IP Library Granted Patent US 8,947,763
Granted Patent B2
US 8,947,763 · App. 13/937,653 · Granted Feb 3, 2015

Electrophoretic material, electrophoresis display device, and electronic apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,947,763
App. No.
13/937,653
Granted
Feb 3, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

In an electrophoretic material, first particles which are charged with a first polarity and second particles which are charged with a second polarity are dispersed in a solvent. A volume, which is obtained by dividing a volume of the solvent by a total number of particles, is called free volume, and a radius of a spherical space, which is occupied by sum of an average volume of the particles and the free volume, is called a free volume radius. A first particle average radius is greater than a second particle average radius. A difference between the free volume radius and the first particle average radius is greater than the second particle average radius. An electric charge amount of the second particles is greater than an electric charge amount of the first particles.

Claims (46)

1. An electrophoretic material, wherein

particles are dispersed in a solvent, volume, which is obtained by dividing a volume of the solvent by a total number of particles, is called free volume, and a radius of a spherical space, which is occupied by sum of an average volume of the particles and the free volume, is called a free volume radius;

the particles include at least first particles which are charged with a first polarity and second particles which are charged with a second polarity, an average radius of the first particles is called a first particle average radius, and an average radius of the second particles is called a second particle average radius;

the first particle average radius is greater than the second particle average radius;

a difference between the free volume radius and the first particle average radius is greater than the second particle average radius; and

an electric charge amount of the second particles is greater than an electric charge amount of first particles.

2. The electrophoretic material according to claim 1 ,

wherein surfaces of the second particles are coated with polymer molecules which include a functional group having the second polarity.

3. An electrophoresis display device comprising:

the electrophoretic material according to claim 2 .

4. An electronic apparatus comprising:

the electrophoresis display device according to claim 3 .

5. The electrophoretic material according to claim 1 ,

wherein surfaces of the first particles and the second particles are coated with non-polarity polymer molecules, and

wherein a coat ratio due to the non-polarity polymer molecules on the surfaces of the first particles is greater than a coat ratio due to the non-polarity polymer molecules on the surfaces of the second particles.

6. An electrophoresis display device comprising:

the electrophoretic material according to claim 5 .

7. The electrophoretic material according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first particles have white color, and the second particles have color which is different from the white color.

8. The electrophoretic material according to claim 7 ,

wherein a volume concentration of the first particles is greater than a volume concentration of the second particles.

9. An electrophoresis display device comprising:

the electrophoretic material according to claim 8 .

10. An electrophoresis display device comprising:

the electrophoretic material according to claim 7 .

11. The electrophoretic material according to claim 7 ,

wherein a ratio of a refractive index of the first particles to a refractive index of the solvent is greater than 1, and

wherein the first particle average radius is in a range which is equal to or greater than 0.05 μm and equal to or less than 0.4 μm.

12. The electrophoretic material according to claim 11 ,

wherein the first particle average radius is in a range which is equal to or greater than 0.1 μm and equal to or less than 0.15 μm.

13. An electrophoresis display device comprising:

the electrophoretic material according to claim 11 .

14. An electrophoresis display device comprising:

the electrophoretic material according to claim 12 .

15. The electrophoretic material according to claim 7 ,

wherein the first particles are resin which includes an optical interface therein.

16. The electrophoretic material according to claim 15 ,

wherein the first particles include gaps therein.

17. An electrophoresis display device comprising:

the electrophoretic material according to claim 16 .

18. An electrophoresis display device comprising:

the electrophoretic material according to claim 15 .

19. An electrophoresis display device comprising:

the electrophoretic material according to claim 1 .

20. An electronic apparatus comprising:

the electrophoresis display device according to claim 19 .

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2018
From: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
To: E INK CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 047072/0325 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 9, 2013
From: YAMAZAKI, YASUSHI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 030802/0071 →