Fabrication of a twisting ball display having two or more different kinds of balls
First Claim
1. A material comprising:
- a substrate; and
first and second pluralities of spheroidal balls disposed in the substrate,each ball of the first plurality having a first collection of physical characteristics, including at least one physical characteristic that renders at least a portion of each ball transparent,each ball of the second plurality have a second collection of physical characteristics, spheroidal balls of the second plurality thus being physically distinguishable from spheroidal balls of the first plurality, andeach ball of each plurality having an optical anisotropy and an anisotropy for providing an electrical dipole moment, the electrical dipole moment rendering the ball electrically responsive such that when the ball is rotatably disposed in an electric field while the electrical dipole moment of the ball is provided, the ball tends to rotate to an orientation in which the electrical dipole moment aligns with the field.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of making a substrate in which sets of optically anisotropic spheroidal balls are disposed, as for use in an electrical twisting ball display. First and second sets of spheroidal balls, are deposited on a receiving surface composed of an elastomer substrate material in an adhesive state, the spheroidal balls thus deposited adhering to the receiving surface. Balls of the first and second sets are physically distinguishable from one another. Balls of the first set can be deposited in a first arrangement, and balls of the second set, in a second arrangement. Each ball of each set has an optical anisotropy and an anisotropy for providing an electrical dipole moment, the electrical dipole moment rendering the ball electrically responsive such that when the ball is rotatably disposed in an electric field while the electrical dipole moment of the ball is provided, the ball tends to rotate to an orientation in which the electrical dipole moment aligns with the field. With the balls thus deposited, additional, liquid elastomer material is poured over the balls adhering to the receiving surface, thereby covering the balls and forming an uncured substrate material in which the balls are disposed. This uncured substrate material is cured to form a substrate in which balls of the first and second sets are disposed. A plasticizer fluid can be applied to the substrate thus formed, thereby expanding the substrate so as to render the balls disposed in the substrate rotatable within the substrate.
142 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A material comprising:
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a substrate; and first and second pluralities of spheroidal balls disposed in the substrate, each ball of the first plurality having a first collection of physical characteristics, including at least one physical characteristic that renders at least a portion of each ball transparent, each ball of the second plurality have a second collection of physical characteristics, spheroidal balls of the second plurality thus being physically distinguishable from spheroidal balls of the first plurality, and each ball of each plurality having an optical anisotropy and an anisotropy for providing an electrical dipole moment, the electrical dipole moment rendering the ball electrically responsive such that when the ball is rotatably disposed in an electric field while the electrical dipole moment of the ball is provided, the ball tends to rotate to an orientation in which the electrical dipole moment aligns with the field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A material comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface and a plurality of underlying regions, including at least a first region and a second region; and a plurality of spheroidal balls selectively and rotatably arranged within each of the plurality of regions, each of the spheroidal balls having a plurality of segments that cause the spheroidal ball to be electrically anisotropic such that the spheroidal ball selectively rotates to a specific orientation with respect to the first surface in response to at least one externally generated electrical field, wherein the spheroidal balls within the first region are substantially identical, the spheroidal balls within the second region are substantially identical, at least one of the segments in each of the spheroidal balls within the first region provides a different optical modulation characteristic than at least one of the segments in each of the spheroidal balls in the second region, and at least one of the segments in at least one of the spherodial balls in the first region is substantially optically transparent.
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Specification