Patent ID: 7826029

Claim:
A mechanism for causing a flow of liquid crystal comprising: a channel defined by at least one wall surface; liquid crystal which is put in the channel and movable along said at least one wall surface; and a means for applying an electric or magnetic field to the molecules of the liquid crystal to turn and change positions of said molecules in a plane intersecting said at least one wall surface, the means including a sub-means for twisting the molecules about an axis intersecting said at least one wall surface and restricting the molecules so that they will turn in one and the same direction, said restricting means serving to restrict the direction of rotation of those of the molecules which are positioned near said wall surface but not anchored to said wall surface such that, when an electric field or a magnetic is applied and a z-direction is defined as the axial direction of a liquid crystal molecule anchored to said wall surface and projected onto said wall surface, the relative directions of motion from said z-direction of end parts of said molecules rotating around their centers of gravity to move away from said wall surface will coincide with the bulk flow that is generated in said z-direction; wherein said channel serves to contain said molecules of said liquid crystal therein such that said molecules change positions along wall surfaces that includes said at least one wall surface except those of said molecules that are anchored to said wall surfaces by said restricting means.