# US 9,001,295 B2 · Liquid crystal display device

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- Number: US 9,001,295 B2
- Document ID: US9001295B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/980,787
- Filed: 2012-01-16
- Published: 2013-11-07
- Granted: 2015-04-07
- Earliest claimed: 2011-01-20
- Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Akira Shibazaki; Ken Kuboki; Satomi Hasegawa; Hiroshi Tsuchiya; Yusuke Nishihara; Taichi Sasaki; Seiji Tanuma
- Inventors: Akira Shibazaki; Ken Kuboki; Satomi Hasegawa; Hiroshi Tsuchiya; Yusuke Nishihara; Taichi Sasaki; Seiji Tanuma
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9001295B2

## CPC

- G02F 1/133753: {with different alignment orientations or pretilt angles on a same surface, e.g. for grey scale or improved viewing angle}
- G02F 1/1337: Surface-induced orientation of the liquid crystal molecules, e.g. by alignment layers
- G02F 1/133707: {Structures for producing distorted electric fields, e.g. bumps, protrusions, recesses, slits in pixel electrodes}
- G02F 1/1343: Electrodes {(reflective electrodes G02F1/133553)}
- G02F 1/133757: {with different alignment orientations}
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS

## Abstract

A liquid crystal display device includes: a liquid crystal layer extending at least in a display region; first and second substrates affixed to each other so as to sandwich the liquid crystal layer therebetween; and a pair of polarization plates disposed to sandwich these substrates therebetween. The first substrate is provided with a pixel electrode corresponding to each of a plurality of pixels. The second substrate is provided with a counter electrode so as to face the pixel electrode. A first alignment film is disposed on the pixel electrode. A second alignment film is disposed on the counter electrode. The pixels each include a plurality of domains having different combinations of alignment directions of the first and second alignment films. The pixel electrode has a slit group along at least a part of an outline of the pixel electrode and in the vicinity of the outline.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A liquid crystal display device having a display region including a plurality of pixels, comprising:
a liquid crystal layer extending at least in said display region;
first and second substrates affixed to each other so as to sandwich said liquid crystal layer therebetween; and
a pair of polarization plates disposed so as to sandwich said first and second substrates therebetween,
said first substrate being provided with a pixel electrode corresponding to each of said plurality of pixels,
said second substrate being provided with a counter electrode so as to face said pixel electrode,
a first alignment film being disposed on a surface of said pixel electrode, said surface being a surface facing said liquid crystal layer,
a second alignment film disposed on a surface of said counter electrode, said surface being a surface facing said liquid crystal layer,
said pixels each including a plurality of domains having different combinations of alignment directions of said first and second alignment films,
said pixel electrode having a slit group along at least a part of an outline of said pixel electrode and in the vicinity of said outline, and
of all sides of respective outlines of said plurality of domains, sides constituting the outline of said pixel electrode are domain sides, and said slit group is provided along said domain side toward which an end of a liquid crystal molecule is directed, said end of the liquid crystal molecule being an end thereof oriented toward said second substrate, by said first alignment film and said second alignment film, in a central region along a thickness direction of said liquid crystal layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein
said slit group is a plurality of linear slits each extending along a direction perpendicular to a closest part of the outline of said pixel electrode and arranged along a direction parallel to said closest part of the outline.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein
one of ends of said slit that is relatively further from an edge of said pixel electrode is located at the same position as the position of one of ends of a dark line that is relatively further from the edge of said pixel electrode, said dark line being generated in a case where said slit group is absent.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein
said pixel is rectangular, said plurality of domains are four domains in total arranged inside said pixel with two domains along a lengthwise direction and two domains along a widthwise direction and, in each said domain, said slit group is provided along one of two sides that form a part of an outline of said domain and also form a part of an outline of said pixel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The liquid crystal display device according to claim 4, wherein said slit group is absent along the other of said two sides.