Irreversible thin film display with clearing agent
AssigneeTimer Technologies, LLC
InventorsMark A. Shadle, David M. Good, Gerrit L. Verschuur, Chauncey T. Mitchell, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Display information is revealed from behind a metal film that can be cleared upon effective contact with a clearing agent. The metal film, while opaque, is generally less than 1000 Angstroms thick and can be cleared by exposure to innocuous agents including food or other household products.
Claims68
A method of displaying information with an irreversible display comprising the steps of:
- adding a chemical agent to a metal film;
- producing a localized electrochemical reaction between the chemical agent and the metal film without generating an electromotive force beyond the chemical agent;
- clearing the metal film by the localized electrochemical reaction with the chemical agent;
- and
- revealing information through an opening cleared in the metal film by the reaction with the chemical agent.
A display method of temporarily obscuring and subsequently revealing an indicium comprising the steps of:
- supporting a metal layer having a thickness no greater than 1000 Angstroms on a substrate;
- obscuring the indicium from view through a surface of the metal layer;
- triggering a non-galvanic non-electrolytic electrochemical reaction by applying a chemical agent to the surface of the metal layer that obscures the indicium from view;
- and
- revealing the indicium through an opening in the surface of the metal layer cleared by the electrochemical reaction.
An irreversible display having a clearing mechanism for revealing an indicium comprising:
- a metal layer having a surface that overlies the indicium;
- a substrate supporting the metal layer and the indicium;
- a clearing agent supported on the substrate out of contact with the surface of the metal layer that overlies the indicium;
- and
- the clearing agent being relatively movable into contact with the surface of the metal layer for inducing a chemical reaction that clears the metal layer and reveals the underlying indicium.
An irreversible display comprising:
- a clearing agent, a metal film, and an indicium supported by a common substrate;
- the metal film being opaque;
- the indicium being obscured from view behind the metal film;
- and
- the clearing agent being:
- (a) at least partially transparent,
- (b) temporarily maintained out of operative engagement with the metal film, and
- (c) operatively engageable with the metal film for starting a chemical reaction that clears the metal film and reveals the indicium obscured behind the metal film.
A display that irreversibly changes state from a first display state to a second display state, said display having a metal film that obscures an indicium in the first display state and a chemical clearing agent relatively movable from a first position out of contact with the metal film to a second position in contact with the metal film thereby triggering a chemical reaction between the clearing agent and the metal film that clears the metal film and reveals the indicium in the second display state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.