Electro-optic fiber and methods of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11656525-B2
Application number	US-201916585218-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2019
Priority date	Oct 1, 2018
Publication date	May 23, 2023
Grant date	May 23, 2023

Abstract

An electro-optic fiber including a conductive fiber, a layer of electro-optic medium on the conductive fiber, and a conductor on the layer of electro-optic medium. A method of making the electro-optic fiber including the steps of coating a conductive fiber with an electro-optic medium and applying a conductor to the electro-optic medium. The resulting fibers can be woven to create a color-changing material, such as a fabric.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electro-optic fiber comprising:
a conductive fiber;
a layer of electro-optic medium on the conductive fiber, wherein the electro-optic medium comprises a binder and a plurality of microcapsules containing a plurality of electrophoretic particles dispersed in a fluid;
a light-transmissive semi-conductive polymeric layer on an outer surface of the electro-optic medium, wherein the light-transmissive semi-conductive polymeric layer comprises a polyacrylate, a poly(meth)acrylate, a polyvinyl alcohol, a gelatin, or a polyvinyl pyrrolidone, and a dopant comprising tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate or 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate; and
a conductor wherein at least a portion of the light-transmissive semi-conductive polymeric layer is between the conductor and the electro-optic medium.

2. The electro-optic fiber of claim 1 , wherein the conductive fiber has a length and a thickness and a ratio of the length to the thickness of the conductive fiber is greater than or equal to 100.

3. The electro-optic fiber of claim 1 , wherein the conductive fiber comprises a conductive metal.

4. The electro-optic fiber of claim 1 , wherein the conductive fiber has a thickness greater than or equal to 20 microns and less than or equal to 250 microns.

5. The electro-optic fiber of claim 1 , wherein the electro-optic medium forms an annular coating about the outer surface of the conductive fiber.

6. The electro-optic fiber of claim 5 , wherein the annular coating has a thickness greater than or equal to 10 microns and less than or equal to 250 microns.

7. The electro-optic fiber of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the light-transmissive semi-conductive polymeric layer is between the conductor and the electro-optic medium.

8. The electro-optic fiber of claim 1 , wherein the light-transmissive semi-conductive polymeric layer forms an annular coating about the outer surface of the electro-optic medium.

9. The electro-optic fiber of claim 8 , wherein the annular coating has a thickness greater than or equal to 5 microns and less than or equal to 200 microns.

10. The electro-optic fiber of claim 1 , wherein the conductor comprises a conductive wire configured as a coil wrapped around the layer of electro-optic medium.

11. The electro-optic fiber of claim 1 , further comprising a layer of a light-transmissive protective coating, wherein the layer of electro-optic medium is between the layer of the light-transmissive protective coating and the conductive fiber.

12. The electro-optic fiber of claim 11 , wherein the light-transmissive protective coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, gelatin, polyurethane, acrylates, urethane acrylate co-polymers, and blends thereof.

13. The electro-optic fiber of claim 1 , wherein the conductor comprises a light-transmissive layer of conductive material.

14. The electro-optic fiber of claim 13 , wherein the conductive material is selected from the group consisting of ITO, PEDOT:PSS, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and composite electrodes, and combinations thereof.

15. The electro-optic fiber of claim 13 , wherein the light-transmissive conductive material forms an annular coating about the outer surface of the electro-optic medium.

16. The electro-optic fiber of claim 1 further comprising a layer of dielectric material between the conductive fiber and the conductor.

17. The electro-optic fiber of claim 16 , wherein the layer of dielectric material forms an annular coating about the outer surface of the conductive fiber.

Assignees

• E Ink Corp

Inventors

• Anseth Jay William
• Paolini Jr Richard J

Classifications

• D06P1/0016

  Dye baths containing a dyeing agent in a special form such as for instance in melted or solid form, as a floating film or gel, spray or aerosol, or atomised dyes · CPC title

• G02F1/16757 Primary

  Microcapsules · CPC title

• D01F8/00

  Conjugated, i.e. bi- or multicomponent, artificial filaments or the like; Manufacture thereof · CPC title

• G02F1/167 Primary

  by electrophoresis · CPC title

• D10B2401/16

  antistatic; conductive · CPC title