Liquid crystal display

Claim 2

In a liquid crystal display which includes a first and second substrate disposed in a substantially parallel configuration and having a liquid crystal material disposed therebetween, said second substrate having conductive transparent indicia members thereon and a plurality of electrical leads selectively coupled to said indicia members, an improvement comprising: a substantially reflective and conductive surface on said first substrate in underlying relationship to said indicia members, said reflective and conductive surface covering a substantial part of said first substrate and said surface on said first substrate being configured and arranged into a plurality of non-energized areas without direct electrical connection thereto, energized areas having electrical connections thereto, and a nonconductive and nonreflective isolation area between each of said non-energized areas and each of said energized areas, at least one of said non-energized areas being aligned with respect to each of said electrical leads so as to completely underlie said one electrical lead, one of said energized areas being aligned with respect to at least one of said indicia members so as to underlie said one indicia member, each of said electrical leads overlies said isolation area and at least one of said non-energized areas to display said indicia members without displaying said electrical leads and said isolation area.

Claim 3

A liquid crystal display comprising: a first substrate having an inner and outer surface with a substantial portion of its inner surface covered with a conductive reflective layer, said substrate being electrically insulative and said layer having a plurality of stripes removed therefrom, said stripes thereon in the order of one mil in width and being configured to form said conductive reflective layer into a plurality of indicia pads which are adapted to be connected to an electrical potential and a plurality of areas without any electrical connection thereto, said conductive reflective layer but for said stripes presenting a continuous reflective surface on said first substrate; a second substrate having a conductive layer thereon formed into a plurality of indicia electrodes, each indicia electrode having a lead portion, said plurality of indicia electrodes located in cooperative relationship with said indicia pads on said first substrate, energization of said indicia pads and said indicia electrodes resulting in the formation of a visible indicia member without causing said lead portion of said indicia electrode or stripes to become visible, said visible indicia members being defined by a portion of said indicia electrode; spacing means for spacing said first substrate from said second substrate, said spacing means and said substrates defining a cavity; and liquid crystal material disposed in said cavity whereby said first substrate is disposed in an overlying relationship with respect to said second substrate such that an electrical potential can be applied between said substrates.

Claim 4

A liquid crystal display comprising: a first substrate having an inner and outer surface with a substantial portion of its inner surface covered with a conductive reflective layer, said substrate being electrically insulative and said layer having a plurality of stripes removed therefrom, said stripes thereon in the order of one mil in width and being configured to form said conductive reflective layer into a plurality of indicia pads which are adapted to be connected to an electrical potential and a plurality of areas without any electrical connection thereto, said conductive reflective layer but for said stripes presenting a continuous reflective surface on said first substrate; a second substrate having a conductive layer thereon formed into a plurality of indicia electrodes, each indicia electrode having a lead portion, said plurality of indicia electrodes located in cooperative relationship with said indicia pads on said first substrate, energization of said indicia pads and said indicia electrodes resulting in the formation of a visible indicia member without causing said lead portion of said indicia electrode or stripes to become visible, said visible indicia members being defined by a portion of said indicia electrode; spacing means for spacing said first substrate from said second substrate, said spacing means and said substrates defining a cavity; and liquid crystal material disposed in said cavity whereby said first substrate is disposed in an overlying relationship with respect to said second substrate such that an electrical potential can be applied between said substrates.

Claim 5

The structure defined in claim 2 wherein a plurality of said stripes are substantially perpendicular to and spaced along at least two boundaries of said indicia pads, each of said lead portions of said electrodes on said substrate are opposed to one of said plurality of areas without electrical connection thereto in said substrate.

Claim 6

The structure of claim 2 wherein: said conductive layer of said second substrate is formed into a plurality of said indicia electrodes and a plurality of non-energized areas having no connection thereto, said indicia electrodes and non-energized areas being electrically and physically separated from each other by a non-conductive region being generally in the form of joined line segments; and said plurality of said stripes on said first substrate are selectively spaced by varying distances along and are substantially perpendicular to at least two boundaries of said indicia pads.

Claim 7

A liquid crystal display comprising: a first substrate having an inner and outer surface with a substantial portion of its inner surface covered with a conductive reflective layer, said substrate being electrically insulative and said layer having a first plurality of stripes removed therefrom, said stripes thereon in the order of one mil in width and being configured to form said conductive layer into a plurality of indicia pads being connected to an electrical potential and a plurality of non-energized areas having no electrical connection thereto, said conductive reflective layer substantially presenting a continuous reflective surface on said substrate; a second substrate having an inner and outer surface with a substantial portion of its inner surface covered with a conductive layer having a second plurality of stripes removed therefrom, said stripes being of the order of one mil in width and being configured to form said conductive layer into a plurality of indicia electrodes and a plurality of non-energized areas having no electrical connection thereto, said plurality of indicia electrodes forming at least one digit, each indicia electrode having a lead portion, said digit formed by said indicia electrodes being disposed in an overlying relationship with one of said plurality of indicia pads so that energization of said indicia pads and said indicia electrodes forming said digit results in the display of a visible digit member formed by a portion of said indicia electrodes without displaying said lead portion of said indicia electrodes and without displaying said stripes, said digit formed by said indicia electrodes being larger than said opposed indicia pad such that misalignments between said indicia electrodes and said indicia pads fail to cause said lead portions of said indicia electrodes to be displayed and fail to substantially destroy the readability of said visible digit member; spacing means for spacing said first substrate from said second substrate, said spacing means and said substrates defining a cavity, so that said first substrate is disposed in an overlying relationship with respect to said second substrate to allow an electric potential to be applied between said substrates; and liquid crystal disposed in said cavity.

Claim 8

A liquid crystal display comprising: a first substrate having an inner and outer surface with a substantial portion of its inner surface covered with a conductive reflective layer, said substrate being electrically insulative and said layer having a first plurality of stripes removed therefrom, said stripes thereon in the order of one mil in width and being configured to form said conductive layer into a plurality of indicia pads being connected to an electrical potential and a plurality of non-energized areas having no electrical connection thereto, said conductive reflective layer substantially presenting a continuous reflective surface on said substrate; a second substrate having an inner and outer surface with a substantial portion of its inner surface covered with a conductive layer having a second plurality of stripes removed therefrom, said stripes being of the order of one mil in width and being configured to form said conductive layer into a plurality of indicia electrodes and a plurality of non-energized areas having no electrical connection thereto, said plurality of indicia electrodes forming at least one digit, each indicia electrode having a lead portion, said digit formed by said indicia electrodes being disposed in an overlying relationship with one of said plurality of indicia pads so that energization of said indicia pads and said indicia electrodes forming said digit results in the display of a visible digit member formed by a portion of said indicia electrodes without displaying said lead portion of said indicia electrodes and without displaying said stripes, said digit formed by said indicia electrodes being larger than said opposed indicia pad such that misalignments between said indicia electrodes and said indicia pads fail to cause said lead portions of said indicia electrodes to be displayed and fail to substantially destroy the readability of said visible digit member; spacing means for spacing said first substrate from said second substrate, said spacing means and said substrates defining a cavity, so that said first substrate is disposed in an overlying relationship with respect to said second substrate to allow an electric potential to be applied between said substrates; and liquid crystal disposed in said cavity.

Claim 9

The liquid crystal display of claim 5 wherein: said digit formed by said indicia electrodes is configured by said second plurality of stripes into a seven segmented digit having four vertical electrodes and three horizontal electrodes configured in the form of a block eight having two non-energized areas circumscribed by said electrodes, said electrodes having sufficient width and breath to extend substantially beyond the horizontal and vertical boundaries of said opposed indicia pad, and said electrodes extending substantially unaltered in shape to one boundary of said conductive layer to form said lead portion contiguous to said boundary, said electrodes thereby remaining in an overlying and opposed position with respect to said indicia pad despite vertical and horizontal misalignments so that said misalignments fail to cause said lead portions to be displayed and fail to destroy the readability of said visible digit member.

Claim 10

A liquid crystal display for forming a character image including an upper and lower substrate and a liquid crystal substance disposed between said upper and lower substrates, each substrate having a conductive layer disposed thereon and configured into a plurality of electrically separated areas, said conductive layer having at least one said area fixed at a first potential for each character image, each said area forming an indicia pad, said conductive layer on said upper substrate having more than one of said areas selectively coupled to a second potential to form a plurality of indicia electrodes collectively forming an indicia electrode pattern for each character image, said liquid crystal substance changing state when disposed between an indicia pad at said first potential and an indicia electrode at said second potential, the improvement comprising: a configuration of said indicia electrodes and indicia pad for each character image wherein said character image is formed by partial overlap of said indicia electrode pattern with said indicia pad, said indicia electrode pattern overlapping and extending beyond said indicia pad so that displacements of said indicia electrode pattern with respect to said indicia pad do not tend to destroy said partial overlap and formation of said character image.

Claim 11

A liquid crystal display for forming a character image including an upper and lower substrate and a liquid crystal substance disposed between said upper and lower substrates, each substrate having a conductive layer disposed thereon and configured into a plurality of electrically separated areas, said conductive layer having at least one said area fixed at a first potential for each character image, each said area forming an indicia pad, said conductive layer on said upper substrate having more than one of said areas selectively coupled to a second potential to form a plurality of indicia electrodes collectively forming an indicia electrode pattern for each character image, said liquid crystal substance changing state when disposed between an indicia pad at said first potential and an indicia electrode at said second potential, the improvement comprising: a configuration of said indicia electrodes and indicia pad for each character image wherein said character image is formed by partial overlap of said indicia electrode pattern with said indicia pad, said indicia electrode pattern overlapping and extending beyond said indicia pad so that displacements of said indicia electrode pattern with respect to said indicia pad do not tend to destroy said partial overlap and formation of said character image.

Claim 12

The improvement of claim 7 wherein each said indicia pad has a generally rectangular shape, and said indicia electrode pattern is a seven segmented alphanumeric pattern having two end indicia electrodes, four side indicia electrodes and one midsection indicia electrode, wherein said end and side electrodes enclose an area smaller than the area of said indicia pad and each said end and side electrode overlaps and extends beyond said indicia pad despite misalignments of said indicia electrode pattern with respect to said indicia pad.