# US 2014/0153080 A1 · Twisting ball displays comprised of thixotropic liquid and bichromal balls charged with electret dipoles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153080 A1 - Document ID: US20140153080A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/578,193 - Filed: 2010-06-06 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2010-02-09 - Assignees: Visitret Displays OU - Inventors: Madis-Marius Vahtre; Nicholas K. Sheridon; Juri LIIV - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153080A1 ## CPC - G02B 26/026: {based on the rotation of particles under the influence of an external field, e.g. gyricons, twisting ball displays (based on orientable dipolar particles G02F1/172; based on electrophoresis G02F1/167)} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract This invention generally relates to the use of dipole charged balls having differently coloured hemispheres (bichromal balls) in twisting ball displays comprising a pair of planar addressing electrodes and the space between these electrodes that is filled with a thixotropic liquid into which has been dispersed a plurality of electrically charged and optically anisotropic rotatable elements. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-23. (canceled) ### Claim 24 A method of enabling the precision addressing of the electrically charged and optically anisotropic elements of a twisting element display by dispersing said elements in a thixotropic liquid that provides hydrodynamic isolation between adjacent elements of said display. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method according to claim 24 in which the degree of precision of addressing the elements is controlled by the concentration of the chemical used to produce the thixotropy, such as silicon dioxide. ### Claim 26 A twisting ball display structure comprising the space between a pair of planar electrodes that is filled with a thixotropic liquid into which has been dispersed a plurality of electrically charged and optically anisotropic rotatable elements, the spacing of said rotatable elements being partially controlled by the co-dispersion of a greater plurality of smaller dimensioned particles. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The twisting ball display structure of claim 26 in which the said particles being transparent. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The twisting ball display structure of claim 27 in which the said particles having the same or nearly the same refractive index as the thixotropic liquid. ### Claim 29 (depends on 26) The twisting ball display structure of claim 26 in which the plurality of particles being sufficiently great that there is a low probability that any two said rotatable elements will touch one another. ### Claim 30 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26 in which a twisting ball display structure comprising the space between a pair of planar electrodes that is being filled with a thixotropic liquid into which has been dispersed a plurality of electrically charged and optically anisotropic rotatable elements, the spacing of said rotatable elements being partially controlled by the co-dispersion of a greater plurality of smaller dimensioned particles. ### Claim 31 A twisting ball display structure comprising the space between a pair of planar addressing electrodes, said space being filled with a thixotropic liquid into which has been dispersed a plurality of rotatable electrically charged and optically anisotropic elements, means being provided to apply an AC electric field between the electrode pairs prior to addressing to cause a slight rotation of said elements, thereby lowering the threshold voltage for addressing. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method according to claim 31 wherein the AC field is applied during addressing. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31 wherein the strength of the AC field is randomized over time over all addressing electrodes. ### Claim 34 The display device structure comprising charged optically anisotropic rotatable elements dispersed in an elastomer layer and subsequently plasticized in an oil to form an oil filled cavity around each said element, the magnitude of the monopole charge on each rotatable element being controlled by the force needed to separate the ball surfaces from the elastomer during cavity formation. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The display device structure of claim 34 in which the degree of adhesion of the elastomer to the rotatable element surfaces is controlled by the chemistry of the elastomer and the rotatable elements. ### Claim 36 (depends on 34) The display device structure according to claim 34 in which the magnitude of the monopole charge is controlled by the rapidity of elastomer removal from the rotatable element surfaces. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The display device structure of claim 36 in which the rapidity of removal of the elastomer from the rotatable element surface is controlled by the viscosity and chemistry of the plasticizing liquid. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The display device structure of claim 37 in which the plasticizing liquid used to create the monopole charge is later replaced by a different plasticizing liquid. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The display device structure of claim 38 in which the first plasticizing liquid is volatile and the rapid removal of the elastomer from the rotatable element surface is augmented by application of a vacuum. ### Claim 40 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34 in which the display device structure comprising charged optically anisotropic rotatable elements dispersed in an elastomer layer and subsequently plasticized in an oil to form an oil filled cavity around each said element, the magnitude of the monopole charge on each rotatable element being controlled by the force needed to separate the ball surfaces from the elastomer during cavity formation. ### Claim 41 (depends on 24) The twisting ball display structure of claim 24 in which anisotropic element being bichromal spherical balls or cylinders. ### Claim 42 (depends on 25) The twisting ball display structure of claim 25 in which anisotropic element being bichromal spherical balls or cylinders. ### Claim 43 (depends on 26) The twisting ball display structure of claim 26 in which anisotropic element being bichromal spherical balls or cylinders.