# US 12,007,630 B2 · Switching fibers for textiles

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- Number: US 12,007,630 B2
- Document ID: US12007630B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/124,770
- Filed: 2023-03-22
- Published: 2023-07-13
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-01
- Assignees: E Ink Corporation
- Applicants: E Ink Corporation
- Inventors: Richard J. Paolini, Jr.; Jay William Anseth
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007630B2

## CPC

- G02F 1/0115: {in optical fibres}
- D01D 5/253: with a non-circular cross section; Spinnerette packs therefor (D01D5/38 takes precedence)
- D01D 11/06: Coating with spinning solutions or melts
- D01F 1/04: Pigments
- D01F 8/04: from synthetic polymers
- D03D 1/0088: {Fabrics having an electronic function}
- D03D 15/283: synthetic polymer-based, e.g. polyamide or polyester fibres (cellulose-based artificial fibres D03D15/225)
- D03D 15/54: coloured
- D03D 15/547: with optical functions other than colour, e.g. comprising light-emitting fibres
- D10B 2401/16: antistatic; conductive
- D10B 2401/20: optical
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- D01D: MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS
- D01F: CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS
- D03D: WOVEN FABRICS; METHODS OF WEAVING; LOOMS
- D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES

## Abstract

A method of forming a color-changing fiber that can be incorporated into fabrics and other woven materials. The color changing fibers include an annular wall and a conductive wire axially extending through the annular wall, a core strand surrounded by the annular wall and extending axially through a central portion of the fiber, and an encapsulated electro-optic medium disposed on a surface of the core strand.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A flexible color-changing fiber comprising:
an annular wall and a plurality of conductive wires axially extending through the annular wall;
a conductive core strand surrounded by the annular wall and extending axially through a central portion of the fiber;
capsules including an electrophoretic medium disposed on a surface of the conductive core strand; and
a layer of semi-conductive material between the conductive core strand and the capsules including an electrophoretic medium, the layer of semi-conductive material allowing electrical driving signals across the full circumferential area of the electrophoretic medium between the conductive core strand and the conductive wires when a voltage is provided between the conductive core strand and the conductive wires.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The flexible color-changing fiber of claim 1, further comprising a layer of light-transmissive semi-conductive material between the capsules including an electrophoretic medium and the conductive wires.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The flexible color-changing fiber of claim 1, wherein the electrophoretic medium comprises a non-polar solvent and two types of charged pigment particles, each type of charged pigment particle having a charge polarity and color different from the other.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A fabric comprising the color-changing fiber of claim 1.