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AssigneeCentre Electronique Horloger S.A.
InventorsPierre-Andre Grandjean, Martyn-Andrew Cadman, Raymond Vuilleumier, Raymond Guye
Estimating the term…
Each segment of a display device, e.g., a seven-segment display comprises at least one shutter normally obturating a cavity in a carrier on a base plate. Each shutter is suspended by two resilient attachments and can turn about a torsion axis established by these attachments under the influence of an electric field applied between a common electrode on a transparent cover plate and an electrode, individual to the shutter at the bottom of its cavity. An optical contrast is provided by light reflection or absorbance caused by a shutter remaining in a rest obturating position or rotating to an open position to allow light absorption in an absorbing layer backing the base plate which is transparent. A selective light transmission (light valve) construction is equally possible. The shutters themselves may be used as one electrode of each pair, with the torsion axis along a shutter edge. The shutters may be immersed in a liquid dielectric so that a smaller opening angle is required and the attachments can be shaped to provide the required degree of resilience.
A miniature display device comprising a plurality of shutter members having rest positions in which they obturate one or more cavities in a carrier and each being suspended from the carrier by two resilient attachments at opposite edges respectively of the shutter member, the attachments allowing the shutter member to turn about a torsion axis but acting torsionally to bias the shutter member back to its rest position, and means for subjecting each shutter member to an electric field to cause the member to turn through a substantial angle about its torsion axis, thereby to decrease its obturating action.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.