Liquid crystal display device and method of making

Claim 2

THE FIRST SAID PAIR OF SQUEEZE ROLLS BEING PROVIDED WITH A COVER OF COMPRESSIBLE RUBBER-LIKE MATERIAL.

Claim 3

AS A NEW ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE, A LAMINATED PRODUCT ADAPTED FOR PROVIDING COLORED VISUAL DISPLAYS OF UNUSUAL LIANCE, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A SUBSTRATE, A TRANSPARENT COVERING LAYER COMPRISING THIN, PRE-FORMED SELF-SUPPORTING FLEXIBLE TRANSPARENT POLYMERIC FILM BONDED TO SAID STRUCCTURE ALONG NARROW LINES WHICH INTERSECT TO DEFINE A MULTIPLICITY OF SMALL CONTIGUOUS CLOSED CELLS, AND A THIN LAYER OF LIQUID CRYSTAL MATERIAL WITHIN AND COMPLETELY FILLING SAID CELLS.

Claim 4

AS A NEW ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE, A LAMINATED PRODUCT ADAPTED FOR PROVIDING COLORED VISUAL DISPLAYS OF UNUSUAL LIANCE, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A SUBSTRATE, A TRANSPARENT COVERING LAYER COMPRISING THIN, PRE-FORMED SELF-SUPPORTING FLEXIBLE TRANSPARENT POLYMERIC FILM BONDED TO SAID STRUCCTURE ALONG NARROW LINES WHICH INTERSECT TO DEFINE A MULTIPLICITY OF SMALL CONTIGUOUS CLOSED CELLS, AND A THIN LAYER OF LIQUID CRYSTAL MATERIAL WITHIN AND COMPLETELY FILLING SAID CELLS.

Claim 5

THE SECOND OF SAID PAIR OF SQUEEZE ROLLS BEING PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR HEATING AND HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OUTER PORTION OF IMCOMPRESSIBLE HEAT-CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL, THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID PORTION BEING DEFINED BY NARROW INTERSECTING RIDGES WHICH ENCLOSES SPACES THEREBETWEEN, E. HEATING THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID SECOND SQUEEZE ROLL TO A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST EQUAL TO THAT AT WHICH THE HEAT SEALABLE SURFACES BOND UNDER PRESSURE, F. APPLYING PRESSURE TO SAID ROLLS, G. PASSING BETWEEN SAID SQUEEZE ROLLS THE JUXTAPOSED SHEET MATERIALS AND INTERPOSED LIQUID CRYSTAL COMPOSITION, AND H. CONTROLLING THE RATE OF PASSAGE, THE TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE TO EFFECT SEALING OF THE OPPOSED SURFACES OF THE SHEET MATERIAL ALONG INTERSECTING LINES CORRESPONDING TO THE RIDGES ON THE HEATED ROLL, THEREBY CONFINING THE LIQUID CRYSTAL COMPOSITION WHEREIN CELLS DEFINED BY SAID LINES.

Claim 6

THE SECOND OF SAID PAIR OF SQUEEZE ROLLS BEING PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR HEATING AND HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OUTER PORTION OF IMCOMPRESSIBLE HEAT-CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL, THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID PORTION BEING DEFINED BY NARROW INTERSECTING RIDGES WHICH ENCLOSES SPACES THEREBETWEEN, E. HEATING THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID SECOND SQUEEZE ROLL TO A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST EQUAL TO THAT AT WHICH THE HEAT SEALABLE SURFACES BOND UNDER PRESSURE, F. APPLYING PRESSURE TO SAID ROLLS, G. PASSING BETWEEN SAID SQUEEZE ROLLS THE JUXTAPOSED SHEET MATERIALS AND INTERPOSED LIQUID CRYSTAL COMPOSITION, AND H. CONTROLLING THE RATE OF PASSAGE, THE TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE TO EFFECT SEALING OF THE OPPOSED SURFACES OF THE SHEET MATERIAL ALONG INTERSECTING LINES CORRESPONDING TO THE RIDGES ON THE HEATED ROLL, THEREBY CONFINING THE LIQUID CRYSTAL COMPOSITION WHEREIN CELLS DEFINED BY SAID LINES.

Claim 7

The article of claim 1 wherein both the substrate and the covering layer comprise heat sealable sheet material.

Claim 8

the second of said pair of squeeze rolls being provided with means for heating and having a circumferentially outer portion of incompressible heat-conductive material, the peripheral surface of said portion being defined by narrow intersecting ridges which encloses spaces therebetween, e. heating the peripheral surface of said second squeeze roll to a temperature at least equal to that at which the heat sealable surfaces bond under pressure, f. applying pressure to said rolls, g. passing between said squeeze rolls the juxtaposed sheet materials and interposed liquid crystal composition, and h. controlling the rate of passage, the temperature and pressure to effect sealing of the opposed surfaces of the sheet material along intersecting lines corresponding to the ridges on the heated roll, thereby confining the liquid crystal composition within cells defined by said lines.

Claim 9

the second of said pair of squeeze rolls being provided with means for heating and having a circumferentially outer portion of incompressible heat-conductive material, the peripheral surface of said portion being defined by narrow intersecting ridges which encloses spaces therebetween, e. heating the peripheral surface of said second squeeze roll to a temperature at least equal to that at which the heat sealable surfaces bond under pressure, f. applying pressure to said rolls, g. passing between said squeeze rolls the juxtaposed sheet materials and interposed liquid crystal composition, and h. controlling the rate of passage, the temperature and pressure to effect sealing of the opposed surfaces of the sheet material along intersecting lines corresponding to the ridges on the heated roll, thereby confining the liquid crystal composition within cells defined by said lines.

Claim 10

The article of claim 2 wherein the substrate sheet material is dark in color to enhance the visual display.

Claim 11

The article of claim 2 wherein each of the sheet material consists essentially of a heat sealable unoriented first stratum of thermoplastic polymer and a second stratum of biaxially oriented film-forming polymer.

Claim 12

The article of claim 4 wherein each of the two first strata is polyethylene and each of the two second strata is biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate.

Claim 13

The article of claim 5 wherein each of the two first strata is about 5-50 microns thick and each of the two second strata is about 10-25 microns thick.

Claim 14

The article of claim 6 wherein the overall thickness of the article is about 100-125 microns.

Claim 15

The article of claim 1, wherein each of the cells is hexagonal.

Claim 16

The article of claim 8 wherein the area inside the cell walls is at least 90 percent of the total area of one face of said article.

Claim 17

The article of claim 9 wherein the color of the liquid crystals is temperature-dependent.

Claim 18

A means for monitoring temperature comprising the article of claim 10, the substrate thereof being attached to a surface whose temperature it is desired to monitor.

Claim 19

The article of claim 5 wherein each of the two first strata is about 10-25 microns thick and the second stratum of the covering layer is 10-125 microns thick.

Claim 20

A METHOD OF MAKING THE ARTICLE OF CLAIM 1 COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: A. PROVIDING A PAIR OF THIN, HEAT-SEALABLE FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIALS OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS. B. JUXTAPOSING SAID SHEET MATERIAL WITH THEIR HEAT-SEABLE SURFACES IN OPPOSED RELATIONSHIP, C. INTERPOSING BETWEEN SAID OPPOSED SURFACES A LIQUID CRYSTAL COMPOSITION, D. PROVIDING A PAIR OF SQUEEZE ROLLS