stripe shape by a method such as photolithography. Although not shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, these transparent electrodes are respectively provided with extraction electrodes for applying a voltage, and these extraction electrodes are arranged to extend to the outside of the seal member. .

  The alignment film 54 constituting the lower substrate 51 and the alignment film 64 constituting the upper substrate 61 are formed by a printing method, a spin method, or the like using polyimide resin or the like, and are aligned by rubbing using a cotton cloth material or the like. Used after treatment.

  The black matrix 66 constituting the upper substrate 61 is formed of a chromium oxide film (CrO), a laminated film of a chromium oxide film (CrO) and a chromium film (Cr), or a resin material.

  The color filter 67 constituting the upper substrate 61 has three colors of red, blue, and green. It is formed by a printing method or a dispenser coating method using inks or paints having respective colors.

  The planarizing film 68 constituting the upper substrate 61 is provided for the purpose of allowing the transparent electrode 63 formed thereon to be formed in a flat and normal shape and for the purpose of protecting the black matrix 66 and the color filter 67. This flattening film is formed by a printing method or the like using a transparent acrylic resin, urethane resin, epoxy resin or the like.

The spacers 56 are provided to give a certain distance between the lower substrate 51 and the upper substrate 61, thereby securing a cell gap. Since insulation and transparency are required, glass particles, plastic particles, glass fiber particles, and the like are used. Generally, in a liquid crystal display device, the cell gap is generally set in a range of 2 to 15 μm.
As the liquid crystal member 55, TN liquid crystal, STN liquid crystal, or the like is used.

  The first seal member 57 and the second seal member 58 are the same as those used in the first embodiment. That is, the first seal member 57 uses Struct Bond XN-651 manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, and the second seal member 58 uses Struct Bond HC-1210 manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals. Here, the characteristics of the struct bond XN-651 used as the first seal member 57 are composed of an epoxy resin 50 to 75 wt% as a main component and an amine curing agent 3 to 15 wt%, The water absorption is 3.7% and the coefficient of linear expansion is 25 (ppm). In addition, the characteristics of the tract bond HC-1210 used as the second seal member 58 include those containing 30 to 50% by weight of an epoxy resin as a main component and 15 to 35% by weight of a polyhydric phenol curing agent. The water absorption rate is 1.3% and the coefficient of linear expansion is 70 (ppm). That is, the water absorption rate of the tract bond HC-1210 used as the second sealing material 58 is 1.3%, which is about 1 from the water absorption rate of 3.7% of the struct bond XN-651 used as the first sealing material 57. / 3 is smaller. Further, the linear expansion coefficient of the struct bond XN-651 used as the first sealing material 57 is 25 (ppm), and the linear expansion coefficient of the struct bond HC-1210 used as the second sealing material 58 is 70 (ppm). It is about 1/3 smaller.

The first seal member 57 is formed on either the lower substrate 51 or the upper substrate 61, and the second substrate is divided into two layers to form the second seal member 58 on the other substrate. Then, the sprayed spacers 56 are sandwiched and bonded together under pressure and heating. The pressurizing and heating conditions are the same as those in Example 1 described above, and the applied pressure is 200 to 1.0 kg / cm ² and the heating temperature is 160 ° C. for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Although not shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first seal member 57 and the second seal member 58 formed in two layers are provided with an opening serving as an inlet for the liquid crystal member 55 at one location. It is provided and sealed after the liquid crystal member 55 is injected. After the upper substrate 61 and the lower substrate 51 are joined, the liquid crystal material 55 is vacuum-injected with a vacuum injector, and then the opening is sealed with an ultraviolet curable resin. And the liquid crystal display device 50 is obtained by sticking the upper and lower polarizing plates 69 and 59 after that.

  Although not shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first seal member 57 and the second seal member 58 are provided between the upper substrate 61 and the lower substrate 51 in order to obtain a uniform cell gap. The spacers having the same particle size as the spacers 56 are dispersed. As the spacer, glass particles, plastic particles, glass fiber particles, or the like is used, but a conductive spacer having conductive properties may be used.

  In the second embodiment, two layers of the second seal member 58 made of struct bond HC-1210 having a low water absorption rate are provided for the purpose of completely preventing water permeation through the seal member in a high temperature and high humidity environment. The first second seal member 58-1 is disposed on the outer side, and the second second seal member 58-2 is further disposed on the inner side. Further, one layer of the first seal member 57 made of struct bond XN-651 having a small linear expansion coefficient is provided on the innermost side. With the first seal member 57 having a small linear expansion coefficient, strong bonding is obtained between the lower substrate 51 and the upper substrate 61. At the same time, the deformation of the upper and lower substrates 61 and 51 due to the expansion of the second seal member 58 due to the high temperature is suppressed, and the cell gap is made uniform. By adopting such a seal structure, a liquid crystal display device can be obtained in which a seal member is hardly deformed even in a high temperature and high humidity environment even at high humidity and temperature, and a high quality display without uneven brightness can be obtained.

  Although the liquid crystal display device 50 of Example 2 has a simple matrix structure, an active matrix type liquid crystal display device composed of a two-terminal nonlinear resistance element and a three-terminal TFT structure using thin film transistors are used. Even in the case of a liquid crystal display device or the like, the seal structure of the present invention can be similarly adopted.

  Further, in the seal structure of the second embodiment, two layers of the second seal member 58 having a small water absorption rate are provided on the outer side, and one layer of the first seal member 57 having a small linear expansion coefficient is provided on the inner side. Although it has a structure, it has a structure in which one layer of the second sealing member 58 having a low water absorption rate is provided on the outer side and two layers of the first sealing member 57 having a small linear expansion coefficient are provided on the inner side, for a total of three layers. Even if it is a thing, there exists an effect from which the liquid crystal display device with stronger adhesive force is obtained from the effect described above.

  Next, Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Example 3 describes a seal structure of a touch panel. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the touch panel according to the third embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line KK in FIG.

  The touch panel according to the third embodiment is arranged on the upper part of the liquid crystal display device, and is a liquid crystal display device with a panel having an input function that is used by pressing an instruction screen displayed on the liquid crystal display device with a finger or a pen on the touch panel. It is a specification. Therefore, the touch panel of the third embodiment is used with a liquid crystal display device disposed below it. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the touch panel 70 includes a lower substrate 71 having a square shape and an upper substrate 81 having flexibility with a certain gap provided between the first seal member 87 and the outer peripheral area thereof. And a second seal member 88, and a polarizing plate 89 on the upper surface side and a retardation plate 79 on the lower surface side.

The lower substrate 71 here is a transparent substrate 72 made of transparent square glass, a transparent electrode 73 formed in a square shape on the upper surface of the transparent substrate 72, and the transparent electrode 73 vertically opposite to each other in FIG. 8. A pair of lower conductive electrodes 74 and 75 that are connected and formed along both sides and extend to the FPC mounting portion S surrounded by a dotted frame at one end of the transparent substrate 72, and a pair that are formed in the vicinity of the FPC mounting portion S. The connection electrodes 77 and 78 are connected to an external circuit, and dot spacers 76 are arranged on the transparent electrode 73 in a matrix. The pair of connection electrodes 77 and 78 are provided in the vicinity of the FPC attachment portion S in order to establish a conductive connection with upper conductive electrodes 84 and 85 of the upper substrate 81 described later. In the pair of lower conductive electrodes 74 and 75, the lower conductive electrode 74 includes a portion 74 a connected to the side of the transparent electrode 73 and a portion 74 b routed to the FPC attachment portion S. Similarly, the lower conductive electrode 75 Is composed of a portion 75 a connected to the side of the transparent electrode 73 and a portion 75 b routed to the FPC attachment portion S.

  Further, the upper substrate 81 is a flexible, transparent and rectangular transparent substrate 82, a transparent electrode 83 formed in a rectangular shape on the lower surface of the transparent substrate 82, and the transparent electrode 83 in FIG. It is composed of a pair of upper conductive electrodes 84 and 85 that are connected and formed along the opposite left and right sides and extend in the direction of the FPC attachment portion S. In the pair of upper conductive electrodes 84 and 85, the upper conductive electrode 84 includes a portion 84a connected to the side of the transparent electrode 83 and a portion 84b routed to the vicinity of the FPC mounting portion S. Reference numeral 85 denotes a portion 85a connected to the side of the transparent electrode 83 and a portion 85b routed to the vicinity of the FPC attachment portion S.

  Then, the upper conductive electrodes 84 and 85 of the upper substrate 81 and the lower conductive electrodes 74 and 75 of the lower substrate 71 are opposed to each other in a square arrangement, and a certain gap is provided between the upper and lower substrates 81 and 71. The upper and lower substrates 81, 71 are bonded and fixed by a frame-shaped second seal member 88 around the outer periphery of the gap or in the vicinity thereof, and the frame-shaped first seal member 87 is fixed to the inside. , 71 is wound around the outer peripheral region and sealed. Further, the pair of upper conductive electrodes 84 and 85 provided on the upper substrate 81 is a pair of connection electrodes provided at the ends of the lower substrate 71 at the locations of the connection portions H and I shown in a circle in FIG. 77 and 78 are connected via an anisotropic conductive adhesive or a conductive adhesive, and the upper conductive electrode 84 is electrically connected to the connection electrode 77 and the upper conductive electrode 85 is electrically connected to the connection electrode 78.

  Further, the anti-glare property is improved to improve the transparency and quality display. A polarizing plate 89 is attached to the upper surface of the upper substrate 81, and a retardation plate 79 is attached to the lower surface of the lower substrate 71. The polarizing plate 89 and the retardation plate 79 are one component that is used when a touch panel is used in combination with a liquid crystal display device, and can be omitted because they are not necessarily required when a touch panel is used in other cases. In addition, an FPC 90 is attached to the FPC attachment portion S of the lower substrate 71 so as to be electrically connected to the outside.

  Each component part of the touch panel 70 having the above-described structure is as follows. Transparent glass is used for the transparent substrate 72 constituting the lower substrate 71. As this glass, soda glass, quartz glass, alkali glass, borosilicate glass, normal plate glass, and the like can be used, and those having a thickness that does not cause warpage or the like are used. In many cases, 0.7 to 1.1 mm is selected. Since the transparent substrate 82 constituting the upper substrate 81 requires flexibility, a transparent thin glass plate or a transparent plastic film is used. In general, glass is used for equipment that requires heat resistance (for example, car navigation systems). As the glass, micro glass (micro sheet glass) such as 0.2 mm-thick borosilicate glass which is strong in heat resistance and impact resistance and has flexibility is used. The touch panel according to the third embodiment is formed by using the transparent substrate 72 and the transparent substrate 82 with a member such as transparent glass in order to be used by being disposed on the upper part of the liquid crystal display device. However, in the case of a touch panel for applications that do not necessarily require transparency, it is not necessarily required to be a transparent substrate.

The transparent electrode 73 that constitutes the lower substrate 71 and the transparent electrode 83 that constitutes the upper substrate 81 are tin-doped indium oxide ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) films, such as vacuum deposition, sputtering, CVD, and printing. Form. Since the transparent electrodes 73 and 83 are required to have a high resistance value, they are formed very thin in the range of 250 to 500 angstroms. This ITO film is formed on the entire surface of the substrate by removing unnecessary portions by photolithography and leaving necessary portions.

  Lower conductive electrodes 74 and 75 constituting the lower substrate 71, connection electrodes 77 and 78, and upper conductive electrodes 84 and 85 constituting the upper substrate 81 are connected to the transparent electrode 73 of the lower substrate 71 and the transparent electrode 83 of the upper substrate 81. It is provided for applying a voltage, and is formed by mixing a highly conductive metal powder such as silver powder or copper powder with a thermosetting epoxy resin or the like by a printing method such as screen printing. In view of the performance of the touch panel, the lower the resistance value of these electrodes, the better. In general, the sheet resistance value of these electrodes needs to be 1/100 or less of the sheet resistance value of the transparent electrode. It is said that. Therefore, a design has been made to reduce the resistance value by increasing the thickness of printing of these electrodes or increasing the width.

  The dot spacers 76 constituting the lower substrate 71 are provided so that the transparent electrodes in the portions other than the pressed portion do not come into contact with each other, and a transparent acrylic resin, epoxy resin, urethane resin, or other transparent resin material is screen-printed. The dot matrix is formed at regular intervals by a method such as the above, and then cured by heat or ultraviolet rays. Since the dot spacer 76 is required to be invisible, the dot spacer 76 is designed to have a diameter of 30 to 60 μm and a dot interval of 1 to 8 mm. The thickness varies depending on the material of the transparent substrate 82 of the upper substrate 81 to be used and the gap between the upper and lower substrates 81 and 71, but 0.2 mm of micro glass is used for the transparent substrate 82, and the thickness of the upper and lower substrates 81 and 71 is changed. When the gap amount is set to around 10 μm, the thickness is approximately 2 to 5 μm.

  The first seal member 87 and the second seal member 88 are the same as those used in the first embodiment. That is, the first seal member 87 uses Mitsui Chemicals 'Structbond XN-651, and the second seal member 88 also uses Mitsui Chemicals' Structbond HC-1210. Here, the characteristics of the struct bond XN-651 used as the first seal member 87 are composed of an epoxy resin 50 to 75 wt% as a main component and an amine curing agent 3 to 15 wt%, The water absorption is 3.7% and the coefficient of linear expansion is 25 (ppm). Moreover, the characteristics of the struct bond HC-1210 used as the second seal member 88 are composed of those containing 30 to 50% by weight of an epoxy resin as a main component and 15 to 35% by weight of a polyhydric phenol curing agent. The water absorption rate is 1.3% and the coefficient of linear expansion is 70 (ppm). That is, the water absorption rate of the tract bond HC-1210 used as the second sealing material 88 is 1.3%, which is about 1 from the water absorption rate of 3.7% of the struct bond XN-651 used as the first sealing material 87. / 3 is smaller. Moreover, the linear expansion coefficient of the struct bond XN-651 used as the first sealing material 87 is 25 (ppm), and the linear expansion coefficient of the struct bond HC-1210 used as the second sealing material 88 is 70 (ppm). It is about 1/3 smaller.

  Although not shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the first seal member 87 and the second seal member 88 hold the gap between the upper substrate 81 and the lower substrate 71 at a constant gap (gap). For this purpose, the spacers are dispersed. As the spacer used here, insulating glass particles, plastic particles, glass fiber particles or the like having a predetermined particle diameter are used. The particle size of the spacer varies depending on the material and thickness of the transparent substrate 82 of the upper substrate 81. For example, when 0.2 mm micro glass is used, a particle size of approximately 10 μm is selected.

The first seal member 87 is formed on one of the lower substrate 71 and the upper substrate 81, and the second seal member 88 is formed on the other substrate so as to face each other and pressurize and heat. Paste under. The pressurizing and heating conditions are the same as in Example 1 described above, and the pressing force is 200 to 1.0 kg / cm ² and the heating temperature is 160 ° C. for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Although not shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the first seal member 87 and the second seal member 88 are provided with one opening serving as an inlet for nitrogen gas, so that nitrogen gas can be injected. Later it is sealed with an ultraviolet curable resin. The purpose of this nitrogen gas is to prevent corrosion of the transparent electrode 73 of the lower substrate 71, the transparent electrode 83 of the upper substrate 81, the lower conductive electrodes 74 and 75 of the lower substrate 71, and the upper conductive electrodes 84 and 85 of the upper substrate 81. It is provided for the purpose of preventing the upper substrate 81 from sagging, and other gases are used in addition to the nitrogen gas. In addition, a liquid or the like is also sealed.

  The touch panel is arranged at the top of the liquid crystal display device, and the instruction screen is changed by pressing the instruction screen displayed on the liquid crystal display device with a finger or a pen on the touch panel. Carry out. Accordingly, the touch panel functions as a switch for indicating whether or not to indicate the displayed instruction screen. In this embodiment, in this embodiment, an electrical signal flows when the transparent electrode 83 of the upper substrate 81 and the transparent electrode 73 of the lower substrate 71 come into contact with each other by finger pressure or the like, and the contents of the instruction can be understood by determining its position. It is like that. That is, the transparent electrode 83 on the upper substrate 81 and the transparent electrode 73 on the lower substrate 71 serve as a switch and also serve as one electric control member.

  The transparent electrode provided on the upper substrate of the touch panel and the transparent electrode provided on the lower substrate serve as a switch. Therefore, corrosion due to moisture and the like must be avoided absolutely. In the touch panel 70 according to the third embodiment, the second seal member 88 made of HC-1210 having a small water absorption rate of 1.3% on the outside and a large linear expansion coefficient of 70 ppm is arranged, and the water absorption rate on the inside is 3.7%. The seal structure in which the first seal material 87 of XN-651 having a large linear expansion coefficient as small as 25 ppm is arranged. As a result, even in a high temperature and high humidity environment, the second seal member 88 having a small water absorption rate disposed on the outside blocks the water permeation to the inside and completely protects the internal transparent electrode and the conductive electrode from moisture. Is done. Further, by providing the first seal member 87 having a small linear expansion coefficient on the inner side, strong bonding between the upper substrate 81 and the lower substrate 71 can be obtained. At the same time, the first seal member 87 prevents deformation of the upper and lower substrates 81 and 71 caused by high humidity and expansion of the second seal member 88 due to high temperature. And even in a high temperature and high humidity environment, it is strong in heat resistance and moisture resistance and can maintain a stable gap.

  This prevents the corrosion of the members constituting the switch and has the effect of maintaining a normal function over a long period of time even in a high temperature and high humidity environment. In addition, the effect of being able to operate with a constant pressing force without changing the pressing force of the touch panel appears.

  In the third embodiment, the touch panel that functions as a switch by mechanically contacting the conductors disposed above and below has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to a touch panel that mechanically performs a switching function, but can also be applied to a touch panel using other physical characteristics such as magnetism. Further, the present invention is not limited to a touch panel, and can be applied to any structure that seals other electric control members.

FIG. 1A is a plan view of a liquid crystal device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of an essential part thereof. It is a plane perspective view of the liquid crystal lens in Example 1 of the present invention. It is principal part sectional drawing of the liquid-crystal lens in FIG. It is the graph which showed the cell gap variation | change_quantity in the reliability test of the sealing member under high temperature high humidity conditions. It is explanatory drawing explaining the measurement place of the cell gap in the reliability test shown in FIG. It is a top view including the partial perspective view of the liquid crystal display device in Example 2 of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing of the liquid crystal display device in FIG. It is a top view of the touch panel in Example 3 of the present invention. It is KK sectional drawing in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the liquid crystal display element as the patent document 1 was shown by the prior art. It is a top view of the liquid crystal display element in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10 Liquid crystal device 11, 31, 51, 71 Lower substrate 15, 35, 55 Liquid crystal member 16, 36, 56 Spacer 21, 41, 61, 81 Upper substrate 27, 47, 57, 87 First seal member 28, 48, 58, 88 Second sealing member 30 Liquid crystal lens 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 82 Transparent substrate 33a Circular electrode 33b Ring electrode 33c1, 33c2 Extraction electrode 33d1, 33d2 Connection electrode 34, 44, 54, 64 Alignment film 43 , 53, 63, 73, 83 Transparent electrode 50 Liquid crystal display device 66 Black matrix 67 Color filter 68 Flattening film 58-1 First second seal member 58-2 Second second seal member 59, 69, 89 Polarizing plate 70 Touch panel 76 Dot spacer 74, 75 Lower conductive electrode 77, 78 Connection electrode 84, 85 Upper conductive electrode 90 FPC

Claims (8)

A sealing member for sealing the electro-optic conversion member between a pair of opposing plate-like members,
The seal member includes a first seal member disposed on the electro-optic conversion member side and a second seal member disposed on the outside so as to surround the first seal member.
The linear expansion coefficient of the first seal member is smaller than the linear expansion coefficient of the second seal member,
The seal member according to claim 1, wherein a water absorption rate of the second seal member is smaller than a water absorption rate of the first seal member. The seal member according to claim 1, wherein each layer of the first seal member and the second seal member is formed in one or more layers. The seal member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first seal member and the second seal member are made of a resin material mainly composed of an epoxy resin. The seal member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the electro-optic conversion member is a liquid crystal. 4. The sealing member according to claim 1, wherein the electro-optic conversion member is a member having a switch function. In a liquid crystal device in which a liquid crystal member is sealed with a seal member between a pair of opposing substrates having at least electrodes,
The seal member includes a first seal member disposed on the liquid crystal member side and a second seal member disposed on the outside so as to surround the first seal member.
The linear expansion coefficient of the first seal member is smaller than the linear expansion coefficient of the second seal member,
The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the water absorption rate of the second seal member is smaller than the water absorption rate of the first seal member. 7. The liquid crystal device according to claim 6, wherein each layer of the first seal member and the second seal member is formed in one or more layers. 8. The liquid crystal device according to claim 6, wherein the first seal member and the second seal member are made of a resin material mainly composed of an epoxy resin.

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