Electrosensitive media and recording process

• US 4,596,722 A
• Filed: 08/26/1985
• Issued: 06/24/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Polyvision Corporation (Steelcase Incorporated), WARSZAWSKI, BERNARD, 122 AVEUE DE WAGRAM, PARIS, FRANCE
• Original Assignee: Hopkinson Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Warszawski, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, James J.
• Application Number:
  US06/769,173
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 427/108, 350/357
• US Class Current: 427/108
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4076 printing on rewritable, bistable "electronic paper" by a focused electric or magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1508 using a solid electrolyte

Abstract

A process for manufacturing electrochromic recording materials, useful for recording signals and images, is carried out by coating a suitable substrate with a homogeneous fluid mixture of a hydrosoluble salt of a metal cathodically depositable from an aqueous solution of its ions and an initially hydrosoluble film-forming polymer resin, in water. The recording mediums of the invention are advantageous for generating images whose background and marks remain unaffected by light, heat and humidity.

Claims

1. A process of manufacture of electrochromic material which comprises;

coating onto a substrate or base material or impregnating it and then drying, a fluid, homogeneous mixture of

(a) water;

(b) a hydrosoluble salt or hydrosoluble mixture of salts of a metal cathodically depositable from an aqueous solution of its ions; and

(c) an initially hydrosoluble film-forming polymer resin.

2. A process of manufacture according to claim 1, wherein the fluid mixture contains a volatile acid.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the mixture also contains a particulate solid.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the mixture also contains a resin cross-linking agent.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the mixture also contains a complexing agent.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the mixture also contains ammonium ions.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the mixture also contains agents for improving the coating step.

8. A process of manufacture according to any one of the claims 1 and 2, wherein the fluid mixture contains wetting agents.