Transparent liquid crystal display

Abstract

A transparent LCD includes a first substrate and a second substrate opposite to and spaced from each other. Stop walls are provided between the first and second substrates and have an upper end and a lower end directly fixed to the first and second substrates so as to divide an internal space between the first and second substrates into first areas and second areas that are separate from each other by the stop walls. Liquid crystal is filled in each of the first areas to form active areas. The second areas are not filled with liquid crystal so as to form non-active areas. Metal grid polarizers are provided on top and bottom sides of the LCD and are each divided into polarizing areas corresponding to the active areas and non-polarizing areas corresponding to the non-active areas.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A transparent liquid crystal display (LCD), which comprises: a first substrate, a second substrate disposed corresponding and opposite to the first substrate, and a liquid crystal (LC) layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate;
 the transparent LCD comprising a plurality of active areas and a plurality of non-active areas arranged alternately, the non-active areas being transparent areas;   the LC layer comprising: a plurality of first areas disposed correspondingly to the plurality of active areas, and a plurality of second areas disposed correspondingly to the plurality of non-active areas, stop walls disposed between the first areas and the second areas, and the LC molecules of the LC layer being located in the first areas;   wherein the stop walls have opposite ends that are directly mounted to inside surfaces of the first and second substrates to separate the first areas from the second areas and the first and second areas are defined between the inside surfaces of the first and second substrates and the stop walls; and   wherein the second areas of the LC layer comprise a void space free of LC molecules and the LC molecules are confined in a space of each of the first areas delimited by the inside surfaces of the first and second substrates and the stop walls that are mounted to the inside surfaces of the first and second substrates, the liquid crystal confined in the first areas being in direct contact with the inside surfaces of the first and second substrates.   
     
     
         2 . The transparent LCD as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a first polarizer disposed at a side of the first substrate facing away from the LC layer, and a second polarizer disposed at a side of the second substrate facing away from LC layer;
 both the first polarizer and the second polarizer being metal grid polarizers, the first polarizer comprising a plurality of first polarizing areas disposed correspondingly to the plurality of active areas, and a plurality of first non-polarizing areas disposed correspondingly to the plurality of non-active areas; the second polarizer comprising a plurality of second polarizing areas disposed correspondingly to the plurality of active areas, and a plurality of second non-polarizing areas disposed correspondingly to the plurality of non-active areas;   the first polarizer and the second polarizer having metal grid provided only in the first polarizing areas and the second polarizing areas, a polarization axis of the first polarizing areas and a polarization axis of the second polarizing areas being mutually perpendicular.   
     
     
         3 . The transparent LCD as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein an anti-reflection structure is disposed on a side of the first polarizer or the second polarizer facing away from the LC layer. 
     
     
         4 . The transparent LCD as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the active areas have the same size as the non-active areas, the first polarizer or the second polarizer being slidable along a direction in which the active areas and the non-active areas are arranged, such that through sliding of the first polarizer or the second polarizer, the first polarizing areas or the second polarizing areas are movable from locations corresponding to the active areas to locations corresponding to the non-active areas to shield the non-active areas. 
     
     
         5 . The transparent LCD as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the stop walls are made of one of polyimide (PI), a photo-resist material and a metal. 
     
     
         6 . The transparent LCD as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the active areas comprises one or more display pixels, and each of the one or more display pixels comprises a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel arranged in sequence. 
     
     
         7 . The transparent LCD as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of active areas and the plurality of non-active areas are arranged as alternate stripes. 
     
     
         8 . The transparent LCD as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of active areas and the plurality of non-active areas are alternately arranged in an array. 
     
     
         9 . A transparent liquid crystal display (LCD), which comprises: a first substrate, a second substrate disposed corresponding and opposite to the first substrate, and a liquid crystal (LC) layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate;
 the transparent LCD comprising a plurality of active areas and a plurality of non-active areas arranged alternately, the non-active areas being transparent areas;   the LC layer comprising: a plurality of first areas disposed correspondingly to the plurality of active areas, and a plurality of second areas disposed correspondingly to the plurality of non-active areas, stop walls disposed between the first areas and the second areas, and the LC molecules of the LC layer being located in the first areas;   wherein the stop walls have opposite ends that are directly mounted to inside surfaces of the first and second substrates to separate the first areas from the second areas and the first and second areas are defined between the inside surfaces of the first and second substrates and the stop walls; and   wherein the second areas of the LC layer comprise a void space free of LC molecules and the LC molecules are confined in a space of each of the first areas delimited by the inside surfaces of the first and second substrates and the stop walls that are mounted to the inside surfaces of the first and second substrates, the liquid crystal confined in the first areas being in direct contact with the inside surfaces of the first and second substrates;   wherein a first polarizer is disposed at a side of the first substrate facing away from the LC layer, and a second polarizer is disposed at a side of the second substrate facing away from LC layer;   both the first polarizer and the second polarizer being metal grid polarizers, the first polarizer comprising a plurality of first polarizing areas disposed correspondingly to the plurality of active areas, and a plurality of first non-polarizing areas disposed correspondingly to the plurality of non-active areas; the second polarizer comprising a plurality of second polarizing areas disposed correspondingly to the plurality of active areas, and a plurality of second non-polarizing areas disposed correspondingly to the plurality of non-active areas;   the first polarizer and the second polarizer having metal grid provided only in the first polarizing areas and the second polarizing areas, a polarization axis of the first polarizing areas and a polarization axis of the second polarizing areas being mutually perpendicular.   
     
     
         10 . The transparent LCD as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein an anti-reflection structure is disposed on a side of the first polarizer or the second polarizer facing away from the LC layer. 
     
     
         11 . The transparent LCD as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the active areas have the same size as the non-active areas, the first polarizer or the second polarizer being slidable along a direction in which the active areas and the non-active areas are arranged, such that through sliding of the first polarizer or the second polarizer, the first polarizing areas or the second polarizing areas are movable from locations corresponding to the active areas to locations corresponding to the non-active areas to shield the non-active areas. 
     
     
         12 . The transparent LCD as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein each of the active areas comprises one or more display pixels, and each of the one or more display pixels comprises a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel arranged in sequence. 
     
     
         13 . The transparent LCD as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of active areas and the plurality of non-active areas are arranged as alternate stripes. 
     
     
         14 . The transparent LCD as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of active areas and the plurality of non-active areas are alternately arranged in an array.