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US4438160A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of making a rotary ball display device

Assignee: Sony Corp
•
Filing: 1983-01-17
•
Granted: 1984-03-20
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Expires: 2003-01-17
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Abstract

Abstract A method for manufacturing rotary ball display devices wherein a plurality of such balls are provided with a coating of a color different from the remainder of the ball, the ball members are coated with a thin coating insoluble in the settling medium into which they are introduced, so that upon settling into a low viscosity liquid, they form a uniform layer. A high molecular weight hardenable coating material which is soluble in the low viscosity liquid is then poured onto the coated ball members to cover the layer. Then, the low viscosity liquid is removed and the hardenable coating material is caused to harden. The thin coating is then dissolved away from portions of the ball members to leave cavity portions thereabout into which a high resistivity liquid is introduced. The resulting ball members have a refractive index on the colored layer which is substantially the same as the refractive index of the high resistivity liquid contained in the cavities.

Inventors

  • 👤 Reiji Ishikawa
  • 👤 Masaki Saito
  • 👤 Toshio Mori
  • 👤 Hidemasa Tamura

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 01:31
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B26/00; G02B26/02; G02B26/026; C; C03; C03C; C03C17/00

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 125 words
A method of making a rotary ball display device which comprises: providing a plurality of ball members each having a hemispherical surface of a color different than the other hemispherical surface thereof, coating said ball members with a thin coating, settling the coated ball members into a low viscosity liquid to form a layer of coated ball members, said thin coating being insoluble in said low viscosity liquid, pouring a high molecular weight hardenable coating material soluble in said low viscosity liquid into said coated ball members to cover said layer, removing said low viscosity liquid, hardening said hardenable coating material, dissolving away said thin coating from said ball members to leave cavity portions thereabout, and introducing a high resistivity liquid into said cavity portions.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 125 words
A method of making a rotary ball display device which comprises: providing a plurality of ball members each having a hemispherical surface of a color different than the other hemispherical surface thereof, coating said ball members with a thin coating, settling the coated ball members into a low viscosity liquid to form a layer of coated ball members, said thin coating being insoluble in said low viscosity liquid, pouring a high molecular weight hardenable coating material soluble in said low viscosity liquid into said coated ball members to cover said layer, removing said low viscosity liquid, hardening said hardenable coating material, dissolving away said thin coating from said ball members to leave cavity portions thereabout, and introducing a high resistivity liquid into said cavity portions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 28 words
A method according to claim 1 in which: each ball member consists of a white glass ball coated on a hemispherical portion thereof with an inorganic coloring layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 29 words
A method according to claim 2 in which: the refractive index of the surface of said coloring layer is substantially the same as that of said high resistivity liquid.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 22 words
A method according to claim 3 in which: the coloring layer is a composite film of at least two inorganic coloring substances.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 36 words
A method according to claim 1 in which: said ball members are provided by partially embedding the ball members in a viscous layer and depositing a coloring substance on the exposed surfaces of said ball members.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 15 words
A method according to claim 5 in which: said coloring substance is deposited by evaporation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 27 words
A method according to claim 6 in which: said coloring substance is deposited by selective evaporating from two sources of coloring substances to provide a composite film.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 25 words
A method according to claim 7 in which: one of said coloring substances is MgF 2 and the other is Sb 2 S 3 .

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3924226A Cited
US4126854A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1987-03-20 1987-09-19 1988-03-20 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1991-03-20 1991-09-19 1992-03-20 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1995-03-20 1995-09-19 1996-03-20 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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