JPS583631B2 - Hikari Seigiyosouchi - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improvement in a light control device that controls external light by shifting and deforming a material layer that is shiftably deformable in response to an electrical signal.

The above-mentioned optical control device uses an electron beam or the like to attach a charge as an electric signal to an oil film, a liquid layer made by heating and melting plastic, or a layer of an elastic material such as rubber, and the Coulomb force is used to control the thickness of these layers. A device that deforms the light bulb and controls external light through this deformation is well known as a light valve device.

Furthermore, recently, a method has been developed that has a transparent support provided with a gap electrode and a transparent liquid material layer that is held on this support and exhibits electroosmosis to the support. The liquid material is mechanically shifted by applying an electrical signal in the form of a voltage or a charge signal to the gap electrode through the gap electrode, and the external light is controlled by this mechanical shift, that is, the deformation of the liquid material layer. A control device has been proposed by the inventor.

Conventionally, in these devices, when controlling external light by mechanical shift deformation of a material layer, when this control effect is detected and displayed as a change in light intensity, external light is diffracted by mechanical shift deformation. This diffraction effect was detected and displayed as a change in light intensity using a schlieren lens system.

However, as is well known, the Schlieren lens system is not only expensive, but also requires great care when adjusting the optical system, and slight vibrations or changes in external conditions can cause the optical system to become unbalanced, resulting in unstable operation. However, there were still many problems that needed to be resolved, such as poor light utilization.

The present invention is intended to provide a new light control device that improves the drawbacks of these light control devices.

In a light control device that controls external light by mechanically shifting a layer of a liquid material that can be shifted or deformed in response to an applied electric signal such as a charge or voltage, A translucent light diffuser is installed on one side of the deformable layer at a distance from this layer, and external light is irradiated onto this layer from the other side of the layer to absorb the transmitted light. The light diffuser is configured to be illuminated by the light diffuser.

According to the present invention, mechanical deviation or deformation of a shift-deformable layer such as a liquid material is directly displayed as a change in light intensity on the light diffuser surface, and the back surface of the light diffuser (i.e., the liquid layer is It is possible to realize a simple and stable light control device with a high light utilization rate, which can be observed from the opposite side), and which solves the problems of conventional methods such as the schlieren lens method.

Hereinafter, aspects of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Examples.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional structural diagram of a light control device according to the present invention.
This example is a light control device that aims to display a grid-like light pattern that changes depending on the electric signal intensity.

In the figure, 110 is a translucent support plate, 120 and 130 are translucent electrodes that are alternately or gap-likely adhered to the surface of 110 in a parallel grid pattern, and are connected together via conductive wires 121 and 131, respectively. Electrical signal source 14 via terminals 122, 132
Connected to 0.

Reference numeral 150 denotes a material layer that can be shifted and deformed in response to an applied electric signal, for example, a liquid material layer that exhibits electroosmotic properties with respect to the support plate 110. Reference numeral 160 denotes a surrounding frame that prevents leakage of the liquid material 150, for example. It is made of glass, porcelain, plastic, etc. and is fixed to the surface of the support plate 110.

Reference numeral 170 denotes a transparent light diffuser, and in this example, the layer 15 is placed on the side of the support 110 with an appropriate distance from the liquid layer 150.
It is arranged parallel to the arrangement plane of 0.

L1 is external light emitted from a suitable light source such as a light bulb, and the configuration is such that this external light L1 is transmitted through the liquid layer 150, and this transmitted light L2 is irradiated onto the light diffuser 170.

The material of the support 110 and the liquid material forming the layer 150 are as follows:
Appropriate selection is made taking into consideration the interfacial electrochemical correlation.

For example, when a so-called glass plate such as a quartz plate, a borosilicate glass plate, or a soda lime glass plate is used as the support 110, for example, methylphenyl silicone oil or tricresyl phosphate, which has good electroosmotic properties for this solid material, may be used. use.

The thickness of this liquid layer 150 is selected to be suitably thin, for example, about 10 to 200 microns, and the base plate 110 is kept parallel so that the layer 150 has a uniform thickness.

Although the thickness of the supporting base plate 110 is not particularly limited, it is desirable that the thickness be, for example, between 1 and 3, and the surface finished optically flat so as to prevent unnecessary refraction and scattering of light.

The electrodes 120 and 130 are made of a transparent conductive film such as tin oxide, and are formed in a parallel lattice shape.

The husband's electrode width and the electrode gap between electrodes 120 and 130 are:
For example, it is selected to be about 10 to 500μ.

The widths of each of electrodes 120 and 130 can be chosen to be equal or different.

However, when an electric signal is applied between the electrodes 120 and 130 as described later, the liquid material moves from one electrode side to the other electrode side, and the electrode 120 and 130
, 130. Therefore, in order to be able to change the width of the bright and dark patterns and the distribution of light intensity for electrical signals of the same amplitude, it is necessary to
It is desirable that the widths of 0 and 130 are different, and that the polarity of the DC electrical signal applied from the electrical signal source 140 can be reversed.

The relationship between the width of at least one of the electrodes 120 and 130 and the width of the gap between these electrodes can be selected appropriately for each application, but in order to operate with a low electric signal voltage, it is necessary to Regardless of the widths of 120 and 130, it is desirable to make them as narrow as possible.

As the light-transmitting light diffuser 170, one side of a thin transparent glass is treated with hydrofluoric acid or sandblasted to form a milky white so-called frosted glass, or a glass with a thickness of 20 to 50 mm is used.
Tracing paper of about μm size, a milky white plastic film made by mixing a white pigment into a Teflon film or a transparent plastic material, etc. are used.

When these are irradiated with light, the light is scattered and diffused by the milky white portion, and at the same time, transmitted light is generated.

In the illustrated embodiment, the light diffuser 170 is located separately from the support plate 110, but if the support plate 110 is appropriately thick, the light diffuser 170 may be placed on the opposite side of the support plate 110 with respect to the liquid layer 150.
The light diffuser 170 may be provided in contact with the surface or may be bonded.

Alternatively, the surface of the support plate 110 may be treated with hydrofluoric acid or sandblasting to impart light diffusing properties to the support plate 110 itself.

In any case, the light diffuser 170 is required to be located on the side opposite to the side irradiated with the external light L1 and to be installed with an appropriate distance from the liquid layer 150.

The gap between the liquid layer 150 and the light diffusion surface of the light diffuser 170 is created by using, for example, tricresyl phosphate or methylphenyl silicone as the electroosmotic liquid material 150, and forming a gap between the support plate 1
As the electrode 120, a quartz plate or a borosilicate glass plate is used.
, 130 is 500 μm and the gap is 500 μm, the recommended width is about 5 to 20 mm.

Although the external light L1 is not particularly limited, a xenon lamp or an incandescent lamp is preferably used as a light source and is irradiated as parallel light through a lens system.

FIG. 2 is an example diagram illustrating the principle of operation of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

1A is a state diagram when no electric signal is applied between the terminals 122 and 132.

When a liquid material of a different composition is deposited on the surface of a solid support, an interfacial electric double layer generally occurs at the solid-liquid interface due to interfacial electrochemical phenomena.

In this case, whether one side of the solid or liquid is positive and the other side is negative depends on the magnitude relationship of the respective dielectric constants, the presence or absence of dissociated ions, etc., but it is uniquely determined once the material is determined.

Generally, when both the solid support plate 110 and the liquid layer 150 are made of a dielectric material that does not contain an electrolyte, according to Kane's law, the one with a larger dielectric constant is charged positively and the one with a smaller permittivity is negatively charged, and the solid , an electric double layer is generated at the liquid interface. FIG. 2a shows an example in which a quartz or borosilicate glass plate is used as the solid support plate 110 and methylphenyl silicone oil or tricresyl phosphate is used as the liquid layer 150. In FIG. 2a, the solid support plate 110 side is negative (-), and the liquid layer 1
A case where the 50 side is positively charged (+) and an interfacial electric double layer is formed is schematically shown.

However, since no electrical signal is applied between the electrodes 120 and 130, the liquid layer 150 forms a flat layer with a uniform thickness based on surface tension, and the surface 151 maintains its flatness.

Therefore, the external light L1 is transmitted as is, and the output light L2 uniformly irradiates the light diffuser 170, so that no pattern is generated.

When a unidirectional (DC) electric signal is applied so that the terminal 122 is negative and the terminal 132 is positive, the liquid material in the part forming the interfacial electric double layer is strong because the electric double layer is close to a monomolecular layer. Although it is fixed at the interface by Coulomb force and difficult to move, the liquid material in the area where the double layer is appropriately separated,
The positively charged liquid material 150, which is loosely constrained by the Coulomb force, receives a repulsive force on the positive electrode 120, and is pulled toward the electrode 130 of the opposite polarity, that is, the negative polarity, by the electrostatic field in other parts. , so they start moving together.

However, the negatively charged solid material 110 may move, thus causing a relative mechanical shift of the liquid material 150.

In this way, interfacial electrochemistry produces an electric double layer at the solid-liquid interface, where the solid side is mechanically fixed and the liquid side moves to the opposite polarity side in response to the applied electric field. Define the phenomenon as electroosmosis.

FIG. 2b is a schematic diagram of the state of movement and deviation of the liquid layer 150 in a steady state when an electric signal is applied between the terminals 122 and 132.

In this example, both electrodes 120 and 130 are composed of a plurality of conductive parts.

Therefore, in response to the amplitude of the electric signal, the positively charged liquid material 150 on the positive electrode 120 is applied to both sides of the adjacent negative electrode 130, and the negative electrode 130 is directed toward the adjacent positive electrode. 1200 Liquid material moves and concentrates from both sides due to electroosmotic force (F).

In a state of equilibrium due to surface tension and gravity,
At the positive electrode 120 portion, the layer 150 is thinner to form a concave lens, and at the negative electrode 130 portion, the layer 150 is thicker to form a convex lens.

Therefore, the light transmittance due to external light L1 is completely different between the positive electrode 120 portion where the liquid material 150 has moved due to the electroosmotic phenomenon and the negative electrode 130 portion where the liquid material 150 has been concentrated and shifted.

That is, if the distance between the liquid layer 150 and the light diffusing plate 170 is appropriately selected, out of the external light L2 transmitted through the liquid layer 150, the light L2'' transmitted through the convex lens portion of the negative electrode 130 will be absorbed by the light diffusing plate 1.
While the light L2' is focused on the positive electrode 70, the light L2' that passes through the concave lens portion of the positive electrode 120 is diverged.

In this way, the light density of the portion of the surface of the light diffuser 160 corresponding to the electrode 130 increases compared to the case where no electrical signal is applied, producing a bright light pattern, whereas the portion of the surface of the light diffuser 160 corresponding to the electrode 120 Conversely, the light density decreases, resulting in a dark light pattern.

A light pattern corresponding to the electrodes 130 and 120 is observed after passing through the light diffuser 170.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a light pattern having a shape that directly corresponds to the electrodes 130, 120 without using a conventional complicated Schlieren optical system, and at the same time, it is possible to obtain a light pattern having a shape corresponding to the electrodes 130, 120 without using a conventional complicated Schlieren optical system. The advantage is that an extremely high light utilization rate can be obtained because there is no light.

When the electrical signal is removed, the liquid layer 150 quickly returns to a flat layer as shown in FIG. 2a due to surface tension, and the optical pattern disappears.

Reversing the polarity of the electrical signal, making electrode 130 positive and electrode 120
If is made negative, the liquid material moves and shifts toward the electrode 120 side, forming a convex lens and a concave lens toward the electrode 130, so that the positional relationship of brightness and darkness is reversed.

Further, if a negatively charged material is used as the liquid material 150, contrary to the above, convex and concave lenses are formed.

The displacement of liquid material 150 increases with the amplitude of the electrical signal.

Therefore, at least the radius of curvature of the convex lens portion, or equivalently the focal length, is reduced.

Therefore, when the distance between the liquid layer 150 and the light diffuser 170 is fixed to be appropriately narrow, as the amplitude of the electric signal increases, the width of the light pattern corresponding to the convex lens portion becomes narrower.
Its brightness increases.

On the other hand, as the width of the light pattern corresponding to the concave lens portion becomes wider, its brightness becomes darker.

By providing a means for adjusting the amplitude of the electric signal in this manner, it is possible to obtain the effect that the width and relative brightness of the electrode pattern that can be displayed can be varied.

On the other hand, by providing means for varying the distance between the liquid layer 150 and the light diffuser 170, the relationship between the relative widths of the bright and dark light patterns and the light intensity can also be varied.

That is, the amplitude of the electric signal is kept constant, and the liquid layer 150
As the distance between the light diffuser 170 and the light diffuser 170 increases, the width of the bright pattern becomes narrower and the light intensity increases, making it brighter, whereas the width of the dark pattern becomes wider and the light intensity decreases. and it gets dark.

When the distance is further increased and the convex lens portion has an equivalent focal length, a bright pattern with the narrowest width and a darkest pattern with the widest width can be obtained.

As the distance increases, the width of the bright pattern increases while its brightness decreases.

Therefore, the amplitude of the electric signal, the liquid layer 150 and the light diffuser 1
By providing means for making both the distance from the electrodes 120 and 70 variable, the pattern display of the electrodes 120 and 130 can be made variable over a wider range.

FIG. 3 is a photograph of a light pattern obtained based on the embodiment of FIG.

A quartz glass plate was used as the transparent support 110.

The electrodes 120 and 130 are made of tin oxide and have a width of 500 mm.
Transparent conductive films of μm are alternately arranged on the support 11 at intervals of 500 μm.
0, and a 300V DC electrical signal was applied between the electrodes.

As the liquid material 150, methylphenyl silicone oil is used as a relatively high viscosity case with +3 viscosity of 400 centistokes, and vicinal tricresyl is used as a low viscosity case, and the thickness thereof is about 50 μm.

Both of these liquid materials 150 are positively charged with respect to the quartz glass plate 110 and are therefore displaced in the direction of the electrode to which a negative voltage is applied.

As the light diffuser 1γ0, a frosted glass made of a transparent glass plate with one side frosted is used, and the distance from the liquid layer 150 is fixed at approximately 10 mm.As the external light L1, light from a tungsten lamp light source is transmitted through a condenser lens. A photo was taken and projected from the back side of the light diffuser 170.

Photo a is a photo showing the shape of the electrodes 120 and 130 configured in a parallel lattice shape, in which the mask pattern used when creating the electrodes was irradiated with light and the light image projected onto the light diffuser 170 was photographed. The portions displayed in white correspond to the conductive portions of the alternately arranged parallel grid electrodes 120 and 130, respectively.

Photo B shows a case where methyl phenyl silicone oil is used as the liquid material layer 150, and Photo C shows a case where tricresyl phosphate is used as the liquid material layer 150. This is an experimental example of a displayed optical image.

Note that photographs a, b, and c were taken at exactly the same magnification for convenience of comparison, and the black dot at the bottom of photographs b and c indicates the position of the negative electrode 130 in FIG. Electrode 1
20 are arranged in a parallel grid.

As is clear from photographs b and c, a clear light pattern of light and darkness in a parallel grid pattern corresponding to the negative electrode 130 is displayed.

If the viscosity is relatively high, as illustrated in Figure 2b,
One convex lens is created on the negative electrode.

Therefore, one bright light pattern is displayed for each negative electrode as shown in photo b.

In contrast, in photo C, two bright light patterns are displayed per negative electrode.

This is because the DENTO wires are concentrated at the electrode ends due to the edge effect, so high negative electric field strength regions are formed at both ends of the negative electrode, and when the viscosity of the liquid material 150 is low, its surface is easily deformed. Therefore, the liquid material 150 is concentrated and shifted from the end of the electrode to the adjacent electrode arrangement gap in response to the high electric field strength part at the end of the electrode, and the liquid material 150 is concentrated and shifted from the end of the electrode to the adjacent electrode array gap, and the liquid material 150 is concentrated and shifted from the end of the electrode to the electrode arrangement gap adjacent thereto. This is because two convex lenses are formed.

The irradiation direction of the external light L1 and the installation position of the light diffuser 170 can also be completely opposite to those shown in FIG.

That is, in FIG. 1, the light diffuser 16 is placed on the irradiation side of the external light L.
0 and irradiates external light L1 from the light diffuser 170 side in FIG. 1, the same operation can be achieved.

Note that the external light L1 does not necessarily have to be parallel light rays.

As long as it has a component that permeates through the liquid layer 150, its direction does not matter.

In addition, although a parallel grid-like monotonous pattern was used as the electrode pattern in the experiment of this example, a plurality of these electrode pairs were arranged in a desired shape pattern so as to be insulated from each other.
By selectively applying electrical signals here, figures, characters, etc. can be displayed.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional structural view of another embodiment of the light control device according to the present invention.

This example is intended for a light control device that selectively switches and applies electrical signals to enlarge and project patterns such as various figures and characters.

210 is a translucent support plate made of a plastic plate such as a quartz plate or cellulose acetate, and has a thickness of about 10 to 300 μm, and one surface thereof is made of a translucent conductive material such as indium oxide or copper iodide. On the other side, there is a patterned electrode 230 made of a plurality of conductive materials having a shape corresponding to a plurality of figures or characters to be displayed or their constituent elements 231, 232, 233. It is covered.

The gap electrode 220 has an electrode width and an arrangement gap of 1, for example.
Even if it is a parallel lattice shape of about 0 to 500 μm, it can be configured into a mesh electrode of about 50 to 1000 meshes (per inch length) with hole gaps of any shape such as rectangular or circular. can.

A layer 250 of a liquid material such as methylphenyl silicone oil or tricresyl phosphate that exhibits electroosmotic properties with respect to the translucent support plate 210 is placed on the surface where the gap electrode 220 is disposed, for example.
Apply a thin layer of about 0 to 200 μm.

The electrode 220 is connected via a conductive wire 221 and a changeover switch 222 to one output end of a DC electric signal source 240 consisting of 241 and 242 with variable amplitude and opposite polarity.

The pattern element electrodes 231, 232, 233 are insulated from each other and are configured to be switched and connected to the other output end of the DC electrical signal source 240 via conductive wires 234, 235, 236 and a switch 237.

In the device of this example, the support plate 210 is narrowed and the electrodes 220, 2
An electrical signal is applied for 30 minutes.

Therefore, the electric field distribution between the electrodes 220 and 230 penetrates the support plate 210, and the liquid layer 250 and the support plate 2
Due to the electric field (or current) component parallel to the interface with 10,
The electroosmosis phenomenon of the liquid material 150 along the surface of the support plate 210 is utilized.

Therefore, the conductive portions of the pattern element electrodes 231 to 233 are configured to be present at least at a position corresponding to the gap between the gap electrodes 2200, that is, directly below the gap.

Preferably, it is configured to have a wide width so as to span a plurality of gaps between the electrodes 2200 as shown in the figure.

260 is a surrounding frame made of glass, porcelain, plastic, etc.;
70 is a translucent light diffuser made of a transparent glass plate with one side frosted, which constitutes a so-called frosted glass plate;
The support plate 2100 is installed at a distance of about 5 to 20 mm from the surface.

The support plate 210 and the light diffuser 270 are fixed to the surrounding frame 260 to prevent the liquid material 250 from evaporating into the outside air and preventing contamination from the outside air.

Reference numeral 280 denotes a light source for irradiating external light L1, which is composed of a reflecting mirror 281 and a light emitting source 282 such as a xenon lamp.

The external light L1 is transmitted through the pattern electrode 230, the support plate 210, the electrode 220, and the liquid material layer 250, and this transmitted light L2
illuminates the light diffuser 270.

The light pattern generated on this light diffusing surface is enlarged and projected onto a screen 293 via an enlargement projection system 290, that is, a lens 291 and a reflecting mirror 292.

Now, if a positively charged material is used as the liquid material 150 and the switch 222 is connected to the (a) side and the switch 237 is connected to the (b) side, a negative voltage is applied to the electrode 220 and a positive voltage is applied to the element electrode 232. , the liquid material 250 is applied to the electrode 220 along the surface of the support plate 2100 in the upper part of the device electrode 232.
It moves and shifts from the gap toward the conductive part, creating a convex lens in the conductive part of the electrode 220 and a concave lens in the gap.

If the switch 222 is turned to the (b) side, a convex lens is formed in the gap.

Such movement deviation does not occur in the portions corresponding to the other element electrodes 231 and 233 to which no signal voltage is applied.

Therefore, in either case, a bright and dark light pattern with a shape corresponding to the element electrode 232 is generated on the surface of the diffuser 270, and this is projected as L3 onto the screen 293 via the projection system 290.

By configuring the widths of the conductive part and the gap part of the electrode 220 to be different, the relative width of the resulting bright and dark pattern can be changed by switching the switch 222, and the width of the signal source 2 can be changed.
By changing the voltage amplitudes 41 and 242, the relationship between the relative widths of the bright and dark patterns and the light intensity can be adjusted over a wider range.

When the switch 237 is switched to a or c, the screen 29
3, light patterns L3 corresponding to the formation of the element electrodes 233 and 231 are displayed.

In this example, a voltage signal was applied as an electrical signal, but the pattern electrode 320 was removed, a vacuum space was formed so that the support plate 210 became a face plate, and the surface from which the electrode 230 was removed was density-modulated. scanned with an electron beam,
If a positive or negative charge image is attached to this surface and the charge is configured to leak to the cathode electrode side in the electron gun through the support plate 210, the liquid layer 250, and the gap electrode 220,
A voltage is applied to the liquid material 250 corresponding to the charge density of this charge image, allowing it to move and shift.

Therefore, the light image L3 corresponding to the charge image is displayed on the screen 293.
A so-called television image enlargement projection device can be realized.

As described above, the device includes at least a translucent support provided with a gap electrode, and a liquid material held by the support and exhibiting electroosmotic properties with respect to the support, and at least the liquid material is electroosmotic to the support. A light source comprising: means for applying an electrical signal to the liquid material; and means for moving and shifting the liquid material in response to the electrical signal by an electroosmotic phenomenon in an interfacial electrochemical relationship with a translucent support. The embodiments have been described with a focus on the control device.

However, in the present invention, a charge image is formed on the surface of an elastic film (elastomer) such as an oil film, a thermoplastic film, or rubber, and this is used as an electric signal to deform the film using Coulomb force between the film surfaces to make the film uneven. It can be similarly applied to conventional light control devices that control the external light that passes through this film.

The present invention is intended to include these as well.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional structural view of one embodiment of the light control device according to the present invention, FIGS. 2 a and b are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the device in FIG. 1 is a photograph of the experimental results for the device, and FIG. 4 is a structural diagram of another embodiment of the light control device according to the present invention. 110,210...Transparent support, 120,1
30,220,230...electrode, 140,24
0... Electric signal source, 150, 250...
・Layer made of a material that can be shifted and deformed in response to an electric signal, 1
60,260... Surrounding frame, 170,270...
...Translucent light diffuser, L1...External light, L2
...Transmitted light, L3...Projected light pattern, 280...External light illumination source, 290...
Enlarged projection optical system.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A translucent gap electrode is installed on one surface of a translucent support, an electroosmotic translucent liquid material is placed on the electrode installation surface of the support, and a translucent gap electrode is placed on the electrode installation surface of the support. A translucent electrode insulated from the gap electrode is installed in the gap or the other surface of the support, and a translucent light diffuser is arranged at a position separated from the translucent liquid material. and a means for applying an electric signal between the gap electrode and the translucent electrode, and a means for transmitting the translucent liquid material to the light diffuser and irradiating it with external light. Characteristic light control device.