Polychromal segmented balls for a twisting ball display
December 15, 2015. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent ReferencesTwisting ball panel display Method of making a twisting ball panel display Light valve including dipolar particle construction and method of manufacture Bodies with reversibly variable temperature-dependent light absorbence Demand and timed renewing imaging media Oil-repellent microvoid-imaging material Imaging media capable of displaying sharp indicia Method of making a rotary ball display device Two color liquid crystal light valve image projection system with single prepolarizer Light modulating material comprising a liquid crystal dispersion in a plastic matrix InventorAssigneeApplicationNo. 572779 filed on 12/15/1995US Classes:359/296, Changing position or orientation of suspended particles345/107, Particle suspensions (e.g., electrophoretic)427/214Applying superposed diverse coatings or coating a coated baseExaminersPrimary: Ben, LohaAttorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassG02B 026/00AbstractA multisegmented ball for an electrical twisting ball display device made up of spheroidal balls rotatably disposed in an elastomer substrate. The ball is composed of segments arrayed substantially parallel to one another, each segment being adjacent to at least one other segment and to no more than two other segments, adjacent segments being adjoined to one another at substantially planar interfaces. The segments include a first segment having a first thickness and a first optical modulation characteristic, a second segment having a second thickness and a second optical modulation characteristic, and a third segment having a thickness different from at least one of the first and second thicknesses and an optical modulation characteristic different from at least one of the first and second optical modulation characteristics. The ball has an anisotropy for providing an electrical dipole moment, the electrical dipole moment rendering the ball electrically responsive such that when the ball is rotatably disposed in a nonoscillating electric field while the electrical dipole moment of the ball is provided, the ball tends to rotate to an orientation in which the electrical dipole moment aligns with the field. A method and apparatus for fabricating the ball are also disclosed.Other References
Field of SearchChanging position or orientation of suspended particlesLight wave directional modulation (e.g., deflection or scanning is representative of the modulating signal) Particle suspensions (e.g., electrophoretic) With a permanent magnet placed on movable display elements Compensator or retarder (i.e., not using liquid crystal cell) Changing liquid crystal phase Applying superposed diverse coatings or coating a coated base Mask or stencil utilized | |
