The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 01, 1983
Filed:
Jan. 16, 1981
Arthur H Kendall, Franklin Lakes, NJ (US);
Joseph W Mitchell, Montrose, NY (US);
Carlos J Sambucetti, Croton-on-Hudson, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
An electrochromic printhead and a method of construction thereof in which the printhead is fabricated from an array of spaced, precisely positioned, small glass tubes. The array of glass tubes defines an array of cylindrical apertures extending through the printhead to form a printing pattern at a printing surface. Each cylindrical aperture has a conductor therein as an active electrode, which defines one dot of an array or matrix of dots possibly formed by the electrochromic printer. An additional conductor is provided as a reference electrode, such that a voltage may be applied between selected active electrodes and the reference electrode to define a particular printing pattern. Electrode wear is substantially eliminated by applying a coating of rutenium oxide crystals on each active electrode at the printing surface. In one disclosed embodiment, each active electrode is formed by a conductive coating applied along the interior surface of each cylindrical aperture. In a further disclosed embodiment, each active electrode comprises a cylindrical wire positioned within each cylindrical aperture. In yet another embodiment, each active electrode is formed by a conductive filler placed within each cylindrical aperture.