JPH0740100B2 - LCD shutter - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a liquid crystal shutter.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, in optical writing in an optical writing type printer, image display in a television receiver, and the like, a liquid crystal shutter in which a large number of minute shutters for controlling light transmission are arrayed is used.

In this liquid crystal shutter, a signal electrode substrate and a common electrode substrate are arranged so as to face each other with a sealing material interposed therebetween, and the signal electrode substrate has a segment electrode, a lead electrode, and a terminal electrode connected to the segment electrode via the lead electrode. A large number of signal electrodes are formed in an array, a common electrode is formed on a common electrode substrate so as to face the segment electrodes, and a liquid crystal is filled in a shutter array portion formed by surrounding the segment electrode array with the sealing material. In this shutter arrangement portion, a large number of shutter portions are arranged and formed by segment electrodes, common electrodes and liquid crystals. Then, connecting conductors connected to an externally provided drive circuit are connected to the terminals of the terminal electrode and the common electrode, a voltage is applied between the segment electrode and the common electrode to control the behavior of the liquid crystal, and each shutter portion is connected. It opens and closes to control the transmission of light.

In this liquid crystal shutter, however, a space not filled with liquid crystal is formed on the lead electrode row portion of the signal electrode substrate. In this space, unnecessary liquid crystal that is not used for controlling light transmission in the shutter is present between the common electrode and the lead electrode, so that heat generation of the electrode due to invalid high-frequency current flowing between both electrodes is avoided. belongs to. The heat generated by the electrodes heats the filled liquid crystal, which adversely affects the operating characteristics of the liquid crystal.

Further, when the two substrates are adhered to each other via the sealing material, the two substrates are pressed to set the gap between the two substrates to a desired value. , In order to prevent the sealing material from bursting due to this air, and to prevent the sealing material from bursting due to the air in the space portion being heated and expanding when the sealing material is heated and baked. An air vent hole is formed in the sealing material to allow the air of the above to escape to the outside. After the two substrates are bonded together, the opening of the air vent hole is sealed with a sealing material to prevent foreign matter from entering the space from the outside through the air vent hole and causing an accident such as a short circuit between the lead electrodes. It is sealed with.

In the conventional liquid crystal shutter, the air vent hole in the space is
It is formed on the portion of the sealing material facing the terminal electrode array portion of the signal electrode substrate. On the other hand, a connection conductor connected to the shutter drive circuit is connected to the terminal electrode array portion of the signal electrode substrate. However, when the air vent hole is sealed with a sealing material, the sealing material becomes a build-up state and projects to the outside of the sealing material. For this reason, in order to prevent the connection conductor connected to the terminal electrode from coming into contact with the padding portion of the sealing material and causing a connection failure, the lead electrode is formed to extend to the outside of the sealing material for a long time. Thus, the gap between the sealing material and the terminal electrode is made large. Therefore, there is a problem in that the signal electrode substrate becomes large in size as much as the gap between the sealing material and the terminal electrode is secured. Further, since the work of sealing the air vent holes is performed facing the terminal electrode array portion of the signal electrode substrate, the sealing material may adhere to the terminal electrodes, resulting in a poor connection between the terminal electrodes and the external connection conductor. is there.

[Object of the Invention]

The present invention has been made based on the above-mentioned circumstances, and provides a liquid crystal shutter which allows a substrate to be downsized without being restricted by the sealing portion of the air vent hole for the space portion and which can easily perform the work of sealing the air vent hole. The purpose is to do.

[Outline of Invention]

The liquid crystal shutter of the present invention has a signal electrode substrate and a common electrode substrate which are arranged to face each other, a segment electrode, a lead electrode and a terminal electrode connected to the segment electrode via the lead electrode, and the signal electrode substrate A large number of arrayed signal electrodes, a common electrode formed on the common electrode substrate facing the segment electrodes, and a shutter provided between the substrates and surrounding the array of the segment electrodes to fill liquid crystal. A sealing material forming an array portion and a space portion for enclosing a substance having a dielectric constant smaller than liquid crystal on the lead electrode array, and forming a hole for communicating the space portion and the outside with the signal It is characterized in that it is arranged at a position where a side of the electrode substrate other than the side where the terminal electrodes are arranged and the common electrode substrate face each other.

Example of Invention

 The present invention will be described below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings.

The liquid crystal shutter shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is a horizontally long one used for optical writing in an optical writing printer, for example.

In the figure, reference numerals 1 and 2 denote a signal electrode substrate and a common electrode substrate made of a transparent glass plate, and the signal electrode substrate 1 is formed to be wider and shorter than the common electrode substrate 2. The pair of substrates 1 and 2 are arranged so as to face each other and are bonded to each other by a sealing material described later. On the inner surface of the signal electrode substrate 1, a large number of segment electrodes 3 ..., 3 ...
Are arranged in two rows, and a large number of lead electrodes 4 ..., 4 ... Which are derived from the segment electrodes 3 ..., 3 ... alternately on both sides of the segment electrodes 3 ... A large number of terminal electron electrodes 5, ..., 5 ... Connected to the lead electrodes 4 ,. Each of these electrodes 3 to 5 constitutes a signal electrode Sg formed of a transparent electrode. The portions of the segment electrodes 3 ..., 3 ... Which do not correspond to the later-described shutter portion and the lead electrodes 4
The surface of each of ..., 4 ... Is covered with a low resistance metal film 6.

Further, on the inner surface of the common substrate 2, two strip-shaped common electrodes 7, 7 facing the segment electrodes 3, ..., 3 of the signal electrode substrate 1 are formed in the substrate length direction. The common electrodes 7, 7 are transparent electrodes. Low resistance metals 8 and 8 are formed on the common electrodes 7 and 7 except for the shutter portion. Numerals 9 and 9 are alignment films formed on the inner surfaces of the signal electrode substrate 1 and the common substrate 2 so as to cover them.

In the figure, 10 is an outer sealing material, 11 and 11 are inner sealing materials, and these sealing materials 10, 11 and 11 are interposed between the both substrates 1 and 2 to bond the both substrates 1 and 2. The outer sealing material 10 is formed along the peripheral edges of the opposing portions of the signal electrode substrate 1 and the common electrode substrate 2. The terminal electrodes 5, ..., 5 of the signal electrode substrate 1 are located outside the outer sealing material 10. The inner sealing materials 11, 11 are the segment electrodes 3 ..., 3 of the signal electrode substrate 1.
... is a linear shape that is formed on both sides of the row and along the arrangement direction. One end 11a, 11a of the inner seal material 11, 11 is integrally continuous with both side portions of the outer seal material 10, and the other end portion 11b, 11b extends along the inner side of both side portions of the outer seal material 10. End of the outer seal 10 formed in parallel
It is continuous in 10a.

Then, the portion sandwiched between the inner seal materials 11 and 11 and the portion surrounded by both end portions 11a, 11a and 11b, 11b of the inner seal material 11, 11 and the outer seal material 10 and both end portions 10a thereof communicate with each other. The liquid crystal LC is filled in each of these portions. Here, a portion of the signal electrode substrate 1 on which the metal film 6 is not formed in the segment electrodes 3 ..., 3 ... and a portion of the common electrode 7 on the common substrate 2 where the metal films 8 and 8 are not formed. A shutter portion S is formed by the facing ones and the liquid crystal LC existing between these two portions. A portion sandwiched by the inner sealing materials 11 and 11 serves as a shutter arrangement portion E1, and a large number of shutter portions S ..., S. A portion surrounded by the end portions 11a, 11a and 11b, 11b of the inner seal material 11, 11 and both end portions 10a of the outer seal material 10 is located on both end sides of the shutter array portion E1 and is a pair of liquid crystal storage portions. E
2, formed as E2. The liquid crystal reservoirs E2 and E2 are
It absorbs changes in its volume due to heat inside and outside C. In the figure, 12 is a liquid crystal filling hole for air venting and liquid crystal filling formed in the end portion 10a of the outer sealing material 10, and is a sealing material.
It is sealed by 13.

The segment substrate 1 is located on both sides of the inner seal material 11, 11 and the outer seal material 10 on both sides of the shutter array portion E1.
A pair of space portions E3, E3 not filled with the liquid crystal LC are formed in the portions surrounding the lead electrodes 4 ,. As described above, the space portions E3, E3 increase the ineffective high frequency current due to the unnecessary liquid crystal present between the opposing electrodes, and prevent heat generation due to the high frequency current. In addition, on one end side of the space portions E3, E3 (the end side of the shutter array portion E1), the space portion
Air vent holes 14, 14 are provided to connect E3, E3 and the outside. The air vent holes 14, 14 are formed between both side portions of the outer seal material 10 and the end portions 11b, 11b of the inner seal materials 11, 11 along the arrangement direction of the shutter portions A, ..., A. ,14
One end of is communicated with the space portions E3, E3, and the other end is opened at the end of the outer seal material 10 and communicated with the outside. That is, the air vent holes 14 and 14 are the terminal electrodes 5 of the signal electrode substrate 1.
, 5 are provided on the end side of the space portions E3, E3 that do not face the array portion, and open to the outside on the inner surface of the common substrate 2. Then, the air vent holes 14 and 14 are formed by applying the outer and inner sealing materials 10, 11 and 11 and then pressurizing and pressing the both substrates, and also by baking and curing the outer and inner sealing materials 10, 11 and 11. It is used to release the air in the space E3, E3 to the outside when the signal electrode substrate 1 and the common electrode substrate 2 are also adhered, and after the both substrates 1 and 2 are adhered, the air vent holes 14 and 14 are opened to the outside. Are sealed by the sealing materials 15, 15.

The liquid crystal shutter configured as described above has the space portions E3, E
Since the air vent holes 14, 14 communicating with 3 are not provided at the positions facing the arrangement portion of the terminal electrodes 5, ..., 5 of the signal electrode substrate 1, an external connection conductor (for example, a resin film) connected to the shutter drive circuit is provided. Printed conductive pattern on the surface) 16,1
When the 6 is connected to the terminal electrodes 5, ..., 5 of the segment substrate 1, the external connection conductor 16 may come into contact with the built-up portion of the sealing material 15, which seals the external openings of the air vent holes 14,14. Absent. Therefore, the terminal electrodes 5 ..., 5 ... Of the segment substrate 1 can be formed very close to both sides of the outer sealing material 10 without being restricted by the built-up portions of the sealing materials 15, 15. Since it is not necessary to form the lead electrodes 4, ..., 4 by extending them from the outer sealing material 10, the width dimension of the signal electrode substrate 1 is shortened by the length of the padding portion of the sealing material 15,15. be able to. Further, the sealing materials 15, 15 of the air vent holes 14, 14 come into contact with the terminal electrodes 5, ..., 5 ... And the external connection conductors 16, 16 and the terminal electrodes 5 ,.
It is also possible to prevent the occurrence of accidents that result in poor connection between 5 and.
Since the common electrodes 7, 7 of the common electrode substrate 2 have a large area, the external and connection conductors (not shown) for the common electrode are
It is possible to safely connect to the common electrodes 7 and 7 without being restricted by the sealing materials 15 and 15 at locations other than the sealing portions of the air vent holes 14 and 14.

The air vent holes 1 of the space portions E3 and E3 are aligned with one end of the space portions E3 and E3, and the air vent holes 1
Although there is an advantage that the sealing work of the liquid crystal injection holes 12 and the liquid crystal injection holes 4 and 14 can be collectively performed on the inner surface side of the common electrode substrate 2, the invention is not limited to this configuration and the air vent holes 14 and 14 can be connected to the terminal electrodes 5 ... It can also be provided at another position not facing.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, an example in which air is enclosed in the space portions E3, E3 has been shown, but the substance to be enclosed in the space portions E3, E3 is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, for example, an inert gas. An insulating material having a low dielectric constant can be used. That is, any substance having a dielectric constant smaller than that of liquid crystal may be used.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a liquid crystal shutter in which the signal electrode substrate can be downsized and a connection failure between the external connection conductor and the terminal electrode can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the inner surface of a signal electrode substrate, Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the inner surface of a common electrode substrate, and Fig. 3 is a line III-III in Fig. 1. FIG. 1 ... Signal electrode substrate, 2 ... Common electrode substrate, 3 ... Segment electrode, 4 ... Lead electrode, 5 ... Terminal electrode, 7
...... Common electrode, 14 …… Air vent hole, 15 …… Sealant, E1
…… Shatter array part, E3 …… Space part, S …… Shatter part, Sg …… Signal electrode.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A signal electrode substrate and a common electrode substrate which are arranged to face each other, a segment electrode, a lead electrode, and a terminal electrode connected to the segment electrode through the lead electrode, and are formed in an array on the signal electrode substrate. A plurality of signal electrodes, a common electrode formed on the common electrode substrate facing the segment electrodes, and a shutter array portion provided between the substrates and surrounding the array of the segment electrodes to fill the liquid crystal. And a sealing material that forms a space for enclosing a substance having a dielectric constant smaller than that of liquid crystal on the lead electrode array, and a hole that communicates the space with the outside is provided on the signal electrode substrate. The shutter is characterized in that it is arranged at a position where a side other than the side where the terminal electrodes are arranged and the common electrode substrate face each other.