Microcapsules, Electronic Ink Screens, and Electronic Devices

Abstract

The present invention discloses a microcapsule, an electronic ink screen, and an electronic device. The microcapsule includes a first surface and a second surface that are oppositely arranged, and a side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface. The first surface, the second surface, and the side surface enclose a cavity, and the cavity includes a first cavity and a second cavity communicating with the first cavity. The second cavity includes a receiving groove. The orthographic projection of the receiving groove on the first surface does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the interface between the first cavity and the second cavity on the first surface. A light-transmitting liquid and a plurality of particles are provided in the cavity. The outer surface of the particle has a first color, and the inner side surface of the cavity has a second color, and the first color is different from the second color. Thus, when the particles move to the first surface, the particles can cover the first surface, and when viewed from above the microcapsule, the microcapsule presents the first color. When the particles move to the second surface, the particles move into the receiving groove, and when viewed from above the microcapsule, the microcapsule presents the second color. The present invention improves the problem of impure display color of the existing microcapsules.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of electronic devices, and particularly relates to microcapsules, electronic ink screens and electronic devices. Background Art

[0002] Electronic paper is an ultra-thin, flexible and erasable display screen. Compared with other display technologies such as LCD and OLED, electronic paper has lower energy consumption, good visibility in sunlight without dead angles, and a better user experience in sunlight. And because electronic paper itself does not emit light and relies entirely on reflected light, the content displayed on electronic paper is softer and will not cause harm to the eyes. However, the existing electronic paper has the defect of poor display effect.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to improve electronic paper. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a microcapsule, which includes a first surface and a second surface arranged opposite to each other, and a side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface. The first surface is transparent; the first surface, the second surface and the side surface enclose a cavity, and the cavity includes a first cavity and a second cavity communicating with the first cavity. The second cavity includes a receiving groove; the orthographic projection of the receiving groove on the first surface does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the interface between the first cavity and the second cavity on the first surface; a light-transmitting liquid and a plurality of particles dispersed in the light-transmitting liquid are provided in the cavity; the outer surface of the particles has a first color, and the inner side surface of the cavity has a second color, and the first color is different from the second color. Thus, the particles can reciprocate in the cavity of the microcapsule. When the particles move to the first surface, the particles can cover the first surface. Looking from above the microcapsule, the microcapsule presents the color of the particles, that is, the microcapsule presents the first color. When the particles move to the second surface, the particles move into the receiving groove. Looking from above the microcapsule, the microcapsule presents the color of the inner side surface of the cavity, that is, the microcapsule presents the second color. The present invention effectively improves the problem of impure display color in the existing microcapsules.

[0005] The present invention also provides an electronic ink screen, which includes a plurality of microcapsules arranged in an array, and the microcapsules are the microcapsules described above. Thus, the electronic ink screen has all the features and advantages of the microcapsules described above, and will not be elaborated here.

[0006] The present invention also provides an electronic device, which includes the electronic ink screen described above. Thus, the electronic device has all the features and advantages of the electronic ink screen described above, and will not be elaborated here. Description of the Drawings

[0007] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a microcapsule in the prior art;

[0008] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of a microcapsule when the front side is white in the prior art;

[0009] Figure 3 It is a top view of the microcapsule when the front side is white in the prior art;

[0010] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of a microcapsule when the front side is black in the prior art;

[0011] Figure 5 It is a top view of the microcapsule when the front side is black in the prior art;

[0012] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of a microcapsule in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of a microcapsule in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of a microcapsule when the front side is the second color in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 9 It is Figure 8 a top view of the microcapsule shown;

[0016] Figure 10 It is a schematic structural diagram of a microcapsule when the front side is the first color in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 11 It is Figure 10 a top view of the microcapsule shown;

[0018] Figure 12 It is a flowchart of a method for preparing a first film layer in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 13 It is a flowchart of a method for preparing a second film layer in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 14 It is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic ink screen in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Description of the reference numerals

[0022] 100 - microcapsule, 100a - first side, 100b - second side, 100c - side surface, A - first cavity, B - second cavity, B1 - receiving groove, B11 - first groove, B12 - second groove, 110 - light - transmitting liquid, 120 - particles, 200 - glue frame, 300 - first mold, 400 - first glue layer, 500 - first transparent layer, 600 - second mold, 700 - second glue layer, 800 - second transparent layer. Detailed implementation manners

[0023] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below. The following described embodiments are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and should not be construed as a limitation to the present application. For those techniques or conditions not specified in the embodiments, they shall be carried out according to the techniques or conditions described in the literature in this field or according to the product specifications. For the reagents whose manufacturers are not indicated, they are all conventional products that can be obtained through market purchase.

[0024] The present invention is based on the inventor's recognition and discovery of the following facts.

[0025] The patent application with the application number 202111055301.0 discloses a conical micro - capsule, a magneto - chromic device, an electronic paper and an electronic device. Refer to Figure 1 , the micro - capsule is filled with a transparent electrophoretic solution and negatively charged particles. The color of the inner side surface of the micro - capsule is white, the color of the particles is black, and the planar area at the bottom of the micro - cone is light - transmitting. Under the action of an external electric field or magnetic field, the micro - capsule can achieve color change. Refer to Figure 2 , when a negative charge is applied to the planar area direction of the bottom of the micro - cone and a positive charge is applied to the direction of the apex of the micro - cone, at this time, the black particles will move and aggregate towards the area of the apex of the micro - cone as a whole due to the electrostatic attraction. At this time, refer to Figure 3 , when looking from the front, the whole micro - cone is a large white circle with a small black dot inside. Since the size of the small black dot is small relative to the whole micro - cone, it appears white as a whole. Refer to Figure 4 , when a positive charge is applied to the planar area of the bottom of the micro - cone and a negative charge is applied to the direction of the apex of the micro - cone, at this time, the black particles will move towards the planar area of the bottom of the micro - cone as a whole due to the electrostatic attraction, and the black particles can spread out in the planar area. At this time, refer to Figure 5 , when looking from the front, the whole micro - cone is a large black circle, so it appears black as a whole.

[0026] Refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , when a negative charge is applied to the planar area direction of the bottom of the micro - cone and a positive charge is applied to the direction of the apex of the micro - cone, when looking from the front, the whole micro - cone is a large white circle with a small black dot inside. Although it can show white as a whole, there is some black mixed in the white, and pure - white display cannot be achieved, and the display effect is limited.

[0027] The present invention aims to improve at least one of the above technical problems to at least a certain extent.

[0028] The present invention provides a microcapsule. Refer to Figure 6 , the microcapsule 100 includes a first surface 100a and a second surface 100b that are oppositely arranged, and a side surface 100c connecting the first surface 100a and the second surface 100b. The first surface 100a is transparent; the first surface 100a, the second surface 100b, and the side surface 100c enclose a cavity. The cavity includes a first cavity A and a second cavity B communicating with the first cavity A. The second cavity B includes a receiving groove B1; the orthographic projection of the receiving groove B1 on the first surface 100a does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the interface between the first cavity A and the second cavity B on the first surface 100a; a light-transmitting liquid 110 and a plurality of particles 120 dispersed in the light-transmitting liquid 110 are provided in the cavity; the outer surface of the particle 120 has a first color, and the inner side surface 100c of the cavity has a second color, and the first color is different from the second color. Thus, the particles 120 can reciprocate in the cavity of the microcapsule 100. When the particles 120 move to the first surface 100a, the particles 120 can cover the first surface 100a. When viewed from above the microcapsule 100, the microcapsule 100 presents the color of the particles 120, that is, the microcapsule 100 presents the first color; when the particles 120 move to the second surface 100b, the particles 120 can move into the receiving groove B1. When viewed from above the microcapsule 100, the microcapsule 100 presents the color of the inner side surface 100c of the cavity, that is, the microcapsule 100 presents the second color. The present invention effectively improves the problem of impure color display in the existing microcapsule 100.

[0029] For easy understanding, the principle of the present invention is briefly described here.

[0030] The receiving groove B1 of the present invention is used to accommodate the particles 120. When the particles 120 move to the second surface 100b, all the particles 120 can move into the receiving groove B1. Refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 where j is the interface between the first cavity A and the second cavity B. The orthographic projection of the receiving groove B1 on the first surface 100a does not overlap with the orthographic projection of j on the first surface 100a. At this time, when observing from above the microcapsule 100, the color of the inner side surface 100c of the cavity is seen, and the color of the particles 120 is not seen. In the existing microcapsule 100, the color of the inner side surface of the cavity can be seen, and at the same time, the color of the particles can also be seen. Therefore, compared with the existing solution, the present invention can improve the problem of impure color display in the existing microcapsules.

[0031] In addition, the solution of the present invention also has the following beneficial effects: The present invention only uses particles 120 of one color, and by controlling the movement of the particles 120, the color change of the microcapsule 100 can be achieved. Moreover, since there are only particles 120 of one color in the cavity of the present invention and the particles 120 do not obstruct each other during movement, the response speed of color change is faster. And the process of the present invention is simple and the cost is lower.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first surface 100a is set to be transparent, which can not affect the color display effects of the first color and the second color.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the direction from the first surface 100a to the second surface 100b, the size of the first cavity A gradually decreases. Thus, when the particles 120 move to the side of the second surface 100b, the microcapsule 100 can display the color of the inner side surface 100c of the cavity.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present invention, referring to Figure 7 , a rubber frame 200 is provided on the outer side surface 100c of the cavity, and the rubber frame 200 covers at least part of the side surface 100c and the second cavity B;

[0035] The rubber frame 200 and the microcapsule 100 form a cylinder;

[0036] The receiving groove B1 includes a first groove B11 and a second groove B12, and the first groove B11 and the second groove B12 are symmetric about the central axis of the cylinder. Thus, when the particles 120 move to the side of the second surface 100b, a plurality of particles 120 move into the first groove B11 and the second groove B12, that is, the particles 120 can be hidden in the receiving groove B1. Since the orthographic projection of the receiving groove B1 on the first surface 100a does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the interface between the first cavity A and the second cavity B on the first surface 100a; when viewed from above the microcapsule 100, the color of the inner side surface 100c of the cavity can be seen, but the color of the particles 120 cannot be seen. Thus, the problem of impure color displayed by the existing microcapsule 100 can be improved.

[0037] It should be noted that the accommodation groove B1 including the first groove B11 and the second groove B12, and the first groove B11 and the second groove B12 being symmetric about the central axis of the cylinder is only a specific embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto. That is to say, the accommodation groove B1 may only include one groove, or the accommodation groove B1 may include more than three grooves, or it may also be that the accommodation groove B1 includes two grooves, but the two grooves are not symmetric about the central axis of the cylinder, as long as the positive projection of the accommodation groove B1 on the first surface 100a does not overlap with the positive projection of the interface between the first cavity A and the second cavity B on the first surface 100a, that is, when the particle 120 moves towards the side with the groove, as long as it is ensured that when looking from above the microcapsule 100, the color of the particle 120 cannot be seen.

[0038] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the longest distance between any two points on the first surface 100a is 5 to 50 micrometers, for example, it can be 5 micrometers, 10 micrometers, 15 micrometers, 20 micrometers, 25 micrometers, 30 micrometers, 35 micrometers, 40 micrometers, 45 micrometers, 50 micrometers. Thus, the microcapsule 100 has a better display effect. If the above distance is too small, the production cost will increase.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the first surface 100a and the second surface 100b is 0.1 to 1 millimeter, for example, it can be 0.1 millimeter, 0.2 millimeter, 0.3 millimeter, 0.4 millimeter, 0.5 millimeter, 0.6 millimeter, 0.7 millimeter, 0.8 millimeter, 0.9 millimeter, 1 millimeter. Thus, the particle 120 located on the first surface 100a can quickly move to the second surface 100b, further accelerating the response speed of color change.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the particle 120 is charged. Thus, by applying an electric field, the directional movement of the particle 120 in the electric field can be controlled, and the microcapsule 100 can display different colors. Furthermore, the electronic ink screen prepared from the microcapsule 100 can achieve color change and pattern display, reducing the harm to the eyes of common LCD or OLED screens.

[0041] Specifically, the particle 120 can carry a positive charge or a negative charge. Hereinafter, the case where the particle 120 carries a negative charge is taken as an example for illustrative purposes, but is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, the particle 120 can carry a positive charge, and the directional movement of the particle 120 can be controlled by applying an external electric field, and the color change of the microcapsule can still be achieved.

[0042] In some embodiments of the present invention, the particle 120 carries a negative charge. Refer to Figure 8, when a negative charge is applied to the planar region of the first surface 100a and a positive charge is applied to the second surface 100b, at this time, the particles 120 will move as a whole towards the second surface 100b due to the electrostatic attraction, and the particles 120 move and gather in the receiving groove B1. At this time, viewed from the position of the first surface 100a far from the second surface 100b, that is, viewed from above the microcapsule 100, the shape of the microcapsule 100 is circular, presenting the color of the inner side surface 100c of the cavity, such as Figure 9 as shown. Refer to Figure 10 , when a positive charge is applied to the planar region of the first surface 100a and a negative charge is applied to the second surface 100b, at this time, the particles 120 will move as a whole towards the planar region of the first surface 100a due to the electrostatic attraction. The lubricity between the particles 120 is relatively high, and the particles 120 can spread out on the planar region. At this time, viewed from directly above the microcapsule 100, the shape of the microcapsule 100 is circular, presenting the color of the outer surface of the particles 120, such as Figure 11 as shown.

[0043] According to the embodiments of the present invention, the ratio of the total volume of the plurality of particles 120 to the volume of the cavity is 5-30%, for example, it can be 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%. Thereby, the microcapsule 100 can have a better display effect. If the above ratio is too small, that is, the content of the particles 120 is too small, when the particles 120 move to the position of the first surface 100a, even if the particles 120 spread out, they cannot completely fill the first surface 100a. Viewed from above the microcapsule 100, the microcapsule 100 cannot completely display the color of the particles 120, affecting the display effect of the microcapsule 100; if the above ratio is too large, that is, the content of the particles 120 is too much, when the particles 120 move to the position of the second surface 100b, the receiving groove B1 cannot accommodate all the particles 120, and the particles 120 will overflow from the receiving groove B1. At this time, viewed from above the microcapsule 100, the color of the inner side surface 100c of the cavity can be seen, and the color of the particles 120 can also be seen, affecting the color display effect.

[0044] According to the embodiments of the present invention, the first color and the second color are black or white. For example, the first color is black and the second color is white. Or, the first color is white and the second color is black.

[0045] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the material forming the particles 120 includes at least one of copper oxide, carbon black, iron black, and copper chrome black, and the color of the particles 120 can be black.

[0046] The particles 120 can be surface-modified to achieve a high lubricity between the multiple particles 120, enabling the multiple particles 120 to spread out in a planar area. Specifically, the surface modification method of the particles 120 includes at least one of a physical method and a chemical method. Among them, the physical method includes at least one of a spraying method and a melt dispersion condensation method, and the chemical method includes at least one of an adsorption method, a graft polymerization method, and an emulsion polymerization method.

[0047] The light-transmitting liquid 110 includes at least one of a solvent, a stabilizer, and a charge control agent. Among them, the solvent can be tetrafluoroethylene, the stabilizer can be Span80, and the charge control agent can be polyisobutylene succinimide.

[0048] The present invention also provides an electronic ink screen, which includes a plurality of microcapsules arranged in an array, and the microcapsules are the microcapsules 100 described above. Thus, this electronic ink screen has all the features and advantages of the microcapsules 100 described above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0049] Under the action of an external electric field, this electronic ink screen can achieve a color change. Compared with the existing electronic ink screens, the electronic ink screen of the present invention has a higher color purity, better display effect, and can reduce the harm to the eyes caused by common LCD or OLED screens.

[0050] The present invention does not limit the preparation method of the electronic ink screen, as long as the microcapsules 100 having the above-described structure can be obtained by this method.

[0051] Exemplarily, the electronic ink screen can be prepared by the following method:

[0052] Refer to Figure 12 , a first glue layer 400 is coated on the first mold 300, demolded, and a first transparent layer 500 is attached to one side of the first glue layer 400 to form a first film layer;

[0053] Refer to Figure 13 , a second glue layer 700 is coated on the second mold 600, and a second transparent layer 800 is attached to one side of the second glue layer 700, and then demolded to form a second film layer;

[0054] The first film layer and the second film layer are arranged opposite to each other, and the light-transmitting liquid 110 and a plurality of particles 120 are injected into the multiple cavities formed by the first film layer and the second film layer to form the electronic ink screen as shown in Figure 14 , and the cavity has the structure of the cavity in the microcapsule described above.

[0055] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the materials for forming the first transparent layer 500 and the second transparent layer 800 are the same or different, and are independently selected from at least one of PC (polycarbonate) and PET (polyethylene terephthalate). The first transparent layer 500 and the second transparent layer 800 can serve to encapsulate the light-transmitting liquid 110 and the encapsulated particles 120.

[0056] The present invention also provides an electronic device including the electronic ink screen described above. Thus, the electronic device has all the features and advantages of the electronic ink screen described above, which will not be elaborated herein.

[0057] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic device further includes an electric field generating component and a controller, and the controller is electrically connected to the electric field generating component; the electric field generating component places the microcapsules in the electronic ink screen in an electric field, and the controller is used to control the electric field generating component to move the particles in the microcapsules, thereby realizing the color change of the electronic device.

[0058] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electric field generating component includes a first electrode and a second electrode; the first electrode is located on the side of the first surface 100a away from the second surface 100b, and the second electrode is located on the side of the second surface 100b away from the first surface 100a; the controller is electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, and the controller can control the voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode. Under the action of the voltage, multiple particles in the microcapsules cover the first surface to display a first color; or, multiple particles are moved into the receiving groove to display a second color. Thus, through the electric field generating component, the particles in the microcapsules can perform directional movement, thereby realizing the color switching of the electronic device.

[0059] The specific type of the electronic device in this application is not particularly limited. For example, the electronic device can be a mobile phone, a smart watch, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a desktop computer, a portable game device, a video recorder, a camera, a pager, or a printer, etc. Specifically, the electronic device can be a mobile phone or a smart phone (for example, a phone based on iPhoneTM or Android TM), a portable game device (for example, Nintendo DS TM, PlayStation Portable TM, Gameboy Advance TM, iPhone TM), a PDA, a portable Internet device, a music player, and a data storage device, other handheld devices, and such as watches, in-ear headphones, pendants, over-ear headphones, etc. The electronic device can also be other wearable devices (for example, head-mounted devices (HMD) such as electronic glasses, electronic clothes, electronic bracelets, electronic necklaces, electronic tattoos, or smart watches).

[0060] The embodiments of the present application have been described in detail above. However, the present application is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present application, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present application, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present application. Additionally, it should be noted that in the above specific embodiments, the various specific technical features described can be combined in any appropriate manner without conflict.

[0061] It should be noted that in this specification, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. In the description of the present application, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present application rather than requiring the present application to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it cannot be construed as a limitation to the present application.

[0062] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, without conflict, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0063] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and cannot be construed as a limitation to the present application. Those of ordinary skill in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A microcapsule, characterized in that, The microcapsule includes a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other, and a side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface, and the first surface is transparent; The first surface, the second surface and the side surface enclose a cavity, the cavity includes a first cavity and a second cavity communicating with the first cavity, and the second cavity includes a receiving groove; The orthographic projection of the receiving groove on the first surface does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the interface between the first cavity and the second cavity on the first surface; A light-transmitting liquid and a plurality of particles dispersed in the light-transmitting liquid are provided in the cavity; The outer surface of the particle has a first color, and the inner side surface of the cavity has a second color, and the first color is different from the second color; The particles can reciprocate in the cavity of the microcapsule. When the particles move to the first surface, the particles can cover the first surface. When viewed from above the microcapsule, the microcapsule presents the color of the particles, that is, the microcapsule presents the first color; when the particles move to the second surface, the particles can move into the receiving groove. When viewed from above the microcapsule, the microcapsule presents the color of the inner side surface of the cavity, that is, the microcapsule presents the second color.

2. The microcapsule according to claim 1, wherein In the direction from the first surface to the second surface, the size of the first cavity gradually decreases.

3. The microcapsule according to claim 2, characterized in that, The microcapsule satisfies at least one of the following conditions: A rubber frame is provided on the outer side surface of the cavity, and the rubber frame covers the side surface and at least part of the surface of the second cavity; The rubber frame and the microcapsule form a cylinder; The receiving groove includes a first groove and a second groove, and the first groove and the second groove are symmetric about the central axis of the cylinder.

4. The microcapsule according to claim 3, wherein, The longest distance between any two points on the first surface is 5-50 microns, and the distance between the first surface and the second surface is 0.1-1 mm.

5. The microcapsule according to claim 1, wherein The particles carry positive charges or negative charges; the ratio of the total volume of the plurality of particles to the volume of the cavity is 5-30%.

6. The microcapsule according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first color and the second color are black or white.

7. An electronic ink screen, characterized in that, It includes a plurality of microcapsules arranged in an array, and the microcapsules are the microcapsules according to any one of claims 1-6.

8. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes the electronic ink screen according to claim 7.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein, The electronic device further includes an electric field generating component and a controller, and the controller is electrically connected to the electric field generating component; The electric field generating component places the microcapsules in the electronic ink screen in an electric field, and the controller is used to control the electric field generating component to move the particles in the microcapsules, thereby realizing the color change of the electronic device.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein The electric field generating component includes a first electrode and a second electrode; The first electrode is located on the side of the first surface away from the second surface, and the second electrode is located on the side of the second surface away from the first surface; The controller is electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, and the controller can control the voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode. Under the action of the voltage, a plurality of particles in the microcapsule cover the first surface, displaying the first color; Or, move a plurality of particles into the receiving groove to display the second color.

Images