Display device producing display by changing shape of refractive index ellipsoid of medium by applying electric field to medium

Abstract

A display element according to the present invention is provided with a pair of substrates, at least one of which is transparent; a medium between the substrates, wherein optical anisotropy magnitude of the medium is changeable by and according to an electric field applied thereon; at least one pair of electrodes for applying, on the medium, the electric field substantially parallel to the substrates; and a shielding electrode overlapping at least a display portion of at least one of the substrates, and used for shielding the display element from static electricity.

1 . A display element, comprising:
 a pair of substrates, at least one of which is transparent;   a medium between the substrates, wherein optical anisotropy magnitude of the medium is changeable by and according to an electric field applied thereon;   at least one electrode pair on a principal plane of one of the substrates, the at least one electrode pair including a first and a second electrodes for applying, on the medium, the electric field substantially parallel to the one of the substrates;   a third electrode provided on an other principal plane of the substrates than the principal plane on which the at least one electrode pair is provided, and   wherein the medium is optically isotropic when no field is applied thereon, and becomes optically anisotropic when the field is applied thereon.   
   
   
       2 . A display element as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the third electrode is provided on that facing surface of the other one of the substrates which faces against the first and second electrodes.   
   
   
       3 . (canceled) 
   
   
       4 . A display element as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the third electrode is patterned.   
   
   
       5 . A display element as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein:
 the third electrode functions as a shielding electrode for shielding the display element from the static electricity, and as a heating section for heating the medium.   
   
   
       6 - 8 . (canceled) 
   
   
       9 . A display element as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the medium has an orientational order in a scale smaller than a wavelength of visible light when an electric field is applied or when no electric field is applied.   
   
   
       10 . A display element as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the medium has an orderly structure having a cubic symmetry.   
   
   
       11 - 15 . (canceled) 
   
   
       16 . A display element as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the medium is a material that shows a cholesteric blue phase.   
   
   
       17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . A display element, comprising:
 a pair of substrates, at least one of which is transparent;   a medium between the substrates, wherein optical anisotropy magnitude of the medium is changeable by and according to an electric field applied thereon;   at least one pair of electrodes for applying, on the medium, the electric field substantially parallel to the substrates;   a shielding electrode overlapping at least a display portion of at least one of the substrates, and used for shielding the display element from static electricity, and   wherein the medium is optically isotropic when no field is applied thereon, and becomes optically anisotropic when the field is applied thereon.   
   
   
       19 . A display element as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein:
 a potential of the shielding electrode is fixed to a constant value.   
   
   
       20 . A display element as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein:
 the shielding electrode is provided at least on that facing surface of one of the substrates which faces against the other one of the substrate.   
   
   
       21 - 29 . (canceled) 
   
   
       30 . A display element as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein:
 the medium is a material that shows a cholesteric blue phase.   
   
   
       31 . (canceled) 
   
   
       32 . A display element as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein:
 the shielding electrode is patterned.   
   
   
       33 . (canceled) 
   
   
       34 . A display element as set forth in  claim 32 , wherein:
 the shielding electrode is so formed as not to overlap the first and the second electrode.   
   
   
       35 . A display device comprising:
 a display element comprising:   a pair of substrates, at least one of which is transparent;   a medium between the substrates, wherein optical anisotropy magnitude of the medium is changeable by and according to an electric field applied thereon;   at least one electrode pair on a principal plane of one of the substrates, the at least one electrode pair including a first and a second electrodes for applying, on the medium, the electric field substantially parallel to the one of the substrates;   a third electrode provided on an other principal plane of the substrates than the principal plane on which the at least one electrode pair is provided, and   
     wherein the medium is optically isotropic when no field is applied thereon, and becomes optically anisotropic when the field is applied thereon. 
   
   
       36 . A display device comprising:
 a display element including:   a pair of substrates, at least one of which is transparent;   a medium between the substrates, wherein optical anisotropy magnitude of the medium is changeable by and according to an electric field applied thereon;   at least one pair of electrodes for applying, on the medium, the electric field substantially parallel to the substrates; and   a shielding electrode overlapping at least a display portion of at least one of the substrates, and used for shielding the display element from static electricity, and wherein the medium is optically isotropic when no field is applied thereon, and becomes optically anisotropic when the field is applied thereon.