JPH05150250A - Simple matrix liquid crystal panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a simple matrix liq. crystal panel having about 100% numerical aperture. CONSTITUTION:A transparent electrode layer 30 disposed between the inside of a glass substrate and a liq. crystal 36 in a liq. crystal panel is formed by arranging many beltlike transparent electrodes 33 at regular intervals as stripes on one side of a transparent insulating layer 34 and further arranging many beltlike transparent electrodes 35 at regular intervals as stripes on the other side so that the gaps between the electrodes 33 is filled. When the resulting liq. crystal panel is seen from the top, a gap is not left at all between the adjacent transparent electrodes 33, 35 and a picture element pattern having 100% numerical aperture is formed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a simple matrix type liquid crystal panel used as an exposure mask for liquid crystal displays and liquid crystal printers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In this type of simple matrix type liquid crystal panel, electrodes are used to drive liquid crystals.
As shown in FIG. 5, this electrode has heretofore been composed of a transparent electrode layer 45 having a structure in which a large number of band-shaped transparent electrodes 45a are arranged in parallel with each other with a certain gap s for insulation between the electrodes 45a. Was there. The electrode layers 45 are arranged above and below with a liquid crystal (not shown) in between, and the upper and lower electrode layers 45 are also arranged.
The electrodes 45a are arranged so as to be orthogonal to each other. Therefore, when the liquid crystal panel is viewed from above, the insulating portion (non-pixel portion) s'corresponding to the gap as shown in FIG.
Are confirmed in a grid pattern.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional liquid crystal panel, as shown in FIG. 6, since the opening of the liquid crystal panel is limited by the lattice-shaped insulating portion s', the aperture ratio is considerably lower than 100%. .. However, in the liquid crystal panel, since the opening portion corresponds to the pixel portion, when the aperture ratio is low, for example, when the liquid crystal panel is used as a liquid crystal display, its brightness and contrast are lowered,
When the liquid crystal panel is used as an exposure mask of a liquid crystal printer, a grid pattern s' (Fig. 6) appears in the image,
There is a problem that the image quality of the output image is significantly reduced.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an aperture ratio of a liquid crystal panel of 100%.
Or a value close to it, the brightness and contrast become high when used as a liquid crystal display, and when used as a liquid crystal printer, the above-mentioned lattice pattern does not occur, and a simple matrix type liquid crystal panel in which the image quality of an output image does not deteriorate is provided. The purpose is to

[0005]

In order to achieve this object, a simple matrix type liquid crystal panel of the present invention comprises a liquid crystal having optical anisotropy and a pair of liquid crystal which are arranged so as to sandwich the liquid crystal and which transmits visible light. In a simple matrix type liquid crystal panel comprising a glass substrate and a pair of transparent electrode layers arranged between each glass substrate and the liquid crystal for selectively applying a voltage to the liquid crystal, each transparent electrode layer is A strip-shaped transparent electrode is arranged on one side of the transparent insulating layer in a stripe pattern with a certain gap, and a strip-shaped transparent electrode is arranged on the other side so as to fill the gap of the strip-shaped electrode. The electrodes are arranged in stripes with a certain gap therebetween, and the arrangement direction of the electrodes of each transparent electrode layer is rotated by 90 ° so that the electrodes are orthogonal to each other with the liquid crystal interposed therebetween.

[0006]

According to the simple matrix type liquid crystal panel of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, adjacent strip-shaped electrodes of the respective transparent electrode layers arranged with the liquid crystal sandwiched therebetween are alternately insulated by the insulating layer. Unlike the above, since it is not necessary to provide a gap for insulation, adjacent strip electrodes can be arranged in close contact with each other. Then, since the strip-shaped electrodes of the upper and lower transparent electrode layers are orthogonal to each other with the liquid crystal sandwiched between them, when viewed from above, FIG.
As described above, a pixel pattern having an aperture ratio of 100% is achieved.

[0007]

Embodiments of a simple matrix type liquid crystal panel embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The simple matrix type liquid crystal panel 6 is shown in FIG.
2, two glass substrates 32 and 40 are provided on the upper and lower sides, and polarizing plates 29 and 41 are provided on the upper surface of the glass substrate 32 and the lower surface of the glass substrate 40, respectively. And the strength of the panel 6 is maintained. The liquid crystal 36 having optical anisotropy is 2
It is enclosed in a state of being sandwiched between the glass substrates 32 and 40. An alignment film (not shown) is provided on both surfaces of the liquid crystal 36.
Are provided respectively.

A transparent electrode layer 30 is sandwiched between the liquid crystal 36 inside the upper glass substrate 32 and the liquid crystal 36, and a transparent electrode layer 31 is sandwiched between the liquid crystal 36 inside the lower glass substrate 40 and the liquid crystal 36. Each is arranged. The transparent electrodes 33, 35 and 37, 39 constituting the respective transparent electrode layers 30, 31 are strip-shaped and arranged in stripes, respectively. The transparent electrodes 33, 35 on the upper side of the liquid crystal 36 and the transparent electrodes 37 on the lower side of the liquid crystal 36 are arranged.・ 3
The arrangement directions of 9 are different by 90 ° so that they are orthogonal to each other. Then, a voltage is selectively applied to the liquid crystal 36 by the transparent electrodes 33, 35 and 37, 39.

As shown in FIG. 2, which is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1, a transparent insulating layer 34 is interposed between the transparent electrodes 33 and 35 of the upper transparent electrode layer 30. That is, in the upper transparent electrode layer 30, a large number of strip-shaped transparent electrodes 33 are arranged in stripes on one side of the transparent insulating layer 34 as a boundary, and the strip-shaped electrodes are formed on the other side of the transparent electrode 33. A large number of strip-shaped transparent electrodes 35 are arranged in a stripe pattern so as to fill the gaps between the transparent electrodes 33. As for the lower transparent electrode layer 31 (FIG. 1), like the upper transparent electrode layer 30, a large number of band-shaped transparent electrodes 37 are formed on one side of the transparent insulating layer 38 as a boundary with a certain gap. Are arranged in a striped pattern, and a large number of striped transparent electrodes 39 are arranged in a striped pattern on the other surface side so as to fill the gaps between the striped transparent electrodes 37. Therefore, when the liquid crystal panel 6 is viewed from above, the space between the adjacent transparent electrodes 33 and 35 on the upper side and the adjacent transparent electrode 37 on the lower side.
There is no gap between # 39 and # 39. Then, as described above, the upper and lower transparent electrodes 33 and 35 and the transparent electrodes 37 and
Since the stripe directions of 39 are alternately orthogonal to each other, a pixel pattern having an aperture ratio of 100% is formed as shown in FIG.

Next, an embodiment in which the above liquid crystal panel 6 is applied to a liquid crystal printer will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 4, the liquid crystal printer 1 uses a photosensitive recording medium composed of a light and pressure sensitive paper 7 (hereinafter referred to as microcapsule paper) and a color developing paper 8. The surface of the support of the microcapsule paper 7 used in this example is coated with microcapsules, and the microcapsules include a dye precursor that reacts with a developer described later. Has been done. On the other hand, the surface of the support of the color developing paper 8 is coated with a color developing agent, which develops color by reacting with a dye precursor. For details, see US Pat. No. 4,399.
No. 209, etc., and is omitted here.

In this embodiment, a halogen lamp 3 is used as an exposure light source, and a reflector 2 is arranged above it. A condenser lens 4 is arranged below the halogen lamp 3, and an infrared cut filter 5 is further arranged below the condenser lens 4.
Are arranged. Further, below the infrared cut filter 5, a filter unit 22 including color filters 22R, 22G, and 22B, and a simple matrix type liquid crystal panel (liquid crystal shutter) 6 according to the present invention are arranged in this order. ..

One side in the liquid crystal printer 1 (left side in FIG. 4)
A light-shielding cartridge 18 is replaceably arranged in the cartridge, and the cartridge shaft 15 accommodates one end of the unexposed microcapsule paper 7 wound around the cartridge shaft 15. A feed roller 19 is arranged on the right side of the cartridge 18. Further, the other end side of the microcapsule paper 7 has a pair of pressure rollers 11 arranged on the opposite side (right side in FIG. 4) with the liquid crystal panel 6 interposed therebetween.
It is wound around a winding shaft 16 disposed below the pressure rollers 11a and 11b through the space between a and 11b.

On the right side of the pressure rollers 11a and 11b, a heat fixing device 12 having a heater 13 therein is arranged, and a conveying belt 14 is arranged below the heat fixing device 12.

A storage cassette 20 for developing color paper 8 is detachably attached to the liquid crystal printer 1 above the heat fixing device 12, and above the front end (left end) of the storage cassette 20.
The half-moon roller 9 is rotatably arranged. Further, a paper feed roller 10 and a paper feed guide 17 are arranged on the left side of the storage cassette 20 so that the color paper 8 delivered from the storage cassette 20 is guided to the pressure rollers 11a and 11b. .

Next, the operation of the liquid crystal printer 1 having the above structure will be described. In FIG. 4, first, when a print start key (not shown) is pressed, an image corresponding to an image signal input from the outside is displayed on the simple matrix type liquid crystal panel 6. Then, the halogen lamp 3, which is a light source, is turned on. The light of the halogen lamp 3 is efficiently condensed by the reflector 2 and the condenser lens 4, becomes in a substantially parallel state, and is irradiated onto the liquid crystal panel 6 via the infrared cut filter 5 and the red filter 22R.

The microcapsule paper 7 which is stationary under the liquid crystal panel 6 is exposed by the light selected by the liquid crystal panel 6 which is controlled according to the red signal of the image to be recorded. When the red exposure is complete, the red filter 22
R retracts and the green filter 22G extends above the liquid crystal panel 6, and at the same time, the red signal of the liquid crystal panel 6 is switched to the green signal, and exposure is similarly performed. When the green exposure is completed, the blue exposure is switched to, but this operation is the same as in the red exposure and the green exposure.

When the three exposures are completed in this way,
A color latent image is formed on the microcapsule paper 7, and the halogen lamp 3 is turned off. Then, the microcapsule paper 7 is fed in the direction of the pressure rollers 11a and 11b by the rotational force of the winding shaft 16 and the feed roller 19. on the other hand,
The color-developing paper 8 in the storage cassette 20 is fed one by one by the half-moon roller 9, and further fed through the paper feed guide 17 by the paper feed roller 10 to between the pressure rollers 11a and 11b.

Then, the exposed surface (latent image forming surface) of the microcapsule paper 7 and the developer application surface of the developer paper 8 are superposed on each other and pressed by the pressure rollers 11a and 11b, and micro The latent image of the capsule paper 7 is transferred to the color developing paper 8. The color developing paper 8 is further conveyed by the conveying belt 14 and heated by the heater 13 of the thermal fixing device 12 to accelerate color development, and is discharged to the outside of the liquid crystal printer 1 with a color image formed. The microcapsule paper 7 is wound around the winding shaft 16 after passing between the pressure rollers 11a and 11b.

Incidentally, the liquid crystal panel 6 according to the present invention.
Is not limited to the embodiment described in detail above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the present embodiment, the case where the simple matrix type liquid crystal panel 6 is used as an exposure mask of the liquid crystal printer 1 is shown, but other than that, it can be used as a liquid crystal display, for example.

[0022]

As is clear from the above description,
In the simple matrix type liquid crystal panel of the present invention, an insulating layer is interposed between adjacent transparent electrodes, and the transparent electrodes are alternately arranged in stripes with the insulating layer as a boundary. It can be 100% or close to 100%. For this reason, when used as a liquid crystal display, higher brightness and higher contrast can be obtained than in the past.
Further, when used as a liquid crystal printer, there is an excellent effect that a grid pattern does not occur, the image quality of an output image is improved, and a clearer image can be obtained as compared with the related art.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a simple matrix type liquid crystal panel of the present invention, a part of which is cut away to show a cross section.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing an enlarged part (encircled part) of the simple matrix type liquid crystal panel of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a lattice pattern of a liquid crystal panel according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view schematically showing an embodiment of a liquid crystal printer including the liquid crystal panel of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a part of a conventional general transparent electrode layer.

6 is a schematic diagram showing a lattice pattern of the liquid crystal panel of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 6 Liquid crystal panel 30, 31 Transparent electrode layer 32, 40 Glass substrate 36 Liquid crystal 33, 35, 37, 39 Transparent electrode 34, 38 Insulating layer

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] November 10, 1992

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All drawings

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 1]

[Fig. 2]

[Figure 3]

[Figure 4]

[Figure 5]

[Figure 6]

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A liquid crystal having optical anisotropy, a pair of glass substrates arranged to sandwich the liquid crystal and transmitting visible light, and each glass substrate and a liquid crystal for selectively applying a voltage to the liquid crystal. In a simple matrix type liquid crystal panel having a pair of transparent electrode layers arranged between the transparent electrode layers, a plurality of strip-shaped transparent electrodes are fixed on one surface side of each transparent electrode layer with a transparent insulating layer as a boundary. And arranging them in stripes with a gap between them, and arranging a large number of transparent electrodes in strips on the other surface side so as to fill the gaps in each of the electrodes in a stripe with a constant gap, A simple matrix type liquid crystal panel characterized in that the arrangement direction of the electrodes of each transparent electrode layer is rotated by 90 ° so that the electrodes are orthogonal to each other with the liquid crystal interposed therebetween.