Image displaying medium, image display device, and image displaying method

Abstract

The present invention provides an image display medium comprising a pair of substrates at least one of which having translucency, the substrates being disposed opposite to each other with a gap, a dispersion medium which has translucency and is enclosed in a space between the pair of substrates; and plural kinds of particle groups which are movably dispersed in the dispersion medium, move according to an electric field formed, and have different colors and forces for separation from the substrates.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of the image display device according to the present exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between the potential difference (electric field intensity) per unit distance and the amount of particle movement;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory drawing schematically showing the relationship between the embodiments of the formation of an electric field in the image display medium and the embodiments of particle movement.

Claims

1. An image display medium comprising: a pair of substrates at least one of which having translucency, the substrates being disposed opposite to each other with a gap therebetween;a dispersion medium that has translucency and is enclosed between the pair of substrates; anda plurality of kinds of particle groups that are movably dispersed in the dispersion medium, move according to an electric field, and different kinds have different colors and different forces for separation from the substrates.

2. The image display medium of claim 1, wherein the particle groups initiate moving from one substrate of the pair of substrates to the other substrate at different electric field intensities.

3. The image display medium of claim 1, wherein the resistance at the interface between the dispersion medium and the particle of the plurality of kinds of particle groups is different for each of the kinds of particle group.

4. The image display medium of claim 1, wherein the average charge of a particle is different between the particle groups of the plurality of kinds of particle groups.

5. The image display medium of claim 1, wherein the magnetic charge of a particle is different between the particle groups of the plurality of kinds of particle groups.

6. The image display medium of claim 1, wherein the volume average primary particle size of a particle is different between the particle groups of the plurality of kinds of particle groups.

7. The image display medium of claim 1, wherein the shape factor SF1 of a particle is different between the particle groups of the plurality of kinds of particle groups.

8. The image display medium of claim 1, wherein the flow resistance to the dispersion medium on the surface of particles is different between the particle groups of the plurality of kinds of particle groups.

9. The image display medium of claim 1, wherein the particle groups are composed of a magenta particle group of magenta color, a yellow particle group of yellow color, and a cyan particle group of cyan color.

10. The image display medium of claim 1, wherein the color forming properties exhibited by the particle groups in a dispersed state are different between the kinds.

11. The image display medium of claim 1, wherein electrically insulating particles having a different color from the particle groups are further enclosed between the pair of substrates, the electrically insulating particles being disposed with gaps between the insulating particles, which the particles of the particle groups can pass through, and disposed in the direction substantially at right angles to the normal to the pair of substrates.

12. The image display medium of claim 1, wherein the dispersion medium is an electrically insulating liquid.

13. The image display medium of claim 1, wherein the viscosity of the dispersion medium is about 0.1 mPa·s to about 20 mPa·s at a temperature of 20° C.

14. An image displaying method for displaying different colors by varying the intensity of electric field between the pair of substrates of the image display medium of claim 1.

15. An image display device comprising: an image display medium comprising,a pair of substrates at least one of which having translucency, the substrates being disposed opposite to each other with a gap therebetween,a dispersion medium that has translucency and is enclosed between the pair of substrates, anda plurality of kinds of particle groups that are movably dispersed in the dispersion medium, move according to an electric field, and different kinds have different colors and different forces for separation from the substrates; andan electric field generating unit that forms electric field of appropriate intensity between the pair of substrates according to the particle groups to be moved.