US4844596A — Aligning and distorting features in enhanced scat…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 106 words

Liquid crystal apparatus comprising liquid crystal means for selectively primarily scattering or transmitting light in response to a prescribed input, a support medium means for supporting said liquid crystal means, and reflecting means for effecting total internal reflection of light scattered by said liquid crystal means, said support medium means comprising a containment medium means for holding discrete quantities of such liquid crystal means in respective capsule-like volumes, and further comprising means reactive with said containment medium means for tending to force at least a portion of at least some of said liquid crystal means into substantially normal alignment with the wall of such capsule-like volumes.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 106 words

Liquid crystal apparatus comprising liquid crystal means for selectively primarily scattering or transmitting light in response to a prescribed input, a support medium means for supporting said liquid crystal means, and reflecting means for effecting total internal reflection of light scattered by said liquid crystal means, said support medium means comprising a containment medium means for holding discrete quantities of such liquid crystal means in respective capsule-like volumes, and further comprising means reactive with said containment medium means for tending to force at least a portion of at least some of said liquid crystal means into substantially normal alignment with the wall of such capsule-like volumes.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 78 words

An operationally nematic liquid crystal material in a containment medium that tends to distort said material into alignment with respect to a surface thereof when in generally random alignment in the absence of an electric field, said liquid crystal material being responsive to an electric field to tend to align with respect thereto, and additive means in said liquid crystal material for expediting such distorting and return to random alignment upon the removal of such an electric field.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 78 words

An operationally nematic liquid crystal material in a containment medium that tends to distort said material into alignment with respect to a surface thereof when in generally random alignment in the absence of an electric field, said liquid crystal material being responsive to an electric field to tend to align with respect thereto, and additive means in said liquid crystal material for expediting such distorting and return to random alignment upon the removal of such an electric field.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 12 words

The device of claim 2, said surface comprising a generally spherical wall.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 11 words

The device of claim 2, said additive comprising a chiral additive.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 12 words

The device of claim 2, said material and medium forming an emulsion.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 9 words

A display formed of the device of claim 2.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 10 words

An optical shutter formed of the device of claim 2.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 18 words

The device of claim 2, wherein said surface comprises a surface of a wall of said containment medium.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 18 words

The device of claim 2, said liquid crystal material comprising operationally nematic liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 52 words

The device of claim 9, said containment medium having an index of refraction, said liquid crystal material having ordinary and extraordinary indices of refraction, and said ordinary index of refraction being substantially matched to the index of refraction of said containment medium to minimize scattering in the presence of an electric field.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 24 words

The device of claim 10, said extraordinary index of refraction being different from the index of refraction of said containment medium to cause scattering.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 33 words

The device of claim 2, further comprising electrode means for applying electric field to said liquid crystal material to tend to align the same with respect to the field thereby to reduce scattering.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 38 words

A method of making a liquid crystal apparatus comprising placing an encapsulated liquid crystal material in a support medium that has an optical internal reflection characteristic, further comprising forming such encapsulated liquid crystal material as operationally nematic material.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 38 words

A method of making a liquid crystal apparatus comprising placing an encapsulated liquid crystal material in a support medium that has an optical internal reflection characteristic, further comprising forming such encapsulated liquid crystal material as operationally nematic material.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method of claim 13, further comprising adding a control agent to such liquid crystal material to control the viscosity thereof.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 14, said adding comprising adding chloroform to such liquid crystal material and mixing the same.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method of claim 13, further comprising selecting such operationally nematic material to have positive dielectric anisotropy.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 13 words

In combination a liquid crystal and a chrome alkyl complex in solution therewith.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 13 words

In combination a liquid crystal and a chrome alkyl complex in solution therewith.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 21 words

The combination of claim 17, further comprising a containment medium means for containing discrete quantities of such solution in capsule-like volumes.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 11 words

The combination of claim 18, said containment medium comprising an emulsion.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 14 words

The combination of claim 18, said liquid crystal comprising operationally nematic liquid crystal material.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 71 words

The combination of claim 18, said chrome alkyl complex being at least partly reactive with said containment medium means to align in relatively fixed position with respect thereto, and said chrome alkyl complex being so positioned with respect to the capsule-like walls of said volumes and with respect to said liquid crystal to align at least part of at least some of the latter substantially normal with respect to said wall.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 20 words

The combination of claim 17, further comprising a containment medium means for containing quantities of such solution in plural volumes.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 11 words

The combination of claim 22, said containment medium comprising an emulsion.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 14 words

The combination of claim 22, said liquid crystal comprising operationally nematic liquid crystal material.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 78 words

The combination of claim 22, said volumes having wall means, and said chrome alkyl complex being at least partly reactive with said containment medium means to align in relatively fixed position with respect thereto, and said chrome alkyl complex being so positioned with respect to said wall means of said volumes and with respect to said liquid crystal to align at least part of at least some of the latter substantially normal with respect to said wall means.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 10 words

The combination of claim 25, said volumes comprising capsule-like volumes.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 45 words

The combination of claim 25, said containment medium means having an index of refraction and said liquid crystal having an ordinary index of refraction substantially matched to that of said containment medium means to minimize scattering of light in the presence of a prescribed input.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 26 words

The combination of claim 27, such prescribed input comprising an electric field, and further comprising electrode means for applying such electric field to said liquid crystal.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 38 words

The combination of claim 27, said liquid crystal having an extraordinary index of refraction different from the index of refraction of said containment medium means to cause scattering of incident light in the absence of such prescribed input.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 40 words

The combination of claim 17, further comprising surface means for inducing a distorted alignment of said liquid crystal which in response to such alignment scatters light and which in response to a prescribed input reduces the amount of such scattering.

Claim 35

Independent Claim 27 words

A method of making an encapsulated liquid crystal, comprising mixing together a support medium material and a solution of liquid crystal material and a chrome alkyl complex.

Claim 36

Independent Claim 27 words

A method of making an encapsulated liquid crystal, comprising mixing together a support medium material and a solution of liquid crystal material and a chrome alkyl complex.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method of claim 31, further comprising selecting such liquid crystal material as operationally nematic liquid crystal material.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 60 words

The method of claim 31, further comprising permitting the mixture of such support medium material and solution of liquid crystal material and chrome alkyl complex to form plural volumes of liquid crystal material in a containment medium such that a surface of such containment medium distorts the natural structure of such liquid crystal in the absence of a prescribed input.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method of claim 33, wherein such chrome alkyl complex is operative to effect a non-parallel alignment of at least a portion of the structure of at least some of such liquid crystal proximate such surface.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 53 words

The method of claim 34, further comprising selecting such liquid crystal as operationally nematic liquid crystal capable of aligning with respect to an electric field to overcome the distorting force of such surface and the tendency of at least some of such liquid crystal material to align in normal relation to such surface.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 73 words

Liquid crystal apparatus, comprising liquid crystal material, and surface means for inducing a distorted alignment of said liquid crystal material which in response to such alignment at least one of scatters and absorbs light and which in response to a prescribed input reduces the amount of such scattering or absorption, and wherein the alignment of at least some of said liquid crystal proximate said surface means is generally perpendicular to said wall means.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 73 words

Liquid crystal apparatus, comprising liquid crystal material, and surface means for inducing a distorted alignment of said liquid crystal material which in response to such alignment at least one of scatters and absorbs light and which in response to a prescribed input reduces the amount of such scattering or absorption, and wherein the alignment of at least some of said liquid crystal proximate said surface means is generally perpendicular to said wall means.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 18 words

The apparatus of claim 36, said liquid crystal material comprising operationally nematic liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 18 words

The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising containment means for forming plural volumes containing said liquid crystal material.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 38, said volumes having curved walls, and said surface means comprising surface area of said walls.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 57 words

The apparatus of claim 39, said liquid crystal material comprising operationally nematic liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy, said containment means having an index of refraction, said liquid crystal material having an ordinary index of refraction at least substantially matched to that of said containment means to maximize optical transmission in the presence of such prescribed input.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 24 words

The apparatus of claim 40, said liquid crystal material being responsive to such prescribed input to align generally in parallel and in respect thereto.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 34 words

The apparatus of claim 40, said liquid crystal material having an extraordinary index of refraction different from that of said containment means to cause scattering of light in the absence of such prescribed input.

Claim 49

Dependent Claim 48 words

The apparatus of claim 40, further comprising means cooperative with said liquid crystal material and said containment means to tend to align at least part of at least some of said liquid crystal material substantially normal with respect to a surface of a wall of said containment means.

Claim 50

Dependent Claim 13 words

The apparatus of claim 43, said means cooperative comprising a chrome alkyl complex.

Claim 51

Dependent Claim 76 words

Liquid crystal apparatus, comprising liquid crystal material, and surface means for inducing a distorted alignment of said liquid crystal material which in response to such alignment scatters light and which in response to a prescribed input reduces the amount of such scattering, said liquid crystal material in such distorted alignment configuration having at least a portion of the structure thereof in proximity to such surface means being aligned in a non-parallel relation to such surface means.

Claim 52

Dependent Claim 76 words

Liquid crystal apparatus, comprising liquid crystal material, and surface means for inducing a distorted alignment of said liquid crystal material which in response to such alignment scatters light and which in response to a prescribed input reduces the amount of such scattering, said liquid crystal material in such distorted alignment configuration having at least a portion of the structure thereof in proximity to such surface means being aligned in a non-parallel relation to such surface means.

Claim 53

Dependent Claim 12 words

The apparatus of claim 45, said non-parallel relation being generally normal alignment.

Claim 54

Dependent Claim 13 words

The apparatus of claim 46, further comprising an additive to cause such alignment.

Claim 55

Dependent Claim 135 words

A liquid crystal device comprising an operationally nematic liquid crystal material and a containment medium means for containing such liquid crystal material and ordinarily distorting the natural structure of the liquid crystal material in the absence of a prescribed input, the liquid crystal material having positive dielectric anisotropy and an ordinary index of refraction substantially matched to the index of refraction of said containment medium means, substantially to maximize optical transmission in the presence of a prescribed input and to effect generally isotropic optical scattering in the absence of such prescribed input, said liquid crystal material when in such distorted structural alignment including at least a portion of some of the liquid crystal material proximate a wall surface of such containment medium means being in a generally normal alignment with respect to such wall surface.

Claim 56

Dependent Claim 135 words

A liquid crystal device comprising an operationally nematic liquid crystal material and a containment medium means for containing such liquid crystal material and ordinarily distorting the natural structure of the liquid crystal material in the absence of a prescribed input, the liquid crystal material having positive dielectric anisotropy and an ordinary index of refraction substantially matched to the index of refraction of said containment medium means, substantially to maximize optical transmission in the presence of a prescribed input and to effect generally isotropic optical scattering in the absence of such prescribed input, said liquid crystal material when in such distorted structural alignment including at least a portion of some of the liquid crystal material proximate a wall surface of such containment medium means being in a generally normal alignment with respect to such wall surface.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1992-07-03	1993-01-02	1993-07-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1996-07-03	1997-01-02	1997-07-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2000-07-03	2001-01-02	2001-07-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Aligning and distorting features in enhanced scattering voltage sensitive encapsulated liquid crystal

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