Woven electrophoretic material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11086186-B2
Application number	US-201916404948-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2019
Priority date	Oct 1, 2015
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

Variable transmission covering systems that can be used, for example, to control the amount of light passing through a window in a building. Using transmissive electrophoretic media that can switch between a first and second optical state, the invention can be used to change the color and/or transmissivity of a structure (or structures) that is placed in front of an object. In some embodiments, the variable transmission system can change transmission and color on command.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A woven material made from a plurality of individual strips of electrophoretic material, wherein each individual strip of electrophoretic material has a first optical transmission state and a second optical transmission state, wherein the first and second optical transmission states vary in opacity, and wherein each individual strip of electrophoretic material includes
a first flexible light-transmissive electrode,
a second flexible light-transmissive electrode, and
a plurality of electrically charged particles disposed in a fluid and capable of moving through the fluid under the influence of an electric field, wherein the plurality of electrically charged particles are disposed between the first flexible light-transmissive electrode and the second flexible light-transmissive electrode, the electrically charged particles are driven between the first optical transmission state and the second optical transmission states when an electric field is applied between the first flexible light-transmissive electrode and the second flexible light-transmissive electrode, and wherein the first or the second optical transmission state allows for greater than 50% of the incident visible light to be transmitted through the electrophoretic material.

2. The woven material of claim 1 , wherein the electrically charged particles disposed in a fluid and capable of moving through the fluid under the influence of an electric field are contained in a plurality of capsules.

3. The woven material of claim 1 , wherein the electrically charged particles disposed in a fluid and capable of moving through the fluid under the influence of an electric field are dispersed as a plurality of discrete droplets in a polymer binder.

4. The woven material of claim 1 , wherein the woven material additionally includes fabric strips.

5. The woven material of claim 4 , wherein the individual strips of electrophoretic material are woven in a first direction and the fabric strips are woven in a second direction.

6. The woven material of claim 4 , wherein the woven material includes three times more surface area of fabric than surface area of electrophoretic material.

7. The woven material of claim 4 , wherein the woven material includes equal surface areas of fabric and electrophoretic material.

8. The woven material of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the electrically charged particles have a color selected from red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow, and white.

Assignees

• E Ink Corp

Inventors

• Lattes Ana L
• Telfer Stephen J

Classifications

• G02F1/1685 Primary

  Operation of cells; Circuit arrangements affecting the entire cell · CPC title

• G02F1/167 Primary

  by electrophoresis · CPC title

• E06B2009/2411

  Coloured fluid flow for light transmission control · CPC title

• E06B9/24 Primary

  Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; {Slat blinds}(operating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00) · CPC title

• G02F1/1681

  having two or more microcells partitioned by walls, e.g. of microcup type · CPC title