Electroscopic display device

Claim 1

A display device comprising (a) first and second separated, radiation-transparent supporting plates, (b) a plurality of display elements disposed between said supporting plates, each of said display elements including at least one fixed electrode and at least one movable electrode, said movable electrode being movable relative to said fixed electrode by electrostatic forces, and said movable electrode having two end positions determined by abutment faces, said fixed electrodes and movable electrodes defining a pattern of radiation-transparent apertures, (c) an electrically insulating layer disposed between said fixed electrodes and said movable electrodes, (d) a pattern of areas being non-transparent to radiation and being disposed on said fixed electrodes, said pattern of areas being substantially identical in size to said pattern of radiation-transparent apertures, wherein coplanar disposition of said pattern of radiation-transparent apertures and said pattern of areas substantially prevents passage of radiation by said fixed and said movable electrodes, (e) luminescent material disposed on one of said first and second radiation-transparent supporting plates at a viewing side, said luminescent material being disposed between said first and second radiation-transparent supporting plates adjacent to and facing said electrodes, (f) radiation source means at a side opposite to said viewing side for emitting radiation of a sufficiently short wavelength to excite said luminescent material, and (g) reflective surfaces disposed on at least one of said fixed electrodes or said movable electrodes at sides facing said luminescent material to reflect radiation emitted by said luminescent material in a direction to increase passage of radiation through said viewing side.