Information display through deformation of liquid dielectric media

Claim 2

An optical display device comprising: a liquid dielectric region which is divided into two adjacent immiscible media with different total dielectric properties; electrode structure means for establishing an electric field intensity pattern representative of information across the interface between the two immiscible media; and voltage means connected to said electrode structure means for both inducing and stably maintaining a reversible physical deformation of the interface between the two media of said liquid region as manifestation of said information to be displayed, said voltage being above a threshold value for inducing hysteresis in said deformation.

Claim 3

Display device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said electrodes are thin conductive films respectively on two opposite substantially parallel support surfaces.

Claim 4

Display device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said electrodes on one surface are oblique to the said electrodes on the opposite surface.

Claim 5

Display device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said interface between said two immiscible media is quiescently parallel to the two said opposite support surfaces for surfaces said electrodes.

Claim 6

Display device as set forth in claim 4 wherein the two immiscible media of said liquid region comprise a hydrophobic liquid and a hydrophyllic liquid.

Claim 7

An information storage device comprising: a liquid region including a plurality of immiscible liquid media having a respective zonal boundary therebetween; an electric voltage applying means for establishing an electric field pattern representative of an information pattern in said liquid region with components perpendicular to said zonal boundaries said components of said electric field having intensities above a threshold value for inducing hysteresis in physical deformations of said zonal boundary; electronically activated means for maintaining said physical deformations in said liquid media, to represent an information pattern; and optical means for determining said deformations of said zonal boundaries as indicia of said stored information pattern.

Claim 8

An information storage device comprising: a liquid region including a plurality of immiscible liquid media having a respective zonal boundary therebetween; an electric voltage applying means for establishing an electric field pattern representative of an information pattern in said liquid region with components perpendicular to said zonal boundaries said components of said electric field having intensities above a threshold value for inducing hysteresis in physical deformations of said zonal boundary; electronically activated means for maintaining said physical deformations in said liquid media, to represent an information pattern; and optical means for determining said deformations of said zonal boundaries as indicia of said stored information pattern.

Claim 9

Method for information handling and display by using the influence of an electric field pattern on a liquid dielectric material having at least two immiscible liquid media of different total dielectric properties adjacent at a respective interface comprising the steps of: establishing a liquid region of selected immiscible liquid materials in a particular physical condition in which the several liquid materials are arranged in a stable configuration; applying an electric voltage pattern representative of stored information to said liquid region such that an electric field is formed with components perpendicular to said interface between said adjacent liquid materials, said components of said electric field having intensities above a threshold value for inducing hysteresis in physical deformation of said zonal boundary; maintaining physical deformation of said interface by applying a small ac or dc electric field across said surface; and detecting by optical means the deformation of the interface as a manifestation of the stored information.

Claim 10

Method for information handling and display by using the influence of an electric field pattern on a liquid dielectric material having at least two immiscible liquid media of different total dielectric properties adjacent at a respective interface comprising the steps of: establishing a liquid region of selected immiscible liquid materials in a particular physical condition in which the several liquid materials are arranged in a stable configuration; applying an electric voltage pattern representative of stored information to said liquid region such that an electric field is formed with components perpendicular to said interface between said adjacent liquid materials, said components of said electric field having intensities above a threshold value for inducing hysteresis in physical deformation of said zonal boundary; maintaining physical deformation of said interface by applying a small ac or dc electric field across said surface; and detecting by optical means the deformation of the interface as a manifestation of the stored information.

Claim 11

An optical display device comprising: a liquid dielectric region which is divided into two adjacent immiscible media with different total dielectric properties, said two immiscible media of said liquid region comprise a hydrophobic liquid and a hydrophillic liquid; electrode structure means for establishing an electric field intensity pattern representative of information across the interface between said two immiscible media; said electrodes comprise thin conductive films respectively on two opposite substantially parallel support surfaces, said electrodes on one surface being oblique to the said electrodes on the opposite surface, said interface between said two immiscible media being quiescently parallel to the two said opposite support surfaces for said electrodes, said opposite parallel surface and said electrodes being each coated with a thin film respectively, one surface and the electrodes thereon being coated with a hydrophillic film adjacent to said hydrophillic liquid, and the opposite surface and the associated electrodes thereon being coated with a hydrophobic film adjacent to said hydrophobic liquid; and voltage means connected to said electrode structure means for both inducing and stably maintaining a reversible physical deformation of the interface between the two media of said liquid region as manifestation of said information to be displayed, said voltage being above a threshold value for inducing hysteresis in said deformation.

Claim 12

An optical display device comprising: a liquid dielectric region which is divided into two adjacent immiscible media with different total dielectric properties, said two immiscible media of said liquid region comprise a hydrophobic liquid and a hydrophillic liquid; electrode structure means for establishing an electric field intensity pattern representative of information across the interface between said two immiscible media; said electrodes comprise thin conductive films respectively on two opposite substantially parallel support surfaces, said electrodes on one surface being oblique to the said electrodes on the opposite surface, said interface between said two immiscible media being quiescently parallel to the two said opposite support surfaces for said electrodes, said opposite parallel surface and said electrodes being each coated with a thin film respectively, one surface and the electrodes thereon being coated with a hydrophillic film adjacent to said hydrophillic liquid, and the opposite surface and the associated electrodes thereon being coated with a hydrophobic film adjacent to said hydrophobic liquid; and voltage means connected to said electrode structure means for both inducing and stably maintaining a reversible physical deformation of the interface between the two media of said liquid region as manifestation of said information to be displayed, said voltage being above a threshold value for inducing hysteresis in said deformation.

Claim 13

Display device as set forth in claim 8 in which: said hydrophillic film is a layer of aluminum oxide of thickness in the approximate range of 10 Angstroms, to 1000 Angstroms, and said hydrophobic film is a layer of copper oxide of thickness in the approximate range of 10 Angstroms to 1000 Angstroms.

Claim 14

Display device as set forth in claim 8 in which said hydrophillic liquid is water and said hydrophobic liquid is toluene.

Claim 15

Display device as set forth in claim 8 in which said hydrophobic liquid is not substantially transparent to visible light.

Claim 16

Said display device as set forth in claim 11 in which said hydrophobic liquid is a mixture of two hydrophobic liquids, one of which strongly absorbs visible light.

Claim 17

Display device as set forth in claim 12 in which; said hydrophobic liquid is a mixture of trichloromethane and phenylchloride; and said hydrophillic liquid is distilled water.

Claim 18

Display device as set forth in claim 11 in which said hydrophobic liquid layer is in the approximate range of 1000 Angstroms to 100,000 Angstroms thick in the quiescent state.