Transparent invisible conductive grid

• US 20050064154A1
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Majumdar, Debasis, Aylward, Peter T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,153,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/195.100
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/006 Patterns of chemical products used for a specific purpose, e.g. pesticides, perfumes, adhesive patterns; use of microencapsulated material; Printing on smoking articles
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/44 characterised by the macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/504 Backcoats
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/24 Electrically-conducting paints conductive materials H01B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/22 Antistatic materials or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 1/79 Macromolecular coatings or impregnations therefor, e.g. varnishes
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 1/89 Macromolecular substances therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 1/895 Polyalkylene oxides
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/002 using materials containing microcapsules; Preparing or processing such materials, e.g. by pressure; Devices or apparatus specially designed therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 7/0006 Cover layers for image-receiving members; Strippable coversheets
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 7/0013 Inorganic components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 7/004 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 7/0046 obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 7/0053 Intermediate layers for image-receiving members
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 7/008 being macromolecular
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]

Abstract

The present invention relates to an antistatic article comprising a substrate or support having thereon at least one antistatic layer, wherein the antistatic layer comprises a conductive material having areas of patterned coverage. The present invention also relates to a display comprising a substrate having an electrically modulated imaging layer thereon, at least one electrically conductive layer, and at least one transparent antistatic layer, wherein said antistatic layer comprises a conductive material having areas of patterned coverage.

Claims

1. A display comprising a substrate having an electrically modulated imaging layer thereon, at least one electrically conductive layer, and at least one transparent antistatic layer, wherein said antistatic layer comprises a conductive material having areas of patterned coverage.

2. The display of claim 1 wherein said substrate is flexible.

3. The display of claim 1 wherein said substrate is transparent.

4. The display of claim 3 wherein said transparent substrate comprises polyester.

5. The display of claim 3 wherein said transparent substrate comprises polycarbonate.

6. The display of claim 3 wherein said transparent substrate comprises polyethylene naphthalate (PEN).

7. The display of claim 3 wherein said transparent substrate comprises acetate.

8. The display of claim 3 wherein said transparent substrate comprises polyethersulfone.

9. The display of claim 3 wherein said transparent substrate comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of polyolefin, polyester, polycarbonate, acetate, cyclic polyolefin, polyethersulfone, and polyamide.

10. The display of claim 1 wherein said electrically modulated imaging layer comprises a light modulating material.

11. The display of claim 9 wherein said light modulating material comprises a liquid crystal material.

12. The display of claim 11 wherein said liquid crystal material is a cholesteric liquid crystal material.

13. The display of claim 1 wherein the imaging layer contains a polymer dispersed cholesteric liquid crystal layer.

14. The display of claim 13 wherein said polymer is gelatin.

15. The display of claim 13 wherein said polymer is water soluble.

16. The display of claim 1 wherein said electrically modulated imaging layer is capable of forming an image or text.

17. The display of claim 1 wherein said electrically conductive layer a surface conductivity of less than 10⁴ ohms/sq.

18. The display of claim 1 wherein said at least one conductive layer is patterned with actinic radiation.

19. The display of claim 1 wherein said conductive layer comprises ITO.

20. The display of claim 1 wherein said conductive material comprises at least one polyether polymeric conductive material.

21. The display of claim 20 wherein said polyether polymeric conductive material comprises polyether block copolyamide.

22. The display of claim 1 wherein said conductive material comprises a transparent conductive material.

23. The display of claim 22 wherein said transparent conductive material comprises a material transparent to visible light in the range from 400 to 700 nm.

24. The display of claim 1 wherein said conductive material comprises at least one electronic conductor.

25. The display of claim 24 wherein said electronic conductor comprises metal-containing particles.

26. The display of claim 25 wherein said metal-containing particles are acicular.

27. The display of claim 25 wherein said metal-containing particles comprise semiconducting metal oxides.

28. The display of claim 25 wherein said metal-containing particles comprise conductive crystalline inorganic oxides.

29. The display of claim 28 wherein said metal-containing particles comprise tin oxide.

30. The display of claim 25 wherein said metal-containing particles comprise conductive metal antimonates.

31. The display of claim 25 wherein said metal-containing particles comprise conductive inorganic non-oxides.

32. The display of claim 24 wherein said electronic conductor comprises electronically conductive polymers.

33. The display of claim 32 wherein said electronically conductive polymers comprise polythiophenes, polypyrroles, and polyanilines.

34. The display of claim 1 wherein said conductive material comprises at least one ionic conductor.

35. The display of claim 34 wherein said ionic conductor is an inorganic and/or organic salt.

36. The display of claim 34 wherein said ionic conductor is a conductive clay.

37. The display of claim 34 wherein said ionic conductor is a surfactant capable of static dissipation.

38. The display of claim 37 wherein said surfactant is an alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfonates and alkyl phosphates having alkyl chains of 4 or more carbon atoms in length.

39. The display of claim 37 wherein said surfactant is an onium salt, having alkyl chains of 4 or more carbon atoms in length.

40. The display of claim 37 wherein said surfactant is polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyether, amine, acids and fatty acid esters having alkyl groups of 4 or more carbon atoms in length.

41. The article of claim 1 wherein said antistatic layer comprises a surface resistivity of between 10⁵ and 10¹² ohms/sq.

42. The article of claim 1 wherein said patterned coverage comprises areas of coverage and areas without coverage.

43. The article of claim 42 wherein said patterned coverage comprises a shape.

44. The article of claim 42 wherein said areas of coverage comprise a continuous conductive pathway.

45. The article of claim 44 wherein said areas of coverage comprise at least one line.

46. The article of claim 44 wherein said areas of coverage comprise at least one dot.

47. The article of claim 1 wherein said patterned coverage comprises a grid.

48. The article of claim 1 wherein said patterned coverage comprises a gradient, wherein said gradient comprises areas of higher coverage and lower coverage.

49. The article of claim 48 wherein said areas of higher coverage comprise a resistivity of from 10⁵ to 10¹² ohm/sq and said areas of lower coverage comprise a resistivity of greater than 10¹² ohm/sq.

50. The article of claim 1 wherein said antistatic layer comprises a layer applied by blade coating, wound wire rod coating, slot coating, slide hopper coating, gravure, or curtain coating.

51. The article of claim 1 wherein said antistatic layer comprises a layer applied by extrusion coating.

52. The article of claim 51 wherein said extrusion coating comprises simultaneous or consecutive extrusion.

53. The article of claim 1 wherein said antistatic layer comprises a printed layer.

54. The article of claim 1 wherein said support comprises an opaque support.

55. The article of claim 54 wherein said opaque support comprises paper.

56. The article of claim 1 wherein said support comprises oriented laminates.

57. The article of claim 1 wherein said support comprises a transparent support.

58. The article of claim 1 wherein said conductive material comprises from 15 to 85% weight of said antistatic layer, and said polymer comprises from 15 to 85% by weight of said antistatic layer.

59. The article of claim 1 wherein said antistatic layer further comprises a polymer.

60. The article of claim 59 wherein said polymer comprises polypropylene.

61. The article of claim 59 wherein said polymer comprises polyethylene.

62. The article of claim 59 wherein said polymer comprises polyurethane.

63. The article of claim 59 wherein said polymer comprises polymers and interpolymers selected from the group of polymers and interpolymers prepared from monomers selected from the group consisting of styrene, styrene derivatives, acrylic acid, acrylic acid derivatives, methacrylic acid, methacrylic acid derivatives, olefins, chlorinated olefins, acrylonitriles, methacrylonitriles, itaconic acid, itaconic acid derivatives, maleic acid, maleic acid derivatives, vinyl halides, vinylidene halides, vinyl monomer having a primary amine addition salt, and vinyl monomer containing an aminostyrene addition salt.

64. The article of claim 59 wherein said polymer comprises styrene and styrene derivates, acrylics and acrylic acid derivatives, methacrylic acid and methacrylic acid derivatives.

65. The article of claim 59 wherein said polymer comprises polyester.

66. The article of claim 1 wherein said antistatic layer comprises a layer on the same side of said support as said imaging layer.

67. The article of claim 1 wherein said antistatic layer comprises a layer on the side of said support opposite said imaging layer.

68. The article of claim 1 wherein said antistatic layer is on the side of said imaging layer opposite said support.

69. The article of claim 1 wherein said antistatic layer is between said imaging layer and said support.

70. The display of claim 1 further comprising at least a second electrically conductive layer.

71. The display of claim 1 wherein the imaging layer further comprises a radiation absorbing layer.