1. A rotary agitator, comprising:
a body having an exterior surface;
a plurality of bristle tufts extending from said exterior surface of said body about an arc of less than 360\xb0 thereby providing at least one tuftless gap of between about 10\xb0 and about 50\xb0 in arc.
2. The agitator of claim 1, wherein said plurality of bristle tufts are provided in a helical pattern.
3. The agitator of claim 1, wherein said plurality of bristle tufts are provided in a chevron pattern.
4. The agitator of claim 1, wherein said plurality of bristle tufts are provided in an offset chevron pattern.
5. The agitator of claim 1, wherein said plurality of bristle tufts are provided in two helical patterns wherein each of said two helical patterns extends along an arc of between about 140\xb0 to about 160\xb0 along opposing positions of said body so as to provide two opposed tuftless gaps wherein each of said two tuftless gaps extends along an arc of between about 40\xb0 and about 20\xb0.
6. The agitator of claim 1, wherein said body is made from a plastic material.
7. The agitator of claim 1, wherein said body is made from a metal material.
8. The agitator of claim 1, wherein said body is made from a composite material.
9. The agitator of claim 1, wherein said body is made from a wood material.
10. A rotary agitator, comprising:
a body having an exterior surface;
a plurality of bristle tufts extending outwardly from said exterior surface about an arc of less than 360\xb0;
a tuftless gap on said exterior surface to provide for enhanced bare floor cleaning.
11. The agitator of claim 10, wherein said tuftless gap extends through an arc of between about 10\xb0 and about 50\xb0.
12. The agitator of claim 10, wherein said tuftless gap extends through an arc of between about 20\xb0 and about 40\xb0.
13. The agitator of claim 12, further including a second tuftless gap extending through an arc of between about 20\xb0 and about 40\xb0.
14. The agitator of claim 13, wherein said second tuftless gap is provided opposite said tuftless gap.
15. A method for enhancing bare floor cleaning efficiency of a vacuum cleaner comprising:
providing said vacuum cleaner with a rotary agitator having a body with an exterior surface, a plurality of bristle tufts extending outwardly from said exterior surface about an arc of less than 360\xb0 and a tuftless gap on said exterior surface extending through an arc of between about 10\xb0 and about 50\xb0 whereby when said rotary agitator is stopped for bare floor cleaning, said tuftless gap is adjacent said floor and weight and suction of said vacuum cleaner lowers a nozzle assembly of said vacuum cleaner toward a floor being cleaned thereby reducing space between a bottom of said vacuum cleaner and said floor and increasing speed of an airstream being drawn into said vacuum cleaner so as to provide more efficient and effective bare floor cleaning.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claims which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of operating an electro-optic display, the display comprising an electro-optic medium; and at least one electrode arranged to apply an electric field to the electro-optic medium; the method comprising:
applying a first driving pulse to the electrode;
measuring at least one of (a) the optic state of at least one portion of the electro-optic medium after application of the first driving pulse thereto; and (b) the current passing through the electro-optic medium as a result of the application of the first driving pulse; and
applying a second driving pulse to the electrode, the second driving pulse being controlled by the measured optical state andor current.
2. A method according to claim 1 comprising measuring the optic state of at least one portion of the electro-optic medium after application of the first driving pulse thereto.
3. A method according to claim 1 comprising measuring the current passing through the electro-optic medium as a result of the application of the first driving pulse.
4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising measuring the temperature of the display and controlling the second driving pulse dependent upon the measured temperature.
5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising measuring the ambient light level of the display and controlling the second driving pulse dependent upon the measured ambient light level.
6. A method according to claim 1 further comprising controlling the second driving pulse dependent upon the age of the electro-optic medium.
7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the electro-optic medium is an electrophoretic medium comprising a suspending fluid, and a plurality of electrically charged particles suspended in the suspending fluid and capable of moving therethrough on application of an electric field to the suspending fluid.
8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the suspending fluid and the plurality of electrically charged particles are retained within a plurality of capsules.
9. A method according to claim 7 wherein the suspending fluid and the plurality of electrically charged particles are present as a plurality of discrete droplets and a continuous phase of polymeric material surrounds the droplets.
10. A method according to claim 7 wherein the suspending fluid and the plurality of electrically charged particles are retained within a plurality of cavities formed in a carrier medium.
11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the electro-optic medium is a rotating bichromal member medium or an electrochromic medium.
12. An electro-optic display comprising:
an electro-optic medium;
at least one electrode arranged to apply an electric field to the electro-optic medium;
drive means for supplying a driving pulse to the electrode;
a sensor for measuring at least one parameter affecting the behavior of the electro-optic medium and for producing an output signal representative of the parameter; and
control means for receiving the output signal from the sensor and controlling the drive means to vary the driving pulse dependent upon the output signal,
wherein said sensor comprises at least one of:
(a) a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of, or adjacent to, the electro-optic medium;
(b) a humidity sensor for sensing the humidity of, or adjacent to, the electro-optic medium; and
(c) a timer for measuring the operating time of the electro-optic medium.
13. An electro-optic display according to claim 12 wherein said sensor comprises a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of, or adjacent to, the electro-optic medium.
14. An electro-optic display according to claim 12 wherein said sensor comprises a humidity sensor for sensing the humidity of, or adjacent to, the electro-optic medium.
15. An electro-optic display according to claim 12 wherein said sensor comprises a timer for measuring the operating time of the electro-optic medium.
16. An electro-optic display according to claim 12 having a plurality of electrodes arranged to apply an electric field to a plurality of pixels of the electro-optic medium, and wherein the drive means is arranged to vary the driving pulse to one electrode based upon the driving pulse applied to at least one other electrode.
17. An electro-optic display according to claim 12 wherein the electro-optic medium is an electrophoretic medium comprising a suspending fluid, and a plurality of electrically charged particles suspended in the suspending fluid and capable of moving therethrough on application of an electric field to the suspending fluid.
18. An electro-optic display according to claim 17 wherein the suspending fluid and the plurality of electrically charged particles are retained within a plurality of capsules.
19. An electro-optic display according to claim 17 wherein the suspending fluid and the plurality of electrically charged particles are present as a plurality of discrete droplets and a continuous phase of polymeric material surrounds the droplets.
20. An electro-optic display according to claim 17 wherein the suspending fluid and the plurality of electrically charged particles are retained within a plurality of cavities formed in a carrier medium.
21. An electro-optic display according to claim 12 wherein the electro-optic medium is a rotating bichromal member medium or an electrochromic medium.
22. An electrochromic display comprising an electrolyte and an electrochromically-active layer comprising a nano-porous-nano-crystalline film comprising a semiconducting metal oxide having an electroactive compound which is either a p-type or n-type redox promoter or p-type or n-type redox chromophore adsorbed thereon or otherwise attached thereto, the electrolyte having a light scattering andor reflective material dispersed therein.
23. An electrochromic display comprising a nano-porous-nano-crystalline film comprising a semiconducting metal oxide having an electroactive compound which is either a p-type or n-type redox promoter or p-type or n-type redox chromophore adsorbed thereon or otherwise attached thereto, the display having a viewing surface through which an observer can view the display, the display also having, on the opposed side of the film from the viewing surface, a layer of a light-scattering or reflective material disposed on the film.
24. An electrochromic display comprising an electrochromically-active layer comprising a nano-porous-nano-crystalline film comprising a semiconducting metal oxide having an electroactive compound which is either a p-type or n-type redox promoter or p-type or n-type redox chromophore adsorbed thereon or otherwise attached thereto, the film being formed from a semiconducting metal oxide coated with at least one of silica and alumina.
25. A process for forming an electrochromic display according to claim 24, the process comprising:
coating particles of a semiconducting metal oxide with at least one of silica and alumina; and
forming the coated particles into the film at a temperature not greater than about 400\xb0 C.