Electro-optical display

• US 6,697,191 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2001
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visson IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Visson IP LLC
• Inventors: Kiryuschev, Irina, Konstein, Semjon, Topelberg, Rafael, Kurlianchick, Zeev
• Primary Examiner(s): LESTER, EVELYN A
• Application Number:
  US09/877,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20020187697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 313/483, 313/500, 313/505, 313/511, 313/513, 345/55, 345/76, 345/84, 428/917, 428/293.1, 359/245
• US Class Current: 359/345
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/46 Flat yarns, e.g. tapes or films
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/67 Metal wires
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 antistatic; conductive
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/20 optical
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/917 Electroluminescent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249927 Fiber embedded in a metal matrix
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/30 Woven fabric [i.e., woven strand or strip material]

Abstract

An electro-optic display material comprising a first and a second set of fibers, each fiber having a longitudinal conductive element the two sets forming a matrix structure of junctions, preferably woven. The structure further comprises an electro-optically active (EOA) substance at least partially coating the fibers of the first set; and a transparent or translucent conductive layer covering the EOA substance and having electric contact with the fibers of the second set at contact zones in the vicinity of the junctions. The conductivity of the conductive layer is limited to a predetermined value thereby defining, in the vicinity of each contact zone, an electro-optical activity zone (EOA zone) constituting a display element. Alternatively, the conductive layer is laid over the matrix structure in separated spots, each spot overlaying at least one junction and defining an EOA zone constituting a display element.

Claims

1. An electro-optic display material comprising a first and a second set of fibers, each fiber having a longitudinal conductive element, said two sets forming a matrix structure of junctions, said structure further comprising:

an electro-optically active (EOA) substance at least partially coating the fibers of the first set; and

a transparent or translucent conductive layer covering the EOA substance and having electric contact with the fibers of the second set at contact zones in the vicinity of said junctions, wherein the conductivity of said conductive layer is limited to a predetermined value thereby defining, in the vicinity of each contact zone, an electro-optical activity zone (EOA zone) constituting a display element.

2. An electro-optic display material according to claim 1, wherein the conductivity of said conductive layer is limited to a value preventing overlapping of adjacent display elements.

3. An electro-optic display material according to claim 1, wherein the fibers of at least said second set are arranged in groups, the space between adjacent groups being larger than the space between fibers within a group, and the conductivity of said conductive layer is limited to a value allowing overlapping of adjacent display elements associated with fibers within a group but preventing overlapping of display elements across adjacent groups, thereby forming a clustered display element over each intersection of at least one fiber of the first set with a group of fibers of the second set.

4. An electro-optic display material according to claim 3, wherein at least one elongated spacing element is arranged between said adjacent groups of fibers, thereby providing for said larger space between groups.

5. An electro-optic display material according to claim 1, wherein said conductive layer is applied over said matrix structure.

6. An electro-optic display material according to claim 1, wherein said first and said second sets of fibers are interlocked in a woven arrangement.

7. An electro-optic display material according to claim 1, wherein at least some of said fibers are flat strips or tapes.

8. An electro-optic display material comprising a first and a second set of fibers, each fiber having a longitudinal conductive element, said two sets forming a matrix structure of junctions, said structure further comprising:

an electro-optically active (EOA) substance at least partially coating the fibers of the first set; and

a transparent or translucent conductive layer at least partially covering the EOA substance and having electric contact with the fibers of the second set,

wherein at least one of said EOA substance and said conductive layer is laid over said structure in the form of one or more spots.

9. An electro-optic display material according to claim 8, wherein said conductive layer covers said EOA substance in separated spots, each spot overlaying at least one junction and defining an electro-optical activity zone constituting a display element.

10. An electro-optic display material according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the conductive layer spots overlays a plurality of said junctions, thereby forming a clustered display element.

11. An electro-optic display material according to claim 8, wherein said first and said second sets of fibers are interlocked in a woven arrangement.

12. An electro-optic display material according to claim 8, wherein at least some of said fibers are flat strips or tapes.

13. An electro-optic display material according to claim 8, wherein said conductive layer is continuous, and said EOA substance is laid over said structure in a single spot.

14. An electro-optic display material according to claim 8, wherein said conductive layer is continuous, and said EOA substance is laid over said structure in separated spots, thereby forming a visible image defined by said separated spots.

15. An electro-optic display material according to claim 8, wherein said conductive layer is continuous, and said EOA substance is laid over said structure in spots having different electro-optic properties, thereby forming a visible image defined by said spots of EOA substance.

16. An electro-optic display material according to claim 8, wherein said EOA substance is laid over said structure in spots having different electro-optic properties, said conductive layer covers said EOA substance in separated spots, each conductive layer spot defining an electro-optical activity zone carrying a visible image formed by at least one of said spots of EOA substance.

17. An electro-optic display material comprising a fist and a second set of fibers, each fiber having a longitudinal conductive element, said two sets forming a matrix structure of junctions, said fibers further comprising:

an electro-optically active (EOA) substance at least partially coating the fibers of the first set; and

a transparent or translucent conductive layer laid over said fibers of the first set so as to at least partially cover the EOA substance thereon, and having electric contact with the fibers of the second set at said junctions, said conductive layer being in the form of separated sections, each section overlaying a plurality of junctions, thereby defining an electro-optical activity zone constituting a clustered display element.

18. An electro-optic display material according to claim 17, wherein said EOA substance is coating the fibers of the first sets in the form of separated sections.

19. An electro-optic display material according to claim 17, wherein said EOA substance is coating the fibers of the first sets in the form of sections with different electro-optic properties.

20. An electro-optic display material according to claim 17, wherein said first and said second sets of fibers are interlocked in a woven arrangement.

21. An electro-optic display material according to claim 17, wherein at least some of said fibers are flat strips or tapes.

22. An electro-optic display material according to claim 17, wherein the fibers of said second set further comprise a layer of EOA substance and an additional transparent or translucent conductive layer laid in separated sections thereover.

23. A method for production of electro-optic display material from a matrix structure comprising a first and a second set of conductive wires in which the wires of each set are transverse to, and overlapping the wires of the other set, the wires of the first set having an insulating layer thereon, said method including:

a) covering said matrix structure with a layer of EOA substance so as to leave exposed parts of each wire of said second set;

b) covering said matrix structure over said layer of EOA substance with at least one transparent or translucent conductive layer, so that said conductive layer is in electric contact with said exposed parts.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein said matrix structure is a woven structure.

25. A method according to claim 23, wherein (b) is performed by laying said conductive layer in separated spots.

26. A method according to claim 23, wherein (a) is performed by laying said EOA layer in thickness small enough as to leave each wire of the second set at least partly exposed at the overlapping zones thereof with the wires of said first set.