Patent ID: 8284372

Claim:
A liquid crystal display panel comprising: a pair of substrates; a cylindrical spacer configured to hold a gap between the pair of substrates, and a liquid crystal which fills the gap; the cylindrical spacer including a first support portion having a first support surface and a second support portion having a second support surface, the first support portion being provided inside the second support surface so that the first support surface is projected from the second support surface, the second support portion being provided on a major surface of one of the substrates, an area density ρ 1 of the first support surface satisfies relation (15): ρ 1 < KP C ⁡ ( 1 + f 1 ⁢ α SS ⁢ Δ ⁢ ⁢ T ) E ⁡ [ K ⁡ ( 3 ⁢ ⁢ f 2 ⁢ α LC - f 1 ⁢ α SS ) ⁢ Δ ⁢ ⁢ T - P C ⁡ ( 1 + 3 ⁢ f 2 ⁢ α LC ⁢ Δ ⁢ ⁢ T ) ] ( 15 ) where α LC is linear expansion coefficient of the liquid crystal, α SS is linear expansion coefficient of the spacer, f 1 is a factor for correcting the linear expansion coefficient α SS of the spacer, f 2 is a factor for correcting the linear expansion coefficient α LC of the liquid crystal, K is bulk modulus of the liquid crystal, E is Young's modulus of the spacer, ΔT is a temperature variation, and P C is a threshold of pressure at which bubbles are generated; an axial length g 1 of the first support portion satisfies relation (16): g 1 > g 0 ⁡ [ 1 - ( K + ρ 1 ⁢ E ) ⁢ ( 1 + f 1 ⁢ α SS ⁢ Δ ⁢ ⁢ T ) ⁢ ( 1 + 3 ⁢ ⁢ f 2 ⁢ α LC ⁢ Δ ⁢ ⁢ T ) K ⁡ ( 1 + f 1 ⁢ α SS ⁢ Δ ⁢ ⁢ T ) + ρ 1 ⁢ E ⁡ ( 1 + 3 ⁢ f 2 ⁢ α LC ⁢ Δ ⁢ ⁢ T ) ] ( 16 ) where g 0 is an initial value of the gap, ρ 1 is the area density of the first support surface, α LC is linear expansion coefficient of the liquid crystal, α SS is linear expansion coefficient of the spacer, f 1 is a factor for correcting the linear expansion coefficient α SS of the spacer, f 2 , is a factor for correcting the linear expansion coefficient Δ LC of the liquid crystal, K is bulk modulus of the liquid crystal, E is Young's modulus of the spacer, and ΔT is a temperature variation; an area density ρ 2 of the second support surface satisfies relation (17): ρ 2 > g 0 · ɛ P ⁡ ( σ ) · σ g C ( 17 ) where g 0 is an initial value of the gap, g C is an allowable variation, ε P (σ) is plastic strain of the spacer, and σ is a stress externally applied to the substrate; the substrates being supported by the first support portion according to a decrease in temperature, and the substrates being supported by the first support portion and the second support portion upon application of external stress.