Conductive font
AssigneeMonsanto Company
InventorJames P. Coleman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A font for generating interconnected alphanumeric electrode characters adapted for use as an image-generating electrode in flat displays such as electrochromic displays. A display message comprising characters of such font be readily applied to flat display films by printers, e.g. ink jet or laser jet printers, capable of applying electrically conductive ink. The characters in the font are defined by two generally parallel and spaced apart lines where a wide first line has apertures defining the general shape of the character and a second narrow line having curvilinear or segmented portions extending into the aperture of said first line.
Claims43
A electrochromic display comprising:
- two electrically continuous electrodes printed on a single side of an insulating film, the electrochromic display having alphanumeric characters corresponding to apertures in a first one of the two electrically continuous electrodes;
- and
- means for applying a voltage across the two electrically continuous electrodes to activate the alphanumeric characters comprising an electrochromic image.
A flat electrochromic display comprising:
- (a) an insulating film;
- (b) a first and a second conductive electrode spaced apart from one another and printed on a surface of the insulating film, the first conductive electrode comprising a line having apertures therein each defining an outline of an alphanumeric character, and the second electrode being parallel to the first and having extension segments into said apertures, the extension segments being formed within said apertures in corresponding shapes of said alphanumeric characters;
- (c) a layer of electrochromic material overlapping the area of the printed electrodes;
- (d) an electrolytic layer over the electrochromic material;
- and
- (e) a region having no electrical connection wherein said region is covered with a pigmented insulating coating and enclosed within an aperture,
- wherein application of voltage across the first and the second conductive electrodes activates an electrochromic image corresponding to the characters defined by said apertures in the first conductive electrode.
A method of making an electrochromic display comprising the steps of:
- (a) printing, on an insulating sheet, electrically conductive ink in a pattern comprising a pair of lines, a first line of the pair of lines including an aperture therein defining exterior edges of an alphanumeric character, and a second line of the pair of lines parallel to the first line and which has extensions into the apertures;
- (b) repeating the printing step to form a display message comprising a plurality of adjoining alphanumeric characters in which the respective first lines and second lines of the adjoining alphanumeric characters are electrically connected so as to form a first electrode and a second electrode, respectively;
- (c) overlapping a layer of electrochromic material over the area of the printed electrodes;
- and
- (d) coating the layer of electrochromic material with an electrolyte layer to thereby form an electrochromic display having alphanumeric characters activated by applying a voltage across the first electrode and the second electrode.
A flat electrochromic display comprising:
- (a) an insulating film;
- (b) a first and a second conductive electrode laterally disposed in spaced-apart relationship to one another and printed on a surface of the insulating film, the first conductive electrode comprising a line having apertures therein each defining an outline of an alphanumeric character, and the second electrode being parallel to the first and having extension segments into said apertures, the extension segments being formed within said apertures in corresponding shapes of said alphanumeric characters;
- (c) a layer of electrochromic material overlapping the area of the printed electrodes;
- (d) an electrolytic layer over the electrochromic material;
- and
- (e) means for applying an electric current between the first and second conductive electrodes to activate an electrochromic image corresponding to the characters defined by said apertures in the first conductive electrode.
A flat electrochromic display consisting essentially of:
- (a) an insulating film;
- (b) a first and a second conductive electrode spaced apart from one another and printed on a surface of the insulating film, the first conductive electrode comprising a line having apertures therein each defining an outline of an alphanumeric character, and the second electrode being parallel to the first and having extension segments into said apertures, the extension segments being formed within said apertures in corresponding shapes of said alphanumeric characters;
- (c) a layer of electrochromic material overlapping the area of the printed electrodes;
- and
- (d) an electrolytic layer over the electrochromic material;
- wherein the application of voltage across the first and second conductive electrode activates an electrochromic image corresponding to the characters defined by said apertures in the first conductive electrode.
A electrochromic display consisting essentially of two electrically continuous electrodes printed on a side of an insulating film, the electrochromic display having alphanumeric characters corresponding to apertures in a first one of the two electrically continuous electrodes, the alphanumeric characters comprising an electrochromic image that is activated when a voltage is applied across the two electrically continuous electrodes.
A flat electrochromic display comprising:
- (a) an insulating film;
- (b) a first and a second conductive electrode, adapted to operate as working and counter electrodes in conjunction with one another, spaced apart from one another and printed on a surface of the insulating film, the first conductive electrode comprising a line having apertures therein each defining an outline of an alphanumeric character, and the second electrode being parallel to the first and having extension segments into said apertures, the extension segments being formed within said apertures in corresponding shapes of said alphanumeric characters;
- (c) a layer of electrochromic material overlapping the area of the printed electrodes;
- and
- (d) an electrolytic layer over the electrochromic material;
- wherein the application of voltage across the first and second conductive electrode activates an electrochromic image corresponding to the characters defined by said apertures in the first conductive electrode.
A electrochromic display comprising two electrically continuous electrodes adapted to operate as working and counter electrodes in conjunction with one another and printed on a side of an insulating film, the electrochromic display having alphanumeric characters corresponding to apertures in a first one of the two electrically continuous electrodes, the alphanumeric characters comprising an electrochromic image that is activated when a voltage is applied across the two electrically continuous electrodes.
A flat electrochromic display comprising:
- (a) an insulating film;
- (b) at least a first and a second conductive electrode, all of the electrodes being spaced apart from one another and printed on no more than a single surface of the insulating film, the first conductive electrode comprising a line having apertures therein each defining an outline of an alphanumeric character, and the second electrode being parallel to the first and having extension segments into said apertures, the extension segments being formed within said apertures in corresponding shapes of said alphanumeric characters;
- (c) a layer of electrochromic material overlapping the area of the printed electrodes;
- and
- (d) an electrolytic layer over the electrochromic material;
- wherein the application of voltage across the first and second conductive electrode activates an electrochromic image corresponding to the characters defined by said apertures in the first conductive electrode.
A electrochromic display comprising at least two electrically continuous electrodes, all of the electrodes being printed on a single side of an insulating film, the electrochromic display having alphanumeric characters corresponding to apertures in a first one of the two electrically continuous electrodes, the alphanumeric characters comprising an electrochromic image that is activated when a voltage is applied across the two electrically continuous electrodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.