Display panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10126544-B2
Application number	US-201615525445-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2016
Priority date	Jan 27, 2016
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A display panel includes a first substrate and a second substrate which are arranged opposed to each other. The space between the first substrate and the second substrate is separated into a plurality of sub-pixel regions. Within each sub pixel region, a first electrode, a first fluid layer, a second fluid layer, a hydrophobic dielectric layer and a second electrode are arranged in this order. The first fluid layer is made of hydrophilic liquid. The second fluid layer is made of ink. When no electric field is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, the ink spreads over the surface of the hydrophobic dielectric layer. When an electric field is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, the ink aggregates to expose the hydrophobic dielectric layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A display panel, comprising a first substrate and a second substrate which are arranged opposed to each other, wherein a space between the first substrate and the second substrate is separated into a plurality of sub-pixel regions;
wherein a first electrode, a first fluid layer, a second fluid layer, a hydrophobic dielectric layer and a second electrode are arranged in this order within each sub-pixel region;
wherein the first fluid layer is made of hydrophilic liquid; the second fluid layer is made of ink; when no electric field is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, the ink spreads over a surface of the hydrophobic dielectric layer; when the electric field is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, the ink aggregates to expose the hydrophobic dielectric layer, and
wherein the hydrophobic dielectric layer within at least one sub-pixel region is provided with a reservoir which is configured to reserve the ink, and the reservoir is a groove formed in the hydrophobic dielectric layer.

2. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode within the at least one sub-pixel region is provided with an opening, the reservoir is arranged over the opening.

3. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode has no overlap with the reservoir.

4. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the ink aggregates into the reservoir under effect of the electric field.

5. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein a light shielding layer is provided above the reservoir and shields for the reservoir.

6. The display panel of claim 5 , wherein the light shielding layer is formed on the first substrate, and the surface of the light shielding layer is flush with the surface of the first substrate and in contact with the first electrode.

7. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising a pixel-separating wall arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate for separating adjacent sub-pixel regions, wherein the reservoir is arranged proximal to one side of the pixel-separating wall.

8. The display panel of claim 7 , wherein the pixel-separating wall comprises a convex portion that extends horizontally, the convex portion is located above the reservoir for shielding the light from irradiating the reservoir.

9. The display panel of claim 1 , a shape of a cross section of the reservoir in a plane of the display panel is rectangle.

10. The display panel of claim 9 , wherein
a length of the reservoir is 1/10 to ¼ of a length of the sub-pixel region;
a width of the reservoir is 1/10 to ¼ of a width of the sub-pixel region; and
a depth of the reservoir ranges from 2 μm to 20 μm.

11. The display panel of claim 1 , comprising at least three colors of sub-pixel regions, wherein the ink in each sub-pixel has the same color as the sub-pixel region.

12. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the ink comprises:
a pigment particle, an organic solvent, and at least one of a metal sheet and a light-reflecting particle.

13. The display panel of claim 12 , wherein,
a thickness of the metal sheet ranges from 10 nm to 500 nm; and
a length and a width in sheet plane of the metal sheet both range from 0.5 μm to 10 μm.

14. The display panel of claim 12 , wherein a size of the light-reflecting particle ranges from 0.2 μm to 2 μm.

15. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein each of the sub-pixel regions further comprises a black light-absorption layer arranged between the second substrate and the second electrode.

16. The display panel of claim 15 , wherein the black light-absorption layer within a plurality of sub-pixel regions are connected to each other to form an integrated layer.

17. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate is made of transparent material.

18. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is made of transparent conductive material.

19. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophilic liquid is transparent.

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• He Xiaolong
• Cao Zhanfeng
• Yao Qi
• Zhang Bin
• Li Zhengliang
• Zhang Wei
• Zhou Tingting
• Gao Jincheng
• Wang Jiushi

Classifications

• G02B26/007

  the movable or deformable optical element controlling the colour, i.e. a spectral characteristic, of the light · CPC title

• G02B26/005 Primary

  based on electrowetting · CPC title

• G02B26/02

  for controlling the intensity of light {(G02B26/004 takes precedence)} · CPC title