Sheet-like display, sphere-like resin body, and micro-capsule

• US 20010046081A1
• Filed: 01/30/2001
• Published: 11/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Hayashi, Naoyuki, Takei, Fumio, Fukuda, Makoto, Ozaki, Mitsuo, Takahashi, Toru, Takezawa, Satoshi, Sawatari, Norio
• Granted Patent: US 6,661,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/296
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/00 Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/254 Polymeric or resinous material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2984 Microcapsule with fluid core [includes liposome]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2985 Solid-walled microcapsule from synthetic polymer

Abstract

Provisions of a large screen, thin sheet-like display device capable of realizing usages just like paper, a sphere-like resin body made of two semispheres capable of being manufactured easily, and a microcapsule containing electrophoretic particles capable of being manufactured easily.

The sheet-like display device 10 has a sheet-like display layer 12 and at least one layer 14 containing an element for activating the sheet-like display layer, the layers being integrally formed. The sphere-like resin body has first and second portions made of resins, the absolute value of a difference between both the solubility parameters δ1 and δ2 of the resins being |δ1−δ2|≧0.2. The phoretic particle-containing microcapsule has a resin shell in which phoretic particles are contained in a core. The diameter of the core is in a range from 10 μm to 200 μm and the circumferential length L of the microcapsule is in a range of (4.1×T)≦L≦(20.1×T) where T is a Martin diameter of the microcapsule.

Claims

1. A sheet-like display device comprising:

a flexible sheet-like display layer; and

at least one flexible electric layer formed integrally with said sheet-like display layer, said electric layer including at least one electric function component for activating said display layer.

2. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 1

, wherein said electric layer includes input/output element for signal input/output.

3. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 1

, wherein said electric layer includes at least one selected from a group consisting of a power source element, a driver circuit, a control circuit, a communication circuit, an acoustic signal conversion element.

4. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 1

, wherein said sheet-like display layer includes a pair of opposing electrode layers, at least one of the opposing electrode layers being transparent, and a display layer sandwiched between the opposing electrode layers, a display operation being performed by changing optical characteristics of the display layer, and said electric layer includes a sheet-like power source layer for supplying power necessary for driving said display layer.

5. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 4

, wherein said display layer includes microcapsules each containing electrophoretic particles sealed together with dielectric liquid, and a display operation can be performed by changing the optical characteristics by changing a distribution state of the electrophoretic particles in the microcapsule with a control voltage applied between the opposing electrodes.

6. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 4

, wherein said display layer includes microcapsules each containing a sphere-like body rotatable in accordance with a direction of an applied electric field, and a display operation can be performed by changing the optical characteristics by changing a rotary position of the sphere-like body with a control voltage applied between the opposing electrodes.

7. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 4

, wherein said display layer includes a liquid crystal display layer having liquid crystal compound sealed in micro holes formed in polymer material.

8. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 4

, wherein said display layer includes a layer capable of changing optical characteristics and presenting an electroluminescence phenomenon by a current flowing between the opposing electrodes.

9. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 4

, wherein said display layer includes a layer capable of changing the optical characteristics and presenting an electrochromism phenomenon by a current flowing between the opposing electrodes.

10. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 4

, wherein said display layer contains particles whose positions change with a magnetic field.

11. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 1

, wherein said sheet-like display layer includes a display layer and one electrode layer, and can perform a display operation by changing optical characteristics of said display layer with an electric field applied between said electrode layer and a predetermined write electrode or with a current flowing between said electrode layer and a predetermined write electrode, and said electric layer includes a sheet-like power source layer for supplying power necessary for driving said display layer.

12. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 11

, wherein said display layer includes a layer dispersed with electrophoretic particles capable of moving under an electric field applied between said electrode layer and the predetermined write electrode, and a display operation can be performed by changing the optical characteristics by changing a distribution state of the electrophoretic particles in said display layer with a control voltage applied between said electrode layer and the predetermined write electrode.

13. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 11

, wherein said display layer includes a layer distributed with sphere-like bodies capable of being turned over in accordance with an electric field applied between said electrode layer and the predetermined electrode, and a display operation can be performed by changing the optical characteristics by changing configuration of the sphere-like bodies with control voltages applied across said electrode layer and the predetermined write electrode.

14. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 11

, wherein said display layer includes a layer capable of presenting electrochromism phenomenon in accordance with a current flowing between said electrode layer and the predetermined write electrode.

15. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 4

, wherein said sheet-like power source layer is a capacitor having a pair of electrode layers and a dielectric layer or an electrolytic layer disposed between the electrode layers.

16. A sheet-like display device comprising:

(a) a flexible sheet-like display layer;

(b) a flexible sheet-like power source layer; and

(c) a circuit layer including at least a portion of at least one of a driver circuit and a control circuit, said layers (a), (b) and (c) being integrally formed.

17. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 16

, wherein said circuit layer (c) includes a layer including at least a portion of a communication circuit.

18. A sheet-like display device comprising:

(a) a flexible sheet-like display layer;

(b) a flexible sheet-like power source layer; and

(c) an acoustic signal conversion layer capable of converting an acoustic signal into an electric signal, converting an electric signal into an acoustic signal, or performing both conversions, said layers (a), (b) and (c) being integrally formed.

19. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 18

, further comprising (d) a layer including at least a portion of at least one of a driver circuit and a control circuit, said layers (a), (b), (c) and (d) being integrally formed.

20. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 18

, further comprising (e) a layer including at least a portion of at least one of a driver circuit, and a control circuit and at least a portion of a communication circuit, said layers (a), (b), (c) and (e) being integrally formed.

21. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 18

, wherein said flexible sheet-like display layer (a) includes a display layer dispersed with microcapsules, each microcapsule having a shell made of resin in which together with dielectric liquid, particles capable of moving under an electric field or a magnetic field, or a core including a sphere-like body capable or rotating under an electric field or a magnetic field, the sphere-like body having semispheres of different colors and different electromagnetic characteristics.

22. A method for manufacturing a sheet-like display device, comprising the steps of:

(a) preparing a flexible base; and

(b) laminating on the flexible base a flexible sheet-like display layer and at least one flexible layer including an element layer for activating the sheet-like display layer.

23. The method for manufacturing a sheet-like display device according to

claim 22

, wherein said step (b) includes a step of forming a display layer dispersed with microcapsules on the base, each microcapsule having a shell made of resin in which together with dielectric liquid, particles capable of moving under an electric field or a magnetic field, or a core including a sphere-like body capable of rotating under an electric field or a magnetic field, the sphere-like body having semispheres of different colors and different electromagnetic characteristics.

24. The method for manufacturing a sheet-like display device according to

claim 23

, further comprising the step of:

(c) adding monomer dispersion liquid to liquid dispersed with the cores, depositing a shell made of polymerized monomers on a surface of each core to form said microcapsule, before said step (b).

25. The method for manufacturing a sheet-like display device according to

claim 23

, wherein said step (b) includes a step of coating an adhesion layer on the base, a step of dispersing the microcapsule on the adhesion layer and a step of forming a common electrode layer covering the microcapsules.

26. A sphere-like resin body comprising first and second portions, said first portion being made of first resin having a solubility parameter δ

1, said second portion being made of second resin having a solubility parameter δ

2, and an absolute value of a difference between both the solubility parameters being |δ

1−

δ

2|≧

0.2.

27. The sphere-like resin body according to

claim 26

, wherein one of said first and second portions is a mixture made of two or more resins having an absolute value of a solubility parameter difference smaller than 0.2, and an absolute value of a difference between the solubility parameter of each resin contained in the mixture and the solubility parameter of the other of said first and second portions is 0.2 or larger.

28. The sphere-like resin body according to

claim 26

, wherein both of said first and second portions are mixtures each made of two or more resins having an absolute value of a solubility parameter difference smaller than 0.2, and an absolute value of a difference between the solubility parameter of each resin contained in said first portion and the solubility parameter of each resin contained in said second portion is 0.2 or larger.

29. The sphere-like resin body according to

claim 26

, wherein the resin in said first portion and the resin in said second portion have different specific gravities.

30. The sphere-like resin body according to

claim 26

, wherein said first and second portions have different colors and different electric characteristics.

31. The sphere-like resin body according to

claim 26

, wherein at least one of said first and second portions has a truncated spherical shape, and said first and second portions are coupled together to form a sphere-like body.

32. A method for manufacturing a sphere-like resin body, comprising heating a microcapsule having a core portion and a shell portion made of resin, the core portion containing a sphere-like resin body which comprises first and second portions, at least one of said first and second portions having a truncated spherical shape, and said first and second portions being coupled together to form a preliminary sphere-like body, the preliminary sphere-like body being one of a preliminary sphere-like resin body having a first portion and a second portion, said first portion being made of first resin having a solubility parameter δ

1, said second portion being made of second resin having a solubility parameter δ

2, and an absolute value of a difference between both the solubility parameters being |δ

1−

δ

2|≧

0.2;

a preliminary sphere-like resin body wherein one of said first and second portions is a mixture made of two or more resins having an absolute value of a solubility parameter difference smaller than 0.2, and an absolute value of a difference between the solubility parameter of each resin contained in the mixture and the solubility parameter of the other of said first and second portions is 0.2 or larger;

a preliminary sphere-like resin body wherein both of said first and second portions are mixtures each made of two or more resins having an absolute value of a solubility parameter difference smaller than 0.2, and an absolute value of a difference between the solubility parameter of each resin contained in said first portion and the solubility of each resin contained in said second portion is 0.2 or larger;

a preliminary sphere-like resin body wherein the resin in said first portion and the resin in said second portion have different specific gravities; and

a preliminary sphere-like resin body wherein said first and second portions have different colors and different electric characteristics; and

melting said first and second portions each having a sphere-like shape to form one sphere-like resin body.

33. A microcapsule having a shell made of resin in which together with dielectric liquid, particles capable of moving under an electric field or a magnetic field, or a core including a sphere-like body having semispheres of different colors and different electromagnetic characteristics, capable of rotating under an electric field or a magnetic field, wherein a diameter of the core is in a range from 10 μ

m to 200 μ

m and a circumferential length L of the microcapsule is in a range of (4.1×

T)≦

L≦

(20.1×

T) where T is a Martin diameter of the microcapsule.

34. A sheet-like display device comprising:

a base;

a pair of opposing electrodes provided on said base; and

a display layer disposed between said opposing electrodes, said display layer being capable of changing optical characteristics under a potential difference between said opposing electrodes and having surface roughness,

wherein one of said opposing electrodes, on a side of a display surface, is made of a conductive resin layer adjacent to said display layer and has a surface conformal to the surface roughness of said display layer.

35. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 34

, wherein said electrode on the display surface side is a common electrode.

36. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 34

, wherein said display layer includes microcapsules fixed to said base with an adhesion layer.

37. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 34

, wherein the conductive resin layer of said electrode on the display surface side is made of at least one type of resin selected from a group consisting of polyaniline, polyaniline derivative, polypyrrole derivative, polythiophene derivative, and mixture thereof, respectively containing dopant imparting conductivity.

38. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 34

, wherein the conductive resin layer of said electrode on the display surface side is made of resin containing dispersed conductive powder.

39. A sheet-like display device comprising:

a base made of synthetic paper having a lamination structure made of two or more synthetic resin layers, one of the synthetic resin layers having different mechanical characteristics from the other synthetic resin layer or layers;

a flexible sheet-like display layer formed on said base; and

at least one electric layer formed on said base, said electric layer containing an electric function component for activating said sheet-like display layer.

40. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 39

, wherein at least one of said synthetic resin layers is a biaxial roll film layer.

41. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 39

, wherein a Clark rigidity S value (JIS P 8143) of the synthetic paper of said base is 400 or smaller.

42. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 39

, wherein a Bekk smoothness (JIS P 8119) of an externally exposed surface of the synthetic paper of said base is 1000 seconds or less.

43. The sheet-like display device according to

claim 39

, wherein the synthetic paper of said base contains inorganic pigment and has an opacity (JIS Z 8722) of 80% or larger.