JPH1010551A - Liquid crystal display element - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal display element reducing malfunction caused by static electricity with a simple structure. SOLUTION: This element is constituted so that a pair of dummy electrodes 12, 22 insulated from respective electrodes and prolonged out from the inside of a liquid crystal sealed area to the outside of seal material 30 are arranged on an upper substrate 10 forming a signal electrode 11 and a lower substrate 20 forming a scan electrode 21 insulated from respective electrodes. Then, a point-shaped conductive member 31 is set up between the dummy electrodes 12, 22 of the outside of at least the seal material 30, and by mutually electrically connecting between the dummy electrodes 12, 22, electric charges accumulated on the upper/lower substrates 10, 20 are moved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device in which malfunction due to static electricity is reduced.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional liquid crystal display device will be described with reference to FIG. 6 which shows a sectional view of the liquid crystal display device. Transparent and insulating upper substrate 5 made of glass or synthetic resin
The lower substrate 60 is bonded to the lower substrate 60 with a predetermined gap maintained by a sealing material 70 made of an insulating thermosetting resin. Striped signal electrodes 51 made of a transparent conductive film are formed on the inner surface of the upper substrate 50 facing the lower substrate 60, and the stripes of the aforementioned signal electrodes 51 are formed on the inner surface of the lower substrate 60 facing the upper substrate 50. Are formed in a stripe-like scanning electrode 61 extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the scanning line.

On the signal electrode 51 and the scanning electrode 61, alignment films 52 and 62 made of an insulating organic material for aligning liquid crystal molecules are formed.
The surface of each of the substrates 2 is subjected to an orientation treatment such as rubbing in a predetermined direction.

A nematic liquid crystal material 80 is sealed in a region surrounded by the alignment films 52 and 62 and the sealing material 70.

The signal electrode 51 and the scanning electrode 6
Each pixel is formed by a portion where 1 intersects with each other via a liquid crystal material 80, and a display signal is applied to the signal electrode 51 and a scan signal is applied to the scan electrode 61. An electric field is applied to the pixel 80 to change the light transmittance of each pixel, and a pattern corresponding to the supplied display data is displayed.

[0006]

In the above-mentioned liquid crystal display device, when the signal electrode 51 and the scanning electrode 61 are not connected to the driving circuit, the liquid crystal material 80 is covered with the sealing material 7.
0 and the insulating material such as the alignment films 52 and 62, when static electricity is applied to the liquid crystal material 80, the liquid crystal material 8
Since 0 itself is polarized and the polarized electric charge remains as it is, a malfunction such that a black display is supposed to be a white display is caused, and there is a problem that this malfunction state is maintained for a long time.

In order to eliminate the malfunctions caused by such static electricity in a short time, the lighting state is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
Although a method of controlling the resistance value of the sealing material has been attempted as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 127187, it is difficult to maintain the resistance value of the sealing material within a certain range and to continuously produce the same. When the resistance value becomes low, more serious obstacles are caused by an increase in current consumption and a decrease in resistance between the signal electrode and the scan electrode.

An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display device in which a malfunction caused by static electricity is reduced by a simple structure.

[0009]

According to the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, a plurality of signal electrodes and a plurality of scanning electrodes which are opposed to each other are formed on respective opposed surfaces of a first substrate and a second substrate made of an insulating material. Then, the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded via a frame-shaped sealing material, and the first and second substrates are bonded.
In a liquid crystal display element in which a liquid crystal substance is sealed in a liquid crystal sealing area surrounded by the seal material between the substrates, and a display area is formed by an area where the plurality of signal electrodes and the scanning electrodes face each other, At least one pair of first and second dummy electrodes formed on each of the opposing surfaces of the substrate and the second substrate so as to extend from the liquid crystal sealing region to the outside of the sealing material and are insulated from the signal electrodes. And a conductive member for conducting the first and second dummy electrodes at least outside the frame-shaped sealing material.

According to the present invention, the first and second dummy electrodes and the conductive member connecting the first and second dummy electrodes rapidly discharge the charge due to the polarization of the liquid crystal material, and transfer the charge accumulated in the liquid crystal display element. Since the members are discharged to the outside of the element, malfunctions are quickly eliminated.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the first and second
The dummy electrode is disposed so as to face a portion of the liquid crystal sealing region other than the display region, and has an area larger than a contact area with the conductive member, so that charges due to polarization of the liquid crystal material are further reduced. It can be discharged quickly.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a pair of substrates each having an opposing inner surface and an opposing electrode and an alignment film covering the electrodes formed oppositely disposed via a sealant. In a liquid crystal display element in which a liquid crystal substance is sealed in a region surrounded by a circle (hereinafter referred to as a liquid crystal sealing region), a conductive dummy electrode is formed extending from the liquid crystal sealing region to the outside of the sealing material. And, a pair of dummy electrodes formed on both of these substrates are placed outside the sealing material, or inside the liquid crystal sealing region and outside the sealing material.
It is electrically connected at several locations by conductive members.

It is desirable that the above-mentioned dummy electrode has a larger contact area with the conductive member in the liquid crystal sealing area and a larger contact area with the liquid crystal substance as much as possible. By forming the liquid crystal in this manner, it is more effective to quickly discharge the charge generated by the polarization of the liquid crystal material.

The conductive member for electrically connecting the dummy electrode may be provided at least outside the sealing material, and may be provided in the liquid crystal sealing region. If the conductive member is provided outside the sealing material, since the liquid crystal display element is in contact with the outside air, even if the liquid crystal display element is charged by static electricity, the electric charge is easily discharged from the liquid crystal display element, and the liquid crystal display element malfunctions. Is quickly resolved.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a simple matrix type liquid crystal display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, a stripe-like signal electrode 11 made of a transparent conductive film is formed on the lower surface of a transparent and insulating upper substrate 10 made of glass or synthetic resin or the like.
Then, an alignment film 13 is formed to cover the stripe-shaped signal electrodes 11 and to align liquid crystal molecules in a predetermined direction.

On the upper surface of a transparent and insulating lower substrate 20 made of glass or synthetic resin or the like, a stripe-shaped transparent conductive film formed in a direction perpendicular to the stripe direction of the signal electrodes 11 of the upper substrate 10 is formed. A scanning electrode 21;
An alignment film 23 is formed to cover the scanning electrodes 21 and align liquid crystal molecules in a predetermined direction.

The alignment films 13 and 23 are made of an organic insulating film, and the surfaces of the respective alignment films 13 and 23 are respectively subjected to an alignment process such as rubbing in a predetermined direction.

The upper substrate 10 and the lower substrate 20 are bonded to each other with a predetermined gap therebetween by a frame-shaped sealing material 30 made of an insulating thermosetting resin. Liquid crystal enclosing area 4 by the surrounded area
0 is formed, and a nematic liquid crystal substance 41 is sealed in the liquid crystal sealing region 40.

The signal electrode 11 and the scanning electrode 2 are used.
Each pixel is formed by a region where 1 is opposed to each other via the liquid crystal material 41, and a display region 42 (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) is formed by a region surrounding the plurality of pixels.

Further, outside the display area 42,
It is made of a light-shielding conductive film such as a transparent electrode or a metal film,
A pair of dummy electrodes 12 and 22 which are opposed to each other are formed. The dummy electrodes 12 and 22 extend from the inside of the liquid crystal sealing region 40 to the outside of the seal member 30 so as to cross the seal member 30 and are insulated from the signal electrode 11 and the scan electrode 21. The dummy electrodes 12 and 22 are in contact with the liquid crystal substance 41 in the liquid crystal enclosing area 40 and are in contact with the atmosphere outside the sealing material 30.

Between the dummy electrodes 12 and 22 outside the sealing material 30, conductive particles composed of metal particles or resin particles having a metal coated on the surface are mixed with the thermosetting resin. Conductive member 3 made of conductive material
The dummy electrode 12 and the dummy electrode 2
2 is electrically connected.

In the above-described liquid crystal display device of the present invention, a display signal is applied to the signal electrode 11 of the upper substrate 10 and a scanning signal is applied to the scanning electrode 21 of the lower substrate 20, whereby each of these electrodes intersects. An electric field is applied to the liquid crystal material 41 of the pixel to change the light transmittance of each pixel, so that a pattern corresponding to the supplied display data is displayed.

When static electricity is applied to the liquid crystal display element, the dummy electrode 12 on the upper substrate 10 and the lower substrate 20
Is electrically connected to the dummy electrode 22 of the upper substrate 10 by the static electricity.
2, the liquid crystal material 41 moves to the dummy electrode 22 of the lower substrate 20 via the conductive member 31, and the polarization state of the liquid crystal material 41 is quickly eliminated. Further, since the dummy electrode 12, the dummy electrode 22, and the conductive member 31 extending outside the sealing material 30 are in contact with the outside air, the electric charges charged in the liquid crystal display element can be discharged to the outside of the liquid crystal display element. it can. Therefore, malfunction of the liquid crystal display element caused by polarization of the liquid crystal material 41 due to static electricity and malfunction of the liquid crystal display element caused by charging of the liquid crystal display element can be eliminated in a short time.

In addition, since the dummy electrodes 12 and 22 are insulated from the signal electrode 11 and the scanning electrode 21,
The display characteristics are not affected at all by the increase in current consumption and the decrease in resistance between the opposing signal electrode 11 and the scanning electrode 21 as described in the prior art.
2 is formed in the liquid crystal sealing region 40 outside the display region 41, so that the dummy electrodes 12, 22 do not adversely affect the product.

In the first embodiment described above, the case where the alignment films 13 and 23 are not formed on the pair of dummy electrodes 12 and 22 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Can obtain the same function and effect as those of the first embodiment even when the alignment films 13 and 23 are formed thereon.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the above-described conductive member 31 is provided in the display area 4 in addition to the outside of the sealing material 30.
It may be provided at two places on the dummy electrodes 12 and 22 outside the seal member 30 and inside the seal member 30. In this case, another conductive member 31 is further provided inside the seal member 30.
a is provided. Since these dummy electrodes 12 and 22 are electrically connected both inside and outside of the sealing material 30, the electric charges accumulated in the liquid crystal display element can be discharged more quickly.

Further, a plurality of sets of the above-mentioned dummy electrodes 12 and 22 and the conductive member 31 for connecting these electrodes may be provided between a pair of substrates. In this case, the upper and lower substrates 10, 20
The conductive member 31 for electrically connecting the dummy electrodes 12 and 22 is formed by applying a conductive material on one of the substrates in a dot shape using a dispenser or the like and curing the applied material. Even in a liquid crystal display device provided with a plurality of sets of the dummy electrodes 12 and 22, the electric charges accumulated in the liquid crystal display device can be discharged more quickly.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
This will be described with reference to FIG. Since the basic structure of the liquid crystal display device of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the second embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 4 and 5, the signal electrode 1
The upper and lower substrates 10 and 20 on which the scanning electrode 21 and the scanning electrode 21 are formed are respectively connected to the signal electrode 11 and the scanning electrode 2.
The liquid crystal substance 41 is filled in a liquid crystal enclosing area 40 surrounded by the upper and lower substrates 10 and 20 and the seal material 30 so that the liquid crystal materials 41 are orthogonal to each other with a seal material 30 interposed therebetween. On the inner surfaces of the pair of opposing substrates, the signal electrodes 11 and the scanning electrodes 21 oppose each other, and alignment films 13 and 23 that have been subjected to an alignment treatment in a predetermined direction are provided.
Are formed.

Further, dummy electrodes 12 and 22 are formed on opposing inner surfaces of the upper and lower substrates 10 and 20, respectively.
The dummy electrodes 12 and 22 are connected to the above-described liquid crystal sealing region 40.
Current collecting electrodes 32 and 33 formed so as to have a large area extending along one side, are connected to the current collecting electrodes 32 and 33, and intersect with the sealing material 30 from the inside of the above-described liquid crystal sealing region 40. , The short-circuit electrode 34 extending to the outside thereof,
35. Conductive members 31c and 31d are provided between the opposing short-circuit electrodes 34 and 35 at a plurality of locations inside and outside the sealing material 30, and the opposing dummy electrodes 12 and 22 are electrically connected to each other. These short-circuit electrodes 34 and 35 and the conductive member 31d formed outside the sealing material 30 are in contact with the atmosphere.

According to the above-described second embodiment, similarly to the above-described first embodiment, the current collecting electrode 32 of the upper substrate 10 and the current collecting electrode 33 of the lower substrate 20 are connected to the short-circuit electrodes 34 and 35. Since the liquid crystal material 41 is electrically connected via the conductive members 31c and 31d, even if the liquid crystal substance 41 is polarized by static electricity, the charge moves from the current collecting electrode 32 of the upper substrate 10 to the current collecting electrode 33 of the lower substrate 20. As a result, the polarization state of the liquid crystal material 41 is quickly eliminated. Further, since the short-circuit electrodes 34 and 35 extending outside the seal member 30 and the conductive member 31d are in contact with the outside air, the electric charges charged in the liquid crystal display element can be discharged outside the element. 32,3
Since 3 is formed over a large area in the liquid crystal sealing region 40 of the liquid crystal display element, charges are easily collected on the current collecting electrodes 32 and 33, and the movement of the charges is further accelerated. Therefore, malfunction of the liquid crystal display element due to polarization of the liquid crystal material 41 due to static electricity and malfunction of the liquid crystal display element due to charging of the liquid crystal display element can be eliminated in a short time.

Further, the collecting electrodes 32 and 33 do not have to form the alignment films 13 and 23 on their surfaces. In this case, the collecting electrodes 32 and 33 are in direct contact with the liquid crystal material 41, so that the collecting electrodes 32 and 33 accumulate more. It becomes easier to release charges.

[0034]

According to the present invention, a pair of upper and lower substrates are provided.
Each of the signal electrodes and the scanning electrodes is insulated, and a pair of opposing dummy electrodes extending outside the sealing material from the inside of the liquid crystal sealing region, and at least a portion outside the sealing material between the pair of dummy electrodes. By providing the conductive member, the charge generated by the static electricity can be moved between the opposing surfaces of the opposing substrates, and can be discharged to the atmosphere.

As a result, the electric charge accumulated in the liquid crystal display device can be reduced in a short time. By using such conventionally used materials and processing techniques, malfunctions due to static electricity can be quickly and easily eliminated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal display device of FIG. 1 cut along line AA.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the second embodiment of FIG. 4 cut along line BB.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a conventional liquid crystal display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 upper substrate 11 signal electrode 20 lower substrate 21 scan electrode 12, 22 dummy electrode 13, 23 alignment film 30 sealing material 31, 31a, 31c, 31d conductive member 32, 33 current collecting electrode 34, 35 short-circuit electrode 40 liquid crystal sealing area 41 Liquid crystal material 42 Display area

Claims (2)

[Claims] A first substrate and a second substrate formed of an insulating material, a plurality of signal electrodes and a plurality of scanning electrodes facing each other are formed on respective surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate, the first substrate and the second substrate being opposed to each other; Are bonded via a frame-shaped sealing material, a liquid crystal material is sealed in a liquid crystal sealing region surrounded by the sealing material between the first and second substrates, and the plurality of signal electrodes and the scanning electrodes face each other. In a liquid crystal display element in which a display region is formed by a region, each of the opposing surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate is formed so as to extend from the liquid crystal enclosing region to the outside of the sealing material, An electrode and a scanning electrode are provided with at least a pair of first and second dummy electrodes insulated from each other, and a conductive member that conducts the first and second dummy electrodes at least outside a frame-shaped sealing material. Specially The liquid crystal display element to be. 2. The first and second dummy electrodes are electrodes which are disposed so as to face portions of the liquid crystal sealing region other than the display region, and have an area larger than a contact area with the conductive member. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein: