Gyricon display with no elastomer substrate
First Claim
1. Apparatus comprising:
- a member having an optically transmissive viewing surface;
a working fluid disposed behind the viewing surface with respect to an observer situated favorably to observe the viewing surface; and
a plurality of optically anisotropic particles rotatably disposed in the working fluid in direct contact therewith, the particles thus being situated behind the viewing surface with respect to the observer, at least some of the particles being observable by the observer through the viewing surface,the particles being disposed in a closely packed stable arrangement, neighboring particles tending to keep one another in place in the arrangement,the working fluid not substantially constraining the particles to remain in the stable arrangement notwithstanding the direct contact of the fluid with the particles.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A gyricon or twisting-ball display in which optically anisotropic particles, such as bichromal balls, are disposed directly in a working fluid, such as a dielectric liquid, without an elastomer substrate or other cavity-containing matrix. The display apparatus has an optically transmissive viewing surface, behind which the working fluid is disposed with the particles in it. The particles are arranged in a closely packed stable arrangement in which neighboring particles tend to keep one another in place. For example, the particles can be arranged in a hexagonally packed monolayer. The working fluid does not substantially constrain the particles to remain in the stable arrangement, notwithstanding the direct contact of the fluid with the particles.
186 Citations
31 Claims
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1. Apparatus comprising:
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a member having an optically transmissive viewing surface; a working fluid disposed behind the viewing surface with respect to an observer situated favorably to observe the viewing surface; and a plurality of optically anisotropic particles rotatably disposed in the working fluid in direct contact therewith, the particles thus being situated behind the viewing surface with respect to the observer, at least some of the particles being observable by the observer through the viewing surface, the particles being disposed in a closely packed stable arrangement, neighboring particles tending to keep one another in place in the arrangement, the working fluid not substantially constraining the particles to remain in the stable arrangement notwithstanding the direct contact of the fluid with the particles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A twisting-particle display apparatus made without any elastomer substrate or other matrix that would tend to hold the particles in place, the apparatus comprising:
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a housing structure including first and second nonintersecting surfaces disposed with a volume therebetween, at least one of the surfaces being optically transmissive; and a plurality of optically anisotropic particles disposed in the housing structure in the volume between the two surfaces, the particles being disposed rotatably in a closely packed stable arrangement wherein particles are free to rotate in place but not free to translate substantially so as to disrupt the arrangement, particles tending to keep each other in place in the arrangement through mutual support together with support from the two surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A twisting-particle display apparatus not having any cavities containing individual particles therein, the apparatus comprising:
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a member having an optically transmissive viewing surface; a plurality of optically anisotropic particles rotatably disposed in a closely packed layer behind the viewing surface with respect to an observer situated favorably to observe the viewing surface, at least some of the particles thus being observable by the observer through the viewing surface; a structure for retaining the particles in place in the layer behind the viewing surface, the structure being disposed entirely outside the layer of particles and not occupying any spaces between the particles in the layer. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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Specification