JPH0217094B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a screen such as a display, and more particularly to a screen that utilizes the droplet-like phenomenon of a liquid film caused by an electric field.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, there have been displays that use liquid crystal as devices for displaying characters and the like. This involves passing a current through the liquid crystal to change the orientation of the liquid crystal cell.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, devices using the above-mentioned liquid crystal have disadvantages of high power consumption and short life of the liquid crystal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a screen such as a display that requires less electricity and has good durability.

Here, the term "screen" refers to a screen that produces droplets on the surface of a plate to change the refractive index of transmitted light, light transmittance, light reflectance, etc., and is used for a variety of purposes.

Screens are used not only for displays, but also for windows, containers, and the like.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the screen of the present invention is configured as follows.

Two electrodes that are spaced apart and to which a high voltage is applied, at least one of which is provided on a surface material made of a light-transmitting material, and a liquid formed on either of the electrodes. The refractive index of transmitted light, the light transmittance, the reflection of light, etc. are changed by forming droplets.

(Function) The present invention utilizes the droplet-like phenomenon of a liquid film caused by an electric field, and this phenomenon will be explained with reference to FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 6A, electrodes 41 and 42 are opposed to each other with an interval between them, one electrode 41 having a planar shape, and the other electrode 42 having a dotted or linear shape. A liquid film 44 is formed on the surface 43 of the planar electrode 41 facing the dotted or linear electrode 42 . Both electrodes 41, 42
When a high voltage is applied between them, the liquid film 44 becomes droplets 45.

Also, with reference to FIG. 6B, both electrodes 41 and 42
If it is made into a planar shape, it also becomes droplet-shaped, but in this case, a large number of droplets 45 are formed.

The part of the droplet 45 in the above phenomenon is the liquid film 44
Compared to a liquid film, the light reflection state and refractive index are different from that of a liquid film, making it possible to control light.

For example, display can be achieved by creating an electric field in a predetermined shape, turning the liquid into droplets, and changing the reflectance of light only in that part. In addition, by installing mesh-shaped electrodes on glass and using colored liquid,
The light transmittance of the droplet portion can be made smaller than that of the liquid film portion, making it opaque.

(Example) Examples of the present invention will be described below based on FIGS. 1 to 5.

In FIG. 1, a display screen 1 is shown. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a transparent glass plate 3, which is a surface material made of a light-transmitting material, is placed above the metal plate 2 at a distance 4. A liquid film 5 of water, fluorocarbon, etc. is formed on the upper surface of the metal plate 2. Seven linear electrodes 7 are provided on the lower surface 6 of the glass plate 3. The linear electrodes 7 are arranged so that they do not touch each other, and form a figure 8 shape as a whole.

Each linear electrode 7 is connected to a selection device 8 by a wire 9, and the selection device 8 is connected to the metal plate 2 by a wire 11 with a power source 10 interposed therebetween. The power source 10 generates a high voltage, and creates an electric field between the linear electrode and the metal plate 2 by using the linear electrode 7 as a high voltage electrode and the metal plate 2 as a ground electrode. Selection device 8
This makes it possible to arbitrarily select and set which linear electrode 7 to apply a high voltage to.

When the figure 7 is displayed on the display screen 1 constructed as described above, the operation will be as follows. Three 7M by selection device 8
High voltage is applied only to the wire electrode. Then, a droplet 12 is formed in a figure 7 shape directly below the linear electrode 7. There is a difference in the light reflectance between the liquid film 5 and the droplet 12, and the reflected light 13 will be different.
The figure 7 will be displayed.

Next, an embodiment of the window screen 21 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. In this example,
Windows can optionally be made of transparent or frosted glass.

Transparent glass plates 22 and 23 as face materials made of two light-transmitting materials are provided vertically with an interval 24 between them. Mesh-shaped electrodes 27 and 28 are deposited or buried on opposing surfaces 25 and 26 of the glass plates 22 and 23, respectively. Mesh-shaped electrode 2
Since the diameter 29 of 7 and 28 is extremely thin,
The transparency of the glass plates 22 and 23 is hardly changed. Furthermore, since the mesh-like electrodes 27 and 28 have fine and dense meshes, they can be considered to function almost in the same way as a surface electrode.

A liquid film 30 is formed on the lower glass plate 23. The upper and lower mesh-shaped electrodes 27 and 28 are connected by a wire 33 via a switch 31 and a power source 32 for generating high voltage. The upper mesh-shaped electrode 27 is a high voltage electrode, and the lower mesh-shaped electrode is a ground electrode 28.

If you want the window to be frosted glass, switch 31
Close. Then, the upper and lower mesh electrodes 2
An electric field is generated between 7 and 28, and the liquid film 30 becomes a large number of droplets 34. Therefore, the light is diffusely reflected and the refractive index of the transmitted light from outdoors to indoors becomes random, so that the screen 21 becomes a frosted glass.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the two embodiments described above.

(Effect of the invention) The screen of the present invention has the following effects.

Although high voltage is applied, no current flows, so power consumption is low. Additionally, since a liquid film is used, it has better durability than liquid crystal.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display screen according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial vertical sectional view showing the droplet formation phenomenon of the liquid film on the screen of FIG. 1, and FIG. , a perspective view of a window screen according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a partial view of a mesh electrode used in the screen of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a diagram of a liquid film in the screen of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the phenomenon of droplet formation of a liquid film caused by an electric field, and FIG.
6B shows a planar electrode with linear or dotted electrodes facing each other, and FIG. 6B shows a planar electrode with a pair of planar electrodes facing each other. 1: Screen, 2: Metal plate, 3: Glass plate,
4: spacing, 5: liquid film, 7: linear electrode, 12: droplet, 13: reflected light.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Two electrodes 2, 7 that are spaced apart by 4 and to which a high voltage is applied, and at least one of the electrodes 2, 7 is provided on a surface material 3 made of a light-transmitting material. 2, 7, and a liquid film 5 formed on the surface of one of the electrodes 2, 7.
By applying a high voltage between the electrodes 2 and 7, a part of the liquid film 5 is turned into a droplet, and a droplet 12 is formed.
A screen utilizing liquefaction of a liquid film by an electric field, characterized in that the refractive index of transmitted light, the transmittance of light, and the reflectance of light are changed by the droplets 12.