JPS6355515A - Picture display element - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the responsiveness, the durability, and the visibility by arranging heating bodies on the inside of thinner one of faces facing each other of a transparent cell and forming a water-repellent film on the inside of the other and generating heat by power supply to heating bodies to generate an air bubble in an opaque liquid and bringing the air bubble into contact with the water-repellent film. CONSTITUTION:The light as the medium of an optical signal is vertically projected to a transparent cell 1 from the side of heating bodies 3, 3.... When the turning-on/off signal based on picture information from the outside is inputted, a voltage is impressed to prescribed heating bodies 3, 3... in accordance with this signal to heat heating bodies 3, 3... by power supply, and air bubbles B are generated in a liquid 2 thereby and are grown to such size that it is brought into contact with a water-repellent film 7. Then, the light beams made incident on the transparent cell 1 are transmitted through heating bodies 3, the air bubbles B, and the water-repellent film 7 in the transparent cell 1 and are emitted out of the transparent cell 1. Since the light beams are transmitted through the part, where the air bubbles B is formed, but is intercepted in the other parts, picture information inputted to a control circuit 7 is extracted as an optical signal.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a display element that controls light transmission and forms an image by generating and extinguishing bubbles in a liquid based on image information. be.

[Prior Art and Problems] Conventionally, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), electrochromic displays (ECDs), and the like are known as display elements that form images by controlling the transmission of light.

However, for example, LCDs have drawbacks such as a slow response speed to input image information, especially at low temperatures, a narrow viewing angle, and weakness to ultraviolet rays, and ECDs also have similar drawbacks.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an image display element with excellent responsiveness and durability, a wide viewing angle, and high clarity. It is about providing.

[Means for Solving the Problem] In order to achieve this object, the image display element of the present invention has a heating element disposed on the inner surface of one side opposite to the thin side of a transparent cell filled with an opaque liquid and thin in the direction of light transmission. At the same time, a water-repellent film is formed on the inner surface of the other side of the transparent cell, so that bubbles are generated in the opaque liquid by the heat generated by energization of the heating element, and the bubbles are brought into contact with the water-repellent film. It is composed of

[Example] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, FIGS. 1 to 4 show an example in which the present invention is applied to a matrix type display panel. In the figure, 1 is a thin rectangular parallelepiped-shaped transparent cell, and inside the transparent cell 1 is an opaque liquid 2,
For example, it is filled with ink dissolved in water.

Then, on one opposing inner surface of the thin side of the transparent cell 1, transparent H film heating elements 3゜3... made by vapor-depositing tin oxide, indium Mide, etc. are arranged in a vertical and horizontal alignment. The top is covered with a transparent protective film 4 made of silicon dioxide, silicon nitrogen, or the like. In this case, the positive and negative transparent current-carrying terminals 5a of the multiple heating elements 3, 3, . . .

5b, one of the current-carrying terminals 5a, 5b... is combined into one and connected to the connector 6 disposed on one side of the transparent cell 1, while the other of the multi-heating elements 3, 3... Current-carrying terminal 5b
, 5b . . . are respectively connected to the connector 6 via wires 9, 9 . On the other hand, on the other opposing inner surface of the transparent cell 1, a transparent water return material v47 made of silicone, fluororesin, etc. is formed. Note that 8 is a control circuit connected to the connector 6, and the control circuit 8 is configured so that an on/off signal based on image information is inputted from the outside.

Next, the operation of this image display element will be explained.

First, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, light, which is a medium for optical signals, is vertically irradiated onto the transparent cell 1 from the side of the heating element 3.

At this time, when an on/off signal based on image information from the outside is input to the control circuit 7, a voltage is applied to the predetermined heating elements 3, 3, etc. according to the signal.
... is heated by electricity. Therefore, the heated heating element 3
, 3, bubbles Btfi are generated in the liquid 2, and the bubbles B grow to a size that can touch the water return property 11u7. Then, the light incident on the transparent hill 1 mentioned above is
Heating element 3 of transparent cell 1, bubble Bl? The light passes through the aqueous film 7 and is emitted from the transparent cell 1J. Thus bubble B
Light is transmitted through the portions where the rays are formed, and light is blocked from the portions where the rays are not formed, so that the image information input to the control circuit 7 is extracted as an optical signal. In this case, since the water-returning material 517 is made of a material that is difficult to mix with liquid, the liquid surrounding the bubbles B is repelled from the water-repellent film 7 and completely excluded from the optical path. Therefore, depletion of the photohost due to residual liquid 2 hardly occurs. In addition, each heating element 3, 3...
Since the ink in the liquid 2 is covered with the protective film 4, it is avoided that the ink in the liquid 2 burns onto the heating elements 3, 3, and reduces the light ω, and deterioration of characteristics due to repeated use is prevented.

In this embodiment, the light is made to enter the transparent cell 1 from the side of the heating element 3.3, but the light is not limited to this. Of course, it is also possible to do so. For example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, either the wall surface of the transparent cell 10 on the heating elements 3, 3, . . . side or the water-repellent film 7 side may be used as a reflecting plate. A light reflective display element can also be used. Note that the response speed due to the generation and disappearance of bubbles is about 0.01 m5ec, which is much faster than about 1 to 2 m5ec for conventional liquid crystal shutters.

FIG. 7 shows an example of application to a segment type display panel. Also in this case, the configuration of the display element itself is the same as that of the matrix-type display element described above, so a detailed explanation will be omitted, but the heating element 3a.

3a... are arranged in an 8-figure shape, and can also be applied as such a segment type display panel.

"Effects of the Invention" As described above with respect to the embodiments, the display element of the present invention can be applied as a conventional matrix type display panel or segment type display panel. Since it applies the generation of optical signals by the generation and disappearance of bubbles, the response speed is extremely fast and there is almost no loss of optical signals, making it possible to display images with high clarity. Permanent use is achieved with almost no occurrence of oxidation.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the main part of an example applied to a matrix type display panel, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in FIG. 1. 3 shows an operating state diagram, FIG. 4 shows a back view, FIGS. 5 and 6 show sectional views of other embodiments, and FIG. 7 shows an example applied to a segment type display panel. This is a diagram. 1... Transparent cell, 2... Fu transparent liquid, 3゜3a...
- Heating element, 7... Water repellent film.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A heating element is disposed on the inner surface of one side facing the thin side of a transparent cell filled with an opaque liquid and thin in the direction of light transmission, and a water-repellent film is formed on the other inner surface of the transparent cell, and the heating element is energized. An image display element characterized in that it is configured to generate bubbles in an opaque liquid by heat generation, and to bring the bubbles into contact with the water-repellent film.