Light gating display

Claim 2

A light reflective display system comprising: a liquid suspension of fine, electric field responsive, light gating particles; a panel adapted to having its front viewing surface illuminated, the panel including a suspension chamber formed between a transparent front wall and a rear wall that is closely spaced from the front wall, the front wall including a transparent, electrically conductive layer, the suspension chamber having an inlet duct supply means and an outlet duct exhaust means arranged to permit the suspension of light gating particles to flow through the chamber as a thin, broad, smooth ribbon; means for applying a pattern of electric potentials to the rear wall of the suspension chamber to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the suspension chamber; and means to cause the suspension of fine particles to flow through the suspension chamber as a thin broad smooth ribbon.

Claim 3

A display system according to claim 1, wherein the light gating particles are thin and produce the light gating action by rotating in an electric field to present a different aspect to the light.

Claim 4

A display system according to claim 2, wherein the light gating particles are thin and tend to rotate into logitudinal alignment with the direction of an applied electric field whereby the particles form a display image when subjected to a pattern of electric fields within the suspension chamber.

Claim 5

A display system according to claim 3, wherein the interior surfaces of the front and rear walls of the suspension chamber are electrically insulative.

Claim 6

A display system according to claim 3, wherein the inlet duct supply means connects with the upper end of the suspension chamber and the outlet duct exhaust means connects with the chamber's lower end, and the means to cause the suspension to flow through the chamber further causing the suspension to enter the chamber's upper end at a rate such that the component of the weight of the suspension in the chamber that is in the direction of suspension flow is supported to at least a large degree by the viscous drag between the flowing suspension and the walls of the chamber to substantially reduce the pressure within the chamber whereby the walls of the chamber do not unduly bulge away from one another.

Claim 7

A display system according to claim 3 wherein at least one of the walls of the suspension chamber is at least partly flexible and the inlet duct supply means connects with the suspension chamber's upper end through a flow inhibiting means that stretches across the upper end of the suspension chamber so that the suspension flows down the chamber as a thin broad smooth ribbon with the thickness of the ribbon in the chamber being at least partly determined by the flow inhibiting means.

Claim 8

A display system according to claim 3, wherein long thin guide vanes are disposed in the suspension chamber, the guide vanes extending in the direction of flow of the suspension of fine particles.

Claim 9

A display system according to claim 7, wherein the guide vanes extend laterally to form a plurality of horizontal compartments elevated one above the other in the suspension chamber, and means are provided to segregate the suspension pressures in the compartments.

Claim 10

A display system according to claim 8, wherein the suspension pressures in the compartments are segregated by providing at least one separate pump for each compartment to produce the suspension flow in that compartment.

Claim 13

The method of forming a visual display according to claim 10 wherein the suspension is introduced at the top of the display panel and withdrawn at the bottom; and further 4. causing the rate at which the suspension is introduced into the display panel to be such that the component of the weight of the descending suspension stream in the direction that the stream is moving is substantially supported by the viscous drag between the suspension stream and the front and rear surfaces in contact with the suspension.

Claim 14

The method of forming a visual display according to claim 10, further including the step of 4. coincident with step 2, maintaining the suspension static or at a very low velocity.

Claim 17

A light reflective display system comprising: 1. a liquid suspension of fine, electric field responsive, light gating particles; 2. a panel adapted to having its front viewing surface illuminated, the panel including a. a thin suspension chamber for containing the suspension of light gating particles, said suspension chamber having a transparent front wall and a rear wall that are closely spaced from one another, said front wall including a transparent electrically conductive layer and said rear wall including a photoelectric layer; b. an electrically conductive second layer adjacent to the photoelectric layer, 3. means for applying electric potentials to the aforesaid electrically conductive layers; and 4. means for projecting an electromagnetic image pattern onto the photoelectric layer to cause an electric charge pattern to form within the photoelectric layer to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the suspension chamber, said electric field pattern acting on the suspension of light gating particles to form a visual display.

Claim 18

A light reflective display system comprising: 1. a liquid suspension of fine, electric field responsive, light gating particles; 2. a panel adapted to having its front viewing surface illuminated, the panel including a. a thin suspension chamber for containing the suspension of light gating particles, said suspension chamber having a transparent front wall and a rear wall that are closely spaced from one another, said front wall including a transparent electrically conductive layer and said rear wall including a photoelectric layer; b. an electrically conductive second layer adjacent to the photoelectric layer, 3. means for applying electric potentials to the aforesaid electrically conductive layers; and 4. means for projecting an electromagnetic image pattern onto the photoelectric layer to cause an electric charge pattern to form within the photoelectric layer to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the suspension chamber, said electric field pattern acting on the suspension of light gating particles to form a visual display.

Claim 19

A display system according to claim 14, in which the light gating particles are thin particles adapted to produce their light gating action by rotating in an electric field to present a different aspect to the light.

Claim 20

A display system according to claim 15 wherein the electric potential means delivers an alternating current voltage to one of the electrically conductive layers.

Claim 21

A display system according to claim 15 wherein the inside surface of the rear wall is coated with a substantially electrically insulative material.

Claim 22

A display system according to claim 15 wherein the inside surface of the front wall is coated with a transparent electrically insulative material.

Claim 23

A display system according to claim 15 wherein the photoelectric layer is a photoconductive layer with non-linear voltage-current characteristics.

Claim 24

A display system according to claim 15 wherein the photoelectric layer is a photoconductive layer and the rear electrically conductive layer has a discontinuous surface with non-conductive areas interspersed with conductive areas to thereby cause the electric field lines emanating from said rear electrically conductive layer to be bunched together according to the spacings of the conductive areas.

Claim 25

A display system according to claim 20 in which the rear electrically conductive layer is an electrically conductive grid and the grid's conductive elements are very thin in both width and depth with the openings between the grid's conductive elements being large compared to the width of the conductive elements.

Claim 26

A display system according to claim 21 in which the photoconductive layer is substantially flat and very thin to produce an electrical charge pattern by conducting electrical charge almost solely in a direction parallel to the face of the panel.

Claim 27

A display system according to claim 14 wherein the suspension chamber has inlet and outlet ducts arranged to permit the suspension of light gating particles to flow through the chamber as a thin, broad, smooth ribbon, and means to cause said suspension of fine particles to flow through the suspension chamber as said thin, broad, smooth ribbon.

Claim 28

A display system according to claim 23 wherein at least one of the suspension chamber walls has its interior surface coated with a substantially electrically insulative material.

Claim 29

A display system according to claim 23 in which the light gating particles are thin particles which produce their light gating action by rotating in an electric field in the direction tending to align the particles with the electric field lines.

Claim 30

A display system according to claim 25 wherein the photoelectric layer is a photoconductive layer and the rear electrically conductive layer has a discontinuous surface with non-conductive areas interspersed with conductive areas to thereby cause the electric field lines emanating from said rear electrically conductive layer to be bunched together according to the spacings of the conductive areas.

Claim 31

A display system according to claim 26 in which the rear electrically conductive layer is a conductive grid and the grid's conductive elements are very thin in both width and depth with the openings between the grid's conductive elements being large compared to the width of the conductive elements.

Claim 32

A display system according to claim 25 wherein the means to cause the suspension to flow through the chamber imparts to the suspension of light gating particles a slow and continuous velocity parallel to the face of the panel to cause the displayed images to be continuously erased and reformed.

Claim 33

A display system according to claim 25, wherein the means to cause the suspension to flow through the chambers imparts a velocity to the suspension of elongated light gating particles that is great enough to destroy the perpendicular to the face of the panel fog orientations of the thin particles in the non-image areas but not great enough to destroy the perpendicular to the face of the panel signal orientations of the thin particles in the image areas, said velocity being in a direction that is parallel to the face of the panel.

Claim 34

A display system according to claim 25 wherein means are provided for rapidly erasing the display image, said means imparting a strong parallel to the face of the panel velocity to the suspension of light gating particles.

Claim 37

The method of forming a visual display according to claim 31 and further 4. causing the velocity of the suspension to have a magnitude such that in the non-image areas the average value of the parallel to the front face orienting forces on the thin particles is greater than the average value of the perpendicular to the front face orienting forces on the thin particles, but in the image areas where the electric fields are strong said orienting forces that are in the direction of parallelism with the front face are less than the orienting forces that are in the direction of perpendicularism with the front face.

Claim 38

The method of forming a display according to claim 31 further including the step of 4. coincident with step 3, maintaining the suspension static or at a low velocity.

Claim 39

A display system comprising: 1. an electric field responsive light gating fluid; 2. a panel that includes a fluid chamber formed between a transparent front wall and a rear wall that is closely spaced from the front wall, the front wall including a transparent, electrically conductive layer, the fluid chamber having an inlet duct supply means that connects with the upper end of the fluid chamber and an outlet duct exhaust means that connects with the chamber's lower end and with the duct supply means arranged to permit the light gating fluid to flow through the chamber as a thin, broad, smooth ribbon; 3. means for applying a pattern of electric potentials to the rear wall of the fluid chamber to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber; 4. and means to cause the light gating fluid to flow through the fluid chamber as a thin, broad, smooth ribbon, said means including means to cause the fluid to enter the fluid chamber's upper end at a rate such that the component of the weight of the fluid in the chamber that is in the direction of fluid flow is supported to at least a large degree by the viscous drag between the flowing fluid and the walls of the chamber to substantially reduce the pressure within the chamber whereby the walls of the chamber do not unduly bulge away from one another.

Claim 40

A display system comprising: 1. an electric field responsive light gating fluid; 2. a panel that includes a fluid chamber formed between a transparent front wall and a rear wall that is closely spaced from the front wall, the front wall including a transparent, electrically conductive layer, the fluid chamber having an inlet duct supply means that connects with the upper end of the fluid chamber and an outlet duct exhaust means that connects with the chamber's lower end and with the duct supply means arranged to permit the light gating fluid to flow through the chamber as a thin, broad, smooth ribbon; 3. means for applying a pattern of electric potentials to the rear wall of the fluid chamber to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber; 4. and means to cause the light gating fluid to flow through the fluid chamber as a thin, broad, smooth ribbon, said means including means to cause the fluid to enter the fluid chamber's upper end at a rate such that the component of the weight of the fluid in the chamber that is in the direction of fluid flow is supported to at least a large degree by the viscous drag between the flowing fluid and the walls of the chamber to substantially reduce the pressure within the chamber whereby the walls of the chamber do not unduly bulge away from one another.

Claim 41

A display system comprising: 1. An electric field responsive light gating fluid; 2. A panel that includes a fluid chamber formed between a transparent front wall and a rear wall that is closely spaced from the front wall with at least one of the walls of the fluid chamber being at least partly flexible and with the front wall including a transparent, electrically conductive layer, the fluid chamber having an inlet duct supply means and an outlet duct exhaust means arranged to permit the light gating fluid to flow through the chamber as a thin broad, smooth ribbon and with the inlet duct supply means connecting with the fluid chamber's upper end through a flow inhibiting means that stretches across the upper end of the fluid chamber so that the fluid flows down the chamber as a thin broad smooth ribbon with the thickness of the ribbon in the chamber being at least partly determined by the flow inhibiting means; 3. means to cause this flow to take place; 4. and means for applying a pattern of electric potentials to the rear wall of the fluid chamber to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber which causes the light gating fluid to form a visual display.

Claim 42

A display system comprising: 1. An electric field responsive light gating fluid; 2. A panel that includes a fluid chamber formed between a transparent front wall and a rear wall that is closely spaced from the front wall with at least one of the walls of the fluid chamber being at least partly flexible and with the front wall including a transparent, electrically conductive layer, the fluid chamber having an inlet duct supply means and an outlet duct exhaust means arranged to permit the light gating fluid to flow through the chamber as a thin broad, smooth ribbon and with the inlet duct supply means connecting with the fluid chamber's upper end through a flow inhibiting means that stretches across the upper end of the fluid chamber so that the fluid flows down the chamber as a thin broad smooth ribbon with the thickness of the ribbon in the chamber being at least partly determined by the flow inhibiting means; 3. means to cause this flow to take place; 4. and means for applying a pattern of electric potentials to the rear wall of the fluid chamber to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber which causes the light gating fluid to form a visual display.

Claim 43

A display system comprising: 1. an electric field responsive light gating fluid; 2. a panel that includes a fluid chamber formed between a transparent front wall and a rear wall that is closely spaced from the front wall, the front wall including a transparent, electrically conductive layer, the fluid chamber having an inlet duct supply means and an outlet duct exhaust means arranged to permit the light gating fluid to flow through the chamber as a thin, broad, smooth ribbon; 3. the chamber further including long thin guide vanes extending laterally to form a plurality of horizontal compartments elevated one above the other in the fluid chamber, and means provided to substantially segregate the fluid pressures of the compartments; 4. means for applying a pattern of electric potentials to the rear wall of the fluid chamber to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber; 5. and means to cause the light gating fluid to flow through the fluid chamber as a thin, broad, smooth ribbon.

Claim 44

A display system comprising: 1. an electric field responsive light gating fluid; 2. a panel that includes a fluid chamber formed between a transparent front wall and a rear wall that is closely spaced from the front wall, the front wall including a transparent, electrically conductive layer, the fluid chamber having an inlet duct supply means and an outlet duct exhaust means arranged to permit the light gating fluid to flow through the chamber as a thin, broad, smooth ribbon; 3. the chamber further including long thin guide vanes extending laterally to form a plurality of horizontal compartments elevated one above the other in the fluid chamber, and means provided to substantially segregate the fluid pressures of the compartments; 4. means for applying a pattern of electric potentials to the rear wall of the fluid chamber to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber; 5. and means to cause the light gating fluid to flow through the fluid chamber as a thin, broad, smooth ribbon.

Claim 45

A display system comprising: 1. an electric field responsive, light gating fluid; 2. a panel that includes a fluid chamber formed between a transparent front wall and a rear wall that is closely spaced from the front wall, 3. means for applying a pattern of electric potentials to the rear wall of the fluid chamber to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber; 4. partition members extending laterally in the chamber and dividing the chamber into a plurality of compartments elevated one above the other; and 5. a narrow channel running downwards along at least one of the side edges of the chamber, said channel having an inlet port at its upper end for introducing the light gating fluid into the channel and an outlet port at its lower end for withdrawing said fluid, and means to control the rate of flow of the fluid entering the channel so that the component of the weight of the fluid in the direction of the fluid flow in the channel to at least a considerable degree is supported by the viscous drag between the flowing fluid and the walls of the channel and

Claim 46

A display system comprising: 1. an electric field responsive, light gating fluid; 2. a panel that includes a fluid chamber formed between a transparent front wall and a rear wall that is closely spaced from the front wall, 3. means for applying a pattern of electric potentials to the rear wall of the fluid chamber to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber; 4. partition members extending laterally in the chamber and dividing the chamber into a plurality of compartments elevated one above the other; and 5. a narrow channel running downwards along at least one of the side edges of the chamber, said channel having an inlet port at its upper end for introducing the light gating fluid into the channel and an outlet port at its lower end for withdrawing said fluid, and means to control the rate of flow of the fluid entering the channel so that the component of the weight of the fluid in the direction of the fluid flow in the channel to at least a considerable degree is supported by the viscous drag between the flowing fluid and the walls of the channel and

Claim 47

said compartments communicating with said channel whereby the fluid pressures in the various compartments are approximately the same as in those sections of the channel with which the compartments communicate whereby the walls of the chamber do not unduly bulge away from one another.

Claim 48

said compartments communicating with said channel whereby the fluid pressures in the various compartments are approximately the same as in those sections of the channel with which the compartments communicate whereby the walls of the chamber do not unduly bulge away from one another.

Claim 49

A display system according to claim 37, wherein: the front wall includes a transparent electrically conductive layer.

Claim 50

A display system according to claim 37, wherein: the rear wall includes a photoconductive layer and the pattern of electric potentials is formed in this photoconductive layer.

Claim 51

A display system according to claim 38, wherein: the rear wall includes a photoconductive layer and the pattern of electric potentials is formed in this photoconductive layer.

Claim 52

A light reflective display system comprising: 1. an electric field responsive, light gating fluid; 2. a panel adapted to having its front viewing surface illuminated, the panel including a. a thin fluid chamber for containing the light gating fluid, said fluid chamber having a transparent front wall and a rear wall that are closely spaced from one another, said front wall including a transparent electrically conductive layer, said rear wall including a photoconductive layer and a second electrically conductive layer, said electrically conductive second layer being adjacent to the photoconductive layer, b. and said second electrically conductive layer having a discontinuous surface with non-conductive areas interspersed with conductive areas to thereby cause the electric field lines emanating from said second electrically conductive layer to be bunched together according to the spacings of the conductive areas; 3. means for applying electric potentials to the aforesaid electrically conductive layers; and 4. means for projecting an electromagnetic image pattern onto the photoconductive layer to cause an electric charge pattern to form within the photoconductive layer to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber relating to the electric charge pattern, said electric field pattern acting on the light gating fluid to form a visual display.

Claim 53

A light reflective display system comprising: 1. an electric field responsive, light gating fluid; 2. a panel adapted to having its front viewing surface illuminated, the panel including a. a thin fluid chamber for containing the light gating fluid, said fluid chamber having a transparent front wall and a rear wall that are closely spaced from one another, said front wall including a transparent electrically conductive layer, said rear wall including a photoconductive layer and a second electrically conductive layer, said electrically conductive second layer being adjacent to the photoconductive layer, b. and said second electrically conductive layer having a discontinuous surface with non-conductive areas interspersed with conductive areas to thereby cause the electric field lines emanating from said second electrically conductive layer to be bunched together according to the spacings of the conductive areas; 3. means for applying electric potentials to the aforesaid electrically conductive layers; and 4. means for projecting an electromagnetic image pattern onto the photoconductive layer to cause an electric charge pattern to form within the photoconductive layer to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber relating to the electric charge pattern, said electric field pattern acting on the light gating fluid to form a visual display.

Claim 54

A display system according to claim 41 in which the light gating fluid has thin particles adapted to produce their gating action by rotating in an electric field.

Claim 55

A display system according to claim 41, wherein the inside surface of the rear wall is thinly covered with a substantially electrically insulative material and the electric potential that is applied to at least one of the electrically conductive layers being an AC potential of sufficiently high frequency to permit a display to form in the light gating fluid.

Claim 56

A display system according to claim 41 wherein the inside surface of the front wall is substantially electrically insulative.

Claim 57

A display system according to claim 41 in which the electrically conductive second layer is an electrically conductive grid and the grid's conductive elements are very thin in both width and depth with the openings between the grid's conductive elements being large compared to the width of the conductive elements.

Claim 58

A display system according to claim 45 in which the photoconductive layer is substantially flat and very thin to produce an electric field pattern by conducting electrical charge almost solely in a direction parallel to the face of the panel.

Claim 59

A display system according to claim 46 in which the electrically conductive grid is disposed on the front face of the photoconductive layer.

Claim 60

A display system according to claim 47, wherein a thin electrically insulative sheet is disposed on the front face of the photoconductive layer with the grid tightly sandwiched between the front face of the photoconductive layer and the thin insulative sheet.

Claim 61

A display system according to claim 48, wherein the photoconductive layer is very thin and rippled with many closely spaced indentations to increase the path length that the electrical charges must take in flowing from the grid out along the photoconductive layer thus reducing the dark currents in the photoconductive layer.

Claim 62

A light reflective display system comprising: 1. an electric field responsive, light gating fluid; 2. a panel adapted to have its front viewing surface illuminated, the panel including a. a thin fluid chamber for containing the light gating fluid, said fluid chamber having a transparent front wall and a rear wall that are closely spaced from one another with the inside surface of the rear wall being thinly covered with a substantially electrically insulative material, said front wall including a transparent electrically conductive layer and said rear wall including a photoelectric layer; b. an electrically conductive second layer adjacent to the photoelectric layer, 3. means for applying electric potentials to the aforesaid electrically conductive layers with the electric potential that is applied to at least one of the electrically conductive layers being an AC potential of sufficiently high frequency to permit displays to form in the light gating fluid; 4. means for projecting an electromagnetic image pattern onto the photoelectric layer to cause an electric charge pattern to form within the photoelectric layer to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber relating to the electric charge pattern, said electric field pattern acting on the light gating fluid to form a visual display relating to the electric field pattern; and 5. said fluid chamber having inlet and outlet duct means arranged to permit the light gating fluid to flow through the chamber as a thin, broad, smooth ribbon, and means to cause said fluid to flow through the fluid chamber as said thin, broad, smooth ribbon.

Claim 63

A light reflective display system comprising: 1. an electric field responsive, light gating fluid; 2. a panel adapted to have its front viewing surface illuminated, the panel including a. a thin fluid chamber for containing the light gating fluid, said fluid chamber having a transparent front wall and a rear wall that are closely spaced from one another with the inside surface of the rear wall being thinly covered with a substantially electrically insulative material, said front wall including a transparent electrically conductive layer and said rear wall including a photoelectric layer; b. an electrically conductive second layer adjacent to the photoelectric layer, 3. means for applying electric potentials to the aforesaid electrically conductive layers with the electric potential that is applied to at least one of the electrically conductive layers being an AC potential of sufficiently high frequency to permit displays to form in the light gating fluid; 4. means for projecting an electromagnetic image pattern onto the photoelectric layer to cause an electric charge pattern to form within the photoelectric layer to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber relating to the electric charge pattern, said electric field pattern acting on the light gating fluid to form a visual display relating to the electric field pattern; and 5. said fluid chamber having inlet and outlet duct means arranged to permit the light gating fluid to flow through the chamber as a thin, broad, smooth ribbon, and means to cause said fluid to flow through the fluid chamber as said thin, broad, smooth ribbon.

Claim 64

A light reflective display system comprising: 1. an electric field responsive, light gating fluid having thin particles which produce their light gating action by rotating in an electric field in the direction tending to align the particles at least partially with the electric field lines; 2. a panel adapted to have its front viewing surface illuminated, the panel including a. a thin fluid chamber for containing the light gating fluid, said fluid chamber having a transparent front wall and a rear wall that are closely spaced from one another, said front wall including a transparent electrically conductive layer and said rear wall including a photoconductive layer; b. a second electrically conductive layer adjacent to the photoconductive layer, 3. means for applying electric potentials to the aforesaid electrically conductive layers; 4. said second electrically conductive layer having a discontinuous surface with non-conductive areas interspersed with conductive areas to thereby cause the electrical field lines emanating from said second electrically conductive layer to be bunched together according to the spacings of the conductive areas; 5. means for projecting an electromagnetic image pattern onto the photoconductive layer to cause an electric charge pattern to form within the photo conductive layer to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber relating to the electric charge pattern, said electric field pattern acting on the light gating fluid to form a visual display relating to the electric field pattern; and 6. said fluid chamber having inlet and outlet duct means arranged to permit the light gating fluid to flow through the chamber as a thin, broad, smooth ribbon, and means to cause said fluid to flow through the fluid chamber as said thin, broad, smooth ribbon.

Claim 65

A light reflective display system comprising: 1. an electric field responsive, light gating fluid having thin particles which produce their light gating action by rotating in an electric field in the direction tending to align the particles at least partially with the electric field lines; 2. a panel adapted to have its front viewing surface illuminated, the panel including a. a thin fluid chamber for containing the light gating fluid, said fluid chamber having a transparent front wall and a rear wall that are closely spaced from one another, said front wall including a transparent electrically conductive layer and said rear wall including a photoconductive layer; b. a second electrically conductive layer adjacent to the photoconductive layer, 3. means for applying electric potentials to the aforesaid electrically conductive layers; 4. said second electrically conductive layer having a discontinuous surface with non-conductive areas interspersed with conductive areas to thereby cause the electrical field lines emanating from said second electrically conductive layer to be bunched together according to the spacings of the conductive areas; 5. means for projecting an electromagnetic image pattern onto the photoconductive layer to cause an electric charge pattern to form within the photo conductive layer to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber relating to the electric charge pattern, said electric field pattern acting on the light gating fluid to form a visual display relating to the electric field pattern; and 6. said fluid chamber having inlet and outlet duct means arranged to permit the light gating fluid to flow through the chamber as a thin, broad, smooth ribbon, and means to cause said fluid to flow through the fluid chamber as said thin, broad, smooth ribbon.

Claim 66

A display system according to claim 51 in which the second electrically conductive layer is a conductive grid and the grid's conductive elements are very thin in both width and depth with the openings between the grid's conductive elements being large compared to the width of the conductive elements.

Claim 67

A display system according to claim 52, wherein the photoconductive layer is substantially flat and very thin to produce an electrical field pattern by conducting electric charge almost solely in a direction parallel to the face of the panel.

Claim 68

A display system according to claim 53 in which the electrically conductive grid and a thin electrically insulative sheet are disposed on the front face of the photoconductive layer with the grid tightly sandwiched between the front face of the photoconductive layer and the thin insulative sheet.

Claim 69

A display system according to claim 52, wherein the electrically conductive grid and a thin electrically insulative sheet are disposed on the front face of the photoconductive layer with the grid tightly sandwiched between the front face of the photoconductive layer and the thin insulative sheet and the photoconductive layer being very thin and rippled with many closely spaced indentations to increase the path length that the electric charges must take in flowing from the grid out along the photoconductive layer thus reducing the dark currents in the photoconductive layer.

Claim 74

The method of forming a bright visual display according to claim 57, further including the step of: drawing out in a forward direction the electric field lines from the pattern of electric potentials by an electrically conductive transparent layer on the front wall to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid with the electric field lines being generally normal to the front wall.

Claim 75

The method of forming a bright visual display according to claim 57, further including the step of:

Claim 76

projecting an electromagnetic radiation pattern of image and non-image areas on the rear wall and by means of a photoconductive layer on the rear wall transforming this radiation pattern into the electrical potential pattern.

Claim 77

projecting an electromagnetic radiation pattern of image and non-image areas on the rear wall and by means of a photoconductive layer on the rear wall transforming this radiation pattern into the electrical potential pattern.

Claim 78

The method of forming a bright visual display according to claim 58, further including the step of: projecting an electromagnetic radiation pattern of image and non-image areas on the rear wall and by means of a photoconductive layer on the rear wall transforming this radiation pattern into the electrical potential pattern.

Claim 79

A light reflective display system comprising: 1. an electric field responsive, light gating fluid; 2. a panel adapted to have its front viewing surface illuminated, the panel including a. a thin fluid chamber for containing the light gating fluid, said fluid chamber having a transparent front wall and a rear wall that are closely spaced from one another, said front wall including a transparent electrically conductive layer and said rear wall including a photoelectric layer; b. a second electrically conductive layer adjacent to the photoelectric layer, 3. means for applying electric potentials to the aforesaid electrically conductive layers; 4. means for projecting an electromagnetic image pattern onto the photoelectric layer to cause an electric charge pattern to form within the photoelectric layer to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber relating to the electric charge pattern, said electric field pattern acting on the light gating fluid to form a visual display; and

Claim 80

A light reflective display system comprising: 1. an electric field responsive, light gating fluid; 2. a panel adapted to have its front viewing surface illuminated, the panel including a. a thin fluid chamber for containing the light gating fluid, said fluid chamber having a transparent front wall and a rear wall that are closely spaced from one another, said front wall including a transparent electrically conductive layer and said rear wall including a photoelectric layer; b. a second electrically conductive layer adjacent to the photoelectric layer, 3. means for applying electric potentials to the aforesaid electrically conductive layers; 4. means for projecting an electromagnetic image pattern onto the photoelectric layer to cause an electric charge pattern to form within the photoelectric layer to thereby produce an electric field pattern within the fluid chamber relating to the electric charge pattern, said electric field pattern acting on the light gating fluid to form a visual display; and

Claim 81

said fluid chamber having inlet duct means that connect with the upper end of the fluid chamber and outlet duct means that connect with the chamber's lower end and arranged to permit the light gating fluid to flow through the chamber as a thin broad smooth ribbon, and means to cause the fluid to flow through the chamber as said thin, broad, smooth ribbon, said means causing the fluid to enter the upper end of the chamber with a rate of flow such that the component of the weight of the fluid in the chamber that is in the direction of fluid flow is substantially supported by the viscous drag between the flowing fluid and the walls of the chamber whereby the pressure within the chamber is generally uniform throughout the chamber.

Claim 82

said fluid chamber having inlet duct means that connect with the upper end of the fluid chamber and outlet duct means that connect with the chamber's lower end and arranged to permit the light gating fluid to flow through the chamber as a thin broad smooth ribbon, and means to cause the fluid to flow through the chamber as said thin, broad, smooth ribbon, said means causing the fluid to enter the upper end of the chamber with a rate of flow such that the component of the weight of the fluid in the chamber that is in the direction of fluid flow is substantially supported by the viscous drag between the flowing fluid and the walls of the chamber whereby the pressure within the chamber is generally uniform throughout the chamber.

Claim 85

The method of controlling the transmission of light of an electric field responsive, light controlling panel according to claim 62, wherein: the light gating fluid is a suspension of small thin electrically rotatable light gating particles that tend to rotate into longitudinal alignment with the direction of the applied electric field, and which also, in the absence of an electric field, tend to at least partially align themselves in the direction the suspension stream is flowing.

Claim 86

The method of controlling the transmission of light in an electric field responsive light controlling panel according to claim 63, and including the step of: further influencing the rate of flow of the suspension in the panel by adjusting the spacing between the front and rear walls so that the suspension flows down between the walls slowly enough to permit substantial numbers of the thin particles to orient themselves in the general direction of the electric field lines whereby the light entering the panel is readily transmitted through the suspension in the general direction of these electric field lines, but this suspension flow should also be rapid enough so that when the electric field is removed the flowing suspension will cause substantial numbers of the thin particles that were oriented in a light transmit direction by the electric field lines to rapidly rotate toward a parallel alignment with the direction the suspension stream is flowing thereby causing the light to be strongly intercepted by these particles.

Claim 87

A light transmission controlling system comprising: 1. a liquid suspension of fine thin electric field responsive light gating particles that tend to rotate into longitudinal alignment with the direction of an applied electric field; 2. a panel that includes a suspension chamber formed between a transparent front wall and a rear wall closely spaced from one another, with at least the front wall including a transparent electrically conductive layer, the suspension chamber having an inlet duct supply means and an outlet duct exhaust means arranged to permit the suspension of light gating particles to flow through the chamber as a thin broad smooth ribbon with the inlet duct supply means connecting with the upper end of the suspension chamber and the outlet duct exhaust means connecting with the chamber's lower end, and 3. means to cause the suspension to enter the upper end of the chamber via the inlet duct supply means and to flow down through the chamber as a thin broad smooth ribbon and said means causing the rate of flow of the suspension entering the upper end of the chamber to be such that the component of the weight of the suspension in the chamber that is in the direction of the suspension flow is substantially supported by the viscous drag between the flowing suspension and the walls of the chamber; and 4. means for applying an electric field across the chamber between the front and rear walls to cause the thin particles in the chamber to rotate toward a longitudinal alignment with the electric field lines thereby altering the transmission of light entering the chamber and striking the thin particles.

Claim 88

A light transmission controlling system comprising: 1. a liquid suspension of fine thin electric field responsive light gating particles that tend to rotate into longitudinal alignment with the direction of an applied electric field; 2. a panel that includes a suspension chamber formed between a transparent front wall and a rear wall closely spaced from one another, with at least the front wall including a transparent electrically conductive layer, the suspension chamber having an inlet duct supply means and an outlet duct exhaust means arranged to permit the suspension of light gating particles to flow through the chamber as a thin broad smooth ribbon with the inlet duct supply means connecting with the upper end of the suspension chamber and the outlet duct exhaust means connecting with the chamber's lower end, and 3. means to cause the suspension to enter the upper end of the chamber via the inlet duct supply means and to flow down through the chamber as a thin broad smooth ribbon and said means causing the rate of flow of the suspension entering the upper end of the chamber to be such that the component of the weight of the suspension in the chamber that is in the direction of the suspension flow is substantially supported by the viscous drag between the flowing suspension and the walls of the chamber; and 4. means for applying an electric field across the chamber between the front and rear walls to cause the thin particles in the chamber to rotate toward a longitudinal alignment with the electric field lines thereby altering the transmission of light entering the chamber and striking the thin particles.