Structured fluid compositions for electrophoretically frustrated total internal reflection displays
AssigneeThe Lubrizol Corporation
InventorsRalph E. Kornbrekke, Saurabh S. Lawate, Robert N. Jones
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Abstract
A structured fluid composition comprising: (a) a low refractive index liquid; (b) particles including light absorbing charged particles such as pigments, non-light absorbing uncharged particles such as teflon, silica, alumina and combinations thereof; and (c) at least one additive selected from the group consisting of a dispersant, a charging agent, a surfactant, a flocculating agent, a polymer, and combination thereof; for use in a TIR electronic display. The inventive composition improves the long-term stability, response time and visible appearance of image displays which electrophoretically frustrate total internal reflection (TIR).
Claims17
An electronically addressable display, comprising:
- (a) a transparent upper front sheet;
- (b) a lower sheet that is essentially parallel to and spaced from the upper front sheet;
- (c) a structured electrophoretic suspension substantially filling the space between the sheets which structure is controlled by the composition of the suspension, wherein the composition comprises a low refractive index liquid;
- a light absorbing particles;
- particles which are not light absorbing;
- and at least one additive selected from the group consisting of a dispersant, a charging agent, a surfactant, a flocculating agent, a polymer, and combination thereof;
- and
- (d) a means for applying a voltage across the suspension for controllably compressing the suspension away from the inward surface of the front sheet to either form a thin particle free liquid layer to allow total internal reflection or a layer with a higher concentration of particles to frustrate total internal reflection at the inward surface of light rays passing through the front sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.