Electrodeposition display panel manufacturing method, electrodeposition display panel, and electrodeposition display device

• US 7,666,049 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Saito, Noriyuki, Ito, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Nimeshkumar D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walford; Natalie K
• Application Number:
  US10/546,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20060152474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,189 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 445/24
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1341 Filling or closing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1506 caused by electrodeposition, e.g. electrolytic deposition of an inorganic material on or close to an electrode

Abstract

An electrodeposition display panel manufacturing method capable of manufacturing a highly reliable display panel in a short time and effectively, an electrodeposition display panel, and an electrodeposition display device are provided. Openings (5A), (5B) are provided in a rear substrate (2) of the cell. A nozzle (7A) to which an injector (8) is connected on the other side is inserted into the opening (5A), and a nozzle (7B) is inserted into the opening (5B). On the other end side of the nozzle (7B), a container for recovering a spilled display material (6) and a decompressor are arranged. While the display material (6) is pressure-injected from the opening (5A), evacuation and discharging air bubbles and the like are performed from the opening (5B). Thereby, the display material (6) is filled in the cell.

Claims

1. An electrodeposition display panel manufacturing method in which a display material which contains metal ions is sandwiched between a pair of substrates, comprising:

attaching the substrates with a space between the pair of substrates, and forming at least first and the second openings providing access to the space, the openings being provided in either substrate or at least one in each substrate, the space being connected to the outside through one or a plurality of first openings for injecting the display material and one or a plurality of second openings for discharging the display material,

filling the space by discharging the display material from the second opening while injecting the display material from the first opening wherein the display material is pressure-injected and an injection pressure during pressure-injection is equal to or more than the ambient pressure.

2. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, wherein the display material is discharged at the pressure equal to or less than the ambient pressure.

3. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, wherein a viscosity of the display material is 30,000 mPa·

s or less.

4. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, wherein an electrolytic solution containing metal ions is used as the display material.

5. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 4, wherein one or more materials colored with a color different from of the electrolytic solution is mixed in the electrolytic solution.

6. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, wherein a height of the space is from 30 pm to 150 pm.

7. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, wherein the space is provided with a supporting member for uniformly supporting and fixing the shape thereof.

8. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the pair of substrates is a resin substrate and the first and the second openings are formed in the resin substrate.

9. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, wherein one first opening and one second opening are respectively formed in a pair of opposing camera in one of the substrates.

10. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, wherein the first openings are formed in two corners of one side of one of the substrates, and the second opening is formed in the central part of the same substrate.

11. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, wherein the first openings are formed in adjacent two camera of one of the substrates, and the second openings are formed in the two corners opposing to the two corners where the first openings are formed of the same substrate.

12. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, wherein the first openings are formed in four corners of one of the substrates, and the second openings are respectively formed in the central part of the two opposed sides of the same substrate.

13. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, wherein a mask is provided on a circumference portion of at least one of the first and the second openings, and then injection and discharge of the display material is performed.

14. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, wherein, a nozzle is temporarily attached to at least one of the first and the second openings, and then injection and discharge of the display material is performed.

15. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 14, wherein the nozzle attached to the first opening is integrally provided with a supply means for extrusion supplying the display material at the end on the opposite side of the attachment side.

16. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 14, wherein the nozzle to be attached to the first opening is provided with a gas supply path for sending gas to the first opening through the nozzle.

17. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 14, wherein the nozzle has a shape in which an outer shape of the end on the attachment side is tapered, and the end on the attachment side of the nozzle is inserted in the opening.

18. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 14, wherein the nozzle is firmly fixed to the surface of the substrate, and thereby the nozzle is attached to the opening.

19. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 14, wherein a mask is provided on at least the circumference portion of the opening of the substrate, and a nozzle is attached to the opening through the mask.

20. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 14, wherein a screw is provided inside the opening and at the end on the attachment side of the nozzle, and the end on the attachment side is screwed in the opening.

21. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 20, wherein after the first step, the opening is sealed by a screw tap.

22. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, wherein, the substrates are secured within a jig which has a pair of fixing faces corresponding to respective shapes of the pair of substrates, and the jig fixes the pair of substrates.

23. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 22, wherein the first or the second opening is provided in at least one of the pair of substrates, a jig to which a nozzle is fixed on the fixing face is used as the jig, and the nozzle is temporarily attached to the opening.

24. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second openings are formed in any of the pair of substrates when the pair of substrates is oppositely arranged at a given gap.

25. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 24, wherein a separation preventive layer for preventing separation of the display material from the substrate is formed.

26. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, further comprising sealing the first and the second openings.

27. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 26, wherein the opening is sealed by a convex tap.

28. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 26, wherein the opening is sealed by being covered with a film or a flat plate.

29. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 28, wherein the whole area of the substrate in which the opening is formed is covered with the film or the flat plate.

30. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 26, wherein an adhesive or a resin is filled in an inner void portion of the opening.

31. A method of manufacturing an electrodeposition display panel according to claim 1, wherein, the display material is gelated.

32. An electrodeposition display panel comprising:

a pair of substrates secured to each other with a space therebetween;

a display material containing metal ions located in the space between the pair of substrates;

a sealing material provided between the first and second substrates around the perimeter of the space between the substrates; and

wherein there are two or more openings which are provided through a surface of the substrates providing access to the space, wherein the opening is provided with a thread inside thereof, and is sealed by a threaded tap.

33. An electrodeposition display panel comprising:

a pair of substrates secured to each other with a space therebetween;

a display material containing metal ions located in the space between the pair of substrates;

a sealing material provided between the first and second substrates around the perimeter of the space between the substrates; and

wherein there are two or more openings which are provided through a surface of the substrates providing access to the space, wherein the opening is sealed by a convex tap.

34. An electrodeposition display panel comprising:

a pair of substrates secured to each other with a space therebetween;

a display material containing metal ions located in the space between the pair of substrates;

a sealing material provided between the first and second substrates around the perimeter of the space between the substrates; and

wherein there are two or more openings which are provided through a surface of the substrates providing access to the space, wherein a separation preventive layer for preventing the layer made of the display material from being separated from the substrate is formed between the layer made of the display material and the substrate on the metal deposition side.

35. An electrodeposition display device comprising:

a pair of substrates secured together with a space therebetween;

a display material containing metal ions located in the space between the substrates;

a sealing material provided between the first and second substrates around the perimeter of the space between the substrates; and

wherein there are two or more openings which are provided through a surface of the substrates providing access to the space, wherein the opening is provided with a thread inside thereof, and is sealed by a threaded tap.

36. An electrodeposition display device comprising:

a pair of substrates secured together with a space therebetween;

a display material containing metal ions located in the space between the substrates;

a sealing material provided between the first and second substrates around the perimeter of the space between the substrates; and

wherein there are two or more openings which are provided through a surface of the substrates providing access to the space, wherein the opening is sealed by a convex tap.

37. An electrodeposition display device comprising:

a pair of substrates secured together with a space therebetween;

a display material containing metal ions located in the space between the substrates;

a sealing material provided between the first and second substrates around the perimeter of the space between the substrates; and

wherein there are two or more openings which are provided through a surface of the substrates providing access to the space, wherein the inside of the opening is filled with an adhesive or a resin.

38. An electrodeposition display device comprising:

a pair of substrates secured together with a space therebetween;

a display material containing metal ions located in the space between the substrates;

a sealing material provided between the first and second substrates around the perimeter of the space between the substrates; and

wherein there are two or more openings which are provided through a surface of the substrates providing access to the space, wherein a separation preventive layer is formed between the layer made of the display material and the substrate on the metal deposition side.