KR101259507B1 - Barrier panel and display device comprising the barrier panel - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a lower transparent substrate, an upper transparent substrate facing the lower substrate, and first and second lower alignment layers formed on the lower transparent substrate so as to face the upper transparent substrate and extending in the same direction in parallel with each other. An upper alignment layer including a lower alignment layer including a first alignment layer formed on the upper transparent substrate, the first upper alignment layer facing the first lower alignment layer, and a second upper alignment layer facing the second lower alignment layer; The first upper alignment layer has an alignment groove in a direction different from that of the first lower alignment layer, and the second upper alignment layer has the upper alignment layer and the first alignment groove having an alignment groove in the same direction as that of the second lower alignment layer. And a liquid crystal layer interposed between the second transparent substrates and including liquid crystals in which phase transitions occur below a phase transition temperature of 70 ° C. Here, the temperature of the liquid crystal is changed below the phase transition temperature, so that liquid crystals between the first lower alignment layer and the first upper alignment layer and liquid crystals between the second lower alignment layer and the second upper alignment layer are different from each other. Each of them serves as a barrier to block light and a slit to transmit light.

Description

Barrier panel and display device having the same {BARRIER PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING THE BARRIER PANEL}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a barrier panel using a phase transition temperature of a liquid crystal and a display device having the same. Particularly, the phase transition of a liquid crystal displaying two-dimensional (2 Dimension: 2D) and three-dimensional (3 Dimension: 3D) images. A barrier panel using a temperature and a display device having the same.

In general, three-dimensional images representing a three-dimensional image is achieved by the principle of stereo vision through two eyes. The parallax of two eyes, that is, binocular disparity that appears because the eyes are about 65 mm apart, is the most important of the three-dimensional effect. It can be called a factor. In other words, the left and right eyes see different two-dimensional images, and when these two images are transmitted to the brain through the retina, the brain accurately fuses each other to reproduce the depth and actual sense of the original three-dimensional image.

Currently, technologies for displaying three-dimensional stereoscopic images include stereoscopic image display, spectacles-free stereoscopic image display, and holographic display method using special glasses. The three-dimensional image display method using the special glasses is the polarization glasses method using the polarization vibration direction or the rotation direction, the time-division glasses method alternately presenting while switching the left and right images and the method of delivering light of different brightness in the left and right. Phosphorous concentration difference can be divided.

The glasses-free stereoscopic image display method uses a parallax method to separate and observe an image through a vertical grid-shaped aperture in front of each image corresponding to the left and right sides, and a lenticular plate in which a semi-cylindrical lens is arranged. It can be divided into a lenticular method using a lenticular plate and an integral photography method using a lens plate shaped like a fly's eye.

In addition, the holographic display method can obtain a three-dimensional stereoscopic image having all factors such as focus adjustment, congestion angle, binocular parallax, and motion parallax, which are factors of generating a three-dimensional effect, which are classified into a laser light reproducing hologram and a white light reproducing hologram. .

In the stereoscopic image display method using special glasses, many people can enjoy a stereoscopic image, but there is a disadvantage that a separate polarized glasses or liquid crystal shutter glasses must be worn. That is, the observer must wear special glasses to cause inconvenience and unnaturalness.

Glasses-free stereoscopic image display method is limited to a small number of people because the observation range is fixed, but there is a feature that does not wear a separate glasses tend to be preferred. In other words, many studies have been conducted in the glassesless stereoscopic image display method because the observer directly observes the screen and the above-mentioned disadvantages disappear.

For example, a holographic display method is used to display a perfect 3D stereoscopic image. The 3D coordinate image is displayed directly in space through a laser, a lens, and a mirror. You can get the feeling as it is, but it's not easy because you have the technical difficulties and the space that the equipment takes up.

Thus, there is an increasing tendency to adopt a parallax barrier, which is a method of realizing a 3D image virtually through deception using a stereo image.

The parallax barrier is a method in which vertical or horizontal slits are disposed in front of an image corresponding to both left and right eyes to separate and observe a stereoscopic image synthesized through the slits to feel a stereoscopic feeling.

Here, the three-dimensional image display apparatus by the parallax barrier method will be described briefly as follows.

1 is a view showing that a three-dimensional image is implemented by a conventional barrier-type 3D display device.

Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional parallax barrier method includes a slit 22 through which light emitted from the image panel 30 is transmitted and a barrier panel 20 formed by repeatedly arranging a barrier blocking the light. It is disposed in front of the image panel 30.

Accordingly, the observer 10 sees the image displayed or printed on the image panel 30 through the slit 22 of the barrier panel 20. The left and right eyes of the observer 10 are Even though the same slit 22 is seen, different areas of the image panel 30 are respectively seen.

The parallax barrier method uses this principle, so that the left eye and the right eye view images corresponding to pixels in different areas through the slit, so that a 3D feeling can be felt.

That is, in FIG. 1, the left eye L sees the left eye corresponding pixel Lp in the image panel 30, and the right eye R sees the right eye corresponding pixel Rp in the image panel 30.

However, in the conventional parallax barrier type 3D display device, since the barrier panel is installed in front of the image panel and the barrier panel is provided, it is impossible to view the general 2D image, so that the barrier panel is removed to view the normal 2D image. There is a problem that must be done.

In order to solve this problem, recently, a liquid crystal layer is provided between the upper substrate, the lower substrate, and the upper and lower substrates, and the upper transparent electrode is patterned between the inner surface of the upper substrate and the liquid crystal layer, and the inner side of the lower substrate. The lower side transparent electrode is patterned between the surface and the liquid crystal layer, and a different voltage is applied to each transparent electrode to control the formation of the slit, thereby providing a method of viewing 2D and 3D images without removing the barrier panel. There is a bar.

In this case, however, the transparent electrodes are formed on the upper substrate and the lower substrate, respectively, thereby reducing the transmittance and manufacturing cost due to the two upper and lower transparent electrodes.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a barrier panel capable of lowering manufacturing cost and at the same time preventing a decrease in transmittance and ultimately improving display quality of 2D and 3D stereoscopic images.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a display device having the barrier panel.

A barrier panel according to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is formed on the lower transparent substrate, the upper transparent substrate facing the lower substrate, the lower transparent substrate to face the upper transparent substrate, A lower alignment layer including first and second lower alignment layers extending in the same direction in parallel to each other, a first upper alignment layer and a second lower alignment layer formed on the upper transparent substrate and facing the first lower alignment layer; An upper alignment layer including an opposing second upper alignment layer, wherein the first upper alignment layer has an alignment groove in a direction different from that of the first lower alignment layer, and the second upper alignment layer is an alignment groove of the second lower alignment layer Interposed between the upper alignment layer and the first and second transparent substrates having the alignment grooves in the same direction as, and below a phase transition temperature of 70 ° C. And a liquid crystal layer including liquid crystals in which phase transitions occur. Here, the temperature of the liquid crystal is changed below the phase transition temperature, so that liquid crystals between the first lower alignment layer and the first upper alignment layer and liquid crystals between the second lower alignment layer and the second upper alignment layer are different from each other. Each serves as a barrier to block light and a slit to transmit light.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a display device is disposed on an upper part of a light source for generating light, and displays a flat image using the light source, and is disposed on a front surface of the display panel to form a slit and a barrier. And a barrier panel configured to convert the planar image into a 2D image or a 3D image. The barrier panel may include a lower transparent substrate, an upper transparent substrate facing the lower substrate, a first transparent substrate formed on the lower transparent substrate so as to face the upper transparent substrate, and extending in the same direction in parallel with each other; An upper alignment layer including a lower alignment layer including a second lower alignment layer, a first upper alignment layer formed on the upper transparent substrate, and facing the first lower alignment layer and a second upper alignment layer facing the second lower alignment layer; The first upper alignment layer may have an alignment groove in a direction different from that of the first lower alignment layer, and the second upper alignment layer may have an alignment groove in the same direction as that of the second lower alignment layer. And a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second transparent substrates, and including liquid crystals having a phase transition below a phase transition temperature of 70 ° C. It includes. In this case, the temperature of the liquid crystal is changed below the phase transition temperature, so that liquid crystals between the first lower alignment layer and the first upper alignment layer and liquid crystals between the second lower alignment layer and the second upper alignment layer are different from each other. And a barrier to block light and a slit to transmit light, respectively.

According to the present invention, unlike the conventional parallax barrier method of forming two transparent electrode layers on the inner side of the upper and lower transparent substrates, only one transparent electrode layer is formed, thereby lowering the manufacturing cost and improving transmittance. It can increase.

1 is a view showing that a three-dimensional image is implemented by a conventional barrier-type 3D display device.
2 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the barrier panel illustrated in FIG. 2 taken along the X-axis direction.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the arrangement of liquid crystals in the barrier panel when the liquid crystal temperature is greater than or equal to the phase transition temperature of the general liquid crystal and less than or equal to the phase transition temperature by the transparent heating layer illustrated in FIG. 3.

The present invention, unlike the conventional parallax barrier method of forming two transparent electrode layers on the inner surface of the upper and lower transparent substrates, forms only one transparent heating layer, thereby lowering manufacturing costs and increasing transmittance. . To this end, in the present invention, one of the two transparent electrode layers of the existing transparent electrode layer is replaced with a transparent heating layer made of a heat generating element having excellent transmittance and radiates heat when a voltage is applied, and removes the remaining transparent electrode layers. . In this case, the liquid crystal layer present on the transparent heating layer is a liquid crystal layer in which the phase transition of the liquid crystal occurs at a temperature lower than 70 degrees, for example, 20 to 60 degrees, rather than using a conventional liquid crystal layer in which phase transition occurs at 70 degrees or more. Use

As described above, in the present invention, the liquid crystal temperature is varied by using a liquid crystal in which phase transition occurs even though the heat generation is not large, thereby controlling the transmission and blocking of light. That is, the liquid crystals of the light transmitting portion serve as the slit, and the liquid crystals of the light blocking portion serve as the barrier. Such transmission and blocking of light may be implemented through the arrangement of the patterned alignment layers proposed in the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein but may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided to ensure that the disclosed subject matter is thorough and complete, and that the spirit of the invention will be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the thicknesses of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity, and like reference numerals denote like elements throughout the specification.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the barrier panel illustrated in FIG. 2 taken along an X-axis direction.

Referring to FIG. 2, the display device 300 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention displays a planar image, emits the displayed planar image as light, and a front of the display panel 100. And a slit function to control the transmission and blocking of light emitted from the display panel 100 to freely change a predetermined image displayed on the display panel 100 to a 2D image or a 3D stereoscopic image. And a barrier panel 200 that can be shown to the user.

The display panel 100 may be implemented as a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP), an organic light emitting display panel (OLED), or the like. The type is not limited, and detailed descriptions of each of them are already well known and will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 3 along with FIG. 2, the barrier panel 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a lower transparent substrate 210, an upper transparent substrate 220, a lower transparent heating layer 230, and an upper transparent electrode layer. (240), the lower alignment layer 250 (252, 254), the upper alignment layer (260: 262, 264) and the liquid crystal layer 250, the barrier panel 200 including these components is a planar image applied from the bottom Is displayed as it is or changed into a 3D stereoscopic image.

The lower transparent substrate 210 may have a plate shape and may be formed of, for example, transparent glass, quartz, or synthetic resin. The upper transparent substrate 220 may be disposed to face the lower transparent substrate 100, and may have a plate shape like the lower transparent substrate 210. For example, the upper transparent substrate 220 may be made of transparent glass, quartz, or synthetic resin.

The lower transparent heating layer 230 may be formed on the entire surface of the lower transparent substrate 110 and thus face the upper transparent substrate 220. The lower transparent heating layer 230 may be formed of a heating element that emits heat when a lower voltage is applied from an external voltage source (not shown), and as the heating element, indium oxide-tin, which is widely used as a conventional transparent electrode layer. Antimony oxide-tin oxide (ATO), which is more exothermic and conductive than indium oxide-tin oxide (ITO) (eg, indium-doped tin oxide) (Eg, antimony-doped tin oxide).

As such, in the present exemplary embodiment, a heating element of a transparent material that removes the transparent electrode layers formed on the existing upper transparent substrate and the lower transparent substrate, and emits heat instead of the transparent electrode layer formed on the lower transparent substrate 210. The lower transparent heating layer 230 is used. As will be described in detail below, the temperature of the liquid crystal may be varied by using heat generated in the transparent heating layer 230 to allow light to pass through or to be blocked.

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, an example in which the lower transparent heating layer 230 is formed on the front surface (or the inner surface) of the lower transparent substrate is described, but may be formed on the front surface of the upper transparent substrate.

The lower alignment layer 250 is formed on the lower transparent invention layer 230 to face the upper transparent substrate 220. The lower alignment layer 250 may include a plurality of lower alignment layer patterns extending in one direction (eg, the z-axis direction of FIG. 2).

In FIG. 3, two alignment layers are illustrated and referred to as a first lower alignment layer pattern 252 and a second lower alignment layer pattern 254, respectively.

An upper alignment layer 260 is formed on the upper transparent electrode layer 240 to face the lower alignment layer 252. The upper alignment layer 260 includes a plurality of upper alignment layer patterns extending in the same direction as the direction in which the lower alignment layer 250 extends. In FIG. 3, two alignment layers are illustrated, an alignment layer facing the first lower alignment layer pattern 252 is called a first upper alignment layer pattern 262, and an alignment layer facing the second lower alignment layer pattern 254 is formed. 2 is referred to as an upper alignment layer pattern 264.

Here, the lower alignment layer 250 and the upper alignment layer 260 determine the arrangement form of the liquid crystals 272 of the liquid crystal layer 270 on the lower transparent heating layer 230.

Specifically, an arrangement of a first lower alignment groove formed in the first lower alignment layer pattern 252 and a first upper alignment groove formed in the first upper alignment layer pattern 262 facing the first lower alignment layer pattern 252. The direction is formed perpendicular to each other, and the second lower alignment layer formed in the second lower alignment layer pattern 254 and the second upper alignment layer pattern 264 facing the second lower alignment layer pattern 254. The arrangement directions of the upper alignment grooves are formed to be the same as each other. As a result, the upper and lower alignment layer pattern pairs in which the array directions are perpendicular to each other, and the upper and lower alignment layer pattern pairs in which the array directions are the same as each other are alternately formed.

The liquid crystal layer 270 is interposed between the lower transparent substrate 210 and the upper transparent substrate 220. The liquid crystal layer 270 is composed of liquid crystals 272 having a long grain shape in one direction, and these liquid crystals have anisotropic refractive indexes whose refractive indexes vary according to the incident direction of light.

In particular, in the present embodiment, unlike the conventional liquid crystal in which the phase transition occurs at a conventional phase transition temperature (about 70 degrees or more), a liquid crystal in which phase transition occurs at a phase transition temperature lower than the conventional phase transition temperature is used. That is, in the present invention, when a voltage is applied to the transparent invention layer 230, the heat generated by the transparent heat generating layer 230 changes the liquid crystal temperature, thereby changing the arrangement state of the liquid crystals 272. In other words, in the driving principle of a general liquid crystal, the liquid crystal is tilted by using an electric field, while in the present invention, the liquid crystal temperature is controlled by using the transparent invention layer 230, wherein the temperature of the liquid crystal is higher than the phase transition temperature. When elevated, the properties of the liquid crystal act like normal water, completely losing the natural properties of the liquid crystal.

Hereinafter, the barrier panel 200 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail in the case where the liquid crystal phase transition temperature (70 degrees) or less is greater than or equal to the transparent invention layer used in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the arrangement of liquid crystals in the barrier panel when the liquid crystal temperature is greater than or equal to the phase transition temperature of the general liquid crystal and less than or equal to the phase transition temperature by the transparent heating layer shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 4A is less than or equal to the phase transition temperature. Figure 4 shows the arrangement of the liquid crystal, Figure 4 (b) shows the arrangement of the liquid crystal above the phase transition temperature.

As shown in FIG. 4A, when the liquid crystal is at or below the phase transition temperature, the first lower alignment groove of the first lower alignment layer 252 and the first upper alignment groove of the first upper alignment layer 262 are perpendicular to each other. The liquid crystals between the first lower alignment layer 252 and the first upper alignment layer 262 are arranged to block light to block light emitted from the display panel.

On the other hand, the liquid crystals between the second lower alignment layer 254 and the second upper alignment layer 264 in which the alignment grooves are arranged in the same direction may transmit light emitted from the display panel 100 of FIG. 2 as it is.

As a result, the liquid crystals between the first lower alignment layer 252 and the first upper alignment layer 262 serve as a barrier to block light, and the liquid crystals between the second lower alignment layer 254 and the second upper alignment layer 264 It acts as a slit to transmit light.

Looking at the barrier pattern as a whole on the plane, these slits and barriers are arranged alternately, and the user's left and right eyes see images corresponding to pixels of different areas through the slits, so that the user can feel a 3D effect. 3D stereoscopic images can be realized.

On the other hand, as shown in (b) of FIG. 4, when the liquid crystal exceeds 70 degrees of the normal phase transition temperature by the transparent heating layer 230, the liquid crystal employed in the present invention loses its natural properties, As shown in 4 (b), the entire panel transmits light. That is, when the liquid crystal temperature exceeds the phase transition temperature, a 2D image is realized. At this time, the optical axis (0 degrees) of the lower polarizing plate 280 of the panel lower plate and the optical axis (0 degrees) of the upper polarizing plate 290 of the panel upper plate are the same.

As described above, in the present invention, the liquid crystal temperature is varied by using a liquid crystal in which phase transition occurs even though the heat generation is not large, thereby controlling light transmission and blocking. That is, the liquid crystals of the light transmitting portion serve as the slit, and the liquid crystals of the light blocking portion serve as the barrier. Such transmission and blocking of light may be realized through the patterned alignment layer proposed in the present invention. By forming only one of these structural features, that is, a barrier panel capable of varying 2D and 3D stereoscopic images that can increase transmittance while ultimately lowering the manufacturing cost to be realized in the present invention, and a display device having the same Can be provided.

The configuration of the present invention has been described above through the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. However, these are only examples and are not used to limit the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible from this. The true scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

Claims (10)

A lower transparent substrate;
An upper transparent substrate facing the lower transparent substrate;
A lower alignment layer formed on the lower transparent substrate so as to face the upper transparent substrate and including first and second lower alignment layers extending in the same direction in parallel to each other;
An upper alignment layer formed on the upper transparent substrate and including a first upper alignment layer facing the first lower alignment layer and a second upper alignment layer facing the second lower alignment layer, wherein the first upper alignment layer is the first upper alignment layer; The upper alignment layer having an alignment groove in a direction different from that of the lower alignment layer, and the second upper alignment layer having the alignment groove in the same direction as the alignment groove of the second lower alignment layer; And
And a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second transparent substrates, the liquid crystal layer including liquid crystals having a phase transition at a temperature of less than 70 ° C.
When the temperature of the liquid crystal is changed at a temperature below 70 ° C., the liquid crystals between the first lower alignment layer and the first upper alignment layer and the liquid crystals between the second lower alignment layer and the second upper alignment layer are different from each other. Barrier panels, each of which serves as a barrier for blocking light and a slit for transmitting light.
The barrier panel of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystals undergo phase transitions at 20 ° C. to 60 ° C. 5.
The liquid crystal display of claim 1, further comprising a lower transparent heating layer formed between the lower transparent substrate and the lower alignment layer to change the temperature of the liquid crystal based on the phase transition temperature by applying a voltage from the outside. Barrier panel.
The barrier panel of claim 3, wherein the transparent heating layer is made of an antimony oxide-tin oxide (ATO) material having excellent heat generation and conductivity.
The display device of claim 1, further comprising: a lower polarizer formed on an outer side of the lower transparent substrate; And
Further comprising an upper polarizing plate formed on the outer side of the upper transparent substrate,
The optical panel of the lower polarizing plate and the optical axis of the upper polarizing plate are the same as each other.
According to claim 1, wherein the array groove of the first upper alignment layer and the array groove of the first lower alignment layer are arranged in a perpendicular direction to each other,
The barrier groove of the second upper alignment layer and the array groove of the second lower alignment layer are arranged in the same direction.
The liquid crystal display device of claim 6, wherein the liquid crystals between the first lower alignment layer and the first upper alignment layer serve as slits for transmitting light.
The liquid crystal panel between the second lower alignment layer and the second upper alignment layer serves as a barrier to block the light.
A display panel disposed on the light source for generating light and displaying a planar image by using the light source; And
A barrier panel disposed on a front surface of the display panel to form a slit and a barrier so that the planar image is converted into a 2D image or a 3D image and displayed;
The barrier panel,
A lower transparent substrate;
An upper transparent substrate facing the lower transparent substrate;
A lower alignment layer formed on the lower transparent substrate so as to face the upper transparent substrate and including first and second lower alignment layers extending in the same direction in parallel to each other;
An upper alignment layer formed on the upper transparent substrate and including a first upper alignment layer facing the first lower alignment layer and a second upper alignment layer facing the second lower alignment layer, wherein the first upper alignment layer is the first upper alignment layer; The upper alignment layer having an alignment groove in a direction different from that of the lower alignment layer, and the second upper alignment layer having the alignment groove in the same direction as the alignment groove of the second lower alignment layer; And
And a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second transparent substrates, the liquid crystal layer including liquid crystals having a phase transition at a temperature of less than 70 ° C.
When the temperature of the liquid crystal is changed at a temperature below 70 ° C., the liquid crystals between the first lower alignment layer and the first upper alignment layer and the liquid crystals between the second lower alignment layer and the second upper alignment layer are different from each other. And a barrier for blocking light and a slit for transmitting light, respectively.
The method of claim 8, further comprising a lower transparent heating layer formed between the lower transparent substrate and the lower alignment layer,
The lower transparent heating layer,
The display device of claim 1, wherein the temperature of the liquid crystals is changed based on the phase transition temperature by receiving a voltage from the outside.
The liquid crystal display device of claim 9, wherein the liquid crystals between the first lower alignment layer and the first upper alignment layer serve as a barrier to block light.
The liquid crystal device between the second lower alignment layer and the second upper alignment layer serves as a slit for transmitting the light.

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