Display element and electrical device using the same

A display element that comprises a first substrate provided on a display surface side, a second substrate provided on a non-display surface side of the first substrate so that a predetermined display space is formed between the first substrate and the second substrate, an effective display region and a non-effective display region that are defined with respect to the display space, and a conductive liquid sealed in the display space so as to be moved toward the effective display region or the non-effective display region, and that is capable of changing a display color on the display surface side by moving the conductive liquid,

• wherein the display element comprises:
• a plurality of signal electrodes that are placed in the display space so as to come into contact with the conductive liquid, and are also provided along a predetermined arrangement direction;
• a plurality of reference electrodes that are provided on one of the first substrate and the second substrate so as to be electrically insulated from the conductive liquid and to be located on one of the effective display region side and the non-effective display region side, and are also arranged so as to intersect with the plurality of the signal electrodes;
• a plurality of scanning electrodes that are provided on one of the first substrate and the second substrate so as to be electrically insulated from the conductive liquid and the plurality of the reference electrodes and to be located on the other of the effective display region side and the non-effective display region side, and are also arranged so as to intersect with the plurality of the signals electrodes,
• a plurality of pixel regions that are located at each of the intersections of the plurality of the signal electrodes and the plurality of the scanning electrodes;
• and
• ribs that are provided on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate so as to partition an inside of the display space in accordance with each of the plurality of the pixel regions, and
• wherein the conductive liquid is colored a predetermined color,
• the non-effective display region is defined by a light-shielding layer provided on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate, and the effective display region is defined by an aperture formed in the light-shielding layer, and
• a size of the light-shielding layer is determined based on a size of each of the ribs and a gap size between the first substrate and the second substrate.