Abstract: A membranous electroluminescent structure including membranous envelope layers encapsulating electroluminescent layers. The envelope layers comprise a UV-curable ink, such as a urethane acrylate/acrylate monomer. When deployed in layer form and exposed to UV radiation, the ink cures in a few seconds without any appreciable layer height shrinkage. Manufacturing cycle time is significantly optimized over traditional heat curing processes. The resulting membranous UV-cured EL structure nonetheless has all the advantages of membranous EL structures.

Abstract: A membranous electroluminescent structure with selected layers suspended, prior to deployment, in a carrier comprising (1) a vinyl resin in gel form and (2) a polymeric hexamethylene diisocyanate catalyst. During curing, the catalyst facilitates transformation of the vinyl resin carrier into a urethane. Once cured, the transformed urethane carrier compound enables electroluminescent layers to bond in a monolithic structure also comprising other contiguous urethane layers, such as envelope layers. As a result, membranous electroluminescent structures made in accordance with the present invention are even more rugged than their predecessors. A high degree of crosslinking also becomes available between neighboring urethane layers.

Abstract: A polymer thick film (PTF) electroluminescent device generating images described by contact, in which the contact itself closes an open circuit to generate radiation in a pattern in register with the contact. The resulting irradiated image corresponds directly to the contact pattern energizing the radiation. In a preferred embodiment enabled by an electroluminescent system without a back electrode, a fingerprint is disposed to close the open circuit by making contact and thereby serving as a “temporary” back electrode. The electroluminescent then energizes in a pattern in register with the contact (i.e. the fingerprint) to emit a high-resolution image of visible light with high fidelity to the contact. This visible light image may then be directed on to a photosensitive array standard in the art suitable for pixelation and conversion into an electrical signal representative of the image. This signal is available for computerized storage, analysis, processing and comparison.