US 8,508,467 B2Granted

Display device and electric apparatus using the same

AssigneeSharp Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsTomoko Teranishi, Akio Miyata, Shinichi Nakano, Toshiki Matsuoka

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Abstract

A display device (10) includes an upper substrate (first substrate) (2), a lower substrate (second substrate) (3), and a conductive liquid (16) that is movably sealed in a display space (S) formed between the upper substrate (2) and the lower substrate (3). In the display device (10), a signal electrode (first electrode) (4) is provided on the upper substrate (2), and a scanning electrode (second electrode) (5) and a reference electrode (third electrode) (6) are provided on the lower substrate (3). The signal electrode (4) comes into contact with the conductive liquid (16) and is made of a material that is electrochemically inert to the conductive liquid (16).

Claims13

Dependent claims

A display device that comprises a first substrate provided on a display surface side, a second substrate provided on a non-display surface side of the first substrate so that a predetermined display space is formed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a conductive liquid movably sealed in the display space, and that is capable of changing a display color on the display surface side by moving the conductive liquid,

wherein the display device comprises:
a first electrode that is provided on one of the first substrate and the second substrate so as to come into contact with the conductive liquid;
a second electrode that is provided on the other of the first substrate and the second substrate so as to be electrically insulated from the conductive liquid;
and
a third electrode that is provided on the other of the first substrate and the second substrate so as to be electrically insulated from the conductive liquid and the second electrode, and
wherein the first electrode is made of a material that is electrochemically inert to the conductive liquid, and
wherein a plurality of the first electrodes are provided along a predetermined arrangement direction,
a plurality of the second electrodes and a plurality of the third electrodes are alternately arranged so as to intersect with the plurality of the first electrodes,
the plurality of the first electrodes are used as one of a plurality of signal electrodes and a plurality of scanning electrodes,
the plurality of the second electrodes are used as the other of the plurality of the signal electrodes and the plurality of the scanning electrodes, and
the plurality of the third electrodes are used as a plurality of reference electrodes, and
wherein the display device comprises:
a reference voltage application portion that is connected to the plurality of the reference electrodes and applies a predetermined reference voltage to each of the reference electrodes;
a signal voltage application portion that is connected to the plurality of the signal electrodes and applies a signal voltage to each of the signal electrodes in accordance with information to be displayed on the display surface side;
and
a scanning voltage application portion that is connected to the plurality of the scanning electrodes and applies one of a non-selected voltage and a selected voltage to each of the scanning electrodes while the reference voltage application portion applies the reference voltage to each of the reference electrodes, the non-selected voltage inhibiting a movement of the conductive liquid in the display space and the selected voltage allowing the conductive liquid to move in the display space in accordance with the signal voltage.

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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

wherein the display device comprises:
a first electrode that is provided on one of the first substrate and the second substrate so as to come into contact with the conductive liquid;
a second electrode that is provided on the other of the first substrate and the second substrate so as to be electrically insulated from the conductive liquid;
and
a third electrode that is provided on the other of the first substrate and the second substrate so as to be electrically insulated from the conductive liquid and the second electrode, and
wherein the first electrode is made of a material that is electrochemically inert to the conductive liquid, and
wherein a plurality of the first electrodes are provided along a predetermined arrangement direction,
a plurality of the second electrodes and a plurality of the third electrodes are alternately arranged so as to intersect with the plurality of the first electrodes,
the plurality of the first electrodes are used as one of a plurality of signal electrodes and a plurality of scanning electrodes,
the plurality of the second electrodes are used as the other of the plurality of the signal electrodes and the plurality of the scanning electrodes, and
the plurality of the third electrodes are used as a plurality of reference electrodes, and
wherein the display device comprises:
a reference voltage application portion that is connected to the plurality of the reference electrodes and applies a predetermined reference voltage to each of the reference electrodes;
a signal voltage application portion that is connected to the plurality of the signal electrodes and applies a signal voltage to each of the signal electrodes in accordance with information to be displayed on the display surface side;
and
a scanning voltage application portion that is connected to the plurality of the scanning electrodes and applies one of a non-selected voltage and a selected voltage to each of the scanning electrodes while the reference voltage application portion applies the reference voltage to each of the reference electrodes, the non-selected voltage inhibiting a movement of the conductive liquid in the display space and the selected voltage allowing the conductive liquid to move in the display space in accordance with the signal voltage.

13 more elements