Liquid crystal display

• US 7,236,151 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kent Displays Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kent Displays Incorporated
• Inventors: Green, Albert, Doane, J. William, Khan, Asad A., Shiyanovskaya, Irina
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Nitin
• Application Number:
  US11/006,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20050162606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 345 87-100, 345/105, 345/107, 345/204, 349/113, 349/114, 349/115, 349/125, 349/127, 349/132, 349/137, 349/147, 348/790, 348/791, 348/792, 348/793, 348/794
• US Class Current: 345/87
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/00 Functional layers of liquid crystal optical display excluding electroactive liquid crystal layer characterised by chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/02 Alignment layer characterised by chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/03 Viewing layer characterised by chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1334 based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals

Abstract

A flexible liquid crystal display is provided wherein an addressable liquid crystal layer is disposed on a single flexible substrate so that the display itself will exhibit flexibility. The substrate is preferably a flexible non-transparent material and more preferably a drapable material such as fabric.

Claims

1. A drapable electrically addressable liquid crystal display comprising a substrate material, a layer of liquid crystal material, a first conducting electrode disposed on a first side of said liquid crystal layer proximal said substrate, and a second conducting electrode disposed on a second side of said liquid crystal layer distal of said substrate, said electrodes adapted to be connected to electronic drive circuitry wherein said substrate is selected from a textile fabricated from natural or synthetic fibers, a sheet of polymeric material or paper and display has a drape coefficient less than 100%.

2. The display of claim 1 further including a planarization layer interposed between said substrate and said first electrode.

3. The display of claim 1 further including an insulation layer disposed between at least one of said electrodes and said liquid crystal layer.

4. The display of claim 1 further including a protective coating disposed as un uppermost layer of at least a portion of said display.

5. The display of claim 1 wherein one side of said substrate is smoother than an opposite side of said substrate.

6. The display of claim 5 wherein said one side of said substrate is made smoother by deposition of a layer of material thereon.

7. The display of claim 1 wherein at least one of said electrodes is a conducting polymer or carbon nanotube material.

8. The display of claim 1 wherein said second electrode is substantially optically transmissive.

9. The display of claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal lays comprises cholesteric liquid crystal material.

10. The display of claim 9 wherein said liquid crystal layer comprises a dispersion of droplets of said liquid crystal material.

11. The display of claim 10 wherein said dispersion is selected from an emulsion, a phase separated liquid crystal material, or a microencapsulated liquid crystal material.

12. The display of claim 11 wherein said dispersion is a polyurethane latex emulsion.

13. The display of claim 12 wherein said emulsion comprises a mix of liquid crystal and latex in a ratio of from about 2:

1 to about 6;

1.

14. The display of claim 9 wherein said liquid crystal has a positive dielectric anisotropy and a pitch length effective to reflect light in the visible or infrared spectrum.

15. The display according to claim 1 further comprising a layer polyurethane latex interposed between said substrate and said, first electrode.

16. The display of claim 1 wherein said first electrode is comprised of said substrate.

17. The display of claim 1 including a plurality of conducting electrodes arranged in substantially parallel lines on a first side of said liquid crystal layer proximal said substrate, and a plurality of conducting electrodes arranged in substantially parallel lines on an opposite side of said liquid crystal layer, said lines of electrodes on opposite sides of said liquid crystal layer being oriented substantially perpendicular to each other.

18. The display of claim 1 further including at least one additional liquid crystal layer disposed adjacent said layer of liquid crystal material.

19. The display of claim 1 further including at least one additional liquid crystal layer disposed adjacent said layer of liquid crystal material, and including conducting electrodes disposed on opposite sides thereof, whereby said additional layer is independently electrically addressable.

20. The display of claim 1 wherein said display has a drape coefficient less than about 98%.

21. The display of claim 1 wherein said display has a drape coefficient less than about 95%.

22. The display of claim 1 operatively linked to electronic drive circuitry.

23. The display according to claim 1 further including a layer at photoconductive material interposed between said liquid crystal layer and said first electrode.

24. The display according to claim 1 wherein said first electrode comprises an active matrix backplane. said first electrode comprises an active matrix backplane.

25. A flexible or drapable reflective liquid crystal display comprising a non-transparent flexible or drapable substrate material, a layer of liquid crystal material, a first conducting electrode coated, printed or laminated on a first side of said liquid crystal layer proximal said substrate, and a second conducting electrode coated, printed or laminated on a second side of said liquid crystal layer distal of said substrate, said electrodes adapted to be connected to electronic drive circuitry wherein said substrate is selected from a textile fabricated from natural or synthetic fibers, a sheet of polymeric material or paper.

26. The display of claim 25 wherein said substrate is itself non-transparent.

27. The display of claim 25 wherein said substrate includes a layer of non-transparent material disposed thereon to render it non-transparent.

28. The display of claim 25 further including a planarization layer interposed between said substrate and said first electrode.

29. The display of claim 25 further including an insulation layer disposed between at least one of said electrodes and said liquid crystal layer.

30. The display of claim 25 further including a protective coating disposed as an uppermost layer of at least a portion of said display.

31. The display of claim 25 wherein one side of said substrate is smoother than an opposite side of said substrate.

32. The display of claim 31 wherein said one side of said substrate is made smoother by deposition of a layer of material thereon.

33. The display of claim 25 wherein at least one of said electrodes is a conducting polymer or carbon nanotube material.

34. The display of claim 25 wherein said second electrode is substantially optically transmissive.

35. The display of claim 25 wherein said liquid crystal layer comprises cholesteric liquid crystal material.

36. The display of claim 35 wherein said liquid crystal layer comprises a dispersion of droplets of said liquid crystal material.

37. The display of claim 36 wherein said dispersion is selected from an emulsion, a phase separated liquid crystal material, or a microencapsulated liquid crystal material.

38. The display of claim 37 wherein said dispersion is a polyurethane latex emulsion.

39. The display of claim 38 wherein said emulsion comprises a mix of liquid crystal and latex in a ratio of from about 2:

1 to about 6;

1.

40. The display of claim 35 wherein said liquid crystal has a positive dielectric anisotropy and a pitch length effective to reflect light in the visible or infrared spectrum.

41. The display according to claim 25 further comprising a layer of polyurethane latex interposed between said substrate and said first electrode.

42. The display of claim 25 wherein said first electrode is comprised of said substrate.

43. The display of claim 25 including a plurality of conducting electrodes arranged in substantially parallel lines on a first side of said liquid crystal layer proximal said substrate, and a plurality of conducting electrodes arranged in substantially parallel lines on an opposite side of said liquid crystal layer, said lines of electrodes on opposite sides of said liquid crystal layer being oriented substantially perpendicular to each other.

44. The display of claim 25 further including at least one additional liquid crystal layer disposed adjacent said layer of liquid crystal material.

45. The display of claim 25 further including at least one additional liquid crystal layer disposed adjacent said layer of liquid crystal material, and including conducting electrodes disposed on opposite sides thereof, whereby said additional layer is independently electrically addressable.

46. The display of claim 25 operatively linked to electronic drive circuitry.

47. The display according to claim 25 further including a layer of photoconductive material interposed between said liquid crystal layer and said first electrode.

48. The display according to claim 25 wherein said first electrode comprises an active matrix backplane.

49. The display of claim 25 having no frame structure adapted to maintain any individual layers of said display in sliding apposition.

50. The display of claim 25 wherein said substrate is drapable.

51. The display of claim 50 wherein said display has a drape coefficient less than about 98%.

52. The display of claim 50 wherein said display has a drape coefficient less than about 95%.

61. The display of claim 50 wherein said liquid crystal layer comprises cholesteric liquid crystal material.

62. The display of claim 61 wherein said liquid crystal layer comprises a dispersion of droplets of said liquid crystal material.

63. The display of claim 62 wherein said dispersion is selected from an emulsion, a phase separated liquid crystal material, or a microencapsulated liquid crystal material.

64. The display of claim 63 wherein said dispersion is a polyurethane latex emulsion.

65. The display of claim 64 wherein said emulsion comprises a mix of liquid crystal and latex in a ratio of from about 2:

1 to about 6;

1.

66. The display of claim 61 wherein said liquid crystal has a positive dielectric anisotropy and a pitch length effective to reflect light in the visible or infrared spectrum.

53. An electrically addressable liquid crystal display comprising, as a substrate, paper, a sheet of polymeric material or textile fabricated from natural or synthetic fibers a layer of liquid crystal material, a first conducting electrode coated, printed or laminated on a first side of said liquid layer proximal said substrate and a second conducting electrode coated, printed or laminated on a second side of said liquid crystal layer distal of said substrate, said electrodes adapted to be connected to electronic drive circuitry and display has a drape coefficient less than 100%.

54. The display of claim 53 further including a planarization layer interposed between said substrate and said first electrode.

55. The display of claim 53 further including an insulation layer disposed between at least one of said electrodes and said liquid crystal layer.

56. The display of claim 53 further including a protective coating disposed as un uppermost layer of at least a portion of said display.

57. The display of claim 53 wherein one side of said substrate is smoother than an opposite side of said substrate.

58. The display of claim 57 wherein said one side of said substrate is made smoother by deposition of a layer of material thereon.

59. The display of claim 53 wherein at least one of said electrodes is a conducting polymer or carbon nanotube material.

60. The display of claim 53 wherein said second electrode is substantially optically transmissive.

67. The display according to claim 53 further comprising a layer of polyurethane latex interposed between said substrate and said first electrode.

68. The display of claim 53 wherein said first electrode is comprised of said substrate.

69. The display of claim 53 including a plurality of conducting electrodes arranged in substantially parallel lines on a first side of said liquid crystal layer proximal said substrate, and a plurality of conducting electrodes arranged in substantially parallel lines on an opposite side of said liquid crystal layer, said lines of electrodes on opposite sides of said liquid crystal layer being oriented substantially perpendicular to each other.

70. The display of claim 53 further including at least one additional liquid crystal layer disposed adjacent said layer of liquid crystal material. including at least one additional liquid crystal layer disposed adjacent said layer of liquid crystal material.

71. The display of claim 53 further including at least one additional liquid crystal layer disposed adjacent said layer of liquid crystal material, and including conducting electrodes disposed on opposite sides thereof, whereby said additional layer is independently electrically addressable.

72. The display of claim 53 wherein said display has a drape coefficient less than about 98%.

73. The display of claim 53 wherein said display has a drape coefficient less than about 95%.

74. The display of claim 53 operatively linked to electronic drive circuitry.

75. The display according to claim 53 further including a layer of photoconductive material interposed between said liquid crystal layer and said first electrode.

76. The display according to claim 53 wherein said first electrode comprises an active matrix backplane.

77. The display of claim 53 having no frame structure adapted to maintain any individual layers of said display in sliding apposition.

80. A drapable liquid crystal display prepared according to the method of claim 76 wherein said substrate is drapable.

78. A method of preparing a drapable or flexible liquid crystal display on a drapable or flexible substrate material comprising coating, printing or laminating a first conducting electrode on said substrate, coating printing or laminating a layer of liquid crystal material on said first electrode and coating printing or laminating a second conducting electrode on said liquid crystal layer and adapting said electrode to be connected to electronic drive circuitry wherein said substrate is selected from a textile fabricated from natural or synthetic fibers, a sheet of polymeric material or paper.

79. The method of claim 78 further comprising optionally coating, printing or laminating one or more additional layers selected from a planarization layer, an insulation layer and a protective coating layer on or between one or more of said electrode layers, liquid crystal layer or substrate.

81. A flexible liquid crystal, display prepared according to the method of claim 78 wherein said substrate is flexible.