Electrophoretic caps prepared from encapsulated electrophoretic particles
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsNaveen Chopra, Georgeta Masson, Peter G. Odell, Peter M. Kazmaier, Man-Chung Tam
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Abstract
Articles and methods for making capsules that include a cap of electrophoretic material suspended in a dielectric fluid are disclosed. The cap of electrophoretic material and dielectric fluid are encapsulated in a shell that forms the capsule. The cap may be moved to a viewable portion of an inner surface of the capsule shell, the cap proximate to the inner surface, when an electric field from of a pair of separated electrodes translates the cap of electrophoretic material in the capsule.
Claims15
An article comprising:
- a cap of electrophoretic material suspended in a dielectric fluid;
- wherein the cap of electrophoretic material includes a substance that has a glass transition temperature of about 75° C. or less;
- wherein the cap of electrophoretic material and dielectric fluid are encapsulated in a shell, the cap comprising a plurality of melted electrophoretic particles fused together to have a continuous surface;
- wherein a portion of the cap of electrophoretic material is proximate to a viewable portion of an inner surface of the shell when the potential of an electrode near the shell attracts the cap of electrophoretic material to the viewable portion of an inner surface of the shell.
A method of treating capsules that include visible electrophoretic particles in a dielectric fluid comprising:
- melting visible electrophoretic particles in dielectric fluid within a capsule to form a cap that covers a portion of an inner surface of the capsule;
- wherein the electrophoretic particles are melted together by thermally annealing the electrophoretic particles together, wherein the electrophoretic include a thermoplastic material with a glass transition temperature of less than about 75° C.;
- wherein the melted electrophoretic particles fuse together to have a continuous surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.