Pixel array for an electrofluidic display element and corresponding display element

Abstract

The invention relates to a pixel array (1) for an electrofluidic display element, comprising a plurality of adjacent pixels (2) that form the pixel array (1), each pixel having a pixel chamber (3) with a polygonal, preferably rectangular, pixel surface and a height. Each pixel (2) has at least one main reservoir channel (4) which opens, via a first width (D) and length (L), into the pixel chamber (3) and a single- or multi-part reservoir channel (5) which surrounds the chamber, borders the pixel surface and opens, along its length and a second width (A) into the pixel chamber (3). A polar and / or electrically conductive liquid is or can be held in the pixels, said liquid being capable of motion back-and-forth between the reservoir channels (4, 5) and the pixel chamber (3) by the application of an electric field, and the reservoir channels (5) surrounding adjacent pixels (2) run towards each other in a corner region (6) in which the adjacent pixels (2) border one another. The invention is characterised in that the second width (A) is smaller than the first width (D), the at least one main reservoir channel (4) of each of the adjacent pixels (2) opens into the surrounding reservoir channel (5) at the corner region (6) via at least one mouth junction (7) having a third width (C) which is smaller than the first width (D), and the height of the pixel chamber is greater than or equal to the second width (A).

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a pixel column for an electrofluidic display element. The pixel column is formed from a plurality of mutually adjoining pixels, each of which has a pixel cavity with a polygonal, preferably rectangular, pixel area and a height. Each pixel also has at least one main storage channel, which opens into the pixel chamber over its first width and length, and a one-piece or several-part surrounding storage channel. The surrounding storage channel surrounds the pixel area and opens into the pixel cavity along its length and its width. In the pixel, a polar and / or conductive liquid is contained or can be contained, and the liquid can be moved back and forth by setting up an electric field between the storage channel and the pixel cavity. The surrounding memory channels of adjacent pixels lead to each other in corner regions in which adjacent pixels adjoin one another. The pixels can be fluidically connected one above the other, so that...

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Problems solved by technology

[0003] However, a disadvantage of the pixel columns disclosed in the aforementioned documents is that the pixel columns at the intersections have a critical behavior, since it is shown that the paint droplets of the individual pixels have a fluid connection with their adjacent pixels through the intersections, at which The surrounding storage channels are connected to each other

The disadvantage of this is that the liquid volume assigned to a specific pixel no longer appears as an individual liquid drop and no longer behaves accordingly when an electric field is set up, but instead consists of a plurality of fluidly connected fluidly outwards via the pixel boundary. Liquid droplets create complex fluid systems

The disadvantage of this is that when setting up the control voltages at the individual pixels it is sometimes not possible to actuate the pixels independently of each other

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