Sheet having a layer with different light modulating materials

• US 6,359,673 B1
• Filed: 06/21/1999
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Iris Optronics Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Stephenson, Stanley W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Toan
• Application Number:
  US09/336,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20020030786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 349/92, 349/86, 349/115, 349/185, 349/129
• US Class Current: 349/185
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1334 based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13718 based on a change of the texture state of a cholesteric liquid crystal

Abstract

A light modulating, electrically responsive sheet including a transparent substrate, and a transparent, electrically conductive layer formed over the transparent substrate. The sheet further includes a light modulating layer including a plurality of electrically responsive light modulating materials dispersed in the light modulating layer and having a plurality of optical states.

Claims

1. A light modulating, electrically responsive sheet which produces images comprising:

(a) a transparent substrate;

(b) a transparent, electrically conductive layer formed over the transparent substrate; and

(c) a unitary light modulating layer deposited over the transparent electrically conductive layer and including a plurality of electrically responsive light modulating materials dispersed in the light modulating layer to provide isolated domains of different materials and each domain having a plurality of optical states whereby the sheet operates on light to produce images.

2. A light modulating, electrically responsive sheet which produces images comprising:

(a) a transparent substrate;

(b) a transparent, electrically conductive layer formed over the transparent substrate; and

(c) a unitary light modulating layer deposited over the transparent electrically conductive layer and including a plurality of electrically responsive cholesteric liquid crystal materials dispersed in the light modulating layer to provide isolated domains of different materials and each domain having a plurality of optical states whereby the sheet operates on light to produce images.

3. The light modulating, electrically responsive sheet of claim 2 wherein the liquid crystals include right handed and left handed cholesteric materials which are bi-stable and respond to an electric field to change states from a reflective to a transmissive state.

4. The light modulating, electrically responsive sheet of claim 2 wherein the liquid crystals are selected to create a neutral density sheet having memory properties which is responsive to an electric field to change states from a reflective to a transmissive state.

5. The light modulating, electrically responsive sheet of claim 4 include red, green and blue reflective cholesteric liquid crystals which reflect red, green and blue light respectively.

6. The light modulation, electrically responsive sheet of claim 4 include blue and yellow reflective cholesteric liquid crystals which reflect blue and yellow light respectively.