IP Library Granted Patent US 9,707,743
Granted Patent B2
US 9,707,743 · App. 14/609,797 · Granted Jul 18, 2017

Method of manufacturing electrophoresis particles, electrophoresis particles, electrophoresis dispersion liquid, electrophoresis sheet, electrophoresis device, and electronic apparatus

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,707,743
App. No.
14/609,797
Granted
Jul 18, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of manufacturing electrophoresis particles having base particles exposing first functional groups on surfaces and block copolymers bonded to the base particles, the method including: obtaining the plurality of block copolymers in which dispersion portions formed by polymerizing monomers including side chains contributing to dispersibility in a dispersion medium and bonding portions formed by polymerizing second monomers including second functional groups having reactivity with the first functional group are bonded, by living polymerization; and bonding the bonding portions to the base particles by reacting the first functional groups and the second functional groups so that the block copolymers are bonded to the base particles.

Claims (48)

1. A method of manufacturing electrophoresis particles including particles including first functional groups on surfaces and block copolymers bonded to the particles, the method comprising:

obtaining the block copolymers in which dispersion portions formed by polymerizing first monomers including portions contributing to dispersibility in a dispersion medium and bonding portions formed by polymerizing second monomers including second functional groups having reactivity with the first functional group are bonded by living polymerization; and

bonding the bonding portions to the particles by reacting the first functional groups and the second functional groups so that the block copolymers are bonded to the particles,

wherein in the dispersion portions, molecular weights of the first monomers on base end portion sides that are bonded to the bonding portions are smaller than molecular weights of the first monomers on distal end portion sides.

2. The method of manufacturing electrophoresis particles according to claim 1 ,

wherein in the obtaining of the block copolymers, after the first monomers are polymerized, the second monomers are polymerized, to obtain the block copolymers.

3. The method of manufacturing electrophoresis particles according to claim 1 ,

wherein in the obtaining of the block copolymers, after the second monomers are polymerized, the block copolymers are obtained by polymerizing the first monomers.

4. The method of manufacturing electrophoresis particles according to claim 1 ,

wherein the living polymerization is living radical polymerization.

5. The method of manufacturing electrophoresis particles according to claim 4 ,

wherein the living radical polymerization is reversible addition fragmentation chain-type transfer polymerization.

6. The method of manufacturing electrophoresis particles according to claim 2 ,

wherein before the second monomers are polymerized, the dispersion portions are isolated and refined.

7. Electrophoresis particles comprising:

particles including first functional groups on surfaces; and

block copolymers bonded to the particles,

wherein

the block copolymers include dispersion portions formed by polymerizing first monomers including portions contributing to dispersibility in a dispersion medium and bonding portions formed by polymerizing second monomers including second functional groups having reactivity with the first functional group and bonded to the dispersion portions,

the bonding portions are bonded to the particles in a plurality of portions by the reaction of the first functional groups and the second functional groups,

the plurality of block copolymers have molecular weight distributions with respect to the dispersion portions equal to or less than 1.2, and

in the dispersion portions, molecular weights of the first monomers on base end portion sides that are bonded to the bonding portions are smaller than molecular weights of the first monomers on distal end portion sides.

8. The electrophoresis particles according to claim 7 ,

wherein weight average molecular weights of the dispersion portions are in the range of 20,000 to 100,000.

9. The electrophoresis particles according to claim 7 ,

wherein the first monomers are silicone macromonomers expressed by Formula (I) below,

[in the formula, R is a hydrogen atom or methyl group, R′ is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbons, n is an integer equal to or greater than 0, and x is an integer from 1 to 3].

10. The electrophoresis particles according to claim 9 ,

wherein molecular weights of the silicone macromonomers are in the range of 1,000 to 10,000.

11. The electrophoresis particles according to claim 7 ,

wherein the bonding portions each are formed by polymerizing the second monomers in the number of 2 to 8.

12. An electrophoresis dispersion liquid comprising:

electrophoresis particles manufactured in the method of manufacturing electrophoresis particles according to claim 1 , or the electrophoresis particles according claim 7 .

13. An electrophoresis dispersion liquid comprising:

electrophoresis particles manufactured in the method of manufacturing electrophoresis particles according to claim 2 , or the electrophoresis particles according claim 7 .

14. An electrophoresis dispersion liquid comprising:

electrophoresis particles manufactured in the method of manufacturing electrophoresis particles according to claim 3 , or the electrophoresis particles according claim 7 .

15. An electrophoresis dispersion liquid comprising:

electrophoresis particles manufactured in the method of manufacturing electrophoresis particles according to claim 4 , or the electrophoresis particles according claim 7 .

16. An electrophoresis dispersion liquid comprising:

electrophoresis particles manufactured in the method of manufacturing electrophoresis particles according to claim 5 , or the electrophoresis particles according claim 7 .

17. An electrophoresis sheet comprising:

a substrate; and

a plurality of structures that are positioned on an upper side of the substrate and store the electrophoresis dispersion liquid according to claim 12 .

18. An electrophoresis device comprising:

the electrophoresis sheet according to claim 17 .

19. An electronic apparatus comprising:

the electrophoresis device according to claim 18 .

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 Jan 30, 2015
From: AOKI, TAKASHI; YOKOKAWA, SHINOBU
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 034852/0277 →