Process for producing liquid crystal optical device

Claim 2

A process for producing a liquid crystal optical device comprising a ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer and two flexible substrates sandwiching the ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer between them, which process comprises the following continuously conducted stages of: (1) the first stage including a step of forming an oriented layer, wherein in the step of forming an oriented layer, an oriented layer is formed on each of the two flexible substrates to obtain two flexible substrates each carrying the oriented layer, (2) the second stage including a step of forming a liquid-­crystalline polymer layer, wherein in the step of forming a liquid-crystalline polymer layer, a ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer layer is formed on the oriented layer of at least one of the two flexible substrates each carrying the oriented layer which have been obtained in the first stage, to obtain at least one flexible substrate carrying the oriented layer and the liquid-crystalline polymer layer, (3) the third stage including a laminating step, wherein in the laminating step, one flexible substrate carrying an oriented layer, which has been obtained in the first stage, and one flexible substrate carrying an oriented layer and a liquid-crystalline polymer layer, which has been obtained in the second stage, are laminated, with the liquid-crystalline polymer layer sandwiched between the oriented layers carried on the flexible substrates; or two flexible substrates each carrying an oriented layer and a liquid-crystalline polymer layer, which have been obtained in the second stage, are laminated, with the two liquid-crystalline polymer layers sandwiched facing each other between the oriented layers carried on the flexible substrates, to obtain a laminate, (4) the fourth stage including a heating step and an orientation step, wherein in the heating step, the laminate obtained in the third stage is heated to a temperature at which the ferroelectric liquid-­crystalline polymer shows isotropic phase, and in the orientation step, the ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer is oriented by applying an orientation treatment to the laminate heated in the heating step.

Claim 3

A process for producing a liquid crystal optical device comprising a ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer and two flexible substrates sandwiching the ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer between them, which process comprises the following continuously conducted stages of: (1) the first stage including a step of forming an oriented layer, wherein in the step of forming an oriented layer, an oriented layer is formed on each of the two flexible substrates to obtain two flexible substrates each carrying an oriented layer, (2) the second stage including a step of forming a liquid-­crystalline polymer layer, wherein in the step of forming a liquid-crystalline polymer layer, a ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer layer is formed on the oriented layer of at least one of the two flexible substrates each carrying the oriented layer which have been obtained in the first stage, to obtain at least one flexible substrate carrying an oriented layer and a liquid-crystalline polymer layer, (3) the third stage including a laminating step, wherein in the laminating step, one flexible substrate carrying an oriented layer, which has been obtained in the first stage, and one flexible substrate carrying an oriented layer and a liquid-crystalline polymer layer, which has been obtained in the second stage, are laminated, with the liquid-crystalline polymer layer sandwiched between the oriented layers carried on the flexible substrates; or two flexible substrates each carrying an oriented to layer and a liquid-crystalline polymer layer, which have been obtained in the second stage, are laminated, with the two liquid-crystalline polymer layers sandwiched facing each other between the oriented layers carried on the flexible substrates, to obtain a laminate, (4) the fourth stage including a heating step and an orientation step, wherein in the heating step, the laminate obtained in the third stage is heated to a temperature at which the ferroelectric liquid-­crystalline polymer show isotropic phase, and in the orientation step, the ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer is oriented by applying an orientation treatment to the laminate heated in the heating step, (5) the fifth stage including a step of attaching a polarizing plate, wherein in the step of attaching a polarizing plate, a polarizing plate is adhered on the orientation-treated laminate obtained in the fourth stage.

Claim 4

A process for producing a liquid crystal optical device comprising a ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer and two flexible substrates sandwiching the ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer between them, which process comprises the following continuously conducted stages of: (1) the first stage including a step of forming an oriented layer, wherein in the step of forming an oriented layer, an oriented layer is formed on each of the two flexible substrates to obtain two flexible substrates each carrying an oriented layer, (2) the second stage including a step of forming a liquid-­crystalline polymer layer, wherein in the step of forming a liquid-crystalline polymer layer, a ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer layer is formed on the oriented layer of at least one of the two flexible substrates each carrying the oriented layer which have been obtained in the first stage, to obtain at least one flexible substrate carrying an oriented layer and a liquid-crystalline polymer layer, (3) the third stage including a laminating step, wherein in the laminating step, one flexible substrate carrying an oriented layer, which has been obtained in the first stage, and one flexible substrate carrying an oriented layer and a liquid-crystalline polymer layer, which has been obtained in the second stage, are laminated, with the liquid-crystalline polymer layer sandwiched between the oriented layers carried on the flexible substrates; or two flexible substrates each carrying an oriented to layer and a liquid-crystalline polymer layer, which have been obtained in the second stage, are laminated, with the two liquid-crystalline polymer layers sandwiched facing each other between the oriented layers carried on the flexible substrates, to obtain a laminate, (4) the fourth stage including a heating step and an orientation step, wherein in the heating step, the laminate obtained in the third stage is heated to a temperature at which the ferroelectric liquid-­crystalline polymer show isotropic phase, and in the orientation step, the ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer is oriented by applying an orientation treatment to the laminate heated in the heating step, (5) the fifth stage including a step of attaching a polarizing plate, wherein in the step of attaching a polarizing plate, a polarizing plate is adhered on the orientation-treated laminate obtained in the fourth stage.

Claim 5

The process for producing a liquid crystal optical device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, in the heating step of the fourth stage, the laminate is heated to a temperature at which the ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer shows isotropic phase by passing the laminate through between a couple of heating rollers.

Claim 6

The process for producing a liquid crystal optical device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, in the heating step of the fourth stage, the laminate is heated to a temperature at which the ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer shows isotropic phase by passing the laminate through a thermostatically heating chamber.

Claim 7

The process for producing a liquid crystal optical device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, in the heating step of the fourth stage, the laminate is heated to a temperature at which the ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer shows isotropic phase by passing the laminate through between a couple of heating rollers and through a thermostatically heating chamber.

Claim 8

The process for producing a liquid crystal optical device as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein, in the orientation step of the fourth stage, the ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymer is oriented by passing the laminate through between at least a couple of rollers.

Claim 9

The process for producing a liquid crystal optical device as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 6, further comprising a step of forming an adhesive layer, wherein in the step of forming an adhesive layer, an adhesive layer is formed on the oriented layer of at least one of the flexible substrates each carrying an oriented layer.

Claim 10

The process for producing a liquid crystal optical device as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 7, further comprising a rubbing step, wherein in the rubbing step, rubbing treatment is applied to at least one of the flexible substrates each carrying an oriented layer.

Claim 11

The process for producing a liquid crystal optical device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a step of forming an adhesive layer, wherein in the step of forming an adhesive layer, an adhesive layer is formed on the oriented layer of at least one of the rubbing-treated flexible substrates each carrying an oriented layer.