Display device and spray device

Abstract

A display device comprises a screen (5) for displaying an image and image generating means (10) which, during operation, provide an image composed of pixels on the screen. The image generating means comprise a liquid reservoir (12) for containing a liquid and a spray body (20) for spraying the liquid. The spray body comprises a number of spray openings (150) which each release a liquid jet (R) of the liquid and cast it onto the screen at the position of a point of impact. The screen comprises a substrate which provides a visible reaction with the liquid. The points of impact of the liquid jets (R) released by the spray openings (150) together provide the pixels of at least a part of the image on the substrate.

Description

[0001] Display device and spray device

[0002] The present invention relates to a display device, comprising a screen for displaying an image and image generating means which, during operation, provide an image composed of pixels on the screen. it is almost impossible to imagine modern society without display devices as part thereof, varying from traditional printed materials to advanced digital displays and video walls, in ail cases the device provides a medium for relaying information to a user. It is possible here to distinguish between, on one hand, passive display devices wherein the information lies contained unchangeably in the device and, on the other, active display devices which are usually able to provide information of varying content and composition in electronically transmitted manner. A special role is played here by a display device providing a visually detectable sign of authenticity, 'which intends to guarantee the integrity and provenance of items associated therewith.

[0003] The present invention has for its object, among others, to provide a display device of a new type, 'whereby such a need and other needs can be met.

[0004] In order to achieve the stated object a display device of the type described in the preamble has the feature according to the invention that the image generating means comprise a liquid reservoir for containing a liquid and at least one spray body for spraying the liquid, which spray body is connected to the reservoir via pressure- increasing means and is placed spatially separated from the screen,, that the spray body comprises a number of spray openings which, fed with the liquid under increased pressure, each release a liquid jet of the liquid along a, particularly substantially linear, individual path and cast it onto the screen at the position of in each case a point of impact, that the screen comprises a substrate which provides at least temporarily a visible reaction 'with the liquid, and that each of the points of impact of the liquid jets released by the spray openings provides a pixel of at least a part of the image which appears on the substrate.

[0005] The image is thus formed by individual jets of the liquid which hit the substrate at the position of the pixels and result in a visible reaction thereon. The pixels are thus related one-to-one to the spray openings from which the jets were cast out. These spray openings have thus been configured and positioned beforehand such that the liquid jets are released in a correct orientation and are each cast onto the substrate at an intended location, 'wherein individual jets preferably do not intersect each other. It has thus been found that a desired image can be defined at least partially in the spray body and can be made visible on the substrate by spraying the liquid.

[0006] The spray openings are particularly configured and positioned individually so that the liquid jet released thereby will hit the substrate at the position of an intended pixel without coming into contact with another liquid jet. Use is preferably made for this purpose of technology which was developed by applicant and is further described in International patent application WO2017 / 095227, the content of which is referred to and deemed as included herein. In line therewith, a particular embodiment of the display device has the feature according to the invention that the spray body comprises a carrier body with at least one body cavity which opens at a main surface thereof and over which a membrane is arranged, that the membrane layer comprises the spray openings in laterally separated manner, wherein the spray openings extend in the membrane layer over a thickness thereof, that the carrier body provides at least one liquid channel which runs to the spray openings in the membrane layer, and that during operation the spray openings each release a liquid jet of substantially identical droplets of the liquid and cast it onto the substrate, wherein for at least a number of spray openings the path of the liquid jet released thereby deviates from a central axis of the relevant spray opening oriented perpendicularly of the membrane layer.

[0007] The liquid is hereby released in the form of droplet jets of successive droplets which are at least substantially identical per spray opening. Each spray opening is furthermore configured here such that all droplets generated thereby are released with a substantially identical initial impulse. This relates not only to their size, but particularly also the direction in which the droplets are released. Both parameters are thus fixedly determined in the spray body, whereby a fixed image will be released. The liquid droplets typically have a diameter in the order of two to three times the diameter of the relevant opening, this resulting in practice in a droplet size of several microns to several tens of microns which is thereby imposed per spray opening by the diameter of the spray opening. It has been found that the pixels created thereby, which will be of a correspondingly small size, provide a sufficiently high resolution to be able to generate a detailed image.

[0008] For manufacture of the spray body use is preferably macle of manufacturing techniques which allow for a high precision in the micron to sub-micron domain. Particularly suitable techniques for this purpose are semiconductor technology and micromachining. A further particular embodiment of the display device according to the invention therefore has the feature that the carrier body comprises a semiconductor body, particularly a silicon body, and the membrane layer a material compatible therewith using semiconductor technology, particularly silicon nitride, which was deposited on the carrier body using semiconductor technology and provided with the spray openings using semiconductor technology, particularly by photolithographically assisted etching. Materials and techniques which are suitable for modern semiconductor technology manufacturing techniques and which provide the desired precision at a relatively low cost price are opted for here.

[0009] Such manufacturing techniques particularly allow each spray opening to be defined individually in a mask set to be applied therein, and to thereby each individually be given a desired configuration by means of photolithography, deposition and etching. In a further particular embodiment of the display device according to the invention the spray openings are thus configured such that the at least one liquid channel provides for each of the number of spray openings a first lateral flow resistance from a first side of the relevant spray opening, and from a second side of the relevant spray opening a second lateral flow resistance,, greater than the first flow resistance, wherein the path of the liquid jet released thereby is inclined toward the second side. The difference in flow resistance of the liquid to the spray opening is translated here into an imposed inclination of the liquid jet relative to a central axis of the spray opening. In this way the final direction of propagation of the liquid jet can be defined particularly accurately photolithographically in the spray body.

[0010] A particularly practical embodiment of the display device has the feature here according to the invention that the second flow resistance is at least partial ly created by a barrier body which is provided on the second side of the spray opening in a flow path of the liquid, particularly connected to the membrane layer. The position and orientation of the barrier body, and a shape and dimensions thereof, can here be determined photolithographically per spray opening. Together, these factors will determine a final difference in flow resistance which will be experienced by the spray opening, and thereby a direction of the liquid jet released thereby.

[0011] The pixels of an image to be created will usually be a starting point for determining an arrangement and configuration of the spray openings to be applied for this purpose. Preferably also taken into consideration here is the mutual relation of paths of the different spray openings, so that they will not collide. A particular embodiment of the display device according to the invention in this respect has the feature that the spray openings are arranged differently than the pixels created thereby. A clever mutual positioning is thus preferably applied for the spray openings, which positioning differs from that of the pixels created thereby in order to thus avoid an intersection between individual paths. In this respect a further particular embodiment of the display device according to the invention is preferably used as a starting point, characterized in that the spray openings form a group, that the group comprises a number of peripheral spray openings and, lying within these, a number of central spray openings, and that the peripheral spray openings create pixels in a peripheral edge of the image.

[0012] Using mutually diverging liquid jets also achieves an enlargement of the image. In this respect the display device according to the invention has the feature in a particular embodiment that the spray openings together take up a lateral surface area of less than one to several square millimetres, and that the image created thereby covers a surface area of at least one to several tens of square centimetres.

[0013] The nature of the substrate can in principle be chosen freely, provided that the liquid creates a visible interaction thereon. A preferred embodiment of the display device in this respect however has the feature that the substrate comprises at least on a side facing toward the spray body a layer absorbing the liquid. Absorption of the liquid on one hand makes a moistening caused thereby visible, although on the other hand the liquid is also drawn further into the substrate rather than flowing out. The latter limits the size of the pixels and thereby enhances a maximal resolution of the image.

[0014] The image may eventually fade or even disappear entirely due to evaporation of the liquid. In order to leave behind a more permanent footprint, a further particular embodiment of the display device has the feature according to the invention that the substrate comprises at least on the side facing toward the spray body a reagent which discolours under the influence of the liquid. Such a discolouration has a more permanent character and will also leave behind the image on the substrate after evaporation of the liquid. Although a colouring agent could in principle also be added to the liquid for this purpose, a high-contrast image can thus be created with a colourless or at least clear liquid, this contributing to the magic of the invention.

[0015] In a particularly useful yet no less effective embodiment the display device is characterized according to the invention in that the substrate comprises a strip or sheet of paper. The paper requires essentially no further treatment or particular composition. A visible change will already appear thereon by absorption of the liquid. Because a strip or sheet of paper will usually be readily available, the display device can thus be applied almost anywhere. It is noted here that paper must also be understood to mean similar substrate materials, such as for instance cardboard.

[0016] Although the nature of the liquid is not all that critical in principle, the display device according to the invention is particularly characterized in that the liquid comprises a cosmetic liquid, particularly an aromatic liquid, more particularly a deodorant, an eau de toilette or a perfume. Liquids in a higher price segment, such as particularly cosmetic liquids, particularly require a luxurious appearance. In addition to packaging with an aesthetically pleasing design, the image created by the spray body can contribute thereto. A further challenge for such relatively expensive liquids, particularly cosmetic liquids, is the as yet incessant fight against counterfeiting and trademark infringement. The present invention also has for its object to contribute thereto. For this purpose the invention also relates to a spray device, comprising a bottle with a reservoir in which a liquid is received, particularly a cosmetic liquid, more particularly an aromatic liquid such as a deodorant, an eau de toilette or a perfume, comprising a spray nozzle, and comprising pressure means which are able and configured to apply an increased operating pressure to at least a part of the liquid contained in the reservoir, wherein the liquid under the increased operating pressure is supplied to the spray nozzle, characterized in that the spray nozzle comprises a spray body as applied in the display device according to one or more of the preceding claims and guides the liquid under the increased operating pressure through the spray body.

[0017] Such a spray device can be equipped in the above described manner with a spray body which creates an authenticity feature as image, such as particularly a brand name or logo. The filled device is thereby unmistakably distinguished from a counterfeit device which does not produce this authenticity feature. By spraying at a short distance from the substrate, such as a strip of paper, the user will recognize at a single glance whether he / she is dealing with a genuine or a counterfeit product. Counterfeiting can thus be nipped in the bud by providing the spray bodies in question only to the rightful manufacturer. The invention will be further elucidated hereinbelow with reference to an exemplary embodiment and an accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

[0018] Figure 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the display device according to the invention;

[0019] Figures 2A-C show respectively a front view., a detail and a cross-section of an exemplary embodiment of a spray body as applied in the device of figure 1;

[0020] Figure 3 shows a second exemplary embodiment of a spray body for the display device according to the invention; and

[0021] Figure 4 shows an image which is created with the spray body of figure 3.

[0022] It is otherwise noted here that the figures are purely schematic and not all drawn to (the same) scale. Some dimensions in particular may be exaggerated to greater or lesser extent for the sake of clarity. Corresponding parts are designated in the figures with the same reference numeral.

[0023] An exemplary embodiment of a display device according to the invention is shown in figure 1. The device comprises in this case an assembly of a spray device 10 and a screen 5. The screen comprises a substrate of paper or cardboard. In this case a strip 5 of a highly absorbent paper is opted for for this purpose. Any desired flat or curved substrate that provides a visible reaction with a liquid to be sprayed thereon can otherwise be opted for instead. Instead of a strip of paper or cardboard, the screen can thus also be formed by an article of clothing or body part (skin) of the user. The spray device comprises here a bottle 10 with an internal reservoir 12 in which a liquid for spraying is contained. The bottle 10 is bounded by an outer casing 1 1 with a bottom and upright directed walk's), which can typically be deep-drawn integrally from a metal such as aluminium or can be manufactured from a thermoplastic plastic by thermoforming, although, if desired, it can for instance also be cast into an aesthetic form from glass. On one upper side the bottle 10 comprises a filling opening to the reservoir 12, which is closed with a spray nozzle 15. The spray nozzle 15 comprises pressure-increasing means in the form of mechanical hand pump device. By optionally repeated pressing down and springing back of spray nozzle 15 a liquid received in reservoir 12 can thereby be brought to an increased operating pressure in the order of 2-30 atmosphere, and be released here to a spray body 20 likewise provided in spray nozzle 15. Such manually activated pump means are assumed sufficiently known to a skilled person, considering the large scale on which they are applied in common spray bottles. Other pressure-increasing means can otherwise also be provided in or at reservoir 12 instead, such as a pressure gas or propellant which is received therein or thereat and which applies the desired operating pressure to the liquid. In this latter case the spray nozzle 15 comprises only a valve for releasing the liquid under the operating pressure to the spray body 20.

[0024] The spray body 20 is shown in further detail in figures 2A-2C and comprises here a carrier body 100 of monocrystalline silicon with a lateral main surface 1 10, which was separated from silicon wafer as commonly applied in semiconductor technology.

[0025] Etched therein photolithographically with great precision using techniques common in semiconductor technology is a structure of a number of spatially separated body cavities 50 with a diameter in the order of several tens of microns extending from a rear side to the main surface 110 over a full thickness of the membrane layer 120. Using this same technology, the carrier body 100 is covered at the main surface 110 with a membrane layer 120 of silicon nitride with a thickness of one to several microns; separated therefrom only by an extremely thin and therefore not separately shown silicon oxide layer. A spray opening 150 is arranged in the membrane layer, centrally in each body cavity 50, over a full thickness by means of selective masking and etching. This spray opening 150 thus communicates directly 'with the relevant body cavity 50 which provides for supply of the pressurized liquid.

[0026] The liquid flows through the spray openings 150 under the operating pressure in the order of 2 to 30 atmosphere. The spray openings 150 typically have a diameter in the order of one to several microns and force the liquid into a thin jet 'which becomes unstable under the influence of its surface tension and scatters into successive droplets of substantially equal size. This mechanism is usually referred to as Rayleigh scattering, whereby, during operation, the spray openings 150 each release a liquid jet R of substantially identical droplets of the liquid and cast it onto the screen 5 along an individual path. The droplet size of the constituent liquid droplets is here determined substantially by the diameter of the spray opening, and will amount in practice to two to three times this diameter. Because the diameter of the spray openings can be defined with extraordinary accuracy in photolithographic manner using current semiconductor technology, the droplets released by the spray openings will be identical to each other within narrow' limits per opening. Giving individual spray openings 150 mutually varying dimensions makes it possible here to release thicker and thinner jets R simultaneously, which will result in smaller and larger pixels, this providing an additional dimension in the definition and representation of the image to be created.

[0027] At least a part of the spray openings 150 is configured here such that the path of the liquid jet R released individually thereby differs from a central axis H of the relevant spray opening 150 oriented perpendicularly of the membrane layer 120. The deflection (alpha) through which the jet deviates from the central axis H is defined accurately in the design of the spray body 20 in the manner described in the International patent application WO2017 / 095227 by applicant, the content of which is referred to and thereby deemed as included herein. More specifically, the deflection is a result of an asymmetrical inflow' profile imposed on the liquid from the body cavity 50 in the liquid channel.

[0028] This asymmetry can be achieved by an eccentric positioning of the spray opening 150 relative to the body cavity 50, but is caused here by a barrier body 60 which is arranged close to the spray body 20. By varying the positioning and orientation of each spray opening 150 the deflection and orientation (lateral direction) of the liquid can be defined particularly accurately. Both the size and the positioning of the pixels is therefore defined wholly in the spray body by the specific configuration of the spray openings, which need not per se reflect the image in the sense of the image already being wholly or partially visible therein.

[0029] This is indicated in figure 2A for the spray pattern shown in figure 1. The individual liquid jets R thereby each hit the substrate at their own position and result in a visually detectable interaction thereon. These points of impact together form the pixels of a likeness as will thus be detectible on the screen 5. The positioning of the spray openings 150 in the spray body 20 need not correspond at all here to that of the pixels on the screen 5. This positioning is preferably chosen, as it is here, in conjunction with the positioning of the individual barrier bodies, such that the individual liquid jets R will not intersect. In this respect the structure shown in figure 2A results in the image shown in figure 1. Similarly, the logo shown in figure 4 can be generated by means of the pattern of spray openings 50 shown in figure 3 in conjunction with their barrier bodies 60.

[0030] Although the invention has been further elucidated above with reference to only a single exemplary embodiment, it will be apparent that the invention is by no means limited thereto. On the contrary', many variations and embodiments are still possible within the scope of the invention for a person with ordinary skill in the art.

Claims

Claims:

1. Display device comprising a screen for displaying an image and image generating means which, during operation, provide an image composed of pixels on the screen, characterized in that the image generating means comprise a liquid reservoir for containing a liquid and at least one spray body for spraying the liquid, which spray body is connected to the reservoir via pressure-increasing means and is placed spatially separated from the screen, that the spray body comprises a number of spray openings which, fed with the liquid under increased pressure, each release a liquid jet of the liquid along a, particularly substantially linear, individual path and cast it onto the screen at the position of in each case a point of impact, that the screen comprises a substrate which provides at least temporarily a visible reaction with the liquid, and that each of the points of impact of the liquid jets released by the spray openings provides a pixel of at least a part of the image which appears on the substrate.

2. Display device according to claim 1, characterized in that the spray body comprises a carrier body with at least one body cavity which opens at a main surface thereof and over which a membrane is arranged, that the membrane layer comprises the spray openings in laterally separated manner, 'wherein the spray openings extend in the membrane layer over a thickness thereof, that the carrier body provides at least one liquid channel which runs to the spray openings in the membrane layer, and that during operation the spray openings each release a liquid jet of substantially identical dropletsof the liquid and cast it onto the substrate, wherein for at least a number of spray openings the path of the liquid jet released thereby deviates from a central axis of the relevant spray opening oriented perpendicularly of the membrane.

3. Display device according to claim 2, characterized in that the carrier body comprises a semiconductor body, particularly a silicon body, and the membrane layer a material compatible therewith using semiconductor technology, particularly silicon nitride, which was deposited on the carrier body using semiconductor technology and provided with the spray openings using semiconductor technology, particularly by photolithographically assisted etching.

4. Display device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the at least one liquid channel provides for each of the number of spray openings a first lateral flow resistance from a first side of the relevant spray opening, and from a second side of the relevant spray opening a second lateral flow resistance, greater than the first flow resistance, wherein the path of the liquid jet released thereby is inclined toward the second side.

5. Display device according to claim 4, characterized in that the second flow resistance is at least partially created by a barrier body 'which is provided on the second side of the spray opening in a flow path of the liquid, particularly connected to the membrane layer.

6. Display device according to one or more of the preceding claims,, characterized in that the spray openings are arranged differently than the pixels created thereby.

7. Display device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spray openings form a group, that the group comprises a number of peripheral spray openings and, lying within these, a number of central spray openings, and that the peripheral spray openings create pixels in a peripheral edge of the image.

8. Display device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spray openings together take up a lateral surface area of less than one to several square millimetres, and that the image created thereby covers a surface area of at least one to several tens of square centimetres.

9. Display device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the substrate comprises at least on a side facing toward the spray body a layer absorbing the liquid.

10. Display device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the substrate comprises at least on the side facing toward the spray body a reagent which discolours under the influence of the liquid.1 1 . Display device according to one or more of the preceding claims,, characterized in that the substrate comprises a strip or sheet of paper.

12. Display device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the liquid comprises a cosmetic liquid, particularly an aromatic liquid, more particularly a deodorant, an eau de toilette or a perfume.

13. Spray device comprising a bottle with a reservoir in which a liquid is received, particularly a cosmetic liquid, more particularly an aromatic liquid such as a deodorant, an eau de toilette or a perfume, comprising a spray nozzle, and comprising pressure means which are able and configured to apply an increased operating pressure to at least a part of the liquid contained in the reservoir, wherein the liquid under the increased operating pressure is supplied to the spray nozzle, characterized in that the spray nozzle comprises a spray body as applied in the display device according to one or more of the preceding claims and guides the liquid under the increased operating pressure through the spray body.

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