Patent ID: 6147791
Filing Date: 2000-11-14
Classification: G02B,G09F

Abstract:
A material comprising:a) a substrate having two opposed surfaces,b) at least one element, which is capable of being made rotatable by a non-destructive operation, having a diameter and a circumference, disposed in the substrate, said element comprising at least two portions, each portion having an associated optical modulation characteristic, the optical modulation characteristic of at least one portion being different from the optical modulation characteristic of at least one other portion, wherein at least one portion is capable of being permanently magnetized and at least one portion is not capable of being permanently magnetized, and wherein the element has an anisotropy for providing an electrical dipole moment, the electrical dipole moment rendering the element electrically responsive such that when the rotating element is rotatably disposed in an electric field while the electrical dipole moment of the element is provided, the element tends to rotate to an orientation in which the electrical dipole moment aligns with the field, andc) at least one soft magnetic material pad disposed within said substrate associated with the at least one element, spaced from the associated element and so constructed and arranged such that when the at least one portion of the element which is capable of being permanently magnetized is magnetized and the element is oriented such that the at least one magnetized portion of the element is the portion of the element nearest the soft magnetic material pad a magnetic attractive force will exist between the soft magnetic material pad and the at least one magnetized portion.