JP2000284700A - Electro-optical device and projection display device provided with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: In an electro-optical device having an electro-optical panel, by changing the material and shape of each part, it is possible to realize a structure capable of reducing the size of the device, in particular, to reduce the thickness thereof, and to radiate heat from the device. Provided is an electro-optical device capable of avoiding overheating by improving performance. A liquid crystal panel is provided, and a case body accommodating the liquid crystal panel is provided. Transparent substrates 3 and 4 are bonded to the panel surface of the liquid crystal panel 10. These transparent substrates 3 and 4 are made of single crystal sapphire.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an electro-optical device and a projection display device having the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a liquid crystal panel used for a projection type display device such as a liquid crystal projector is mounted inside a box of the projection type display device while being housed in a case made of synthetic resin or the like. A liquid crystal panel is usually connected to a flexible printed circuit board, and the flexible printed circuit board is assembled and positioned in a case body in a state where the flexible printed circuit board is connected.
An attachment hole or the like of the case body is positioned and fixed to an attachment portion formed inside the projection display device by a method such as screwing.

A liquid crystal panel module as an electro-optical device comprising the above liquid crystal panel and a case body is used as a light valve for forming a predetermined image by receiving light from a light source in a projection display device. The image formed by the liquid crystal panel module is enlarged by the projection optical system of the projection display device and projected on a screen or the like.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional liquid crystal panel module, and FIG. 8 schematically shows a schematic sectional structure of the conventional liquid crystal panel module. This liquid crystal panel module includes an element substrate 11 made of glass or the like and an opposing substrate 1.
And a liquid crystal panel 1 having a liquid crystal 10a injected between the two substrates.
0 and a case 20 made of a synthetic resin or the like having a light-shielding property such as black for accommodating the liquid crystal panel 10.

In the liquid crystal panel 10, the element substrate 11
An active element such as a known TFT (thin film transistor) element, a pixel electrode made of a transparent conductor such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), a wiring, an alignment film, and the like are formed on the inner surface of the counter substrate 12. A well-known counter electrode, an alignment film and the like are formed, and these form an active matrix type liquid crystal panel structure. In addition, on the inner surface of the counter substrate 12, the light transmission area (effective display area) of the liquid crystal panel 10 is provided on the outer periphery of the counter substrate 12.
The light shielding layer 12a is formed as a frame defining the above.

In a projection type display device, a liquid crystal panel module is irradiated with light, and this light is transmitted or blocked in each of a large number of pixels formed in an effective display area of the liquid crystal panel to form a predetermined image. Is done.
Each pixel is controlled by an electric field applied by a potential difference between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode. At this time, if a scratch is present on the outer surface of the element substrate 11 or the counter substrate 12 of the liquid crystal panel 10 or dust is attached, the image is disturbed by the scratch or dust and the quality of the projected image is deteriorated. There is a point. In particular, since the image formed by the liquid crystal panel 10 is enlarged and projected, the influence of the scratches and dust is extremely large.

In order to solve the above problem, a method of bonding transparent substrates 1 and 2 on the outer surfaces of an element substrate 11 and a counter substrate 12 of a liquid crystal panel 10 has been developed. These transparent substrates 1 and 2 are bonded to the element substrate 11 and the counter substrate 12 by a transparent adhesive (not shown). The transparent adhesive is applied to the element substrate 11 and the opposing substrate 12 and the transparent substrates 1 and 2.
A material having a refractive index substantially equal to both, for example,
It is desirable to use a transparent silicone adhesive or acrylic adhesive after curing. Thus, the element substrate 1
1. By bonding the transparent substrates 1 and 2 on the outer surface of the opposing substrate 12 via a transparent adhesive, even if there is a flaw on the outer surfaces of the element substrate 11 and the opposing substrate 12, it does not affect the image quality. Thus, it is possible to prevent dust from adhering to the outer surfaces of the element substrate 11 and the counter substrate 12. Although there is a possibility that scratches are formed on the outer surfaces of the transparent substrates 1 and 2 and dust adheres,
Normally, the focal point of the light emitted from the light source is set so as to be located in the liquid crystal panel 10, so that the image quality is hardly affected by the defocus effect.

The case body 20 has a hole 20a which penetrates the front and back, and is formed so as to receive the liquid crystal panel 10. The hole 20a is provided with openings 20b, 20c on both sides of the liquid crystal panel 10 which is stored. It has. An overhanging edge 21 is formed on the opening edge of the opening 20c so as to protrude inward.
It is configured to engage with the outer surface of the transparent substrate 2 housed in the hole 20a. In addition, a holding frame 24 locked by an engagement protrusion 23 formed on the outer surface of the case body 20 is attached to the opening 20b, and holds the outer surface of the transparent substrate 1 housed in the hole 20a. It has become. In the middle of the hole 20a, the outer shape of the element substrate 11 is
A step portion 22 is formed corresponding to the shape of the liquid crystal panel 10 projecting outside of the outer shape of the liquid crystal panel 10.

When assembling the liquid crystal panel module, a transparent substrate 1 and a transparent substrate 2 are adhered to the liquid crystal panel 10 to form a panel assembly. To the opening 20 of the case body 20.
b, a panel assembly including the liquid crystal panel 10 and the transparent substrates 1 and 2 is introduced into the case body 20. At this time, the panel assembly is positioned between the outer surface of the transparent substrate 2 and the projecting edge 21 in the direction in which the panel assembly is introduced into the case body (corresponding to the thickness direction of the liquid crystal panel in this example). Positioning is performed by contact, and in the panel surface direction of the liquid crystal panel 10, positioning is performed by contact between the end of the opposing substrate 12 and the inner surface of the hole 20 a. Finally, the holding frame 24 is fitted into the engagement projection 23 to hold the panel assembly so that it does not come out of the opening 20b, and the adhesive is cured to be integrated.

[0010]

However, in order to reduce the size of the projection type display device having the conventional liquid crystal panel module, it is necessary to reduce the size of the liquid crystal panel module. However, as described above, if the transparent substrates 1 and 2 are adhered to the panel surface of the liquid crystal panel 10 for dustproofing or image quality improvement, the liquid crystal panel module becomes thicker, which is contrary to the above miniaturization. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to achieve both improvement of the image quality of the display device and downsizing of the liquid crystal panel module, particularly, downsizing thereof.

In the projection type display device, the liquid crystal panel module is liable to be overheated due to the strong light emitted from the light source. Requires cooling. However, when the transparent substrates 1 and 2 are bonded as described above, the heat radiation of the liquid crystal panel 10 is deteriorated. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the blowing amount of the cooling fan for forced cooling.
There is also a problem that it is difficult to reduce power consumption and noise during operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the size and especially the thickness of an electro-optical device having an electro-optical panel by changing the material and shape of each part. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electro-optical device capable of realizing a possible structure and improving the heat dissipation of the device to avoid overheating of the liquid crystal panel.

[0013]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an electro-optical device according to the present invention comprises an electro-optical panel, a housing for housing the electro-optical panel, and the electro-optical device housed in the housing. An electro-optical device having a case body having an opening corresponding to at least a display surface of the panel, wherein a transparent substrate is surface-bonded on at least one of the front and back panel surfaces of the electro-optical panel, Is characterized in that at least a part thereof is made of single crystal sapphire.

According to the present invention, a transparent substrate is surface-bonded to a panel surface of an electro-optical panel, and at least a part of the transparent substrate is made of a single crystal having an extremely high thermal conductivity of at least 20 to 30 times that of various glasses. By consisting of sapphire,
By improving the thermal conductivity of the transparent substrate, the heat dissipation of the electro-optical panel is improved and the temperature distribution within the panel surface of the electro-optical panel is relaxed, so that deterioration of image quality due to overheating and temperature distribution can be reduced, In addition, it is possible to suppress an increase in energy consumption and noise due to an increase in the cooling means. In addition, the hardness of single crystal sapphire is 2 to 4 times higher in Vickers hardness than various glasses,
The hardness of the outer surface side portion of the transparent substrate can be increased. Therefore, it is possible to prevent scratches from being formed on the surface of the transparent substrate and chipping or cracking from occurring in the transparent substrate. Furthermore, since single crystal sapphire has a higher refractive index than glass or the like, the defocusing effect can be obtained even if the transparent substrate is formed thin. In the present invention, it is preferable that the transparent substrate is surface-bonded with a transparent adhesive after curing.

In the present invention, the transparent substrate is preferably a single crystal sapphire substrate.

According to the present invention, since the transparent substrate is a single crystal sapphire substrate, the heat dissipation of the electro-optical panel can be further improved and the in-plane temperature distribution can be further reduced. Further, since the single crystal sapphire substrate has a high hardness, it can be formed thin while preventing chipping and cracking, so that the electro-optical device can be further thinned.

It is preferable that the transparent substrate has a laminated structure of a layer made of single crystal sapphire and a layer different from single crystal sapphire.

According to the present invention, the single crystal sapphire can be formed even thinner by using a laminated structure in which single crystal sapphire, which is expensive and difficult to manufacture, is supported by a transparent layer as the transparent substrate. It can be further reduced. In the present invention, it is desirable that the single crystal sapphire and the transparent layer are bonded together after curing by a transparent adhesive.

In each of the above inventions, it is preferable that the transparent substrate is accommodated inside the case body, and an outer surface of the transparent substrate protrudes from a side surface of the case body.

According to the present invention, the thickness of the case body can be made thinner than the thickness of the panel assembly composed of the electro-optical panel and the transparent substrate, so that the entire electro-optical device can be further thinned. Can be. Even when the outer surface of the transparent substrate protrudes outward from the side surface of the case body, chipping or cracking occurs as in a conventional glass substrate if at least the outer portion of the transparent substrate is made of single crystal sapphire. Hard to do.

Next, an electro-optical device according to another aspect of the invention corresponds to an electro-optical panel, a housing for housing the electro-optical panel, and at least a display surface of the electro-optical panel housed in the housing. An electro-optical device having a case body having an opening, wherein a transparent substrate is surface-bonded on at least one of the front and back panel surfaces of the electro-optical panel, and the transparent substrate is housed inside the case body. And the outer surface of the transparent substrate protrudes from the side surface of the case body.

According to the present invention, the thickness of the case body can be made thinner than the thickness of the panel assembly composed of the electro-optical panel and the transparent substrate, so that the entire electro-optical device can be made thinner. it can.

Preferably, a step formed by projecting the transparent substrate from a side surface of the case body is covered with a light shielding material.

According to the present invention, it is possible for the light-shielding substance to protect the corners of the transparent substrate and to prevent light from entering the electro-optical panel from the steps.

Further, a light-shielding film is disposed on the outer periphery of one side of the surface where the electro-optical panel and the transparent substrate face each other, and the light-shielding film is disposed so as to overlap with the light-shielding substance. Is preferred.

According to this configuration, if the light-shielding film and the light-shielding substance are arranged so as to overlap with each other, it is possible to further prevent light from entering the electro-optical panel, and to lower the contrast of the electro-optical panel due to light leakage. , Malfunction can be prevented.

In each of the above inventions, it is preferable that a positioning portion for positioning the electro-optical panel in a thickness direction is provided in the housing portion.

According to the present invention, since the positioning portion for positioning the electro-optical panel in the thickness direction is provided in the housing portion of the case body, it is possible to position the transparent substrate in the thickness direction as in the prior art. There is no need to provide the overhanging edge portion 21. Even if the end of the case body is formed on the liquid crystal panel side as described above, the liquid crystal panel can be reliably positioned.

In each of the above inventions, it is preferable that a space is provided between an inner surface of the case body and a peripheral portion of a joint surface between the electro-optical panel and the transparent substrate.

According to the present invention, since the space is provided between the inner surface of the case body and the peripheral edge of the joint surface,
When the electro-optical panel and the transparent substrate are surface-bonded with an adhesive, even if the adhesive overflows from the joint surface, the adhesive can be accommodated in the space, so that the adhesive does not leak out of the case body. Can be configured.

Here, it is desirable that a step is formed between the peripheral portion of the electro-optical panel and the peripheral portion of the transparent substrate.

According to the present invention, since the step is formed between the peripheral portion of the electro-optical panel and the peripheral portion of the transparent substrate, the adhesive overflowing from the joint surface can be subjected to the surface tension and the wetting of the adhesive. The adhesive can be held at the step according to the degree or the like, so that the spread of the adhesive can be reduced even in the case.

According to still another aspect of the invention, there is provided an electro-optical device comprising an electro-optical panel and a transparent substrate adhered to one of the front and rear panel surfaces of the electro-optical panel. Is formed.

According to the present invention, since the mounting and fixing structure is formed on the transparent substrate itself, it is not necessary to separately provide a case body, and the thickness of the panel assembly itself composed of the electro-optical panel and the transparent substrate is reduced. Since the thickness of the optical device can be set, the thickness of the electro-optical device can be reduced.

In the present invention, it is preferable that at least the outer surface side of the transparent substrate is made of single crystal sapphire.

According to the present invention, since at least the outer surface side of the transparent substrate is made of single crystal sapphire, the hardness of the outer surface of the transparent substrate can be improved. Therefore, the outer surface of the transparent substrate is less likely to be damaged, and the mechanical strength of the transparent substrate itself can be improved, so that cracking and chipping can be prevented. Further, since the transparent substrate can be made thinner by improving the strength of the transparent substrate, the electro-optical device can be formed even thinner. In addition, since single crystal sapphire has a higher refractive index than glass or the like, a defocus effect can be obtained even when a transparent substrate is formed thin.

In the above invention, it is preferable that the mounting and fixing structure is a through hole.

By making the mounting and fixing structure a through hole, processing is facilitated, and mounting and fixing can be reliably performed when the electro-optical device is installed.

Further, in the above invention, the electro-optical panel includes an electro-optical material sandwiched between a pair of substrates,
At least one of the pair of substrates is preferably made of single crystal sapphire.

According to such a configuration, in addition to the transparent substrate, at least one of the pair of substrates constituting the electro-optical panel is made of single crystal sapphire, so that the transparent substrate and at least one of the pair of panels are formed. The heat conductivity of the electro-optical device is improved by improving the heat conductivity of the electro-optical device, and the temperature distribution in the panel surface of the electro-optical device is relaxed, so that deterioration of image quality due to overheating and temperature distribution can be reduced.

The electro-optical device according to each of the above-mentioned inventions can be used as an image forming means in a projection display device. By using the above-described electro-optical device as an image quality forming unit of a projection display device, it is possible to improve the image quality of a projected image, reduce the size of the device, and reduce power consumption and noise by reducing the capacity of a forced cooling unit. Can be planned.

[0042]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of an electro-optical device according to the present invention and a projection type display device provided with the same will be described in detail. Each embodiment described below has a liquid crystal panel 10 similar to the conventional structure shown in FIG. 8 as an electro-optical panel, and the structure is basically the same as the conventional structure. However, the present invention is not limited to a liquid crystal panel, but can be used for various electro-optical panels such as an EL (electroluminescence) panel and an organic EL panel.

[First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a schematic structure of a liquid crystal panel module which is a first embodiment of the electro-optical device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, since the liquid crystal panel 10 having the same structure as the above-described conventional one and the case body 20 having the same structure as the above-described conventional one are provided, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

In this embodiment, the transparent substrates 1 and 2 made of single crystal sapphire are used instead of the conventional transparent substrates 1 and 2 made of glass. Single crystal sapphire is glass,
In particular, the hardness is extremely high (Vickers hardness 230) as compared with quartz glass having high strength (Vickers hardness 900).
0). For this reason, even if the transparent substrates 3 and 4 are formed thinner than before, they can be made to flow during the manufacturing process, and the risk of breakage can be reduced. For example, length 200mm, width 30
In the case of a plate having a thickness of about 0 mm, the plate can be formed to have a thickness of about 0.2 mm, and this can be easily handled during the manufacturing process. The high hardness makes it difficult for the transparent substrates 3 and 4 to be chipped or cracked during and after the manufacturing process, so that the handleability is good and the impact resistance is improved. Further, since the hardness is high, the case body 20 itself can be formed thin by forming the transparent substrates 3 and 4 thin, so that the entire liquid crystal panel module can be formed thin. Here, the amount of single crystal sapphire used can be reduced by making the transparent substrates 3 and 4 thinner than before, so that an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

Further, as described above, since the hardness of the transparent substrates 3 and 4 is high, the outer surfaces of the transparent substrates 3 and 4 are not easily scratched, so that deterioration of image quality due to the scratches can be avoided. Scratches on the outer surfaces of the transparent substrates 3 and 4 are originally unlikely to affect the image quality due to the above-mentioned defocus effect, but it is more advantageous to have no scratches for improving the image quality. Furthermore, single-crystal sapphire is made of various glasses (refractive index: 1.4 to 1.
Higher refractive index compared to about _{5) (n o = 1.768,} n e
= 1.760), the above-mentioned defocus effect can be sufficiently exerted even when the transparent substrates 3 and 4 are thin. That is, if the transparent substrate has the same thickness as the conventional one, the defocusing effect can be enhanced, and if the same defocusing effect as the conventional one can be obtained, the thickness of the transparent substrate can be increased as compared with the conventional one. Can be thin.

Furthermore, single crystal sapphire also has a significantly higher thermal conductivity than quartz glass (1.2 W / m · K) (4).
2.0 W / m · K). For this reason, by using single crystal sapphire for the transparent substrates 3 and 4 corresponding to the openings 20 b and 20 c of the case body 20, the heat dissipation of the liquid crystal panel 10 is improved, and the overheating of the liquid crystal panel 10 can be prevented. . Therefore, the amount of air blown by the cooling fan for forcibly cooling the liquid crystal light valve constituted by the liquid crystal panel module of the projection display device described later can be reduced, and noise and power consumption can be reduced. Further, since the temperature distribution in the plane of the liquid crystal panel 10 can be reduced by improving the heat dissipation, the image quality can be improved from this point as well.

When the liquid crystal panel module according to the present embodiment is installed as a light valve in a projection type display device shown in FIG. 6 to be described later and actually operated, the temperature rise rate is reduced by 10 to 15% as compared with the related art. Was completed. Further, the temperature distribution in the panel surface could be reduced to １ ／ to ５ of the conventional temperature distribution.

In the present embodiment, all of the transparent substrates 3 and 4 are made of single-crystal sapphire. However, it is also possible to use a single-crystal sapphire thin plate bonded to the surface of various kinds of ordinary glass, for example. . In this case, it is preferable to dispose the single crystal sapphire on the outer surface side of the transparent substrates 3 and 4 from the viewpoint of heat radiation effect and damage prevention. By doing so, the amount of single crystal sapphire used can be further reduced, which is effective in reducing the manufacturing cost.

The transparent substrates 3 and 4 are formed by a Bernoulli method or an EFG method (Edge-defined Film-fed Gr).
It is formed by cutting and cutting a single crystal sapphire formed by a method such as an opening method or another method into a required shape, and then performing a polishing process. The plate surfaces of the transparent substrates 3 and 4 are mirror-finished by mechanical chemical polishing (polishing). The thickness is determined in consideration of the mechanical strength and the material cost, and is preferably in the range of 50 to 1000 μm. In addition, the transparent substrates 3 and 4 are formed by processing the single crystal sapphire so that the R-plane of the single crystal sapphire becomes the plate surface, in that the manufacturing process is facilitated, and sufficient hardness and bonding characteristics are obtained. desirable. Further, in the present embodiment, a light-shielding film 4a may be provided on the outer periphery of one surface of the transparent substrate 4 facing the opposite substrate 12. The light shielding layer 4a and the light shielding layer 12 provided on the liquid crystal layer side of the opposing substrate 12 are provided.
By arranging a so as to be overlapped in a plan view, light leakage from the periphery to the liquid crystal layer can be prevented.

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing a schematic structure of a liquid crystal panel module which is a second embodiment of the electro-optical device according to the present invention. This embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment, and a description of common parts will be omitted. In the present embodiment, the case body 30 integrally molded from a black synthetic resin having a light-shielding property is formed in a planar rectangular frame shape. The flat rectangular hole 30a formed so as to penetrate the front and back sides of the case body 30 is provided at the substantially center of the liquid crystal panel 10 formed by bonding the element substrate 11 and the counter substrate 12 in the thickness direction of the hole 30a. It has an opening 30b on the element substrate 11 side and an opening 30c on the counter substrate 12 side.

In the present embodiment, for the sake of convenience in the following description, a virtual space defined by the hole 30a and a substantially central portion of the hole 30a in the thickness direction of the electro-optical panel is accommodated in the housing portion 30A. The side portion provided adjacent to the housing portion 30A and on the side of the opening 30b is referred to as the outer housing portion 30.
B, and a side surface portion provided adjacent to the housing portion 30A and on the opening 30c side is referred to as an outer housing portion 30C.

The liquid crystal panel 10 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 30A of the case body 30, and the inner surface portion 31 provided in the accommodating portion 30A abuts on the end surface of the opposing substrate 12, so that the liquid crystal panel 10 is oriented in the panel surface direction. (Direction parallel to the panel surface). Further, a step surface 32 formed adjacent to the inner surface portion 31 and parallel to the panel surface direction is provided in the housing portion 30A. This step surface 32 is a projecting portion 11 where the element substrate 11 projects outside the counter substrate 12.
The liquid crystal panel 10 is positioned in the thickness direction by contacting the inner surface of the liquid crystal panel a.

When wires and terminals are formed on the inner surface of the overhang portion 11a, they are covered with a hard protective film (such as an overcoat film), and a step surface 32 is formed on the protective film. You may comprise so that it may contact. Also, a COG in which electronic components such as an integrated circuit are mounted on the overhang portion 11a.
In the case where the liquid crystal panel 10 has a structure, the step surface 32 is configured to avoid the electronic component, for example, it is partially so as to abut only at three or more corners of the four corners of the liquid crystal panel 10. It is desirable that the step surface 32 be formed.

The outer housing portion 30B formed on the opening 30b side of the housing portion 30A is provided with a step surface 33 facing the step surface 32. The step surface 33 is located further outside (opening 30b) of the step surface 33. A flat inner surface 35 parallel to the thickness direction of the electro-optical panel is formed. The outer end of the inner surface 35 is the opening edge of the opening 30b. That is, the projecting portion 35 projecting into the case body 30 is formed in a state where the opening shape of the opening 30b is substantially maintained, or the outer housing portion 30B is substantially the same as the opening shape of the opening 30b throughout. It has a planar shape.

Since the gap between the step surface 32 and the step surface 33 facing each other is formed slightly larger than the thickness of the element substrate 11, the position at which the step surface 33 is formed is determined by the junction between the element substrate 11 and the transparent substrate 1. It is slightly displaced toward the opening 30b.

Further, a step surface 34 which is opposite to the step surface 32 with the inner surface portion 31 interposed therebetween is formed in the outer housing portion 30C formed on the opening 30c side of the housing portion 30A,
A flat inner surface 36 parallel to the thickness direction of the electro-optical panel is formed further outside the step surface 34 (on the side of the opening 30c). The outer end of the inner surface 36 is
0c. That is, the opening 30c
The inner surface portion 36 is formed so as to be drawn into the inside of the case body 30 with the opening shape of
The outer accommodating portion 30C has a substantially same planar shape as the opening shape of the opening portion 30c throughout.

Here, the end of the case body 30 in the thickness direction of the electric liquid crystal panel, that is, in this embodiment, the outer surface of the transparent substrate 1 protrudes beyond the opening edge of the opening 30b of the case body 30. Are arranged as follows. Similarly, the other end in the thickness direction, that is, in this embodiment, the outer surface of the transparent substrate 2 is connected to the opening 30 c of the case body 30.
Are arranged so as to protrude from the opening edge of the opening. For this reason, the thickness of the case body 30 can be made thinner than the conventional one, and the thickness of the entire liquid crystal panel module is not determined by the case body 30 but the liquid crystal panel 10 and the transparent substrates 1 and 2. Determined by the thickness of the panel assembly.

In the case 30, the distance between the step surfaces 32 and 34, which are opposite to each other, is slightly larger than the sum of the thickness of the counter substrate 12 and the panel gap (the distance between the element substrate 11 and the counter substrate 12). Due to the small size, the formation position of the step surface 34 is slightly shifted to the side of the opening 30 b from the joint between the counter substrate 12 and the transparent substrate 2.

As described above, the step surface 33 and the step surface 34
Are different from the junction between the element substrate 11 and the transparent substrate 1 and the junction between the opposing substrate 12 and the transparent substrate 2, respectively. Further, a gap (space) is formed between the peripheral portion of the joint surface between the counter substrate 12 and the transparent substrate 2 and the case body 30. When the element substrate 11 and the transparent substrate 1 and the opposing substrate 12 and the transparent substrate 2 are bonded with a transparent adhesive, these gaps are spaces for accommodating the transparent adhesive overflowing outside. Can be prevented from overflowing outside the case body 30 or the amount of the transparent adhesive overflowing outside the case body 30 can be reduced.

Further, since step surfaces 33 and 34 are formed between the housing portion 30A and the outer housing portion 30B, the end of the element substrate 11 and the end of the transparent substrate 1 are oriented in the panel surface direction. The end of the opposite substrate 12 and the transparent substrate 2
Can be configured so as to be shifted from the end in the panel surface direction. For this reason, a step is formed between the end of the element substrate 11 and the end of the transparent substrate 1 or between the end of the counter substrate 12 and the end of the transparent substrate 2. Even if the transparent adhesive overflows from the junction between the element substrate 11 and the transparent substrate 1 or from the junction between the opposing substrate 12 and the transparent substrate 2, if the amount of overflow is small, wetting of the transparent adhesive between the substrate and the substrate material may occur. Due to the nature and surface tension, the overflowing transparent adhesive collects on the step and does not come into contact with the inside of the case body, so that it is possible to prevent the transparent adhesive from leaking from the case body to the outside. Of course, if the overflow amount of the transparent adhesive is large, it is not possible to stay at the above-mentioned step. However, even in this case, since the gap between the panel assembly and the inner surface of the case is formed by the steps 33 and 34 of the case, the transparent adhesive does not leak out of the case due to the gap. It can be configured as follows.

In the case body 30, the transparent substrates 1 and 2 can be introduced into the outer accommodating portions 30B and 30C from the openings 30b and 30c, respectively. Specifically, since flat inner surfaces 35 and 36 are formed inside the openings 30b and 30c in parallel with the thickness direction of the liquid crystal panel, the shapes and the sizes of the shapes and the sizes that can be introduced from the openings 30b and 30c are provided. The transparent substrates 1 and 2 can be directly bonded to the liquid crystal panel 10. At this time, as described above, since the outer surfaces of the transparent substrates 1 and 2 are configured to protrude beyond the side surfaces of the liquid crystal panel of the case body 30, the transparent substrates 1 and 2 can be easily handled.

In this embodiment, the transparent substrate 1
At least one of the transparent substrates 1 and 2 only needs to be surface-bonded to the liquid crystal panel 10, and when only one of the transparent substrates 1 and 2 is surface-bonded, the case body 30 can be further thinned.

In this embodiment, the openings 30b and 30c are formed in the same shape and size as shown in the figure, and the transparent substrates 1 and 2 can be constituted by glass plates having the same shape and size. It has become. Therefore, the process management for handling the transparent substrate is facilitated, and the cost can be reduced.

Since the liquid crystal panel 10 is positioned in the panel surface direction and the thickness direction with respect to the case body 30 by the inner surface portion 31 and the step surface 32, the liquid crystal panel 10 and the case body 30 are further connected, for example, to the step surfaces 32 and 33. If the liquid crystal panel 10 is fixed by an adhesive or the like disposed in the groove between the liquid crystal panel 10 and the liquid crystal panel 10, the liquid crystal panel 10 is fixed in a state of being positioned with respect to the case body 30. However, as the adhesive, for example, silicon RTV
For example, an adhesive having elasticity even after curing such as a rubber-based adhesive may be used. In this case, the fixed state is obtained in which the adhesive is attached to the case body 30 with some flexibility.

As described above, the liquid crystal panel 10 is
0, and the transparent substrates 1 and 2 are introduced through the openings 30b and 30c and adhered to the liquid crystal panel 10, so that the panel assembly composed of the liquid crystal panel 10 and the transparent substrates 1 and 2 is The state is fixed to. In the conventional support body 20 shown in FIG. 8, the positioning of the panel assembly including the liquid crystal panel 10 in the thickness direction is performed by the projecting edge 21 formed at the opening edge of the opening 20c. Is inevitably thicker than the thickness of the panel assembly. However, in the present embodiment, the positioning is performed by the stepped surface 32 formed inside the accommodating portion 30A. There is no need to form the overhanging edge 21 for locking the outer surface of the case 30. As a result, the case body 30 can be formed thin as described above. Further, for the same reason, it is not necessary to form a portion including the overhanging edge portion 21 formed outside the transparent substrate 2,
In addition, since the opening area of the opening 30c can be increased, the heat dissipation can be improved.

The transparent substrates 1 and 2 are preferably formed with light-shielding layers 1a and 4a on the outer periphery thereof. This light shielding layer 1
a and 4a may be formed on the outer surfaces of the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 10. The light-shielding layers 1a and 4a can be formed by depositing aluminum or the like on the transparent substrates 1 and 2 or printing a colored layer such as black. The light-shielding layers 1a, 4a are more preferably formed on the respective inner surfaces (surfaces facing the liquid crystal panel 10) of the transparent substrates 1, 2 from the viewpoint that stray light can be blocked. These light-shielding layers 1a and 4a are usually formed of a light-shielding layer 12a formed inside the liquid crystal panel 10.
If the inner edge portion is configured to come to a position that overlaps with the plane, light leakage to the liquid crystal panel can be suppressed.

In order to more completely shield light from the liquid crystal panel 10 on which the transparent substrates 1 and 2 are bonded and the case 30, as shown in FIG.
It is more preferable to apply a light-shielding substance 5 such as a black resin between the opening edges of the openings 30b and 30c at 0 and to cure. In this case, the light-shielding substance 5 is applied to the transparent substrates 1 and 2 protruding outside the openings 30b and 30c of the case body 30.
It also functions as a protective substance to protect the corners of. If light shielding between the panel assembly and the case body 30 is unnecessary, a protective substance having only a protective function may be applied instead of the light shielding substance 5 and cured.

(Structure of Projection Display Device) The liquid crystal panel module of this embodiment is designed to be installed inside the projection display device shown in FIG. FIG.
The structure of a liquid crystal projector 120, which is a projection display device using the above liquid crystal panel module, will be described with reference to FIG. In the housing of the liquid crystal projector 120, a light source lamp 121, two dichroic mirrors 122, 123, and three reflection mirrors 124, 125,
126 are provided. As a light source lamp, a halogen lamp, a metal halide lamp, a xenon lamp, or the like can be used. Light emitted from the light source is R (red), G by dichroic mirrors 122 and 123.
(Green) and B (blue). In the apparatus, three liquid crystal light valves 133, 134 and 135 are installed so as to surround the cubic dichroic prism 136 from three sides. The above-mentioned reflection mirror 124,
Reference numerals 125 and 126 guide R, G, and B light to the liquid crystal light valves 133, 134, and 135, respectively. Note that the B (blue) light is guided through the incident lens 127, the relay lens 128, and the emission lens 129 to prevent light loss due to a long optical path.

The liquid crystal light valves 133, 134,
135 is constituted by the liquid crystal panel module described above, and is installed by inserting and fixing the case body 30 to a mounting portion (not shown) in the optical unit. These liquid crystal light valves are controlled by control driving means (not shown) in accordance with desired image information.
Modulation for G and B is performed.

The liquid crystal light valves 133, 134, 1
The light fluxes R, G, and B, which are respectively modulated by 35 and form predetermined image components, are combined by a cubic dichroic prism 136, and are projected by a projection lens unit 137 to a screen 1 at a predetermined position.
38 is enlarged and projected.

In the liquid crystal projector 120, when the present embodiment is made thinner, the liquid crystal light valve can be made thinner, so that the entire device can be made smaller. Further, as described above, since the heat dissipation of the liquid crystal panel module is improved, it becomes possible to reduce the amount of air blown by the cooling fan for forced cooling in the projection display device equipped with the liquid crystal panel module, Noise can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the above-mentioned single crystal sapphire is preferably used as the transparent substrate. In this case, the transparent substrate formed of single crystal sapphire is
Of the transparent substrate is extremely higher than that of various types of glass as described above, so that the occurrence of chipping or cracking due to the projection from the case body is prevented. can do.

[Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment of the electro-optical device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing a schematic structure of the liquid crystal panel module of the third embodiment. In this embodiment, the liquid crystal panel 10 similar to each of the above embodiments is accommodated in a case body 40 substantially similar to that of the above second embodiment. In this embodiment, the transparent substrates 6 and 7 having a laminated glass structure are surface-bonded to the panel surface of the liquid crystal panel 10. Case body 4
The opening edges of the opening portions 40b and 40c of the transparent substrates 6 and 7
Are arranged closer to the liquid crystal panel 10 than the outer surface of the liquid crystal panel is the same as in the above embodiments. Each of the transparent substrates 6 and 7 used in this embodiment includes a glass layer 6b and 7b.
And a laminated structure in which sapphire layers 6c and 7c made of single-crystal sapphire are adhered. Glass layers 6b, 7
As b, an inorganic glass having an appropriate thickness such as a thickness of 0.7 mm, which is subjected to a chemical strengthening treatment by an ion exchange method, is used. In addition, the sapphire layers 6c and 7
As c, for example, 300 μm
What was formed so that it might become about thickness is used. The thickness of the sapphire layer is not limited to the above value, and is arbitrary, but in practice, it is preferably in the range of 50 to 1000 μm in terms of achieving both mechanical strength and material cost. . For bonding the glass layers 6b, 7b and the sapphire layers 6c, 7c, a liquid or sheet-like epoxy adhesive can be used. As an adhesive,
A material that does not reduce the light transmittance of the transparent substrates 6 and 7 while having sufficient adhesive strength (having transparency after curing) is preferable. Here, after bonding the glass layer and the sapphire layer, one of the layers may be polished to reduce the thickness, or the processing of the end portion may be performed after bonding the two layers.

In this embodiment, both of the transparent substrates 6 and 7 are surface-bonded to the liquid crystal panel 10 such that the surfaces of the sapphire layers 6c and 7c become outer surfaces. Since the sapphire layer has a high hardness as described above, the surface is not easily damaged, and has excellent performance as a dustproof substrate.
Further, since the thermal conductivity is high, the heat dissipation of the liquid crystal panel 10 can be improved. Additionally, single crystal sapphire, high refractive index various glass (refractive index about 1.4 to 1.5) compared to the _{(n o = 1.768, n e} = 1.760)
Therefore, even if the transparent substrates 6 and 7 are thin, the above-described defocus effect can be sufficiently exerted.

In this embodiment, since the transparent substrates 6 and 7 have a structure in which single-crystal sapphire and another transparent member are bonded together, it is possible to prevent scratches and breakage without using a large amount of expensive single-crystal sapphire. Effects, a sufficient defocusing effect, an effect of improving heat dissipation, and the like.

When the transparent substrates 6 and 7 in which the sapphire layer and another transparent member are laminated as in the present embodiment are used, the thickness of the sapphire layer is reduced by opening the openings 40b and 40c of the case body 40. It is preferable that only the protrusion protrudes out of the case in order to prevent damage to other transparent materials (such as glass). In this embodiment, the light-shielding layer 4a and the light-shielding layer 12a provided on the liquid crystal layer side of the counter substrate 12 are also used.
If they are arranged so as to overlap each other when viewed two-dimensionally, light leakage from the periphery to the liquid crystal layer can be prevented.

[Fourth Embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 (a)
FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a structure of a liquid crystal panel module according to a fourth embodiment, and FIG. 7B is a schematic plan view. This embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the second embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof will be omitted, and only different points will be described. In this embodiment, the transparent substrates 3 and 4 adhered to the liquid crystal panel 10 are attached to the liquid crystal panel 1.
This structure shows a structure in which the manufacturing cost is reduced by further reducing the amount of single crystal sapphire formed even smaller than the counter substrate 12 of No. 0. In this embodiment, as in the third embodiment, the transparent substrates 6 and 7 in which a sapphire layer made of single crystal sapphire is combined with another transparent material may be used. In this case, the amount of single crystal sapphire used can be further reduced.

Another feature of the present embodiment is that a step surface 52 is provided at the boundary between the opposing substrate 12 and the transparent substrate 4 of the case body 50, and the step surface 52 is provided on the outer surface of the opposing substrate 12.
Are positioned in the thickness direction of the liquid crystal panel 10. The positioning of the liquid crystal panel 10 in the planar direction is performed by the inner surface portion 51 in the same manner as described above.

As described above, by positioning the liquid crystal panel in the thickness direction by the step surface 52, the contact portion with the case body 50 is provided on the inner surface of the overhang portion 11 a of the element substrate 11 as in each of the above embodiments. You do not need to set
It is not necessary to avoid the wires and connection terminals formed on the inner surface of the overhang portion 11a or the mounted integrated circuit chip, and it is not necessary to form a complicated structure in the case body 50. In order to achieve the same effect,
The outer surface of the element substrate 11 may be configured to abut on a step surface formed in the case body 50. In the present embodiment, an opening 50d that opens downward in FIG. 4B is formed in the hole 50a of the case body 50, and the liquid crystal panel 10 is moved from the opening 50d in the panel surface direction. It can be inserted while sliding.
The liquid crystal panel 10 is introduced from the opening 50d in a state where the flexible wiring board 16 shown in FIG. 4B is connected, and is fixed to the case body 50 by an adhesive described later.

[Fifth Embodiment] Next, a fifth embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. This embodiment has the same configuration as the above embodiment, and only different points will be described. In the present embodiment, without using the case body shown in each of the above embodiments, the mounting and fixing structure for the mounting portion provided inside the projection type display device on the transparent substrates 8 and 9 itself surface-bonded to the liquid crystal panel 10 is used. Provided.
The transparent substrates 8 and 9 have a planar shape that is slightly larger than the liquid crystal panel 10, and are attached and fixed to portions protruding outside the periphery of the liquid crystal panel 10, that is, in this embodiment, mounting holes 8 b and 9 b penetrated are provided. Is formed. The liquid crystal panel module shown in FIG.
Is fixed inside the projection type display device via a bolt or the like.

According to this embodiment, the transparent substrates 8 and 9 themselves are used instead of the case body without using the case body as in each of the above-described embodiments. And the thickness of the liquid crystal panel module can be made thinner than before. At this time, since the transparent substrates 8 and 9 made of single crystal sapphire have sufficient hardness, the surface
The possibility of chipping or cracking can be reduced. In addition, since the transparent substrate is slightly larger than the electro-optical panel, even if the adhesive protrudes from between the electro-optical panel and the transparent substrate, the adhesive that has protruded from the transparent substrate is covered, so that it is larger than the panel module. It can be prevented from flowing out. Furthermore, since the panel cross section has an opening shape, the cooling performance is improved.

As the mounting and fixing structure for installing the apparatus, in addition to the above-described through-holes, various structures such as a key groove such as a U-groove, a slit, a step, etc., corresponding to the structure of the mounting portion to be installed are provided. A structure can be formed. Further, the transparent substrates 8 and 9 are not limited to the case where the whole is formed of single crystal sapphire as in the present embodiment, but may be a combination of a sapphire layer and another transparent material as in the third embodiment. There may be.

In the above embodiment, the element substrate 11
The opposing substrate 12 can be formed of a quartz substrate, a glass substrate, or the like. In any of the embodiments, at least one of the element substrate 11 and the opposing substrate 12 can be formed of single crystal sapphire. is there. According to such a configuration, since the element substrate 11 and the counter substrate 12 are formed of single-crystal sapphire in addition to the transparent substrate, the heat dissipation of the electro-optical panel can be improved by improving the thermal conductivity, and the electro-optical panel can be improved. Since the temperature distribution in the panel surface is reduced, it is effective to further reduce the deterioration of the image quality due to overheating and temperature distribution.

The electro-optical device of the present invention and the projection type display device using the same are not limited to the above-described illustrated examples, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course.

[0085]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A transparent substrate is adhered on the panel surface of the electro-optical panel, and at least the outer surface side portion of the transparent substrate is made of a single crystal sapphire having an extremely high thermal conductivity of 20 to 30 times or more such as various kinds of glass, thereby providing a transparent substrate. By improving the thermal conductivity of the substrate, the heat dissipation of the electro-optical panel is improved and the temperature distribution within the panel surface of the electro-optical panel is reduced, so that deterioration of image quality due to overheating and temperature distribution can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to suppress an increase in energy consumption and noise due to an increase in the cooling means. Further, since the hardness of the outer surface side portion of the transparent substrate can be increased, it is possible to prevent the surface of the transparent substrate from being scratched, and the transparent substrate from being chipped or cracked. Furthermore, since single crystal sapphire has a higher refractive index than glass or the like, the defocusing effect can be obtained even if the transparent substrate is formed thin.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a structure of an electro-optical device according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a structure of an electro-optical device according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a structure of an electro-optical device according to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4A is a schematic sectional view illustrating a structure of an electro-optical device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a schematic plan view.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing the structure of a fifth embodiment of the electro-optical device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a projection display device using the electro-optical device according to the invention.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic structure of a conventional liquid crystal panel module.

FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view schematically showing a schematic structure of a conventional liquid crystal panel module.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2 transparent substrate 1a, 4a light shielding layer 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 transparent substrate (single crystal sapphire) 5 light shielding material 6b, 7b glass layer 6c, 7c sapphire layer 10 liquid crystal panel 11 element substrate 12 facing substrate 12a Light shielding layer 20, 30, 40, 50 Case body 30A Housing part 30B, 30C Outer housing part 30a Hole part 30b, 30c Opening part 31, 35, 36 Inner surface part 32, 33, 34 Step surface

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] April 20, 2000 (200.4.2
0)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Claims]

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0080

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Fifth Embodiment] Next, a fifth embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. This embodiment has the same configuration as the above embodiment, and only different points will be described. In the present embodiment, without using the case body shown in each of the above embodiments, the mounting and fixing structure for the mounting portion provided inside the projection type display device on the transparent substrates 8 and 9 itself surface-bonded to the liquid crystal panel 10 is used. Provided.
The transparent substrates 8 and 9 have a planar shape that is slightly larger than the liquid crystal panel 10, and are attached and fixed to portions protruding outside the periphery of the liquid crystal panel 10, that is, in this embodiment, mounting holes 8 b and 9 b penetrated are provided. Is formed. The liquid crystal panel module shown in FIG. 5 has the mounting holes 8b and 9b.
Is fixed inside the projection type display device via a bolt or the like.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F-term (reference) 2H088 EA14 EA68 HA01 HA13 HA21 MA20 2H089 QA06 QA11 TA01 TA12 TA17 UA05 5G435 AA12 BB05 BB12 BB17 CC12 DD02 DD05 EE02 EE13 EE33 FF13 GG01 GG02 GG03 GG04 GG03 GG04 GG04 GG04 GG04 GG04 GG04 GG03

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. An electro-optical device comprising: an electro-optical panel; a housing for housing the electro-optical panel; and a case body having an opening corresponding to at least a display surface of the electro-optical panel housed in the housing. An electro-optical device, wherein a transparent substrate is surface-bonded on at least one of the front and back panel surfaces of the electro-optical panel, and at least a part of the transparent substrate is made of single crystal sapphire. apparatus. 2. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate is a single crystal sapphire substrate. 3. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate has a stacked structure of a layer made of single-crystal sapphire and a layer different from single-crystal sapphire. 4. One of claims 1 to 3
In the paragraph, the transparent substrate is housed inside the case body, and an outer surface of the transparent substrate protrudes from a side surface of the case body. 5. An electro-optical device comprising: an electro-optical panel; a housing for housing the electro-optical panel; and a case body having an opening corresponding to at least a display surface of the electro-optical panel housed in the housing. In the device, a transparent substrate is adhered to at least one of the front and back panel surfaces of the electro-optical panel, and the transparent substrate is accommodated inside the case body, and the outer surface of the transparent substrate is An electro-optical device protruding from a side surface of a case body. 6. The electro-optical device according to claim 5, wherein a step formed by projecting the transparent substrate from the side surface is covered with a light-shielding substance. 7. A light-shielding film is disposed on an outer periphery on one side of a surface where the electro-optical panel and the transparent substrate face each other,
The electro-optical device according to claim 6, wherein the light-shielding film is disposed so as to overlap the light-shielding substance. 8. One of claims 1 to 7
9. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the accommodation section is provided with a positioning section for positioning the electro-optical panel in a thickness direction of the electro-optical panel. 9. Any one of claims 1 to 8
9. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein a space is provided between an inner surface of the case body and a peripheral edge of a bonding surface between the electro-optical panel and the transparent substrate. 10. The electro-optical device according to claim 9, wherein a step is formed between a peripheral portion of the electro-optical panel and a peripheral portion of the transparent substrate. 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein
Item, wherein a transparent substrate is surface-adhered to the electro-optical panel and one of the front and back panel surfaces of the electro-optical panel, and a mounting and fixing structure for installing the device is formed on the transparent substrate. Electro-optical device. 12. The electro-optical device according to claim 11, wherein at least the outer surface of the transparent substrate is made of single crystal sapphire. 13. The method according to claim 11, wherein
The electro-optical device, wherein the mounting and fixing structure is a through hole. 14. The method according to claim 1, wherein
9. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the electro-optical panel has an electro-optical material sandwiched between a pair of substrates, and the pair of substrates is made of single crystal sapphire. 15. A projection type display device comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 1 as an image forming unit.