Display device with electrical zipper interconnect

A display device comprising:

• a flexible substrate including a first substrate portion and a second substrate portion;
• an electronic display including a plurality of display conductors, said display being supported by said first substrate portion;
• drive electronics for applying an electric field along said display conductors effective to produce an image on said display, said drive electronics being permanently electrically connected to said display conductors and being supported on said first substrate portion;
• a controller including control circuitry adapted to provide input data to said drive electronics that enables said drive electronics to apply said electric field, said controller being supported by said second substrate portion;
• a plurality of first electrical conductors connected to said drive electronics and supported on said first substrate portion and a plurality of second electrical conductors connected to said controller and supported on said second substrate portion;
• and
• a zipper interconnect adapted to enable electrical connection between said first electrical conductors and said second electrical conductors thereby electronically connecting said controller with said drive electronics.

A display device comprising:

• a flexible substrate including a first substrate portion and a second substrate portion;
• an electronic display including a plurality of display conductors, said display being supported by said first substrate portion;
• drive electronics for applying an electric field along said display conductors effective to produce an image on said display, said drive electronics being permanently electrically connected to said display conductors and supported on said first substrate portion;
• a controller including control circuitry adapted to provide input data to said drive electronics that enables said drive electronics to apply said electric field, said controller being permanently electrically connected to said drive electronics and supported by said first substrate portion;
• electronic circuitry adapted to provide data signals to said controller, said electronic circuitry being supported by said second substrate portion;
• a plurality of first electrical conductors connected to said controller and supported on said first substrate portion and a plurality of second electrical conductors connected to said electronic circuitry and supported on said second substrate portion;
• and
• a zipper interconnect adapted to enable electrical connection between said first electrical conductors and said second electrical conductors thereby electronically connecting said electronic circuitry with said drive controller.

A flexible display device with zipper interconnect comprising:

• a display including a plurality of electrical display conductors;
• drive electronics adapted to selectively electrically address said display along said display conductors effective to produce images on said display;
• a flexible substrate selected from the group consisting of a textile fabricated from natural or synthetic fibers, a sheet of polymeric material, paper, metal, glass and combinations thereof, said flexible substrate including a first substrate portion and a second substrate portion, said display being supported by said first substrate portion and said drive electronics being supported by said second substrate portion;
• a plurality of first electrical traces supported by said first substrate portion and electrically connected to said display conductors;
• a plurality of second electrical traces supported by said second substrate portion and electrically connected to said drive electronics;
• and
• an electrical zipper interconnect, comprising
• a first row of electrically conductive teeth connected to said first substrate portion and in electrical contact with said first traces and a second row of electrically conductive teeth connected to said second substrate portion and in electrical contact with said second traces, and
• a slider adapted to be movable so as to interconnect the teeth of said first row and the teeth of said second row and to interconnect said first traces and said second traces thereby electronically connecting said drive electronics and said display.

A flexible cholesteric display device with zipper interconnect comprising:

• a liquid crystal display comprising electrode rows and electrode columns arranged orthogonal to each other, a layer of cholesteric liquid crystal material disposed between said electrode rows and said electrode columns,
• drive electronics adapted to electrically address said liquid crystal material effective to produce images on said display, said drive electronics comprising row drive electronics adapted to electrically address said row electrodes and column drive electronics adapted to electrically address said column electrodes;
• a flexible substrate selected from the group consisting of a textile fabricated from natural or synthetic fibers, a sheet of polymeric material, paper, flexible glass, flexible metal and combinations thereof, said flexible substrate including a first substrate portion, a second substrate portion and a third substrate portion, said display being supported by said first substrate portion, said row drive electronics being supported by said second substrate portion and said column drive electronics being supported by said third substrate portion,
• a plurality of first electrical traces supported by said first substrate portion and electrically connected to said electrode rows;
• a plurality of second electrical traces supported by said second substrate portion and electrically connected to said row drive electronics;
• a plurality of third electrical traces supported by said first substrate portion and electrically connected to said electrode columns;
• a plurality of fourth electrical traces supported by said third substrate portion and electrically connected to said column drive electronics;
• a first electrical zipper interconnect, comprising
• a first row of electrically conductive teeth connected to said first substrate portion and in electrical contact with said first traces and a second row of electrically conductive teeth connected to said second substrate portion and in electrical contact with said second traces, and
• a slider adapted to be movable so as to interconnect the teeth of said first row and the teeth of said second row and to interconnect said first traces and said second traces effective to form an electrical connection between said display and said row drive electronics;
• a second electrical zipper interconnect, comprising
• a third row of electrically conductive teeth connected to said first substrate portion and in electrical contact with said third traces and a fourth row of electrically conductive teeth connected to said third substrate portion and in electrical contact with said fourth traces, and
• a slider adapted to be movable so as to interconnect the teeth of said third row and the teeth of said fourth row and to interconnect said third traces and said fourth traces effective to form an electrical connection between said display and said column drive electronics.