US5364557A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Aligned cholesteric liquid crystal inks
Assignee: Reveo Inc
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Filing: 1991-11-27
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Granted: 1994-11-15
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Expires: 2011-11-27
Abstract
Abstract In color printing, and in the fine arts, cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) color inks are known to possess much higher color saturation and brightness than conventional pigment and dyed based inks. However, prior art CLC ink formulations are inconvenient because in the liquid phase they have to be confined in cells, and in the solid phase, they have to be applied at high temperature, and have to be aligned by some means to produce the optimum color. This invention solves the problem encountered in the CLC prior art, by making pre-aligned CLC platelets or flakes of appropriate thickness and size and mixing them in appropriate host fluids producing a novel CLC ink which can be applied at room temperature and without the need for alignment. The new pre-aligned room temperature CLC ink can be used as a substitute for conventional inks in almost all printing and plotting, and manual drawing and painting. Using the notch filter CLC platelets, the brightness is further enhanced. This invention teaches the CLC ink concepts, its applications and method of manufacturing.
Inventors
- 👤 Sades M. Faris
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 10:22
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C71/00; B82; B82Y; B82Y15/00; C; C09; C09B; C09B67/00; C09B67/0098; C09D; C09D11/00; C09D11/02; C09D11/03; C09D11/037; C09D11/16; C09D11/17; C09K; C09K19/00; C09K19/04; C09K19/36; C09K19/52; E; E06; E06B; E06B9/00; E06B9/24; F; F24; F24S; F24S50/00; F24S50/80; G; G02; G02B; G02B5/00; G02B5/30; G02B5/3016; C09K2323/00; C09K2323/03; C09K2323/06; E06B2009/2464; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1334; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/40; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/10; Y10T156/1052; Y10T156/1084; Y10T156/12; Y10T156/1374; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/29; Y10T428/2982; Y10T428/2991; Y10T428/2998
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 51
Claim 1
Independent Claim
67 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product comprising: prealigned CLC solid state platelets or flakes wherein the CLC molecules maintain a helical structure with a helix axis perpendicular to the surface of said platelets, a helix pitch pretuned to give said platelets a selective reflection property at a desired additive primary color (wavelength) band; and a host material in which said pro-aligned CLC platelets are suspended.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
67 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product comprising: prealigned CLC solid state platelets or flakes wherein the CLC molecules maintain a helical structure with a helix axis perpendicular to the surface of said platelets, a helix pitch pretuned to give said platelets a selective reflection property at a desired additive primary color (wavelength) band; and a host material in which said pro-aligned CLC platelets are suspended.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein said CLC platelets are made of polymer having a glass temperature considerably higher than ambient temperature or room temperature.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein said CLC platelets are made of a polymer using polysiloxane backbone to which a mesogen sidegroup is attached through a flexible spacer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein said CLC platelets are made of a polymer capable of producing left handed helix or right handed helix configurations, and further the helix pitch is tuned by means of chiral additive or mesogenic sidegroup concentrations.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein the shapes of said platelets are irregular or regular circles, ellipses, rectangles, or polygons.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein the average size of said platelets is in the 4-100 microns range (8 to 100 helix pitches), the average thickness is 4 to 20 helix pitches, and the average size to thickness ratio is larger than 3.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein said platelets are comprised of one of left handed and right handed helices.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein said platelets are comprised of a laminate of platelets of left handed and right handed helices.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein said platelets are comprised of a laminate of a half-wave retarder interposed between first and second platelets reflective of said same circularly polarized (wavelength) band.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein said host material is a fluid.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein said host material is a clear, soft, solid matrix transfer material made of organic or inorganic materials,
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 11, wherein said solid matrix is clear wax.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein said host material is a water solution of polyvinyl alcohol which has an adhesive property and ethyl or methyl alcohol.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein said host material is a fluid comprising an adhesive agent, a fast drying agent, and a solvent.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein the host material is a fluid formulated for off-set printing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein the host material is a fluid formulated for screen printing.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein the host material is a fluid formulated for gravure and flexographic printing.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein the host material is a fluid formulated as a toner for electrographic and electrostatic printing.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein the host material is a fluid formulated for pen plotting and drawing.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein the host material is a fluid formulated for coating with rollers, brushes, spraying means and inkjets.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) image forming product according to claim 1, wherein the host material is a fluid formulated for thermal printing.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
38 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal image forming arrangement comprising: a plurality of elements of pro-aligned cholesteric liquid crystal material selectively reflective of at least a given wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, and, a carrier material for suspending said elements therein.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
38 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal image forming arrangement comprising: a plurality of elements of pro-aligned cholesteric liquid crystal material selectively reflective of at least a given wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, and, a carrier material for suspending said elements therein.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
18 words
An arrangement according to claim 22 wherein said elements are in the form of flakes of said material.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
An arrangement according to claim 22 wherein said elements are in the form of platelets of said material.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
14 words
An arrangement according to claim 22 wherein said elements are in the solid state.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
13 words
An arrangement according to claim 22 wherein said carrier material is a solid.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
12 words
An arrangement according to claim 22 wherein said carrier material is liquid.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
13 words
An arrangement according to claim 22 wherein said carrier material is a gas.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
19 words
An arrangement according to claim 22 wherein each of said elements has a lateral extent greater than its thickness.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
13 words
An arrangement according to claim 22 wherein said electromagnetic radiation is circularly polarized.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
14 words
An arrangement according to claim 22 wherein said electromagnetic radiation is right-hand circularly polarized.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
14 words
An arrangement according to claim 22 wherein said electromagnetic radiation is left-hand circularly polarized.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
36 words
An arrangement according to claim 22 wherein said pre-aligned elements are reflective of said electromagnetic radiation having one circular polarization and transmissive of said electromagnetic radiation having a circular polarization opposite to said one circular polarization.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
26 words
An arrangement according to claim 22 wherein said pre-aligned elements further include other pre-aligned cholesteric liquid crystal elements disposed over said pre-aligned cholesteric liquid crystal elements.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
26 words
An arrangement according to claim 34 wherein said other pre-aligned cholesteric liquid crystal elements are reflective of said at least a given wavelength of electromagnetic radiation.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
45 words
An arrangement according to claim 34 wherein said pre-aligned cholesteric liquid crystal elements are reflective of electromagnetic radiation having one circular polarization and said other pre-aligned cholesteric liquid crystal elements are reflective of electromagnetic radiation having a circular polarization opposite to said one circular polarization.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
39 words
An arrangement according to claim 34 wherein aid pre-aligned cholesteric liquid crystal elements are reflective of electromagnetic radiation having left-handed circular polarization and said other pre-aligned cholesteric liquid crystal elements are reflective of electromagnetic radiation having right-handed circular polarization.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
39 words
An arrangement according to claim 34 wherein said pre-aligned cholesteric liquid crystal elements are reflective of electromagnetic radiation having right-handed circular polarization and said other pre-aligned cholesteric liquid crystal elements are reflective of electromagnetic radiation having left-handed circular polarization.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
19 words
An arrangement according to claim 34 wherein said elements and said other elements are disposed in said carrier material.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
23 words
An arrangement according to claim 34 further including a half-wave retarder interposed between each of said elements and each of said other elements.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
15 words
An arrangement according to claim 34 wherein said other elements are in the solid state.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
13 words
An arrangement according to claim 38 wherein said carrier material is a solid.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
13 words
An arrangement according to claim 38 wherein said carrier material is a liquid.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
13 words
An arrangement according to claim 38 wherein said carrier material is a gas.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
22 words
An arrangement according to claim 40 wherein said elements and other elements are reflective of electromagnetic radiation having the same circular polarization.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
22 words
An arrangement according to claim 40 wherein said elements and said other elements are reflective of electromagnetic radiation having left-handed circular polarization.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
22 words
An arrangement according to claim 40 wherein said elements and said other elements are reflective of electromagnetic radiation having right-handed circular polarization.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
51 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal image forming product comprising: a plurality of elements of cholesteric liquid crystal material each having its helical axis pre-aligned normal to a surface of said elements reflective of at least a given wavelength of circularly polarized electromagnetic radiation, and a carrier material for suspending said elements therein.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
51 words
A cholesteric liquid crystal image forming product comprising: a plurality of elements of cholesteric liquid crystal material each having its helical axis pre-aligned normal to a surface of said elements reflective of at least a given wavelength of circularly polarized electromagnetic radiation, and a carrier material for suspending said elements therein.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-11-14 | 1998-05-16 | 1998-11-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-11-14 | 2002-05-16 | 2002-11-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-11-14 | 2006-05-16 | 2006-11-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |