COMPONENTS AND TESTING METHODS FOR USE IN THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTRO-OPTIC DISPLAYS

• US 20110032596A1
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Bouchard, Alain, Zalesky, Jonathan L., O'Malley, Timothy J., Webber, Richard M., Ritter, John E., Danner, Guy M., Patry, Shamus Ford, Whitesides, Thomas H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,854,721 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/245
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1309 Repairing; Testing
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133354 Arrangements for aligning or assembling substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1334 based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis

Abstract

A laminate comprising a solid electro-optic medium and an electrically conductive layer is tested by passing it over a pair of electrodes at different potentials, with the electrically conductive layer lying on the opposed side of the electro-optic medium from the electrodes. An article which can be tested by this method, and which is useful in the manufacture of electro-optic displays, comprises a layer of a solid electro-optic medium and a release sheet comprising an electrically conductive layer.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture comprising a layer of a solid electro-optic medium operable for changing its optical state on application of an electric field thereto, and a release sheet, the release sheet comprising an electrically conductive layer.

2. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the release sheet is not light transmissive.

3. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 further comprising a second release sheet on the opposed side of the layer of electro-optic medium from the release sheet comprising the electrically conductive layer, at least one of the release sheets being light transmissive.

4. An article of manufacture according to claim 3 wherein the second release sheet comprises a conductive layer.

5. An article of manufacture according to claim 3 wherein the release sheet comprising the conductive layer is not light transmissive, and the second release sheet is light transmissive.

6. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 further comprising an adhesive layer disposed between the release sheet and the layer of electro-optic medium.

7. An article of manufacture according to claim 3 further comprising an adhesive layer disposed between the layer of electro-optic medium and one of the release sheets.

8. An article of manufacture according to claim 7 having two adhesive layers, one adhesive layer being disposed between the layer of electro-optic material and each release sheet.

9. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the electro-optic medium is a rotating bichromal member or electrochromic medium.

10. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the electro-optic medium comprises an electrophoretic medium having a plurality of electrically charged particles disposed in a fluid and capable of moving through the fluid on application of an electric field to the electro-optic medium.

11. An article of manufacture according to claim 10 wherein the electrically charged particles and the fluid are confined within a plurality of closed cavities formed in a substrate.

12. An article of manufacture according to claim 11 wherein the electrophoretic medium comprises single type of charged particles having a first color disposed in a dyed liquid having a second color different from the first color.

13. An article of manufacture according to claim 10 wherein the electrically charged particles and the fluid are confined within a plurality of capsules.

14. An article of manufacture according to claim 10 wherein the electrically charged particles and the fluid are present as a plurality of discrete droplets held within a polymeric continuous phase.

15. An article of manufacture according to claim 10 in which the fluid is gaseous.