Patent US2793416A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0251629A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0251629A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Fluorescent colored encapsulated liquid crystal apparatus using enhanced scattering
Assignee: Manchester R&D Partnership
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Filing: 1987-06-22
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-06-22
Abstract
Abstract The present invention relates to use of liquid crystal material (30) encapsulated in a containment medium (33) to produce a controlled colored output, for example, in response to the application, removal and variation in an electric field. In one embodiment a non-pleochroic dye (9) is in the containment medium (33) itself and in another embodiment the non-pleochroic dye (9) is in the liquid crystal material (30) itself; and in both cases the dye (9) preferably is fluorescent or a combination of fluorescent and non-fluorescent, and the object is to color light and/or to whiten or to brighten the light emitted out from a display (10) embodying the invention. Incident light (17) impinging on the encapsulated liquid crystal material (30), which is mounted on, in, or with respect to a support medium (12), is isotropically scattered in the absence of an electric field, and using the principle of total internal reflection (or optical interfence or both) a relatively large part of the isotropically scattered light in the support medium (12) is reflected back to illuminate the scattering liquid crystal material (30), which isotropically scatters such light again, thus increasing the optical path through the dyed material (9) and, therefore, the coloring, whitening and/or brightening of the light traveling such increased path. Light scattered back to the viewing direction out of the support medium (12) causes the liquid crystal material (30) to appear relatively bright and colored as compared to the background where there is no liquid crystal material or where the liquid crystal material is in parallel alignment in field-on condition, i.e. aligned with respect to an electric field, and, thus, substantially transmissive.
Inventors
- 👤 James L. Fergason
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 17:49
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1335; C; C09; C09K; C09K19/00; C09K19/52; C09K19/54; C09K19/542; C09K19/544; G02F1/1334; G02F2202/00; G02F2202/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 66
Claim 1
Independent Claim
59 words
A liquid crystal apparatus, comprising liquid crystal material, surface means for distorting the natural structure of said liquid crystal material in the absence of a prescribed input to cause scattering of light, said liquid crystal material being responsive to a prescribed input to reduce the amount of such scattering, and fluorescent means for fluorescing during such scattering of light.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
59 words
A liquid crystal apparatus, comprising liquid crystal material, surface means for distorting the natural structure of said liquid crystal material in the absence of a prescribed input to cause scattering of light, said liquid crystal material being responsive to a prescribed input to reduce the amount of such scattering, and fluorescent means for fluorescing during such scattering of light.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 1, said liquid crystal material comprising operationally nematic liquid crystal.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claims 1 or 2, said liquid crystal material having positive dielectric anisotropy.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claims 1-3, said fluorescent means being responsive to incident light directed thereto and to scattered light to re-radiate light at a different wavelength.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claims 1-4, further comprising support medium means for supporting said liquid crystal material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 5, said support medium means comprising containment medium means for containing said liquid crystal material in volumes, and said surface means comprising a wall formed by said containment medium means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 6, said containment medium means comprising a water base containment medium that tends to align at lest some of the liquid crystal material generally parallel to a wall of such containment medium when in the absence of an electric field.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claims 6 or 7, said liquid crystal material having an ordinary index of refraction at least approximately the same as the index of refraction of said containment medium means.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claims 6-8, said liquid crystal material having an extraordinary index of refraction different from the index of refraction of said containment medium means to effect scattering of light when in the absence of a prescribed input.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claims 5-9, said support medium means comprising a polymer base.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claims 6-9, said liquid crystal material and said containment medium means comprising encapsulated liquid crystal.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claims 6-9 or 11, said liquid crystal material and containment medium means comprising at least one layer of encapsulated liquid crystal.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claims 5-12, said support medium means comprising generally optically transparent material.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claims 5-13, said support medium means being capable of total internal reflection to cause reflection of light therein along relatively long path lengths through said fluorescent means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a further medium means cooperative with said support medium means to form an interface effective to cause such total internal reflection of light impinging on such interface at an angle exceeding a predetermined angle with respect to normal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
11 words
The apparatus of claim 15, said further medium means comprising air.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claims 5-16, further comprising a tuned dielectric interference layer of material for effecting selective constructive and destructive interference with respect to light transmitted through a surface of said support medium means.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claims 5-17, said support medium means having a viewing surface through which light may be transmitted in both directions and an opposite surface, said viewing surface being substantially totally internally reflective as to light in said support medium means impinging thereon at an angle to normal greater than a predetermined magnitude.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claims 5-18, further comprising optical absorbing means for absorbing light transmitted through said support medium means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 7, said fluorescent means comprising a water soluble dye.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claims 7 or 20, further comprising a water soluble pigmented dye dissolved in said containment medium means.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claims 1-19, said fluorescent means comprising dye in said liquid crystal material.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claims 5-21, said fluorescent means comprising dye in said containment medium means.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claims 5-21, said fluorescent means comprising dye in said support medium means.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claims 1-24, said fluorescent means comprising a fluorescent dye.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claims 1-25, said fluorescent means comprising a whitener or a brightener to whiten or brighten light.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 26, said whitener or brightener being operative to whiten or brighten light emitted by the apparatus in the absence of an electric field.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claims 26 or 27, said fluorescent means comprising a dye responsive to at least one of ultraviolet and violet light to increase emitted light of at least one of blue and green color.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claims 1-28, said fluorescent means comprising Tinopal, SFP, Fluorol, Fluorescent, Fluorosol, Fluor White, Fluorite, or a mixture of two or more thereof.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
11 words
The apparatus of claims 1-29, said fluorescent means comprising non-pleochroic dye.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claims 1-30, said light crystal material and surface means being cooperative to effect substantially isotropic scattering of light.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claims 1-31, said liquid crystal material being positioned in a pattern to display predetermined information.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
55 words
The apparatus of claims 1-32, wherein the apparatus is operative to provide a light output in a viewing direction, and further comprising light director means for directing incident light into said liquid crystal material support medium means in a direction that is different from said viewing direction to prevent direct viewing of such incident light.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claims 1-33, further comprising additive means in said liquid crystal material for expediting such distorting in the absence of a prescribed input.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
10 words
The apparatus of claims 1-34, further comprising a non-ioninc surfactant.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
8 words
The apparatus of claims 1-35, further comprising choloroform.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claims 1-36, further comprising aligning means at least partly reactive with said surface means to align at least some of the liquid crystal material in normal alignment with respect to said surface means in the absence of a prescribed input.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 37, said aligning means comprising a chrome alkyl complex.
Claim 40
Independent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claims 1-38, said surface means comprising a cross-linked containment medium means for containing said liquid crystal material.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 39, said containment medium means comprising a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol and Gantrez, on the one hand, and said liquid crystal material on the other hand.
Claim 42
Independent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claims 1-40, further comprising housing means for containing said liquid crystal material, surface means and fluorescent means, input means for providing radiation input to said liquid crystal material and fluorescent means, and output means for emitting light in response to fluorescence by said fluorescent means.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising radiation means for generating such radiation input, said radiation means being positioned out of line of sight of said output means to prevent direct transmission of radiation from said radiation means to said output means.
Claim 44
Independent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claims 1-42, further comprising means for providing prescribed input to said liquid crystal material to align the same to reduce scattering of light and to reduce fluoresced radiation.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 43, said means for providing comprising electrodes for applying electric field to said liquid crystal material.
Claim 46
Independent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claims 43 or 44, said means for providing comprising electric energy source for supplying energy to provide electric field to said liquid crystal material.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
9 words
An optical display comprising the apparatus of claims 1-45.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
9 words
An optical shutter comprising the apparatus of claims 1-45.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
112 words
An optical device for producing a colored optical output, including a containment medium comprising a non-pleochroic dye means for coloring light and a polymer base, said containment medium having a total internal reflection angle and being operative to effect total internal reflection of light impinging on a surface thereof at an angle exceeding such total internal reflection angle, and liquid crystal material in said containment medium, said liquid crystal material being cooperative with said containment medium in the absence of electric field to scatter a substantial amount of light at an angle greater than the total internal reflection angle for said containment medium substantially independently of wavelength, said dye comprising fluorescent dye.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
112 words
An optical device for producing a colored optical output, including a containment medium comprising a non-pleochroic dye means for coloring light and a polymer base, said containment medium having a total internal reflection angle and being operative to effect total internal reflection of light impinging on a surface thereof at an angle exceeding such total internal reflection angle, and liquid crystal material in said containment medium, said liquid crystal material being cooperative with said containment medium in the absence of electric field to scatter a substantial amount of light at an angle greater than the total internal reflection angle for said containment medium substantially independently of wavelength, said dye comprising fluorescent dye.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
64 words
The device of claim 48, wherein the ordinary index of refraction of said liquid crystal material is substantially matched to the index of refraction of said support medium, and the extraordinary index of refraction of said liquid crytal material is different from the index of refraction of said support medium to effect refraction and scattering of light in the absence of an electric field.
Claim 52
Independent Claim
39 words
A method of making a liquid crystal apparatus comprising placing an encapsulated liquid crytsal material in or on a support medium, and placing a fluorescent dye in at leas one of such encapsulated liquid crystal material and support medium.
Claim 53
Independent Claim
39 words
A method of making a liquid crystal apparatus comprising placing an encapsulated liquid crytsal material in or on a support medium, and placing a fluorescent dye in at leas one of such encapsulated liquid crystal material and support medium.
Claim 54
Independent Claim
70 words
A method of displaying a colored character or other information on a background using liquid crystal in a containment medium supported with respect to a support medium, comprising substantially isotropically scattering light incident on suchliquid crystal material, totally internally reflecting such isotropically scattered light in such support medium back to such liquid crystal material, and coloring light transmitted in such support medium by fluorescent dye contained in such support medium.
Claim 55
Independent Claim
70 words
A method of displaying a colored character or other information on a background using liquid crystal in a containment medium supported with respect to a support medium, comprising substantially isotropically scattering light incident on suchliquid crystal material, totally internally reflecting such isotropically scattered light in such support medium back to such liquid crystal material, and coloring light transmitted in such support medium by fluorescent dye contained in such support medium.
Claim 56
Independent Claim
132 words
A method of making a liquid crystal apparatus comprising placing an encapsulated liquid crystal material in or on a support medium, and placing a dye in at least one of such encapsulated liquid crystal material and support medium , wherein such support medium has a substantial internal reflection characteristic, providing a further medium at an interface with such support medium, and selecting the index of refraction of such support medium to be greater than the index of refraction of such further medium, whereby total internal reflection of light will occur in such support medium with respect to light impinging on such interface at an angle less than a predetermined angle with respect to normal, and applying a light absorbing material beyond such further medium for absorbing light transmitted through such further medium.
Claim 57
Independent Claim
132 words
A method of making a liquid crystal apparatus comprising placing an encapsulated liquid crystal material in or on a support medium, and placing a dye in at least one of such encapsulated liquid crystal material and support medium , wherein such support medium has a substantial internal reflection characteristic, providing a further medium at an interface with such support medium, and selecting the index of refraction of such support medium to be greater than the index of refraction of such further medium, whereby total internal reflection of light will occur in such support medium with respect to light impinging on such interface at an angle less than a predetermined angle with respect to normal, and applying a light absorbing material beyond such further medium for absorbing light transmitted through such further medium.
Claim 58
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of displaying a colored character or other information on a background using liquid crystal in a containment medium supported with respect to a support medium, such liquid crystal being operationally nematic and having positive dielectric anisotropy, comprising isotropically scattering light incident on such liquid crystal material, totally internally reflecting such isotropically scattered light in such support medium back to such liquid crystal material, whereby said scattering and reflecting substantially increase the path length of light in such support medium, and coloring light transmitted along such substantially increased path length in such support medium by dye contained in such support medium.
Claim 59
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of displaying a colored character or other information on a background using liquid crystal in a containment medium supported with respect to a support medium, such liquid crystal being operationally nematic and having positive dielectric anisotropy, comprising isotropically scattering light incident on such liquid crystal material, totally internally reflecting such isotropically scattered light in such support medium back to such liquid crystal material, whereby said scattering and reflecting substantially increase the path length of light in such support medium, and coloring light transmitted along such substantially increased path length in such support medium by dye contained in such support medium.
Claim 60
Independent Claim
77 words
A method of making a fluorescent liquid crystal apparatus, comprising forming a plurality of volumes of liquid crystal in a containment medium that distorts the natural structure of such liquid crystal absent a prescribed input to effect scattering of light, such liquid crystal being responsive to such prescribed input to align with respect thereto to reduce the amount of such scattering, and combining with at least one of such liquid crystal and containment medium a fluorescent dye.
Claim 61
Independent Claim
77 words
A method of making a fluorescent liquid crystal apparatus, comprising forming a plurality of volumes of liquid crystal in a containment medium that distorts the natural structure of such liquid crystal absent a prescribed input to effect scattering of light, such liquid crystal being responsive to such prescribed input to align with respect thereto to reduce the amount of such scattering, and combining with at least one of such liquid crystal and containment medium a fluorescent dye.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 54, further comprising selecting such fluorescent dye from Tinopal SFP, Fluorol, Fluorescent, Fluorosol, Fluor White, Fluorite, or a mixture of two or more thereof.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 54, further comprising selecting such fluorescent dye from the 2,2ʹ-disulphonic acid class.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 54, further comprising dissolving 0.75% Tinopal SFP into polyvinyl alcohol 20/30 plus Gantrez-169 (in a ratio of about 85% PVA to about 15% Gantrez-169).
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
31 words
58, The method of claim 57, further comprising applying an emulsion of such Tinopal SFP, PVA, and Gantrez-169 to a support medium to form a coating of about 10 microns thickness.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 54, comprising forming a cross linked containment medium for containing volumes of liquid crystal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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