Rotating element sheet material with generalized containment structure

• US 6,498,674 B1
• Filed: 04/14/2000
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sheridon, Nicholas K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben, Loha
• Application Number:
  US09/549,518
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 359/296, 345/85, 345/105, 345/107, 345/108, 345/111, 264/1.36, 264/4.1, 264/8, 264/15, 264/24, 264/429, 264/437
• US Class Current: 359/296
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field

Abstract

The present invention relates to rotating element sheet material with a generalized containment structure and methods of fabricating such rotating element sheet material, where the rotating element sheet material comprises a fibrous matrix, a plurality of rotatable elements, and an enabling fluid, and where the plurality of rotatable elements are disposed within the fibrous matrix and are in contact with the enabling fluid. In addition, rotating element sheet material with a generalized containment structure, and methods of fabricating such rotating element sheet material, includes rotating element sheet material which comprises a fibrous matrix and a plurality of micro-capsules, and where the micro-capsules define a hollow space therein, and the hollow space contains a subset of a plurality of rotatable elements and an enabling fluid, and where the plurality of micro-cavities are disposed within the fibrous matrix.

Claims

1. Rotating element sheet material comprising:

a fibrous matrix;

enabling fluid; and

a plurality of rotatable elements disposed within said fibrous matrix and in contact with said enabling fluid;

wherein each of said plurality of rotatable elements exhibits;

a first collection of responses to incident electromagnetic radiation of interest; and

an addressing polarity.

2. The rotating element sheet material of claim 1

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a material with a low degree of birefringence.

3. The rotating element sheet material of claim 1

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a plurality of fibers of a material;

wherein said material is selected from one of;

cellulosic fibers, cellulose acetate fibers, acrylic fibers, glass fibers, and borosilicate glass fibers.

4. The rotating element sheet material of claim 1, 2, or 3

wherein the relative refractive index of said enabling fluid and said fibrous matrix is unity or near unity.

5. The rotating element sheet material of claim 4 further comprising:

first overlay; and

second overlay;

wherein said first overlay comprises a transparent or semi-transparent material;

wherein said second overlay comprises a transparent or semi-transparent material; and

wherein said first overlay and said second overlay envelope said fibrous matrix, said enabling fluid, and said plurality of rotatable elements.

6. The rotating element sheet material of claim 5 further comprising:

an addressor;

wherein said addressor, said first overlay, and said second overlay include an addressing system;

wherein said addressing system introduces addressing vector fields capable of influencing the orientation of a subset of said plurality of rotatable elements due to said addressing polarity of said rotatable elements.

7. Rotating element sheet material comprising:

a containment structure;

enabling fluid; and

a plurality of rotatable elements disposed within said containment structure and in contact with said enabling fluid;

wherein each of said plurality of rotatable elements exhibits;

a first collection of responses to incident electromagnetic radiation of interest; and

an addressing polarity; and

wherein said containment structure comprises

a fibrous matrix, and

a plurality of micro-capsules;

wherein each of said plurality of micro-capsules defines a space therein,

wherein said space contains said enabling fluid and a subset of said plurality of rotatable elements.

8. The rotating element sheet material of claim 7

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a material with a low degree of birefringence.

9. The rotating element sheet material of claim 7

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a plurality of fibers of a material;

wherein said material is selected from one of;

cellulosic fibers, cellulose acetate fibers, acrylic fibers, glass fibers, and borosilicate glass fibers.

10. The rotating element sheet material of claim 7, 8, or 9

wherein said containment structure further comprises

additional supporting material.

11. The rotating element sheet material of claim 10 further comprising:

first overlay; and

second overlay;

wherein said first overlay comprises a transparent or semi-transparent material;

wherein said second overlay comprises a transparent or semi-transparent material; and

wherein said first overlay and said second overlay envelope said fibrous matrix, said enabling fluid, and said plurality of rotatable elements.

12. The rotating element sheet material of claim 11 further comprising:

an addressor;

wherein said addressor, said first overlay, and said second overlay include an addressing system;

wherein said addressing system introduces addressing vector fields capable of influencing the orientation of a subset of said plurality of rotatable elements due to said addressing polarity of said rotatable elements.

13. The rotating element sheet material of claim 10

where said additional supporting material is a solid-forming material.

14. The rotating element sheet material of claim 10

where said additional supporting material is a solid-forming material, and

where the relative refractive index of said additional supporting material and said fibrous matrix is unity or near unity.

15. A method for assembling rotating element sheet material

using a plurality of rotatable elements,

using enabling fluid, and

using a collection of fibrous material,

where said rotating element sheet material comprises said plurality of rotatable elements and said enabling fluid interstitially contained within a fibrous matrix, and where said enabling fluid is in contact with said plurality of rotatable elements;

said method comprising the steps of;

providing said collection of fibrous material;

dispersing said plurality of rotatable elements into said collection of fibrous material;

performing a first manipulation of said fibrous material such that said fibrous material forms said fibrous matrix;

dispersing said enabling fluid into said fibrous matrix.

16. The method of claim 15

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a material with a low degree of birefringence.

17. The method of claim 15

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a plurality of fibers of a material;

wherein said material is selected from one of;

cellulosic fibers, cellulose acetate fibers, acrylic fibers, glass fibers, and borosilicate glass fibers.

39. Rotating element sheet material produced by said method of claim 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, or 38.

18. A method for assembling rotating element sheet material

using a plurality of rotatable elements,

using enabling fluid, and

using a collection of fibrous material;

where said rotating element sheet material comprises said plurality of rotatable elements and said enabling fluid encapsulated within a plurality of micro-capsules, where said enabling fluid is in contact with said plurality of rotatable elements, and where said plurality of micro-capsules are interstitially contained within a fibrous matrix;

said method comprising the steps of;

encapsulating said plurality of rotatable elements and said enabling fluid within said plurality of micro-capsules;

providing said collection of fibrous material;

dispersing said plurality of micro-capsules into said collection of fibrous material;

performing a first manipulation of said fibrous material such that said fibrous material forms said fibrous matrix.

19. The method of claim 18, said method further comprising:

performing a second manipulation of said rotating element sheet material wherein

additional supporting material is interstitially contained within said fibrous matrix.

20. The method of claim 18, said method further comprising:

performing a second manipulation of said rotating element sheet material wherein

additional supporting material is interstitially contained within said fibrous matrix;

said additional supporting material is a solid-forming material, and

performing a third manipulation of said additional supporting material such that said additional supporting material is hardened.

21. The method of claim 18

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a material with a low degree of birefringence.

22. The method of claim 18

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a plurality of fibers of a material;

wherein said material is selected from one of;

cellulosic fibers, cellulose acetate fibers, acrylic fibers, glass fibers, and borosilicate glass fibers.

23. A method for assembling rotating element sheet material

using a plurality of rotatable elements,

using enabling fluid, and

using a collection of fibrous material,

where said rotating element sheet material comprises said plurality of rotatable elements and said enabling fluid interstitially contained within a fibrous matrix, and where said enabling fluid is in contact with said plurality of rotatable elements;

said method comprising the steps of;

providing said collection of fibrous material;

performing a first manipulation of said fibrous material such that said fibrous material forms said fibrous matrix defining a plurality of preferred interstitial regions;

performing a second manipulation of said fibrous matrix and said plurality of rotatable elements such that said plurality of rotatable elements are dispersed to said preferred interstitial regions of said fibrous matrix; and

performing a third manipulation of said fibrous matrix and said plurality of rotatable elements wherein said enabling fluid i s interstitially contain ed within said fibrous matrix.

24. The method of claim 23

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a material with a low degree of birefringence.

25. The method of claim 23

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a plurality of fibers of a material;

wherein said material is selected from one of;

cellulosic fibers, cellulose acetate fibers, acrylic fibers, glass fibers, and borosilicate glass fibers.

26. A method for assembling rotating element sheet material

using a plurality of rotatable elements,

using enabling fluid, and

using a collection of fibrous material,

where said rotating element sheet material comprises said plurality of rotatable elements and said enabling fluid encapsulated within a plurality of micro-capsules, where said enabling fluid is in contact with said plurality of rotatable elements, and where said plurality of micro-capsules are interstitially contained within a fibrous matrix;

said method comprising the steps of;

encapsulating said plurality of rotatable elements and said enabling fluid within said plurality of micro-capsules;

providing said collection of fibrous material;

performing a first manipulation of said fibrous material such that said fibrous material forms said fibrous matrix defining a plurality of preferred interstitial regions;

performing a second manipulation of said fibrous matrix and said plurality of micro-capsules such that said plurality of micro-capsules are dispersed to said preferred interstitial regions of said fibrous matrix.

27. The method of claim 26, said method further comprising:

performing a third manipulation of said rotating element sheet material wherein

additional supporting material is interstitially contained within said fibrous matrix.

28. The method of claim 26, said method further comprising:

performing a third manipulation of said rotating element sheet material wherein

additional supporting material is interstitially contained within said fibrous matrix;

said additional supporting material is a solid-forming material, and

performing a fourth manipulation of said additional supporting material such that said additional supporting material is hardened.

29. The method of claim 26

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a material with a low degree of birefringence.

30. The method of claim 26

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a plurality of fibers of a material;

wherein said material is selected from one of;

cellulosic fibers, cellulose acetate fibers, acrylic fibers, glass fibers, and borosilicate glass fibers.

31. A method of assembling rotating elements sheet material

using a plurality of rotatable elements,

using enabling fluid, and

using a collection of fibrous material,

where said rotating element sheet material comprises said plurality of rotatable elements and said enabling fluid interstitially contained within a fibrous matrix, and where said enabling fluid is in contact with said plurality of rotatable elements;

said method comprising the steps of;

performing a first manipulation of said plurality of rotatable elements such that said plurality of rotatable elements are in a preferred spatial configuration;

providing said collection of fibrous material;

performing a second manipulation of said fibrous material such that said fibrous material is introduced to the defined spaces in and around said plurality of rotatable elements, forming said fibrous matrix that includes said rotatable elements therein; and

performing a third manipulation of said fibrous matrix and said plurality of rotatable elements wherein said enabling fluid is interstitially contained within said fibrous matrix.

32. The method of claim 31

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a material with a low degree of birefringence.

33. The method of claim 31

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a plurality of fibers of a material;

wherein said material is selected from one of;

cellulosic fibers, cellulose acetate fibers, acrylic fibers, glass fibers, and borosilicate glass fibers.

34. A method for assembling rotating element sheet material

using a plurality of rotatable elements,

using enabling fluid, and

using a collection of fibrous material,

where said rotating element sheet material comprises said plurality of rotatable elements and said enabling fluid encapsulated within a plurality of micro-capsules, where said enabling fluid is in contact with said plurality of rotatable elements, and where said plurality of micro-capsules are interstitially contained within a fibrous matrix;

said method comprising the steps of;

encapsulating said plurality of rotatable elements and said enabling fluid within said plurality of micro-capsules;

performing a first manipulation of said plurality of micro-capsules such that said plurality of micro-capsules are in a preferred spatial configuration;

providing said collection of fibrous material;

performing a second manipulation of said fibrous material such that said fibrous material is introduced to the defined spaces in and around said plurality of micro-capsules, forming said fibrous matrix that includes said micro-capsules therein.

35. The method of claim 34, said method further comprising:

performing a third manipulation of said rotating element sheet material wherein

additional supporting material is interstitially contained within said fibrous matrix.

36. The method of claim 34, said method further comprising:

performing a third manipulation of said rotating element sheet material wherein

additional supporting material is interstitially contained within said fibrous matrix;

said additional supporting material is a solid-forming material, and

performing a fourth manipulation of said additional supporting material such that said additional supporting material is hardened.

37. The method of claim 34

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a material with a low degree of birefringence.

38. The method of claim 34

wherein said fibrous matrix comprises a plurality of fibers of a material;

wherein said material is selected from one of;

cellulosic fibers, cellulose acetate fibers, acrylic fibers, glass fibers, and borosilicate glass fibers.