Method for rotatable element assembly

• US 6,440,252 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1999
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Biegelsen, David K., Crowley, Joseph M., Silverman, Alexander E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ball, Michael W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Musser, Barbara J
• Application Number:
  US09/465,801
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 359/296, 335/303, 335/306, 345/84, 345/85, 345/86, 345/107, 264/1.7, 264/245, 264/246, 264/297.1, 264/297.8, 264/250, 156/242, 156/245, 156/500
• US Class Current: 156/245
• 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

Methods and systems consistent with the present invention can be used to assemble composite rotatable-element components and can be used to form a laminate substrate system, and use a plurality of rotatable-element components or rotatable-element component material of two classes. Each class is defined by a common response or responses to incident electromagnetic radiation of interest. The method for assembling a composite rotatable-element component comprises: dispersing a plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class to first preferred positions on a first carrier; dispersing a plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class to second preferred positions on a second carrier; performing a first manipulation of the first carrier and the second carrier such that one of the plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and one of the plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class touch at a first contact point; and performing a second manipulation of the rotatable-element components that touch such that they bond to form a composite rotatable-element component. The method for assembling a laminate substrate further comprises: performing a third manipulation of the first carrier and the second carrier such that they touch at a set of second contact points; and performing a fourth manipulation of the first carrier and the second carrier such that they bond to form the laminate substrate.

Claims

1. A method for assembling a composite rotatable-element component using a plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and a plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class;

wherein said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class are defined by a first common response or responses to incident electromagnetic radiation of interest, and

wherein said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class are defined by a second common response or responses to said incident electromagnetic radiation of interest;

said method comprising;

dispersing said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class to first preferred positions on a first carrier,

dispersing said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class to second preferred positions on a second carrier,

performing a first manipulation of said first carrier and said second carrier such that one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in said first preferred position and one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in said second preferred position touch at a contact point, and

performing a second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point such that said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class bond to form said composite rotatable-element component.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point comprises

altering the structure of the interfacial boundary between said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point comprises

altering the temperature of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point comprises

altering the pressure between said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point comprises

altering the temperature and pressure of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point.

28. The method of claim 1 further comprising

performing a third manipulation of said composite rotatable-element component such that said composite rotatable-element component is heated while said composite rotatable-element component is in free fall through a fluid;

and

performing a fourth manipulation of said composite rotatable-element component such that said composite rotatable-element component is cooled while said composite rotatable-element component is in free fall through said fluid.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said fluid is a gas.

2. A method for assembling a composite rotatable-element component using rotatable-element component material of a first class and rotatable-element component material of a second class;

said method comprising;

dispersing said rotatable-element component material of a first class to first preferred positions on a first carrier to form a plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in liquid or melt form,

dispersing said rotatable-element component material of a second class to second preferred positions on a second carrier to form a plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in liquid or melt form,

performing a first manipulation of said first carrier and said second carrier such that one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in said first preferred position and one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in said second preferred position touch at a contact point,

performing a second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in liquid or melt form and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in liquid or melt form such that said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in liquid or melt form hardens and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in liquid or melt form hardens, and

performing a third manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of said rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point such that said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class bond to form said composite rotatable-element component.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in liquid or melt form and said one of said plurality of rotatable element components of a second class in liquid or melt form comprises

any of the processes of cooling, curing, exposure to ultraviolet light, exposure to infrared light, or irradiation.

7. The method of claim 2, 3, 4, or 5 wherein said third manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point comprises

altering the structure of the interfacial boundary between said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point.

9. The method of claim 2, 3, 4, or 5 wherein said third manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point comprises

altering the temperature of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point.

11. The method of claim 2, 3, 4, or 5 wherein said third manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point comprises

altering the pressure between said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point.

13. The method of claim 2, 3, 4, or 5 wherein said third manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point comprises

altering the temperature and pressure of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point.

30. The method of claim 2,

wherein said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in said hardened form is characterized by a first response to incident electromagnetic radiation of interest and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in said hardened form is characterized by a second response to said incident electromagnetic radiation of interest.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in liquid or melt form and said one of said plurality of rotatable element components of a second class in liquid or melt form comprises

any of the processes of cooling, curing, exposure to ultraviolet light, exposure to infrared light, or irradiation.

3. A method for assembling a composite rotatable-element component using rotatable-element component material of a first class and a plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class, said method comprising:

dispersing said rotatable-element component material of a first class to first preferred positions on a first carrier to form a plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in liquid or melt form,

dispersing said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class to second preferred positions on a second carrier,

performing a first manipulation of said first carrier and said second carrier such that one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in said first preferred position and one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in said second preferred position touch at a contact point,

performing a second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in liquid or melt form such that said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in liquid or melt form hardens, and

performing a third manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at said contact point such that said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class bond to form said composite rotatable-element component,

wherein said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in said hardened form is characterized by a first response to incident electromagnetic radiation of interest and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class is characterized by a second response to said incident electromagnetic radiation of interest.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in liquid or melt form comprises

any of the processes of cooling, curing, exposure to ultraviolet light, exposure to infrared light, or irradiation.

14. A method for assembling a composite rotatable-element component using a plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and a plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class,

wherein said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class are defined by a first common response or responses to incident electromagnetic radiation of interest, and

wherein said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class are defined by a second common response or responses to said incident electromagnetic radiation of interest,

said method comprising the steps of:

dispersing said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class to first preferred positions on a first carrier;

dispersing said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class to second preferred positions on a second carrier;

performing a first manipulation on one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and performing a second manipulation on one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class such that the potential energy of interest of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class is minimized when said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class touch at a contact point, and

performing a third manipulation of said first carrier and second carrier such that said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class touch at said contact point.

15. A method for assembling a composite rotatable-element component using rotatable-element component material of a first class and rotatable-element component material of a second class;

said method comprising;

dispersing said rotatable-element component material of a first class to first preferred positions on a first carrier to form a plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in liquid or melt form,

dispersing said rotatable-element component material of a second class to second preferred positions on a second carrier to form a plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in liquid or melt form,

performing a first manipulation on one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and performing a second manipulation on one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class such that a potential energy of interest of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class is minimized when said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class touch at a contact point,

performing a third manipulation of said first carrier and said second carrier such that one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in said first preferred position and one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in said second preferred position touch at said contact point, and

performing a fourth manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in liquid or melt form and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in liquid or melt form such that said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in liquid or melt form hardens and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in liquid or melt form hardens,

wherein said potential energy of interest comprises potential energy associated with a self-assembly force between said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class.

17. The method of claim 15 or 16 wherein said first manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class comprises

establishing an electrostatic polarity between said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in said first preferred position on said first carrier and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in said second preferred position on said second carrier.

18. The method of claim 15 or 16 wherein said first manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class comprises

establishing a first magnetic polarity on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in said first preferred position on said first carrier, and

establishing a second magnetic polarity on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in said second preferred position on said second carrier.

19. The method of claim 15 or 16 wherein said first manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class comprises

establishing a first electric polarity on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in said first preferred position on said first carrier, and

establishing a second electric polarity on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in said second preferred position on said second carrier.

20. The method of claim 15 or 16 wherein said first manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class comprises

establishing a first adhesion-promoting layer on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in said first preferred position on said first carrier, and

establishing a second adhesion-promoting layer on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in said second preferred position on said second carrier.

21. The method of claim 15 or 16 wherein said first manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class comprises

establishing a hydrogen-terminated surface on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in said first preferred position on said first carrier, and

establishing a hydroxyl-terminated surface on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in said second preferred position on said second carrier.

32. The method of claim 15,

wherein said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in said hardened form is characterized by a first response to incident electromagnetic radiation of interest and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in said hardened form is characterized by a second response to said incident electromagnetic radiation of interest.

16. A method for assembling a composite rotatable-element component using rotatable-element component material of a first class and a plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class, said method comprising:

dispersing said rotatable-element component material of a first class to first preferred positions on a first carrier to form a plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in liquid or melt form,

dispersing said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class to second preferred positions on a second carrier,

performing a first manipulation on one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and performing a second manipulation on one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class such that a potential energy of interest of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class is minimized when said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class touch at a contact point,

performing a third manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in liquid or melt form such that said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in liquid or melt form hardens, and

performing a fourth manipulation of said first carrier and said second carrier such that one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in said first preferred position and one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class in said second preferred position touch at said contact point,

wherein said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class in said hardened form is characterized by a first response to incident electromagnetic radiation of interest and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class is characterized by a second response to said incident electromagnetic radiation of interest, and

wherein said potential energy of interest comprises potential energy associated with a self-assembly force between said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class.

33. The method of claim 30, 3, 31, 5, 32, or 16 wherein said incident electromagnetic energy of interest is characterized by a set of wavelengths comprising a subset of the set of wavelengths of visible light.

22. A method for assembling a composite rotatable-element component using a plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and a plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class,

wherein said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class are defined by a first common response or responses to incident electromagnetic radiation of interest, and

wherein said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class are defined by a second common response or responses to said incident electromagnetic radiation of interest;

said method comprising the steps of;

performing a first manipulation on one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and performing a second manipulation on one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class such that the potential energy of interest of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class is minimized when said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class touch at a contact point, and

performing a third manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class such that said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class touch at said contact point.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said first manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class comprises

establishing an electrostatic polarity between said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said first manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class comprises

establishing a first magnetic polarity on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class, and

establishing a second magnetic polarity on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein said first manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class comprises

establishing a first electric polarity on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class, and

establishing a second electric polarity on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein said first manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class comprises

establishing a first adhesion-promoting layer on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class, and

establishing a second adhesion-promoting layer on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein said first manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said second manipulation of said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class comprises

establishing a hydrogen-terminated surface on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class, and

establishing a hydroxyl-terminated surface on said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class.

34. A system for assembling a composite rotatable-element components from a plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and a plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class,

wherein said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class are defined by a first common response or responses to incident electromagnetic radiation of interest, and

wherein said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class are defined by a second common response or responses to said incident electromagnetic radiation of interest,

said system comprising:

a first carrier that can accommodate in one first preferred position one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class,

a second carrier that can accommodate in one second preferred position one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class,

a first dispersing means for dispersing said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class to said first preferred position;

a second dispersing means for dispersing said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class to said second preferred position;

a first manipulation means for touching said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class to said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class at a contact point, and

a second manipulation means for bonding said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class into one of said composite rotatable-element components.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said first manipulation means for touching said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class to said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of second class at said contact point comprises

a conventional contact-mask-alignment system.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein said first manipulation means for touching said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class to said one of said plurality of rotatable-element components of second class at said contact point comprises

a roll-roll system.

37. The system of claim 34, 35, or 36 wherein said plurality of rotatable-element components of a first class and said plurality of rotatable-element components of a second class comprise

any of polyethylene, polyester, carnuba wax, castor wax, epoxy, pigments, ferroelectric ceramics, or ferromagnetic materials.

38. The system of claim 34, 35, or 36 wherein said first carrier and said second carrier comprise

any of silicone rubber, glass, silicon, aluminum, polymethyl-methacrylate, or polycarbonate.

39. The system of claim 34, 35, or 36 wherein said first carrier comprises

a first microstructured surface containing first microrecesses and first micropeaks.

40. The system of claim 34, 35, or 36 wherein said first carrier comprises

a first microstructured surface containing first microrecesses and first micropeaks, and

said second carrier comprises

a second microstructured surface containing second microrecesses and second micropeaks.

41. The system of claim 34, 35, or 36 wherein said first carrier comprises

a first microstructured surface containing first microrecesses and first micropeaks, and

said second carrier comprises

a second microstructured surface containing second microrecesses and second micropeaks, and

said first microrecesses are arranged in a hexagonal pattern on said first microstructured surface, and

said second microrecesses are arranged in a hexagonal pattern on said second microstructured surface.

42. The system of claim 34, 35, or 36 wherein said first carrier and said second carrier comprise

glass beneath layers of etched RISTON.

43. The system of claim 34, 35, or 36 wherein said first carrier comprises

a first microstructured surface containing first microrecesses and first micropeaks,

wherein said first microrecesses and said first micropeaks are formed by embossing.

44. The system of claim 34, 35, or 36 further comprising

a third manipulation means for passing said composite rotatable-element components through a sieve,

wherein said sieve sorts well-formed composite rotatable-element components from non-well-formed composite rotatable-element components.

45. The system of claim 34, 35, or 36 further comprising

a third manipulation means for passing said composite rotatable-element components through a heating tower,

wherein said heating tower performs a fourth manipulation of said composite rotatable-element components such that said composite rotatable-element components are heated while said composite rotatable-element components are in free fall through a fluid;

and

wherein said heating tower performs a fifth manipulation of said composite rotatable-element components such that said composite rotatable-element components are cooled while said composite rotatable-element components are in free fall through said fluid.

46. The system of claim 34, 35, or 36 further comprising

a third manipulation means for passing said composite rotatable-element components through a sieve,

wherein said sieve sorts well-formed composite rotatable-element components from non-well-formed composite rotatable-element components, and

a fourth manipulation means for passing said well-formed composite rotatable-element components through a heating tower,

wherein said heating tower performs a fifth manipulation of said well-formed composite rotatable-element components such that said well-formed composite rotatable-element components are heated while said well-formed composite rotatable-element components are in free fall through a fluid;

and

wherein said heating tower performs a sixth manipulation of said well-formed composite rotatable-element components such that said well-formed composite rotatable-element components are cooled while said well-formed composite rotatable-element components are in free fall through said fluid.

47. The system of claim 34, 35, or 36 wherein said set of wavelengths of said incident electromagnetic energy of interest comprise

a subset of the set of wavelengths of visible light.