Method of manufacturing a twisting cylinder display using multiple chromatic values

• US 5,922,268 A
• Filed: 10/30/1997
• Issued: 07/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sheridon, Nicholas K.
• Primary Examiner(s): VARGOT, MATHIEU D
• Application Number:
  US08/962,976
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 264/437, 264/439, 264/440, 264/108, 264/343, 264/413
• US Class Current: 264/437
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/026 based on the rotation of particles under the influence of an external field, e.g. gyricons, twisting ball displays based on orientable dipolar particles G02F1/172; based on electrophoresis G02F1/167
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field

Abstract

An electric type paper display having memory properties, rapid response times and multi-optical property display with an image of high quality is made. Each display element is wholly in contact with liquid in a cavity and the surface of each display element has a portion with a most positive charge. When an electrical field is applied from the outside, each display element is turned correspondingly to the direction of the electric field and, then electrically migrated through the liquid and attached to the inner surface of the cavity. Among multiple display surfaces of each display element an optical property is selected according to an image signal and is visible through a transparent support to an observer. Afterwards, the attached state of each display element, i.e., its display state is held by the action of an attraction force such as van der Waals force and electrostatic force acting between the circumferential surface of the display element and the inner surface of the cavity, even after the electric field is removed.

Claims

1. A method of making a display medium comprising:

a) mixing a plurality of substantially cylindrical, optically anisotropic particles each having a longitudinal axis and a magnetic portion substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis with a non-solid material capable of being cured to a solid state to provide a mixture of said particles and said material,

b) providing a magnetic field to cause said plurality of particles to align substantially parallel to the magnetic field,

c) curing said mixture so solidify said material whereby said particles are trapped within a slab of said material, and

d) dispersing said slab with said particles trapped therein into a bath of dielectric plasticizer which is absorbed more readily by said solidified material than by said particles said particles whereby said solidified material swells to create plasticizer-filled voids around said particles such that said particles can have rotational movement substantially around each particles longitudinal axis but substantially no translational movement within said slab.

2. The method of claim one wherein the step of providing a magnetic field to align said plurality of particles aligns said plurality of particles substantially along each particles longitudinal axis.