Claims
- 1. An encapsulated electrophoretic element comprising a plurality of non-spherical capsules disposed substantially in a single layer on a substrate.
- 2. The element of claim 1 wherein the capsules are of substantially uniform size.
- 3. The element of claim 1 wherein the capsules are substantially planar on at least one side proximate the substrate.
- 4. The element of claim 1 wherein the plurality of capsules are disposed on the substrate and are in association with a binder, thereby to form a film.
- 5. The element of claim 4 wherein the film comprises closely-packed capsules.
- 6. The element of claim 4 wherein the binder comprises a binder solid and wherein a ratio of a mass of the binder solid to a mass of the capsules of at least a portion of the element is from about 1:2 to about 1:20.
- 7. The element of claim 4 wherein at least a portion of the element has an optically active fraction of at least 70%.
- 8. The element of claim 4 further comprising a layer of material substantially filling any interstices formed within the film.
- 9. The element of claim 8 wherein the layer of material is substantially planar on a side opposite the film.
- 10. The element of claim 8 wherein the capsules, the binder, and the layer of material comprise a stratum having a substantially uniform thickness.
- 11. The element of claim 10 wherein the stratum has a thickness of about 10 μm to about 500 μm.
- 12. The element of claim 8 wherein the layer of material comprises the binder.
- 13. The element of claim 8 wherein the layer of material comprises an insulator.
- 14. The element of claim 8 wherein the layer of material is tacky during at least one of prior to, during, and after substantially filling the interstices within the film.
- 15. The element of claim 8 wherein the layer of material is in a liquid state during at least one of prior to, during, and after substantially filling the interstices within the film.
- 16. The element of claim 8 wherein the capsules, the binder, and the layer of material comprise a stratum that is substantially free from voids.
- 17. The element of claim 8 wherein the layer of material has a thickness of less than or equal to about 50 μm.
- 18. The element of claim 8 wherein the layer of material comprises a conductor.
- 19. The element of claim 8 wherein the layer of material comprises a semiconductor.
- 20. The element of claim 8 wherein the layer of material comprises a n adhesive containing a material selected from the group consisting of carbon particles, gold particles, aluminum particles, platinum particles, silver particles, plated polymer spheres, plated glass spheres, and indium tin oxide particles.
- 21. The element of claim 8 wherein the layer of material comprises an adhesive containing a material selected from the group consisting of polyacetylene, polyaniline, polypyrrole, polyethylene dioxythiophene, and polythiophene.
- 22. The element of claim 8 further comprising a rear substrate disposed adjacent the layer of material.
- 23. The element of claim 22 wherein the layer of material is initially associated with the film.
- 24 The element of claim 22 wherein the layer of material is initially associated with the rear substrate.
- 25. The element of claim 22 wherein the rear substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a polymeric material, a glass, and a metal.
- 26. The element of claim 22 wherein the rear substrate comprises at least one electrode.
- 27. The element of claim 22 wherein the rear substrate comprises at least one transistor.
- 28. The element of claim 27 wherein the transistor comprises a silicon-based material.
- 29. The element of claim 27 wherein the transistor comprises an organic material.
- 30. The element of claim 22 wherein the rear substrate comprises at least one diode.
- 31. The element of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a polymeric material.
- 32. The element of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises at least one electrode.
- 33. The element of claim 32 wherein the electrode comprises indium tin oxide.
- 34. The element of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a polyester film.
- 35. The element of claim 1 wherein the substrate has a thickness of about 25 μm to about 500 μm.
- 36. The element of a claim 1 wherein each capsule is defined by a respective capsule wall having a thickness from about 0.2 μm to about 10 μm.
- 37. The element of claim 1 wherein the capsules comprise a polymer matrix having fluid-containing cavities.
- 38. The element of claim 1 wherein at least one of the capsules includes a suspending fluid and at least one species of particle.
- 39. The element of claim 1 wherein at least one of the capsules includes at least two species of electrophoretic particles, wherein an optical property of a first species of particle is different from a second species of particle.
- 40. An encapsulated electrophoretic display comprising at least one element, the element comprising a plurality of non-spherical capsules disposed substantially in a single layer on a substrate.
- 41. A process for creating an encapsulated electrophoretic element that is capable of having a plurality of capsules disposed on a substrate in substantially a single layer, the process comprising the steps of:
(a) providing the capsules; (b) mixing at least one of the capsules with a binder to create a capsule/binder mixture; (c) coating the capsule/binder mixture onto an at least partially conductive substrate, thereby to create a film; and (d) curing the capsule/binder mixture.
- 42. The process of claim 41 wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of acrylic, urethane, and poly(vinyl alcohol).
- 43. The process of claim 41 wherein the binder comprises a polymer latex.
- 44. The process of claim 41 wherein a fraction of the binder is capable of evaporating.
- 45. The process of claim 41 wherein the substrate comprises an indium tin oxide sputtered polyester film.
- 46. The process of claim 41 wherein at least one of the capsules contains a plurality of particles dispersed in a suspending fluid.
- 47. The process of claim 46 wherein the particles comprise titanium dioxide.
- 48. The process of claim 46 wherein the suspending fluid comprises a halogenated hydrocarbon.
- 49. The process of claim 46 wherein the suspending fluid comprises an aliphatic hydrocarbon.
- 50. The process of claim 41 wherein the coating step comprises applying pressurized gas to the capsule/binder mixture, thereby to cause deposition of the capsule/binder mixture onto the substrate such that the capsules are disposed on the substrate in substantially a single layer.
- 51. The process of claim 50 further comprising heating the pressurized gas to a temperature higher than an ambient temperature prior to applying the pressurized gas to the capsule/binder mixture.
- 52. The process of claim 50 further comprising cooling the pressurized gas to a temperature lower than an ambient temperature prior to applying the pressurized gas to the capsule/binder mixture.
- 53. The process of claim 50 further comprising adding a liquid to the pressurized gas.
- 54. The process of claim 53 wherein the liquid comprises at least one droplet.
- 55. The process of claim 53 wherein the liquid comprises an organic solvent.
- 56. The process of claim 55 wherein the organic solvent comprises an alcohol.
- 57. The process of claim 50 wherein the coating step comprises applying the pressurized gas with an air knife.
- 58. The process of claim 50 wherein the pressurized gas is applied from a distance of about 1 cm to about 15 cm from the surface of the capsule/binder mixture.
- 59. The process of claim 50 wherein the pressurized gas is applied at an angle of from 0 degrees to 90 degrees from the surface of the conductive substrate.
- 60. The process of claim 50 wherein the pressurized gas comprises air.
- 61. The process of claim 56 wherein the alcohol comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of isopropyl alcohol, methanol, and ethanol.
- 62. The process of claim 55 wherein the organic solvent comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of butyl acetate, methylene chloride, and chlorobenzene.
- 63. The process of claim 41 wherein the coating step comprises coating at least some of the capsules onto the substrate through a coating head.
- 64. The process of claim 63 wherein at least some of the capsules are dispensed through the coating head with a pump.
- 65. The process of claim 64 wherein the pump provides pumping pressure with a low shear force.
- 66. The process of claim 63 wherein the coating head comprises a slot die coating head.
- 67. The process of claim 66 wherein a width of a slot of the slot die coating head is between about 1 and about 2.5 times the mean diameter of the capsules.
- 68. The process of claim 63 wherein at least some of the capsules are disposed in and form a single layer.
- 69. The process of claim 41 further comprising laminating the film with a rear substrate.
- 70. The process of claim 69 wherein a layer of material is disposed between the film and the rear substrate.
- 71. The process of claim 70 wherein the layer of material is associated with the rear substrate prior to laminating.
- 72. The process of claim 70 wherein the layer of material is associated with the film prior to laminating.
- 73. The process of claim 69 wherein heating occurs during the step of laminating.
- 74. The process of claim 69 wherein pressurizing occurs during the step of laminating.
- 75. The process of claim 69 wherein evacuating of a gas occurs during the step of laminating.
- 76. The process of claim 70 wherein the layer of material comprises an insulator.
- 77. The process of claim 70 wherein the layer of material comprises a conductor.
- 78. The process of claim 70 wherein the layer of material comprises a semiconductor.
- 79. The process of claim 70 wherein the layer of material is in a liquid state during at least a portion of the laminating step.
- 80. The process of claim 70 wherein the layer of material comprises the binder.
- 81. The process of claim 70 wherein the step of laminating produces a stratum comprising the capsules, the binder, and the layer of material and having at least one substantially planar side proximate the rear substrate.
- 82. The process of claim 70 wherein the step of laminating produces a stratum comprising the capsules, the binder, and the layer of material, the stratum being substantially free from voids.
- 83. The process of claim 70 wherein the layer of material has a thickness of less than or equal to about 50 μm.
- 84. The process of claim 70 wherein the step of laminating produces a stratum comprising capsules, the binder, and a the layer of material, the stratum having a substantially uniform thickness.
- 85. The process of claim 70 wherein the layer of material is tacky during at least one of prior to, during, and after substantially filling the interstices within the film.
- 86. The process of claim 70 wherein the layer of material comprises an adhesive containing a material selected from the group consisting of carbon particles, gold particles, aluminum particles, platinum particles, silver particles, plated polymer spheres, plated glass spheres, and indium tin oxide particles.
- 87. The process of claim 70 wherein the layer of material comprises an adhesive containing a material selected from the group consisting of polyacetylene, polyaniline, polypyrrole, polyethylene dioxythiophene, and polythiophene.
- 88. The process of claim 70 wherein the layer of material substantially fills any interstices formed within the film.
- 89. The process of claim 41 wherein the binder comprises a binder solid and wherein a ratio of a mass of the binder solid to a mass of the capsules of at least a portion of the element is from about 1:2 to about 1:20.
- 90. The process of claim 41 further comprising the step of removing water from association with at least some of the capsules.
- 91. The process of claim 90 wherein the step of removing water comprises a process selected from the group consisting of centrifuging, absorbing, evaporating, mesh filtrating and osmotic separating.
- 92. An encapsulated electrophoretic element comprising a plurality of capsules disposed substantially in a single layer on a substrate and in association with a binder, thereby to form a film, wherein the binder comprises a binder solid and wherein a ratio of a mass of the binder solid to a mass of the capsules of at least a portion of the element is from about 1:2 to about 1:20.
- 93. An encapsulated electrophoretic element comprising a plurality capsules disposed substantially in a single layer on a substrate and associated with a binder, thereby to form a film, wherein at least a portion of the element has an optically active fraction of at least 70%.
- 94. An encapsulated electrophoretic display comprising at least one element, the element comprising a plurality of capsules disposed substantially in a single layer on a substrate and in association with a binder, thereby to form a film, wherein the binder comprises a binder solid and wherein a ratio of a mass of the binder solid to a mass of the capsules of at least a portion of the element is from about 1:2 to about 1:20.
- 95. An encapsulated electrophoretic display comprising at least one element, the element comprising a plurality capsules disposed substantially in a single layer on a substrate and associated with a binder, thereby to form a film, wherein at least a portion of the element has an optically active fraction of at least 70%.
- 96. An encapsulated electrophoretic element comprising a plurality of non-spherical capsules disposed substantially in a single layer on a substrate, thereby to form a film.
- 97. An encapsulated electrophoretic display comprising at least one element, the element comprising a plurality of non-spherical capsules disposed substantially in a single layer on a substrate, thereby to form a film.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 60/103,398, filed Oct. 7, 1998 and U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 60/118,794, filed Feb. 4, 1999. The entire disclosure of each of these provisional patent applications is incorporated herein by reference.
GOVERNMENT RIGHTS
[0002] This invention was made with Government support under Agreement No. DAAN02-983-0004, awarded by SSCOM. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60103398 |
Oct 1998 |
US |
|
60118794 |
Feb 1999 |
US |