Front plane laminates with outer surface electrical connections

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12326641-B2
Application number	US-202117489248-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2021
Priority date	Oct 2, 2020
Publication date	Jun 10, 2025
Grant date	Jun 10, 2025

Abstract

A light-transmissive substrate having an inner surface, an outer surface opposite the inner surface, and a plurality of through holes. When coupled with a light-transmissive conductive material; such as indium tin oxide (ITO), the substrate provides electrical connections between a light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer, which may be used as a top electrode in an electro-optic display, and contact spots on the outer surface of the light-transmissive substrate. Accordingly, the light-transmissive substrate allows for simpler electrical connections for electro-optic displays, especially for large format devices that may need to be cut or assembled in the field. Additionally, the redundancy of having tens to hundreds of electrical contacts minimizes the chance that a device will be rendered inoperable due to a broken electrical connection.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An article of manufacture comprising, in order:
a light-transmissive substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface;
a light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer;
a layer of an electro-optic medium;
an adhesive layer; and
a release sheet in contact with the adhesive layer, wherein the layer of electro-optic medium is disposed between the light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer and the adhesive layer,
wherein the light-transmissive substrate comprises:
a continuous portion; and
a plurality of openings within the continuous portion, wherein the openings include an electrically-conductive material formed from the same material as the light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer, thereby providing electrical connections between the light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer and contact spots on the outer surface of the light-transmissive substrate.

2. The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein the continuous portion of the light-transmissive substrate comprises a micro-indented polymeric material.

3. The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein the light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum tin oxide, indium-tin-oxide, poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), and combinations thereof.

4. The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein the electro-optic medium is an encapsulated electrophoretic medium.

5. The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , further comprising a protective layer positioned on the outer surface of the light-transmissive substrate.

6. The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein the contact spots have an average diameter of at least 0.1 micrometers to at most 100 micrometers.

7. The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein the contact spots have an average diameter of at least 0.5 micrometers to at most 10 micrometers.

8. The article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein the contact spots are located on a section of the outer surface of the light-transmissive substrate, wherein the section has an average density from at least 10 contact spots per square centimeter to at most 1000 contact spots per square centimeter.

9. A laminated electro-optic display comprising, in order:
a front plane light-transmissive substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface;
a light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer;
a layer of an electro-optic medium in electrical contact with the electrically-conductive layer; and
a backplane comprising a conductor;
wherein:
the front plane light-transmissive substrate comprises: a continuous portion, and a plurality of openings within the continuous portion, wherein the openings include an electrically-conductive material formed from the same material as the light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer, thereby providing electrical connections between the light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer and contact spots on the outer surface of the front plane light-transmissive substrate.

10. The laminated electro-optic display according to claim 9 , wherein the continuous portion comprises a micro-indented polymeric material.

11. The laminated electro-optic display according to claim 9 , wherein the electro-optic medium is an encapsulated electrophoretic medium.

12. The laminated electro-optic display according to claim 9 , further comprising a protective layer positioned on the outer surface of the front plane light-transmissive substrate.

13. The laminated electro-optic display according to claim 9 , wherein the contact spots have an average diameter of at least 0.1 micrometers to at most 100 micrometers.

14. The laminated electro-optic display according to claim 9 , wherein the contact spots have an average diameter of at least 0.5 micrometers to at most 10 micrometers.

15. The laminated electro-optic display according to claim 9 , wherein the contact spots are located on a section of the outer surface of the front plane light-transmissive substrate, wherein the section has an average density from at least 10 contact spots per square centimeter to at most 1000 contact spots per square centimeter.

16. A light-transmissive conductive material comprising:
a light-transmissive substrate having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a plurality of through-holes; and
a conductive material selected from aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, indium oxide, indium-tin-oxide, and poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) in contact with the first surface of the substrate and filling the plurality of through-holes,
the conductive material forming a light-transmissive conductive surface adjacent the first surface of the light-transmissive substrate and providing electrical connections through the plurality of through-holes to contact spots on the second surface of the light-transmissive substrate,
wherein the through-holes have an average diameter of at least 0.1 micrometers to at most 100 micrometers.

17. The light-transmissive conductive material according to claim 16 , wherein the light transmissive substrate is a polymeric material.

18. The light-transmissive conductive material according to claim 16 , wherein the through-holes have an average diameter of at least 0.5 micrometers to at most 10 micrometers.

19. The light-transmissive conductive material according to claim 16 , wherein the through-holes have a shape selected from the group consisting of circular, linear, and ellipsoidal.

20. The light-transmissive conductive material according to claim 16 , wherein the contact spots are located on a section of the outer surface of the light-transmissive substrate, wherein the section has an average density from at least 10 contact spots per square centimeter to at most 1000 contact spots per square centimeter.

Assignees

• E Ink Corp

Inventors

• Bouchard Alain

Classifications

• G02F1/16755

  Substrates · CPC title

• G02F1/167 Primary

  by electrophoresis · CPC title

• G02F1/16757

  Microcapsules · CPC title

• G02F1/1676 Primary

  Electrodes · CPC title