Kent Displays, Inc.

The University of Akron

Mauricio Echeverri

Clinton Braganza

Asad Aziz Khan

Erica Montbach

Anthony Daniels

Thein Kyu

A liquid crystal device that is flexible and includes a cholesteric liquid crystal material erased by flexing. Totally free of electronics and electrically conductive electrodes, the liquid crystal device takes advantage of a reverse mode effect observed in cholesteric liquid crystals whereby pressure applied to the device changes a reflective texture to a transmissive texture to create an image. The image is erased and the device reinitialized by flexing to create reflective texture surroundings.

Liquid crystal device that is erased by flexing

A cholesteric liquid crystal device has an optical response opposite to that of the Prior Art. The liquid crystal device takes advantage of a unique and unusual effect in cholesteric liquid crystals where pressure applied to the device with a pointed stylus, without applying a voltage, creates a transmissive texture as opposed to the planar texture of the Prior Art.

Cholesteric liquid crystal device

An enhanced brightness cholesteric liquid crystal eWriter device for writing and drawing includes substrates and electrically conductive layers disposed on the substrates. There is a gap, d, between the electrically conductive layers. Polymer dispersed cholesteric liquid crystal material is disposed in the gap. The polymer dispersed cholesteric liquid crystal material exhibits a written reflectance, R, which occurs in response to pressure applied to one of the substrates that changes reflectance of the cholesteric liquid crystal material. The device follows the relationship Rd1&#x3c;Rd2 and d1&#x3e;d2, where Rd2 is a written reflectance of an eWriter device of gap d2 and Rd1 is written reflectance of another eWriter device of gap d1. Further, a cholesteric liquid crystal eWriter device includes a layer of cholesteric liquid crystal material in a cell gap, d, wherein d&#x3c;3 &#x3bc;m. Also included is an enhanced brightness eWriter with other features and a method of constructing an enhanced brightness, cholesteric liquid crystal eWriter.

Enhanced brightness eWriter device

A cholesteric liquid crystal (ChLC) electronic writing device incorporates a dot pattern recognition system. When writing pressure is applied to the writing device an image composed of writing or drawing is displayed by a pressure sensitive ChLC polymer dispersion stacked in a multilayer system of the device. A specialized stylus with sensor and associated electronics is used to form the image on the electronic writing device. The stylus produces electrical information indicating the path or trajectory of the writing that is displayed by the electronic writing device, which can be transferred via wireless signal to any other displaying device. This forms a replica image on the displaying device that is a replica of the image on the electronic writing device.

Electronic writing device with dot pattern recognition system

A multicolored pressure sensitive liquid crystal device includes a first transparent substrate that is flexible on which pressure is applied and a second substrate spaced apart from the first substrate. Also included are electrically conductive layers, one of which is in contact with the first substrate and is transparent and another of which is in contact with the second substrate. The electrically conductive layers are separated from each other. Also included is a pressure sensitive liquid crystal layer including cholesteric liquid crystal disposed between the electrically conductive layers. The liquid crystal layer includes at least first and second color regions. The first color region reflects light of a first color and the second color region reflects light of a second color. The pressure applied to the substrate results in a change in reflectance of the liquid crystal. In another aspect, the liquid crystal layer can include at least first and second regions that differ from each other in terms of a characteristic selected from the group consisting of wavelength of reflection, reflectivity, linewidth, electrooptic response, pressure sensitivity and combinations thereof.

Multicolored pressure sensitive liquid crystal device

A method of creating an electrolyte film includes mixing succinonitrile (SCN), lithium salt and crosslinkable polyether addition to form an isotropic amorphous mixture; and crosslinking the crosslinkable polyether to form a cured film, wherein the cured film remains amorphous without undergoing polymerization-induced phase separation or crystallization.

Growing community of inventors

Akron, OH, United States of America

Mauricio Echeverri