Patent ID: 8896905
Filing Date: 2014-11-25
Classification: G02F

Abstract:
1. An appearance-modifying device, for modifying the visual appearance of a surface covered thereby, the device comprising: a first substrate having a first electrode arranged on a first side thereof; a second substrate arranged opposite the first side of the first substrate, the second substrate having a second electrode arranged on a side thereof facing the first substrate; a spacer structure spacing apart the first substrate and the second substrate wherein a space between the first and second substrates is divided into a plurality of cells, in each cell, an optically transparent fluid having a plurality of particles is dispersed therein, the particles being moveable in the fluid through application of an electric field, a distribution state of the particles within a cell is controllable by application of a voltage between the first and second electrodes, the distribution state of the particles comprising: a first distribution state in which the particles are dispersed throughout said cell and an appearance of the surface covered by the appearance-modifying device is determined by optical properties of the particles; and a second distribution state in which the particles are concentrated to one of a first particle concentration site provided on the first substrate and a second particle concentration site provided on the second substrate, the second particle concentration site being displaced in relation to the first particle concentration site in a plane parallel to the appearance-modifying device and along a perimeter of said cell, wherein the cell is optically transparent in the second distribution state and the surface covered by the appearance-modifying device is seen through said optically transparent cell.