Rewritable display sheet, image forming apparatus for displaying image on rewritable display sheet, and image displaying method

• US 6,618,188 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Haga, Masayasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Spector, David N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dinh, Jack
• Application Number:
  US10/097,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20020135859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 359/296, 359/452, 359/253, 359/238, 359/240, 345/107, 345/105, 345/108, 345/84, 345/111, 204/450, 204/485, 204/600, 204/490, 349/2
• US Class Current: 359/296
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133342 for double-sided displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field

Abstract

Provided is a rewritable display sheet capable of displaying different images on both surfaces. The rewritable display sheet 10 of the present invention is provided with a conductive substrate 12 that has a voltage applying section 12a at an end portion, transparent sheets 14 and 16 provided on both sides of the conductive substrate 12, and display layers 18 and 20 which are provided between the conductive substrate 12 and the transparent sheets 14 and 16 and in which an image is written with an electric field applied.

Claims

1. A rewritable display sheet comprising:

a conductive substrate having a voltage applying section at an end portion;

a first display layer, which is provided on a first surface of the conductive substrate and able to display a first image with a first electric field applied thereto;

a first transparent sheet provided on the first display layer;

a second display layer, which is provided on a second surface of the conductive substrate and able to display a second image with a second electric field applied thereto; and

a second transparent sheet provided on the second display layer.

2. A rewritable display sheet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second display layers are colored particle layers in which numbers of colored particles having two surfaces of different charge characteristics and different colors are arranged.

3. A rewritable display sheet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second display layers are electrophoretic layers in which electrophoretic particles are dispersed in a dispersion medium.

4. A rewritable display sheet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the voltage applying section is arranged while projecting outwardly of the first display layer, the second display layer, the first transparent sheet and the second transparent sheet.

5. A rewritable display sheet as claimed in claim 4, wherein the voltage applying section is arranged on each of adjacent two peripheral portions out of four peripheral portions of the rewritable display sheet.

6. A rewritable display sheet as claimed in claim 4, wherein the voltage applying section is provided with an insulating cover, and the insulating cover is provided with a groove or hole that is formed so as to reach the voltage applying section.

7. An image forming apparatus for displaying an image on a rewritable display sheet,

the rewritable display sheet being constructed of a conductive substrate having a voltage applying section at an end portion, a first display layer, which is provided on a first surface of the conductive substrate and able to display a first image with a first electric field applied thereto, a first transparent sheet provided on the first display layer, a second display layer, which is provided on a second surface of the conductive substrate and able to display a second image with a second electric field applied thereto, and a second transparent sheet provided on the second display layer, and the image forming apparatus comprising:

an image writing member provided so as to be able to come in contact with a surface of the first transparent sheet; and

a voltage applying member provided so as to be able to come in contact with the voltage applying section.

8. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising another image writing member provided so as to be able to come in contact with a surface of the second transparent sheet.

9. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the image writing member is a recording head that has a number of electrodes to which a voltage is applied according to an image signal.

10. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the image writing member is a photoreceptor that carries an electrostatic latent image on its surface.

11. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the voltage applying member is a conductive roller.

12. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein an outer peripheral portion of the conductive roller is formed of an elastic material.

13. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the voltage applying member is a conductive brush.

14. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first and second display layers are colored particle layers in which numbers of colored particles having two surfaces of different charge characteristics and different colors are arranged.

15. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first and second display layers are electrophoretic layers in which electrophoretic particles are dispersed in a dispersion medium.

16. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the voltage applying section is arranged while projecting outwardly of the first display layer, the second display layer, the first transparent sheet and the second transparent sheet.

17. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the voltage applying section is arranged on each of adjacent two peripheral portions out of four peripheral portions of the rewritable display sheet.

18. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the voltage applying section is provided with an insulating cover, and the insulating cover is provided with a groove or hole that is formed so as to reach the voltage applying section.

19. An image displaying method for displaying an image on a rewritable display sheet, comprising the step of:

applying a second voltage to a surface of a first transparent sheet according to an image signal in a state in which a first voltage is applied to a voltage applying section of the rewritable display sheet constructed of a conductive substrate having the voltage applying section at an end portion, a first display layer, which is provided on a first surface of the conductive substrate, the first transparent sheet provided on the first display layer, a second display layer, which is provided on a second surface of the conductive substrate, and a second transparent sheet provided on the second display layer, whereby a first image is displayed on the first display layer.

20. An image displaying method as claimed in claim 19, wherein, in a state in which the first voltage is applied to the voltage applying section of the rewritable display sheet that is displaying the first image on the first display layer, a third voltage is applied to a surface of the second transparent sheet according to an image signal, whereby a second image is displayed on the second display layer.