Fabric

• US 7,528,082 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Den Toonder, Jacob M. J., Wilderbeek, Johannes T. A., Bruggen, Michel P. B., Krans, Jan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Piziali; Andrew T
• Application Number:
  US10/598,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20080161186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 442/203, 442/204, 442/301, 442/312
• US Class Current: 442/301
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/02 by a carrier person or animal
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/00 Advertising on or in specific articles, e.g. ashtrays, letter-boxes on or in vehicles G09F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/375 the position of the elements being controlled by the application of a magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3179 Woven fabric is characterized by a particular or differential weave other than fabric in which the strand denier or warp/weft pick count is specified
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3187 Triaxially woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3976 Including strand which is stated to have specific attributes [e.g., heat or fire resistance, chemical or solvent resistance, high absorption for aqueous composition, water solubility, heat shrinkability, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/45 Knit fabric is characterized by a particular or differential knit pattern other than open knit fabric or a fabric in which the strand denier is specified

Abstract

A fabric (2; 20) formed from a plurality of first fibers or filaments (4), and a plurality of second fibers or filaments (6); the first fibers or filaments being non-conductive and comprising an electro-optically active material; and the second fibers or filaments being conductive; whereby a voltage difference between two second fibers causes a colour change in a first fiber positioned therebetween.

Claims

1. A fabric (2;

20) formed from a plurality of first fibres or filaments (4), and a plurality of second fibres or filaments (6);

the first fibres or filaments being non-conductive and comprising an electro-optically active material; and

the second fibres or filaments being conductive;

whereby a voltage difference between two second fibres causes a colour change in a first fibre positioned therebetween.

2. A fabric (2;

20) according to claim 1 wherein the first fibres or filaments (4) are interlaced with the second fibres or filaments (6).

3. A fabric (2;

20) according to claim 1 wherein a first plurality (14) of the first fibres or filaments extends in a first direction and a first plurality (8) of the second fibres or filaments extends in a second direction.

4. A fabric (2;

20) according to claim 3 wherein the second direction is substantially different to the first direction.

5. A fabric (2;

20) according to claim 3 wherein a second plurality (10) of the second fibres or filaments extend in a third direction.

6. A fabric (2;

20) according to claim 5 wherein the third direction is substantially different to the first direction.

7. A fabric (2;

20) according to claim 5 wherein the second direction is orthogonal to the third direction.

8. A fabric (2;

20) according to claim 3 wherein a second plurality (16) of the first fibres or filaments extends in a fourth direction.

9. A fabric (2;

20) according to claim 8, wherein the first direction is orthogonal to the fourth direction.

10. A fabric (2;

20) according to claim 1 wherein one or more of the second fibres comprises an electro-optically active material.

11. A fabric (2;

20) according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first fibres is formed from a plurality of electro-optically active materials.

12. A fabric (2;

20) according to claim 1, which fabric is woven, knitted or crocheted.

13. A fabric (2;

20) according to claim 1 wherein the fabric is woven, and the first fibres or filaments are interwoven with the second fibres or filaments.

14. A garment formed from a fabric (2;

20) according to claim 1.

15. A method of forming the fabric (2;

20) of claim 1 comprising interlacing a plurality of first fibres or filaments (4) with a plurality of second fibres or filaments (8), the first fibres being non-conductive and comprising an electro-optic material, and the second fibres being conductive.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the step of interlacing the first fibres or filaments (4) with the second fibres or filament (8) comprises weaving the first and second fibres or filaments together.

17. A method according to claim 14 further comprising applying a voltage difference between overlapping second fibres or filaments (8).