IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,347,397
Granted Patent B2
US 12,347,397 · App. 18/223,647 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Method of forming an electro-optic medium

Inventors: Peter Carsten Bailey Widger (Nashua, NH); Jay William Anseth (Canton, MA); Richard J. Paolini, Jr. (Framingham, MA); Mark Benjamin Romanowsky (Cambridge, MA); Jillian Smith (Dorchester, MA); Stephen J. Telfer (Arlington, MA); Craig Alan Breen (Arlington, MA); Stephen Bull (Windham, NH)
Assignee: E Ink Corporation
G09G3/344C09B67/0013G02F1/167G02F1/1675G02F1/16757G02F1/1676G02F1/1677B82Y30/00G02F2001/1678G02F2202/022G02F2202/28G09G2320/0233
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,347,397
App. No.
18/223,647
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A variable transmission film may include an electrophoretic medium having a plurality of capsules and a binder, each capsule containing a plurality of electrically charged particles and a fluid, the charged particles being movable by application of an electric field and being capable of being switched between an open state and a closed state. The film may include at least one of a binder containing fish gelatin and a polyanion; a binder containing one or more tinting agents; capsules containing charge control agents, such as an oligoamine-terminated polyolefin and a branched chain fatty acid comprising at least 8 carbon atoms; a selection of capsules in which at least 60% have a diameter between 50 μm and 90 μm and at least 15% have a diameter between 20 μm and 49 μm; a tinted adhesive layer; and a fluid selected from one or more nonconjugated olefinic hydrocarbons.

Claims (24)

1. A variable transmission film comprising:

a layer of an electrophoretic medium comprising a plurality of capsules and a binder, each capsule containing a plurality of electrically charged particles and a fluid, the charged particles being movable by application of an electric field and capable of being switched between an open state and a closed state;

a layer of adhesive comprising a tinting agent; and

two light-transmissive electrodes,

wherein the layer of electrophoretic medium and the layer of adhesive are disposed between the two light-transmissive electrodes,

wherein the tinting agent comprises one or more types of colored pigment particles selected from the group consisting of black, cyan, yellow, and magenta particles, and combinations thereof,

wherein the tinting agent comprises a mass ratio of black to cyan particles of 10:1 to 3:2, and a mass ratio of black to magenta particles of 10:1 to 3:2.

2. The variable transmission film of claim 1 , wherein the tinting agent is selected from the group consisting of a dye and a pigment.

3. The variable transmission film of claim 1 , wherein the tinting agent comprises a soluble dye.

4. The variable transmission film of claim 1 , wherein the tinting agent comprises carbon black.

5. The variable transmission film of claim 1 , wherein the black, cyan, and magenta particles have an average diameter within a range of 20 and 100 nm.

6. The variable transmission film of claim 1 , wherein the layer of adhesive has a transmission greater than the transmission of the layer of electrophoretic medium in the closed state and less than the transmission of the layer of electrophoretic medium in the open state.

7. A variable transmission film, comprising:

an electrophoretic medium layer comprising a plurality of capsules and a binder, each capsule containing a plurality of electrically charged particles and a fluid, the charged particles being movable in the capsules by application of an electric field and capable of being switched between an open state and a closed state;

a tinted adhesive blend layer comprising an adhesive uniformly blended with a tinting agent and configured to reduce grain and pinholes in the electrophoretic medium layer; and

two light-transmissive electrodes,

wherein the electrophoretic medium layer and the tinted adhesive blend layer are disposed between the two light-transmissive electrodes,

wherein the tinting agent comprises one or more types of colored pigment particles selected from the group consisting of black, cyan, yellow, and magenta particles, and combinations thereof; and

wherein the tinting agent comprises a mass ratio of black to cyan particles of 10:1 to 3:2, and a mass ratio of black to magenta particles of 10:1 to 3:2.

8. The variable transmission film of claim 7 , wherein the tinting agent is selected from the group consisting of a dye and a pigment.

9. The variable transmission film of claim 7 , wherein the tinting agent comprises a soluble dye.

10. The variable transmission film of claim 7 , wherein the tinting agent comprises carbon black.

11. The variable transmission film of claim 7 , wherein the black, cyan, and magenta particles have an average diameter within a range of 20 and 100 nm.

12. The variable transmission film of claim 7 , wherein the tinted adhesive blend layer has a transmission greater than the transmission of the electrophoretic medium layer in the closed state and less than the transmission of the electrophoretic medium layer in the open state.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2023
From: WIDGER, PETER CARSTEN BAILEY; ANSETH, JAY WILLIAM; PAOLINI, RICHARD J., JR.; ROMANOWSKY, MARK BENJAMIN; SMITH, JILLIAN; TELFER, STEPHEN J.; BREEN, CRAIG ALAN; BULL, STEPHEN
To: E INK CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064448/0963 →
Continuity (9)
Continuation 17023687 · Sep 17, 2020
Division 16008180 · Jun 14, 2018
Provisional Application 62673743 · May 18, 2018
Provisional Application 62563137 · Sep 26, 2017
Provisional Application 62520629 · Jun 16, 2017
Provisional Application 62520699 · Jun 16, 2017
Provisional Application 62520731 · Jun 16, 2017
Provisional Application 62520600 · Jun 16, 2017
Related Publication 20230360614A1 · Nov 9, 2023
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