Encapsulated liquid crystal and filler material

• US 4,643,528 A
• Filed: 03/18/1985
• Issued: 02/17/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Manchester R & D Partnership
• Original Assignee: Manchester R & D Partnership
• Inventors: Bell, James R. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gellner, Michael L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Brian W.
• Application Number:
  US06/712,966
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 350/334, 350/344, 350/341, 350/349, 350/350 R, 350/320
• US Class Current: 349/166
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/544 as dispersing or encapsulating medium around the liquid crystal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 359/90 Methods
• 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

A liquid crystal apparatus includes a plurality of volumes of liquid crystal material in a containment medium. At least some of the volumes also have a filler or spacer material therein. Some volumes may be interconnected. The walls defining the volumes and the wall of the spacer tend to distort the natural liquid crystal structure in the absence of an electric field, and the optical and electrical properties of the materials are such that in the absence of a field incident light is scattered or absorbed and in the presence of a field, scattering and/or absorption are reduced. The apparatus may be used in an optical display, optical shutter, billboard, etc., and it functions independently of polarization. Methods of making and using the apparatus also are included in the invention.

Claims

1. In combination, liquid crystal material having a natural structure, containment means for containing said liquid crystal material in a plurality of volumes, spacer means for occupying some of the space in a plurality of said volumes, at least one of said containment means and spacer means distorting such natural structure of at least some of said liquid crystal material in the absence of a prescribed input.

2. Liquid crystal apparatus, comprising liquid crystal material, containment medium containing plural volumes of said liquid crystal material, and non-liquid crystal filler in a plurality of said volumes, said liquid crystal material comprising operationally nematic liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy, an extraordinary index of refraction different from that of at least one of said containment medium and filler to at least one of scatter and absorb light in the absence of a prescribed input and an ordinary index of refraction matched to that of at least one of said containment medium and filler, whereby in the presence of such prescribed input the amount of such scattering or absorption is reduced.

3. Liquid crystal apparatus comprising a plurality of volumes of liquid crystal in a containment medium, said liquid crystal being distorted from the natural structure thereof in the absence of an electrical input to scatter or to abosrb light and being responsive to such an electrical input to reduce such scattering or absorption, and means in said volumes for reducing the magnitude of electrical input required to effect a desired amount of reduction of such scattering or absorption.

4. Liquid crystal apparatus, comprising plural volumes of liquid crystal in a containment medium, said liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy, an extraordinary index of refraction different from the index of refraction of such containment medium to scatter or to absorb light in the absence of a prescribed input, and an ordinary index of refraction substantially matched to the index of refraction of said containment medium to reduce such scattering or absorption in the presence of such prescribed input, and further comprising filler means in said volumes in addition to said liquid crystal and having an index of refraction that is substantially matched to the ordinary index of refraction of said liquid crystal and different from the extraordinary of said liquid crystal to increase scattering of light in the absence of such prescribed input and to have a relatively minimum affect on light in the presence of such prescribed input.

5. A method of affecting the natural structure of liquid crystal material comprising containing such liquid crystal material in a plurality of volumes, using a spacer to occupy some of the space in a plurality of such volumes, and using at least one of the walls of such volumes and such spacer distorting such natural structure of at least some of such liquid crystal material in the absence of a prescribed input.

6. A method of scattering or absorbing selected amounts of light using liquid crystal apparatus, comprising containing liquid crystal material in plural volumes, and providing non-liquid crystal filler in a plurality of said volumes, wherein such liquid crystal material comprises operationally nematic liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy, an extraordinary index of refraction different from that of at least one of said containment medium and filler, at least one of scattering and absorbing light in the absence of a prescribed input and an ordinary index of refraction matched to that of at least one of said containment medium and filler, whereby in the presence of such prescribed input the amount of such scattering or absorption is reduced.

7. A method of reducing the electrical input requirements for operating a liquid crystal apparatus, comprising providing a plurality of volumes of liquid crystal in a containment medium, distorting such liquid crystal from the natural structure thereof in the absence of an electrical input to scatter or to absorb light, such liquid crystal being responsive to such an electrical input to reduce such scattering or absorption, and placing spacer means in such volumes to reduce the magnitude of electrical input required to effect a desired amount of reduction of such scattering or absorption.

8. A method of enhancing the scattering or absorption by liquid crystal while reducing the amount of liquid crystal required to affect light, comprising providing plural volumes of liquid crystal in a containment medium, such liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy, an extraordinary index of refraction different from the index of refraction of such containment medium to scatter or to absorb light in the absence of a prescribed input, and an ordinary index of refraction substantially matched to the index of refraction of such containment medium to reduce such scattering or absorption in the presence of such prescribed input, and further comprising providing filler means in such volumes in addition to such liquid crystal and having an index of refraction that is substantially matched to the ordinary index of refraction of such liquid crystal and different from the extraordinary of such liquid crystal to increase scattering of light in the absence of such prescribed input and to have a relatively minimum affect on light in the presence of such prescribed input.