Electrochemical display and timing mechanism with migrating electrolyte
AssigneeTimer Technologies, LLC
InventorsChauncey T. Mitchell, Jr., Gerrit L. Verschuur, Mark A. Shadle, David M. Good, Robert Parker
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Abstract
Printed electrochemical display cells are arranged in layer form with two electrode layers and an electrolyte layer occupying distinct areas of a substrate. When activated, an electrochemical reaction progressively increases the area occupied by the electrolyte layer and progressively decreases the area occupied by the thin-film electrode layer. The thin-film electrode layer recedes at a boundary in common with the electrolyte layer and provides an irreversible indication of change at a rate governed by the electrochemical reaction.
Claims57
An irreversible electrochemical display comprising:
- first and second electrodes interconnected by an electronically conductive pathway;
- an image obscured by the second electrode;
- electrolyte confined within an area out of contact with the second electrode;
- and
- a guided pathway through which the electrolyte can be moved into contact with a limited portion of the second electrode for completing an ionically conductive pathway between the first and second electrodes, in which
- the second electrode is progressively erodable along a common boundary with the electrolyte for revealing the image obscured by the second electrode.
An irreversible electrochemical display comprising:
- first and second electrodes interconnectable by both ionically and electronically conductive pathways for supporting an electrochemical reaction that consumes the second electrode;
- the ionically conductive pathway including a flowable electrolyte that is initially maintained out of operative contact with an elongated portion of the second electrode;
- the elongated portion of the second electrode defining a path of migration for the flowable electrolyte;
- the first electrode also extending along the path of migration;
- and
- one of the conductive pathways being interruptable for controlling the start of the electrochemical reaction that progressively consumes the second electrode at a common boundary with the flowable electrolyte and produces an irreversible indication of change in the display.
An irreversible electrochemical display comprising:
- two electrodes having different electrode potentials and a flowable electrolyte supported between two substrates;
- a first of the substrates including a transparent window for viewing a second of the two electrodes;
- a guided pathway between the two substrates for directing the flowable electrolyte along a path of migration that includes the second substrate;
- and
- the flowable electrolyte being engageable with the second electrode along a common boundary that progressively advances along the guided pathway for producing a change viewable through the transparent window.
A method of producing an irreversible change in an electrochemical display comprising:
- electronically interconnecting first and second electrodes having different electrode potentials;
- temporarily confining a flowable electrolyte out of contact with an elongated portion of the second electrode;
- initiating an electrochemical reaction that progressively erodes the elongated portion of the second electrode at a common boundary with the flowable electrolyte without correspondingly adding to an area occupied by the first electrode;
- and
- revealing an image behind the advancing common boundary of the flowable electrolyte and the second electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.