JP2019132962A - Liquid crystal device - Google Patents

Abstract

To allow for effectively preventing a gap between a pair of substrates from being expanded by expansion of a liquid crystal caused by temperature rise or the like, and thereby minimizing performance deterioration due to expansion of the gap.SOLUTION: A liquid crystal device comprises a pair of substrates 30 enclosed in a frame-like sealing member 40 and bonded together via the sealing member 40, and a liquid crystal 35 encapsulated in a liquid crystal region formed by the sealing member 40 and the pair of substrates 30. The liquid crystal region consists of an effective area 5 comprising an effective portion 34 sandwiched between electrodes disposed on the pair of substrates 30, and a non-effective area 6 located between the effective area 5 and the sealing member 40. The effective area 5 has a liquid crystal accommodating section 50 for the liquid crystal to move in when the liquid crystal 35 is expanded.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid crystal element having a liquid crystal, such as a liquid crystal shutter and a liquid crystal display (LCD).

  An example of the basic configuration of a conventional active matrix LCD is shown in FIGS. 8A is a plan view of the LCD, and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A1-A2 of FIG. The LCD includes an array side substrate 31 as one substrate constituting the pair of substrates 30 and a color filter side substrate 36 as the other substrate constituting the pair of substrates 30. The LCD includes an array-side substrate 31 formed of a glass substrate or the like on which a large number of pixel portions 34 including thin film transistors (TFTs) 32 are formed, a glass substrate on which a color filter 37 and a black matrix are formed, and the like. The color filter side substrate 36 is opposed to each other, the substrates 31 and 36 are bonded together at a predetermined interval, and the liquid crystal 35 is filled and sealed between the substrates 31 and 36.

  In general, the color filter side substrate 36 is a common electrode for forming a vertical electric field to be applied to the liquid crystal 35 between the pixel electrode 33 and the main surface on the side facing the TFT 32 and the pixel electrode 33. 39 is formed. In the case of an IPS (In-Plane Switching) type LCD, the common electrode 39 generates a lateral electric field by being arranged in the same plane as the pixel electrode 33 in the pixel portion 34 of the array side substrate 31. Further, in the case of an FFS (Fringe Field Switching) type LCD, the common electrode 39 is arranged on the pixel portion 34 of the array side substrate 31 with an insulating layer sandwiched above or below the pixel electrode 33 to thereby provide an end electric field (Fringe field). Field). Further, red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color filters 37 corresponding to the respective pixel portions 34 are formed on the main surface of the color filter side substrate 36 on the liquid crystal 35 side, respectively. A black matrix for preventing the light passing through the pixel portion 34 from interfering with each other is arranged so as to surround the outer periphery of the color filter 37. An overcoat layer 38 is formed so as to cover the color filter 37, and a common electrode 39 is formed on the overcoat layer 38.

  The array-side substrate 31 on which a large number of pixel portions 34 including the TFTs 32 are formed has a plurality of gate signal lines 12 (GL1, GL2, GL3, GL) formed in a first direction (for example, the row direction) thereon. GL4 to GLm-1, GLm) and a plurality of image signal lines (source signal lines) formed to intersect the gate signal line 12 in a second direction (for example, the column direction) intersecting the first direction. 13 (SL1, SL2, SL3, SL4 to SLn-1, SLn), a TFT 32 arranged corresponding to each intersection of the gate signal line 12 and the image signal line 13, and a pixel connected to the TFT element 32 It has the electrode 33 and a common electrode, and the pixel part 34 containing them. In FIG. 8, 41a is a gate signal line driving circuit for sequentially inputting gate signals to the gate signal line 12, 41b is an image signal line driving circuit for sequentially inputting image signals (source signals) to the image signal line 13, and 5 is This is a display area that is an effective area.

  Further, the edge of the main surface on the liquid crystal 35 side of the array side substrate 31 and the edge of the main surface on the liquid crystal 35 side of the color filter side substrate 36 are silicone resin, epoxy resin, synthetic rubber, acrylic resin, allyl resin. They are bonded and sealed by a sealing member 40 made of a composite structure of acrylic resin and epoxy resin. A gate signal line drive circuit 41a and an image signal line drive circuit 41b are arranged on the extended portion E extending to the outside on the main surface of the array side substrate 31 on the liquid crystal 35 side. These circuits consist of thin film circuits having a semiconductor layer made of low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS), or are composed of driving elements such as IC and LSI, and are chip-on-glass. It is mounted by a mounting method such as (Chip On Glass: COG) method. Further, a flexible printed circuit (FPC) 44 for inputting / outputting drive signals, control signals, and the like to / from the gate signal line drive circuit 41a and the image signal line drive circuit 41b from the outside is provided at the edge of the extension E. is set up. Reference numeral 42 denotes a routing wiring for connecting the gate signal line 12 and the gate signal line driving circuit 41a of the LCD, and a routing wiring for connecting the image signal line 13 and the image signal line driving circuit 41b. This is a terminal electrode for electrically connecting the gate signal line drive circuit 41 a and the image signal line drive circuit 41 b and the circuit wiring of the FPC 44.

JP2015-210414A

  The conventional LCD shown in FIG. 8 has the following problems. The LCD is required to operate normally even when the environmental temperature is used in a temperature range of about −40 ° C. to about 100 ° C. However, when the temperature of the liquid crystal 35 reaches a high temperature range of about 40 ° C. or higher, the space (gap) d between the pair of substrates 30 (shown in FIG. 8B) is shown in FIG. As a result, there has been a problem of performance deterioration such as display performance such as a decrease in contrast and a change in viewing angle. Therefore, in order to prevent the gap d between the pair of substrates 30 from expanding due to the volume expansion of the liquid crystal 35 due to the temperature rise, a configuration in which at least a part of the seal member 40 is formed as a zigzag pattern has been proposed (for example, , See Patent Document 1). In the zigzag pattern sealing member 40, the area of the sealing member 40 existing per unit area is larger than that of the linear sealing member 40, so that the substrates 31 and 36 per unit area are larger than the linear sealing member 40. Improves the fixing force.

  However, even if at least a part of the seal member 40 is formed as a zigzag pattern, there is a problem that it is difficult to suppress the gap d from expanding when the temperature of the liquid crystal 35 reaches a further high temperature range of about 60 ° C. or higher. It was.

  The present invention has been completed in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to effectively suppress the gap between the substrates of a pair of substrates from expanding due to the expansion of liquid crystal due to a temperature rise or the like. It is to make it a liquid crystal element that can suppress performance degradation due to the expansion of.

  The liquid crystal element of the present invention comprises a pair of substrates surrounded by a frame-shaped sealing member and bonded together via the sealing member, and the liquid crystal is sealed in a liquid crystal region formed by the sealing member and the pair of substrates. The liquid crystal region, wherein the liquid crystal region is an ineffective region located between the effective region having an effective portion sandwiched between electrodes disposed on each of the pair of substrates and the effective region and the sealing member. The liquid crystal accommodating portion is arranged in which the liquid crystal enters when the liquid crystal expands in the effective area.

  In the liquid crystal element according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the liquid crystal container is disposed at a position other than the effective portion sandwiched between electrodes disposed on the pair of substrates.

  In the liquid crystal element of the present invention, it is preferable that the liquid crystal container is a cavity where the liquid crystal is not present when the liquid crystal is not expanded.

  In addition, the liquid crystal element of the present invention preferably has a wall member disposed between the pair of substrates, and the liquid crystal container has a denser arrangement density of the wall member than between the other wall members. The cavity is formed.

  In the liquid crystal element of the present invention, it is preferable that the substrate gap of the liquid crystal accommodating portion is larger than the substrate gap of the effective portion, and the cavity portion is disposed in the gap difference.

  In the liquid crystal element of the present invention, it is preferable that the liquid crystal container has a substrate gap widened by partially removing the constituent films constituting the pair of substrates.

  In the liquid crystal element of the present invention, it is preferable that the sealing member has a zigzag pattern that alternately goes back and forth between the end sides of the pair of substrates and the inside of the pair of substrates, It is formed by a zigzag pattern.

  The liquid crystal element of the present invention comprises a pair of substrates surrounded by a frame-shaped sealing member and bonded together via the sealing member, and the liquid crystal is sealed in a liquid crystal region formed by the sealing member and the pair of substrates. The liquid crystal region, wherein the liquid crystal region is an ineffective region located between the effective region having an effective portion sandwiched between electrodes disposed on each of the pair of substrates and the effective region and the sealing member. And a liquid crystal containing portion into which the liquid crystal enters when the liquid crystal expands in the effective area, so that the volume of the liquid crystal area increases and a pair of substrates for the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal area The surface area of the surface increases. As a result, when the liquid crystal expands due to a temperature rise or the like, it is possible to suppress an increase in the distance (gap) between the pair of substrates. Further, when the liquid crystal expands due to a temperature rise or the like, the pressure of the liquid crystal on the surface of the pair of substrates can be relieved. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the performance deterioration due to the widening of the gap.

  In the liquid crystal element according to the present invention, the liquid crystal accommodating portion into which the liquid crystal enters when the liquid crystal expands is present in the vicinity of the pixel portion which is an effective portion. The liquid crystal to be spread can be efficiently accommodated by the liquid crystal accommodating portion, and the expansion of the gap between the pair of substrates can be further suppressed. That is, when the liquid crystal container efficiently stores the expanding liquid crystal, the liquid crystal is preferentially expanded in the plane direction of the pair of substrates, and the expansion of the liquid crystal in the thickness direction can be further suppressed.

  In the liquid crystal element according to the present invention, when the liquid crystal container is a cavity (air part or vacuum part) where the liquid crystal is not present when the liquid crystal is not expanded, the surfaces of the pair of substrates are expanded by expansion due to temperature rise or the like. The liquid crystal to be expanded in the direction can be efficiently accommodated by the liquid crystal accommodating portion, and the expansion of the gap between the pair of substrates can be more effectively suppressed. That is, when the liquid crystal container accommodates the expanding liquid crystal, the liquid crystal can be preferentially expanded in the surface direction of the pair of substrates, and the expansion of the liquid crystal in the thickness direction can be more effectively suppressed. The effective portion may be a display pixel portion or a sensor portion.

  Further, in the liquid crystal element of the present invention, the liquid crystal container is an effective area (active area) such as a display area in the area where the liquid crystal exists, and is located at a position other than the effective part such as the display pixel part, An increase in the gap of the effective portion can be reliably suppressed, and image display and sensor sensing can be reliably performed in the effective portion.

  In addition, the liquid crystal element of the present invention includes a wall member disposed between the pair of substrates, and the liquid crystal container easily forms a cavity portion by forming the arrangement density of the wall member more densely than others. can do. After the cavity is formed, the wall member becomes a barrier, and the movement of the cavity is suppressed, and the image display and sensor sensing ability can be maintained.

  By making the substrate gap of the liquid crystal accommodating part larger than the substrate gap of the effective part, the movement of the air or the vacuum part in the gap part is restricted by the step part, and the movement of the cavity part can be suppressed.

  Further, in the liquid crystal element of the present invention, the sealing member has a zigzag pattern that alternately goes back and forth between the end sides of the pair of substrates and the inside of the pair of substrates, and the liquid crystal container is also disposed in the zigzag pattern portion. Can be formed. In the case where the liquid crystal container is formed by the zigzag pattern, since the sealing member is a zigzag pattern, the fixing force for fixing the pair of substrates is improved. As a result, it is possible to extremely effectively suppress the gap between the pair of substrates from being expanded due to the expansion of the liquid crystal due to a temperature rise or the like, in addition to the effect of the liquid crystal housing portion.

1A, 1B, and 1C show examples of embodiments of the liquid crystal element of the present invention, respectively. FIG. 1A is a plan view of the liquid crystal element, and FIG. The partial expanded plan view which expanded the B section of (b), (c) is sectional drawing of (b). 2A, 2B, and 2C show examples of embodiments of the liquid crystal element of the present invention, respectively. FIG. 2A is a plan view of the liquid crystal element, and FIG. The partial expanded plan view which expanded D section of (c), (c) is sectional drawing of (b). 3A, 3B, and 3C show examples of embodiments of the liquid crystal element of the present invention, respectively, and are cross-sectional views corresponding to FIG. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing another example of the embodiment of the liquid crystal element of the present invention, and are cross-sectional views corresponding to FIG. FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing another example of the embodiment of the liquid crystal element of the present invention. FIG. 5A is a plan view of the liquid crystal element, and FIG. It is a partial expanded plan view shown expanding. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another example of the embodiment of the liquid crystal element of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing another example of the embodiment of the liquid crystal element of the present invention. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing a conventional liquid crystal display device, where FIG. 8A is a plan view of the liquid crystal display device, and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A2 of FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the liquid crystal element of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, each drawing referred to below shows a main part for explaining the liquid crystal element of the present invention among the constituent members in the embodiment of the liquid crystal element of the present invention. Therefore, the liquid crystal element according to the present invention may include a well-known constituent member such as a circuit board such as an FPC, a wiring conductor, a control IC, and an LSI not shown in the drawing. 1 to 7 showing the liquid crystal element of the present invention, the same parts and members as those in FIG. 8 showing the conventional LCD are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  1 to 7 show various examples of embodiments of the liquid crystal element of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid crystal element of the present invention includes a pair of substrates 30 that face each other and sandwich the liquid crystal 35, and a seal member 40 that is disposed between the pair of substrates 30 so as to surround the liquid crystal 35, In the liquid crystal element having the above, the liquid crystal region surrounded by the seal member 40 includes the effective region 5 and the ineffective region 6 disposed between the seal member 40. As shown in FIG. 1B in which the portion B of FIG. 1 is enlarged, the liquid crystal accommodating portion 50 is included in the effective area 5. The liquid crystal container 50 can receive liquid crystal when the liquid crystal expands due to an increase in environmental temperature. With this configuration, the volume of the liquid crystal increases and the surface area of the surface of the pair of substrates 30 with respect to the liquid crystal 35 in the liquid crystal region increases. As a result, when the liquid crystal 35 expands due to a temperature rise or the like, it is possible to suppress the interval (gap) between the pair of substrates 30 from expanding. In addition, when the liquid crystal 35 expands due to a temperature rise or the like, the pressure of the liquid crystal 35 on the surfaces of the pair of substrates 30 can be relaxed. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the performance deterioration due to the widening of the gap.

  Note that the array side substrate 31 and the color filter side substrate 36 constituting the pair of substrates 30 can be the first substrate 31 and the second substrate 36, respectively. 34 is not necessarily required, and the second substrate 36 is not necessarily provided with a color filter or the like. For example, when the liquid crystal element is a liquid crystal shutter or the like, one or a plurality of large-area electrode layers are disposed on the main surfaces of the first substrate 31 and the second substrate 36 constituting the pair of substrates 30. It may be a configuration.

  The thickness of the seal member 40 substantially corresponds to the inter-substrate gap of the pair of substrates 30 and is about 1 μm to 5 μm. The width of the seal member 40 is about 0.3 mm to 2 mm.

  When the liquid crystal 35 expands in volume due to a temperature rise, the liquid crystal 35 expands when the outer main surfaces of the pair of substrates 30 are pressed by an external instrument, a person's finger, or the like. When the liquid crystal 35 expands in a direction parallel to the plane, it occurs when the airplane (such as a place where the atmospheric pressure is low) is used in flight or when it is used in or out of an aircraft that stays in the sky.

  In the liquid crystal element of the present invention, the liquid crystal container 50 into which the liquid crystal 35 enters when the liquid crystal 35 expands can be disposed in the effective region 5 and can be present in the vicinity of the effective portion. The liquid crystal 35 that is to expand in the surface direction of the pair of substrates 30 due to the expansion can be accommodated by the liquid crystal accommodating unit 50, and the increase in the gap between the pair of substrates 30 can be further suppressed. In particular, it is possible to effectively suppress an increase in the gap of the effective portion that affects image display and sensing. In other words, when the liquid crystal container 50 accommodates the expanding liquid crystal 35, the liquid crystal 35 can be preferentially expanded in the surface direction of the pair of substrates 30, and the expansion of the liquid crystal 35 in the thickness direction can be further suppressed.

  The liquid crystal container 50 is arranged in the effective area 5 that is a display area, but further effects can be obtained by arranging it in the vicinity of the seal member 40. If the liquid crystal element has a plurality of sides, the liquid crystal container 50 may be arranged on one side of the plurality of sides in addition to the arrangement in the effective area. You may arrange | position to the side part of the number less than the total number of side parts among these side parts. In addition, it is preferable that a plurality of liquid crystal accommodating portions 50 are arranged in the effective area 5. The arrangement position is not particularly specified as long as it is other than an effective part such as a pixel part, and may be arranged regularly or randomly.

  The liquid crystal container may be disposed in the vicinity of the seal member 40 for the following reason. The side portion corresponding to the frame portion g2 (shown in FIG. 5 (a)) having a small width, the fixing force of the pair of substrates 30 being weak compared to the frame portion g1 (shown in FIG. 5 (a)) having a large width. In addition, when the liquid crystal container is disposed, the distortion due to the liquid crystal 35 entering and exiting the liquid crystal container increases, and the performance of the liquid crystal element may be deteriorated. Accordingly, for example, the liquid crystal container can be further arranged by arranging it on the side corresponding to the frame portion g1 having a large width among the plurality of sides.

  The liquid crystal container 50 is preferably a cavity where the liquid crystal 35 does not exist when the liquid crystal 35 is not expanded. In this case, the liquid crystal 35 that is to expand in the surface direction of the pair of substrates 30 due to expansion due to temperature rise or the like is efficiently accommodated, and the expansion of the gap between the substrates of the pair of substrates 30 is more effectively suppressed. be able to. That is, when the liquid crystal container 50 accommodates the expanding liquid crystal 35, the liquid crystal 35 is preferentially expanded in the surface direction of the pair of substrates 30, and the expansion of the liquid crystal 35 in the thickness direction can be more effectively suppressed. it can. The liquid crystal container 50 is not limited to the hollow part, and may be formed of a porous body having a large number of holes that can accommodate the liquid crystal 35. As the porous body, polyurethane foam, silica gel, sponge and the like can be employed. In addition, the time of non-expansion of the liquid crystal 35 is a time when the temperature of the liquid crystal 35 is a temperature equal to or lower than normal temperature (about 15 ° C. to 25 ° C.), for example, in the case of expansion due to temperature rise.

  The liquid crystal container 50 preferably includes a gas such as air having a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. In general, since the step of enclosing the liquid crystal 35 between the pair of substrates 30 is performed in a vacuum apparatus, the liquid crystal container 50 contains a gas such as air having a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. Become. In this case, when the liquid crystal 35 expands, the liquid crystal 35 is easily accommodated in the liquid crystal accommodating portion 50 in which the internal space is set to a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. Further, the gas contained in the liquid crystal container 50 is not limited to air but may be an inert gas such as helium, nitrogen, or argon.

  The liquid crystal container 50 can be formed by means for adjusting the amount of the liquid crystal 35 in the step of sealing the liquid crystal 35 between the pair of substrates 30.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the liquid crystal container 50 is preferably arranged in the effective region 5 and in the vicinity of the effective portion which is a pixel portion. In this case, the liquid crystal storage unit 50 efficiently stores the effective portion of the liquid crystal 35 that is not desired to cause a gap fluctuation. As a result, deterioration in performance such as display performance can be further suppressed. Further, FIG. 1 shows only one liquid crystal container 50, but a plurality of liquid crystal containers 50 are formed.

  The shape of the liquid crystal element is not limited to a rectangular shape, but a triangle, a rhombus, a parallelogram, a trapezoid, a polygon more than a pentagon, a shape including a curved side in these shapes, a circle, an ellipse, an oval (track) Various shapes, such as a shape). When the liquid crystal element has a shape composed of only a curve such as a circle or an ellipse, the central portion corresponds to the effective region, and the liquid crystal accommodating portions 50 may be effectively dispersedly arranged in the effective region.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the liquid crystal element of the present invention is configured to have a space enlargement portion in which at least one of the pair of substrates 30 is partially removed, and the substrate gap ( The gap is preferably formed larger than the substrate gap of the pixel portion. In this case, air or a vacuum part is easily formed at the interval widening portion. In addition, the air or the vacuum part becomes difficult to move using the step part as a barrier, and the liquid crystal container can be effectively arranged in the vicinity of the effective part. That is, the interval widening portion functions as a trapping portion (trap portion) that traps air or a vacuum part. Further, as shown in FIG. 1C, the liquid crystal container 50 is configured to include at least a part of the interval enlargement portion, and the interval enlargement portion is disposed in the vicinity of the pixel portion which is an effective portion.

  At least one of the pair of substrates 30 may be a flexible substrate. A thin glass substrate or a plastic substrate having a thickness of about 0.5 mm can be employed. By providing flexibility to the substrate, it becomes easier to form a region where the interval is enlarged. Further, in the liquid crystal accommodating part 50 having the interval increasing portion, the difference between the substrate gap of the electrode part 34 which is an effective part and the substrate gap of the liquid crystal accommodating part 50 is preferably 20 nm to 2 μm. More preferably, the gap difference is 0.5 μm or more. The larger the gap difference is, the easier it is to form the air or vacuum part of the liquid crystal container 50. In addition, air or a vacuum part can be easily captured at a gap difference part (hereinafter also referred to as a step part).

  Further, in the liquid crystal element of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable to form the interval enlarged portion on the liquid crystal 35 side of at least one of the pair of substrates 30 in the liquid crystal container 50. In this case, the interval enlarged portion may be formed on the array side substrate 31 or the color filter side substrate 36. It may be formed on both of the two substrates. By forming on both the substrates, it becomes easy to increase the substrate gap difference, and it becomes easy to function as a trapping part (trap part) for trapping air or a vacuum part.

  FIG. 3A shows a configuration in which an interval increasing portion is provided on the main surface of the array side substrate 31 on the liquid crystal 35 side in the liquid crystal container 50. The space enlargement portion is formed by removing a part of the interlayer insulating film 20. FIG. 3B shows a configuration in which an interval increasing portion is provided on the main surface of the color filter side substrate 36 on the liquid crystal 35 side in the liquid crystal container 50. This space expansion portion is formed by removing a part of the organic alignment film on the upper layer of the common electrode 39. FIG. 3C shows an enlarged space portion disposed on the main surface of the liquid crystal container 50 on the liquid crystal 35 side of the array side substrate 31 and the main part on the liquid crystal 35 side of the color filter side substrate 36 in the liquid crystal container 50. It is the structure by which the space | interval expansion part is arrange | positioned on the surface. In the case of this configuration, since the volume of the interval enlargement portion is increased, the trapping effect (trap effect) for trapping air or the vacuum portion by the interval enlargement portion is improved. In this embodiment, the interlayer insulating film on the array side substrate and the organic alignment film on the color filter side substrate are partly removed to create a space enlargement portion, but not limited to this, a planarization layer, an insulating film, A part of the color filter layer may be removed.

  FIG. 4A shows a configuration in which an interval increasing portion is provided on the main surface of the array side substrate 31 on the liquid crystal 35 side in the liquid crystal accommodating portion 50 and a dense portion of the wall member 10 is provided. In this case, the wall member 10 can prevent the air or the vacuum part in the liquid crystal container 50 from moving to the liquid crystal 35 side, and the trapping effect of capturing the air or the vacuum part by the space expansion portion is further improved.

  FIG. 4B shows a main surface on the liquid crystal 35 side of the color filter side substrate 36, in which an enlarged portion of the interval is formed on the main surface on the liquid crystal 35 side of the array side substrate 31 in the liquid crystal container 50. In addition, the interval enlargement portion is formed by the organic alignment film 21. Further, since the ten dense portions of the wall member are also formed in the liquid crystal accommodating portion 50, the wall member 51 of the dense portion further suppresses the movement of the air or vacuum portion in the liquid crystal accommodating portion 50 toward the liquid crystal 35 side. The trapping effect of trapping air or a vacuum part can be further improved by the interval widening portion.

  In the liquid crystal element of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the wall member 10 is densely arranged as the liquid crystal accommodating part 50 in the liquid crystal 35 when not expanded, and air or a vacuum part is arranged at the dense part. The wall member 10 is formed over the entire area of the liquid crystal element, but in the present embodiment, the arrangement density of the wall members 10 in the liquid crystal container 50 is arranged more densely than the other parts. By forming the dense portion of the wall member 10 in this way, it is easy to generate air or a vacuum part, and it is difficult to move the generated air or vacuum part. For this reason, the liquid crystal accommodating portion easily accommodates the expansion and gap fluctuation of the liquid crystal to be generated in the pixel portion 34. In addition, deterioration in performance such as display performance can be further suppressed.

  The plurality of wall members 10 may have two or more rows. When the number of rows increases, the movement of the liquid crystal 35 is easily inhibited, and the trapping effect is enhanced. Further, the plurality of wall members may be arranged randomly or arranged in an aligned manner. The liquid crystal container 50 is preferably arranged in the vicinity of the effective part 34 that is an electrode part, but the effective part 34 and the liquid crystal container 50 may not be arranged in a one-to-one relationship. When the number of effective portions 34 is 10, the number of liquid crystal accommodating portions 50 may be 1. When the number of the liquid crystal accommodating parts 50 is smaller than the number of the effective parts 34, it is preferable that the liquid crystal accommodating parts 50 are arranged uniformly over the entire effective area 5.

  As shown in FIG. 2C, the wall member 10 is not disposed on the effective portion 34. By disposing the wall member 10 while avoiding the effective portion 34, it is difficult to affect the liquid crystal display and sensor detection. And the dense part of the wall member 10 is formed. This dense part comes to have the function of the liquid crystal container 50. The wall member 10 is preferably an acrylic resin or an epoxy resin, and is preferably a photosensitive resin.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 4A, the dense wall members 10 are arranged in the vicinity of the effective portion 34, and a part of the interlayer insulating film 20 that is a constituent material of the array side substrate 31 is further removed to remove the liquid crystal containing portion 50. This is a liquid crystal element. In the liquid crystal container 50 according to this embodiment, the gap between the effective portions 34 is larger than that between the substrates, and the wall member 10 is arranged more densely than other portions, so that more air or vacuum is generated. It is easy to do. Further, it is difficult for the generated air or vacuum part to move to the effective part 34 due to the barrier of the wall member 10. The liquid crystal container 50 is preferably arranged as close to the effective part 34 as possible. In the present embodiment, air or a vacuum portion that is difficult to move can be disposed in the vicinity of the effective portion 34, and therefore the liquid crystal accommodating portion 50 in the vicinity absorbs the force that the liquid crystal in the effective portion 34 tends to expand in the vertical direction. can do. In other words, when the liquid crystal container 50 efficiently accommodates the expanding liquid crystal 35, the liquid crystal 35 is preferentially expanded in the surface direction of the pair of substrates 30, and the effect of suppressing the expansion of the liquid crystal 35 in the thickness direction is improved. To do.

  4B, the liquid crystal container 50 is formed by partially removing the interlayer insulating film 20 of the array side substrate 31 and partially removing the organic alignment film 21 of the color filter side substrate 36. The space | interval enlargement site | part which forms and the dense wall member 10 is arrange | positioned there. In this case, the volume of the liquid crystal container is larger than that of the liquid crystal container 50 shown in FIG. As a result, the liquid crystal container 50 accommodates the expanding liquid crystal 35, whereby the liquid crystal 35 is preferentially expanded in the plane direction of the pair of substrates 30, and the effect of suppressing the expansion of the liquid crystal 35 in the thickness direction is further improved. .

  Further, in the liquid crystal element of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, the sealing member 40 has a zigzag pattern 40 g that alternately moves between the end 30 a side of the pair of substrates 30 and the inside of the pair of substrates 30. The accommodable portion 65 is preferably formed by a zigzag pattern 40g. That is, the liquid crystal accommodating portion 65 exists inside the convex pattern portion 40gt that protrudes from the liquid crystal 35 side toward the end 30at side of the substrate 36. In this case, since the sealing member 40 is the zigzag pattern 40g, the fixing force for fixing the pair of substrates 30 is improved. As a result, in addition to the effect of suppressing the expansion of the liquid crystal 35 in the thickness direction by the liquid crystal accommodating portion 65, the expansion of the liquid crystal 35 due to a temperature rise or the like greatly increases the gap between the pair of substrates 30. It can be effectively suppressed.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the liquid crystal element has a rectangular shape, and a seal member 40 having a zigzag pattern 40g is formed on one of the four sides. Further, the zigzag pattern 40g is preferably arranged not on the frame portion g2 having a small width but on the frame portion g1 having a large width. In this case, it is easy to dispose the sealing member 40 of the zigzag pattern 40g, and it is easy to obtain a large fixing force for fixing the pair of substrates 30. In addition, the seal member 40 of the linear pattern 40s is arrange | positioned at the frame part g2 of a small width. The sealing member 40 of the linear pattern 40s can be disposed, for example, when a frame portion g2 having a small width is provided for narrowing the frame. Air or a vacuum part is easily generated inside the seal member 40 of the zigzag pattern 40g, and can also function as a liquid crystal container.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, the convex pattern portion 40gt of the zigzag pattern 40g has a length L1 in a direction perpendicular to the side portions 30a of the pair of substrates 30 when viewed in plan, and is parallel to the side portions 30a. It is preferably longer than the length L2 in the direction. In this case, the volume functioning as the liquid crystal container is larger, and the fixing force for fixing the pair of substrates 30 is further improved. As a result, expansion of the gap between the pair of substrates 30 due to expansion of the liquid crystal 35 due to temperature rise or the like can be more effectively suppressed. The ratio L1 / L2 between L1 and L2 is preferably about 1.5 to 10 times, more preferably about 2 to 5 times. For example, L1 is about 3 mm to 30 mm, and L2 is about 2 mm to 6 mm. The base part on the liquid crystal 35 side of the convex pattern part 40gt has a base line part 40gb, and the convex pattern part 40gt has a shape protruding from the base line part 40gb to the end 30at side of the pair of substrates 30.

  In the liquid crystal element of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, the zigzag pattern 40 g has a plurality of types of convex pattern portions, and the plurality of types of convex pattern portions are the sides of the pair of substrates 30 depending on the type. It is preferable that the lengths in the direction parallel to are different. In this case, the volume functioning as the liquid crystal container can be further increased. FIG. 6 shows a configuration in the configuration of FIG. 5 in which a convex pattern portion 40g1 having a length in the direction parallel to the side portion 30a is longer than that of the other portion at the center portion of the zigzag pattern 40g. The center part of the zigzag pattern 40g is a part that can be the part closest to the center of the pair of square and rectangular substrates 30, and the liquid crystal 35 that expands is the part that is most likely to spread in the surface direction. Therefore, with the above configuration, the liquid crystal 35 can be efficiently accommodated by the liquid crystal accommodating portion having a larger volume. The length of the central portion of the zigzag pattern 40g in the direction parallel to the side portion 30a can be about 10% to 60% of the length of the zigzag pattern 40g in the direction parallel to the side portion 30a.

  FIG. 7 shows a pair of pentagonal substrates 30 in which the angle between three adjacent corners is a right angle and the angle between two other adjacent corners is more than 90 °, and the hypotenuse 30e and its adjacent sides. The zigzag pattern 40g sealing member 40 is disposed on each of the side portions 30a and 30b, and the length in the direction parallel to the oblique side portion 30e is the longest at the center portion of the zigzag pattern 40g of the oblique side portion 30e. In addition to the convex pattern portion 40g1, both end portions of the zigzag pattern 40g of the oblique side portion 30e have the convex pattern portions 40g2 and 40g2 having the next longest length in the direction parallel to the oblique side portion 30e. is there. In this case, the liquid crystal 35 can be stored more efficiently by the liquid crystal storage portions 65a, 65b, and 65b having a larger volume.

  The liquid crystal element of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and may include appropriate changes and improvements. For example, the liquid crystal element may not have a large number of pixel portions 34 for image display as shown in FIG. 8, and each of the two substrates constituting the pair of substrates 30 such as a liquid crystal shutter, for example. Alternatively, one or a plurality of large-area electrode layers may be arranged on the main surface. In that case, the liquid crystal container can be provided in a portion where there is no electrode layer, and gas such as air contained in the liquid crystal container enters the effective part 34 with the molecular motion of the liquid crystal 35 by driving the liquid crystal 35. Can be suppressed.

  The liquid crystal element of the present invention can be applied to various electronic devices as an LCD. The electronic devices include automobile route guidance system (car navigation system), ship route guidance system, aircraft route guidance system, smartphone terminal, mobile phone, tablet terminal, personal digital assistant (PDA), video camera, digital still camera, electronic Notebook, electronic book, electronic dictionary, personal computer, copier, game device terminal, television, product display tag, price display tag, industrial programmable display, car audio, digital audio player, facsimile, printer, cash There are automatic teller machines (ATMs), vending machines, medical monitoring devices, digital display wristwatches, smart watches, head mounted display devices (HMD), and the like. Further, it may be a sensor for monitoring the change in capacitance of the liquid crystal.

5 Effective area 10 Wall member 20 Interlayer insulating film 21 Organic alignment film 30 A pair of substrates 31 Array side substrate 34 Pixel portion (effective portion)
36 Color filter side substrate 40 Seal member 40g Zigzag pattern 50 Liquid crystal container

Claims (5)

A liquid crystal element comprising a pair of substrates surrounded by a frame-shaped sealing member and bonded via the sealing member, wherein liquid crystal is sealed in a liquid crystal region formed by the sealing member and the pair of substrates,
The liquid crystal region comprises an effective region having an effective portion sandwiched between electrodes disposed on each of the pair of substrates, and an ineffective region positioned between the effective region and the seal member,
A liquid crystal element, wherein a liquid crystal accommodating portion into which liquid crystal enters when the liquid crystal expands is disposed in the effective area.   2. The liquid crystal element according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal container is disposed at a position other than an effective portion sandwiched between electrodes disposed on each of the pair of substrates.   The liquid crystal element according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal container is a cavity where the liquid crystal is not present when the liquid crystal is not expanded.   4. The liquid crystal container according to claim 3, further comprising: a wall member disposed between the pair of substrates, wherein the liquid crystal container has a denser arrangement of the wall members than the other, and forms the cavity between adjacent wall members. Liquid crystal element.   The liquid crystal element according to claim 3, wherein a substrate gap of the liquid crystal accommodating portion is larger than a substrate gap of the effective portion, and the cavity portion is disposed in the gap difference.