Variable colour display and articles incorporating same

• US 20040051722A1
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zexus Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Zexus Technology Limited
• Inventors: Chow, Hoi To, Lee, Tak Chun
• Granted Patent: US 6,995,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/690
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 45/0007 Light-, colour-, line-, or spot-effects caused by parts or pictures moved by the clockwork disc-shaped indicating parts G04B19/046, G04B19/202; figures or parts thereof for indicating the time, moved by the clockwork G04B25/06
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 45/003 Inscriptions and pictures moved by hand clockworks with abrupt time indication G04B13/00; adjustable hands or mechanisms G04B19/28; combination of clockwork with counter, e.g. for sports results G04B47/00; movable ornaments and decorations G04B47/044

Abstract

A display and a watch including a display which includes a first polarizing means, a second polarizing means, a display means, rotation means for causing relative rotation between said first and said second polarizing means, said second polarizing means being disposed intermediate between said first polarizing means and said display means, at least one of said polarizing means being a colour polarizer, and said display means being generally reflective towards said first and second polarizing means.

Claims

1. A display means or arrangement including a first polarizing means, a second polarizing means, a display means, rotation means for causing relative rotation between said first and said second polarizing means, said second polarizing means being disposed intermediate of said first polarizing means and said display means, at least one of said polarizing means being a colour polarizer, said colour polarizer being characterised with a colour filtering orientation wherein light of a polarization orientation parallel to said colour filtering orientation will be substantially colour filtered when passing through said colour polarizer and light of a polzarization orientation orthogonal to said colour filtering orientation will pass through said colour polarizer generally unaffected by the colour filtering characteristic of said colour polaizer along said colour filtering orientation, and said display means being generally reflective towards said first and second polarizing means.

2. A display means or arrangement according to claim 1, further including a transflective medium disposed between said colour polarizing means and said display means, said transflective medium being characterised with a reflective orientation and a transmissive orientation which are substantially orthogonal to each other, said transflective medium generally reflects light of one polarization orientation which is parallel to its characteristic reflective orientation, and transmits light of another polarization orientation which is parallel to said transmissive orientation.

3. A display means according to claim 2, said transflective medium includes a transflective film, wherein the reflective orientation of said transflective film being parallel to the colour filtering orientation of said colour polarizing means.

4. A display means according to claim 2, wherein said colour polarizing means includes a colour polarizing film, said colour filtering orientation of said colour polarizing means being substantially orthogonal to said transmissive orientation of said transflective medium.

5. A display means according to claim 2, wherein said colour polarizer and said transflective medium being contiguously stacked together.

6. A display means according to claim 5, wherein the reflective surface of said display means being contiguously stacked to said transflective medium.

7. A display means according to claim 1, wherein said second polarizing means being a colour polarizing means.

8. A display means according to claim 1, wherein the reflective surface of said display means includes a colour which is different to the characteristic colour of said colour polarizing means.

9. A display means according to claim 1, wherein said second polarizing means includes a colour polarizer which is rotatable by a gear transmission connected to a turning knob.

10. A display means according to claim 2, wherein said colour polarizing means and said transflective medium are a sub-assembly, said sub-assembly being connected to a turning knob via a transmission arrangement so that said colour polarizing means and said transflective medium are rotatable together.

11. A display means according to claim 3, wherein said colour polarizing means and said transflective medium are a sub-assembly, said sub-assembly being connected to a turning knob via a transmission arrangement so that said colour polarizing means and said transflective medium are rotatable together.

12. A watch including time indicating needles and a display means or arrangement of any of the claims 1 to 11, wherein said first polarizing means, said second polarizing means and said display surface are disposed intermediate between said time indicating needles and the movement mechanisms driving said needles.

13. An article, an apparatus or a device including the display means or arrangement of any of the claims 1 to 11.