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:
Nov. 29, 1983
Filed:
Jun. 11, 1981
Gerardo Beni, Old Bridge, NJ (US);
Susan Hackwood, Freehold, NJ (US);
Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
An optical change in a device is produced through modification of the surface tension between two materials by the change of an electric field. For example, such a device is formed by introducing an electrolyte and a metal such as mercury into a capillary tube. The surface tension between the two fluids is changed through application of a voltage between them. When the surface tension is altered the relative positions of the fluids in the tube also change. Thus, it is possible to introduce one fluid into a portion of the tube which contained the other before the change in voltage, i.e., the position of the interface between the fluids, is moved. If the two fluids have different colors, the translation produces a color change if the area of the tube near the initial interface position is viewed.