text:
Electrical circuit component formed of a conductive liquid printed directly onto a substrate
An article having an electrical circuit component printed directly onto one side of a substrate includes the substrate and an electrical circuit component formed of a conductive liquid printed directly onto one side of the substrate. The electrical component is capable of performing its electrical circuit functions, as printed, and without the necessity for post-printing processes such as metal etching, catalytic ink activation, or electroless deposition.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical circuit component formed of a conductive liquid printed directly onto one side of a substrate, and more particularly, to an electrical circuit component printed on the substrate without the need for post-printing steps such as metal etching, catalytic ink activation and/or electroless deposition.
2. Related Art
A wide variety of products contain electrical circuitry for carrying signals and/or power to perform communication, display, heating, computation, etc.
Such electrical circuitry may be wired by hand, but is typically embodied in a printed circuit board installed in the product. Conventional printed circuit boards comprise a rigid, non-conductive substrate upon which conductive pathways (e.g., metal) have been formed.
Heretofore, a wide variety of processes have been used for forming the conductive pathways on the non-conductive substrate. For example, a metal film such as copper can be applied to a rigid, non-conductive substrate such as fiberglass and epoxy. In a commonly-employed process, a sheet of the conductive metal is laminated to the non-conductive substrate and a photoresist is then coated on the metal sheet. The resulting printed circuit board is subsequently exposed to a light pattern using a light mask to reproduce the metal pathway pattern desired. This exposure is followed by photoresist development and then metal etching in the area unprotected by the photoresist, thereby producing the desired circuit pattern. Alternatively, an etch resist can be directly printed such as by silk screen, gravure, or the like, on the metal laminate sheet followed by curing and then metal etching. Of course, this multi-step process is slow, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and quite expensive.
Another presently available process utilizes metals or metal salts dispersed as particles in a solution, usually in a polymeric binder, and the particles function as seed sites for subsequent plating with a metal. The polymeric composition containing the metal or metal salt is applied to a substrate in a desired pattern. The composition is then heat-cured in order to drive off solvent and to cross-link the polymer. The substrate is then submerged in a metal bath or solution where metal pathways grow between the seed sites. This multi-step process is also slow and expensive. Typical examples of such processes are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,900,320; 3,775,176; and 3,600,330.
It has also been proposed to form electrically conductive metal pathways by a process which includes coating a substrate with a composition containing a reducible metal complex. In one such process, a substrate is coated with a sorbitol copper formate solution containing a photo-activated reducing agent. Upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation, unmasked areas are reduced to copper metal and are suitable for plating nucleation sites. Non-exposed areas are washed clean and all copper formate is removed before plating can be carried out. Again, much time and expense are involved in such processes. Examples of this technology may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,268,536; 4,181,750; 4,133,908; 4,192,764; 4,167,601; and 3,925,578.
It is also known to produce a printed circuit board by silk-screen processes in which a silk screen is placed on top of a rigid substrate and ink is pushed through open areas of the silk screen onto the substrate. This, however, is not a direct printing process since the silk screen stencil must first be placed over the substrate, a high viscosity ink is then pushed through the screen onto the substrate, and then the silk screen stencil must be removed. There are several inherent problems in this process. Initially, the inks must be fixed so as not to flow through the screen except where pushed, yet they must be applied with sufficient quantity and thickness of ink to flow together after being applied to make a uniformly conductive surface. Furthermore, the speed of production is very slow with only a small quantity of printed circuit boards being produced with given period of time. In addition, the precision of the circuits is quite low since pulling the stencil away from the substrate causes dispersion at the edges. Silk screen processing cannot produce thin or narrow lines because of the high viscosity ink. Also, silk screen inks are quite expensive and difficult to process. Silk screen processes cannot be used to produce multi-layer printed circuit boards, and silk screen processes can only be used with rigid substrates since a firm backing is required to push the ink through the silk screen stencil and to remove the stencil. Even if these difficulties can be overcome, silk-screening is difficult or impossible to automate fully for high speed printing.
In another known process, catalytic inks are applied to a substrate and are subsequently activated for plating by electroless surface treatment with noble and/or non-noble metals or salts. Typical examples of these processes are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,089,993; 4,073,981; 4,100,038; and 4,006,047. The coated substrates are heat-cured and require elevated temperatures and long cure times. Again, such multi-step processes are quite expensive and time consuming.
A technique for producing a flexible anti-theft tag employing a resonant circuit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,219. According to this technique, an electrically insulated substrate has sheets of conductive foil bonded to each surface thereof. The laminated substrate is next printed on both surfaces with a black carbon ink in the particular patterns required for resonant circuit anti-theft tags. The substrate is then etched to chemically remove all of the unprinted aluminum foil on both sides of the web. The resultant conductive patterns on both web surfaces may be interconnected by welding or by coupling together the conductive surfaces. The time and costs associated with such a technique are readily apparent.
In summary, known processes for producing electrical circuitry such as silk-screen, catalytic ink, chemical etching, electroless bath, etc. are expensive and time consuming. What is needed is a method and apparatus for inexpensive, high-speed production of electrical component-bearing substrates, and especially printed circuit boards.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide articles containing electrical components which are directly printed onto a substrate and are capable of performing their electric circuit function, as printed, without the need for post-printing processes such as metal etching, catalytic ink activation and/or electroless deposition.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a flexible, electrically-conductive article comprises a flexible substrate, and an electrical circuit component formed of a conductive liquid printed directly onto one side of the flexible substrate.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a web containing a plurality of printed circuit boards comprises a flexible substrate and a plurality of like electrically circuit components formed of a conductive liquid printed directly onto one side of the flexible substrate.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a direct printing station according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a close-up view of the engraving in a prior-art picture-printing cylinder;
FIG. 3 is a close-up view of the engraving in a direct printing cylinder according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the FIG. 3 cylinder taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a schematic view depicting the apparatus and process for producing directly-printed electrical components;
FIG. 6 is a plan view of an electrical circuit produced according to the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a number of electrical circuit components produced according to the present invention;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing further electrical circuit components produced according to the present invention; and
FIG. 10 is a plan view of an anti-theft detection tag and activator according to the present invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PRESENTLY PREFERRED EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
1. Introduction
The present invention employs a process we are calling the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. (The Gravco Inc. Process to be described below) to "directly print" an electrical circuit component onto a substrate. That is, the conductive liquid (which forms the electrical circuit component) is transferred directly from the surface of the liquid-carrier to the surface of the substrate; the electrical circuit component is thus directly printed onto the substrate and is capable of performing its electrical circuit function, as printed, and without post-printing process steps such as catalytic ink activation, electroless bath, silk-screen stencil removal, etching, etc., known in the prior art. Perforce, the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. is capable of producing electrical circuitry, such as printed circuit boards (flexible or rigid), using high-speed direct printing equipment known to those of skill in the art, such as rotogravure, flexographic, offset gravure, offset, and letter press, etc. The GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. differs from known printing processes in that it can deposit directly, in one printing step, electrically-conductive liquid in a continuous pathway in the printing direction and in any direction oblique thereto. Since electrically-conductive pathways can be deposited continuously in any direction, high-speed, mass production printing equipment may be used for producing products such as printed circuit boards and their electrical components. Moreover, by depositing electrically-conductive liquid in any direction and in any configuration, a wide variety of electrical circuit components may be printed, such as signal lines, power lines, resistors, capacitors, resonant circuits, etc. Thus, the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. can produce highly-detailed, customized electrical circuits using high-speed mass-production printing techniques. With this invention, customized circuitry may be made at a fraction of the cost in a fraction of the time as compared to conventional printed circuit board technology.
A detailed description will now be provided of The Press; The Conductive Liquid; The Process; and The Articles according to the present invention.
2. The Press
The printing station equipment (see FIG. 5) utilized in the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. may be direct printing equipment known to those of skill in the art, such as rotogravure, flexographic, offset gravure, offset, or letter press. The press itself may comprise a cylinder or a plate engraved or inscribed with an image (such as an electrical circuit and/or electrical circuit component) to be reproduced. The engraving holds a liquid to be applied to a substrate or web. According to the presently preferred embodiment, the press comprises a cylinder or roller 2 depicted in FIG. 1, the roller being usable at a rotogravure printing station. The roller 2 comprises a polished copper-plated steel cylinder typically 0.1-3.0 meters in circumference. The copper plate has a plurality of liquid-carrying cells 4 engraved around the circumference of the cylinder, as shown in exaggerated form in FIG. 1. Those of skill in the art know that the cells 4 may be engraved in the copper plate by techniques such as diamond-stylus engraving, chemical etching, laser inscribing, etc.
The roller 2 contacts a bath 3 of conductive liquid 10, and is rotated so that the liquid 10 adheres to the cells 4, is carried upward in the printing direction P, and is deposited on a substrate 6 (to be described below). A doctor blade 8 is mounted in the transverse direction T and scrapes against the cylinder surface to regulate the amount of ink carried on the roller 2 and to remove excess ink therefrom.
FIG. 2 is a close-up view of prior art cells 4 engraved in a roller for performing prior art rotogravure picture printing. The plurality of cells 4 are connected together in the printing direction P--that is, circumferentially on roller 2. Each cell 4 is substantially 160 by 250 microns, and has a central portion 12 and a liquid communication portion 14 disposed in the printing direction P. While the central portion 12 of each cell 4 is deeper than the liquid communication portion 14 thereof, liquid ink nevertheless communicates readily in the printing direction from cell to cell. The cells 4 may be arranged with appropriate sizes, depths, and locations on the roller 2 to produce a pleasing picture when the ink is deposited on a substrate such as paper. While a black and white picture may require only one such roller, color pictures typically require four printing stations, one for each of red, blue, yellow, and black, the roller at each station bearing an appropriate array of cells for that color.
In FIG. 2, cell walls 16 are disposed so as to separate cells 4 in the transverse direction T. Ink must be prevented from flowing in the transverse direction T since this would produce a picture having unacceptable horizontal or diagonal lines therein. Furthermore, the cell walls 16 must support the doctor blade 8 which regulates the ink and removes excess ink from the roller.
FIG. 3 is a close-up view of the arrangement and disposition of cells 4 according to the present invention. According to the present invention, liquid communication channels are also provided in the transverse direction T between adjacent cells. Preferably, each cell 4 also has a liquid communication portion 18 extending in the transverse direction or in a direction oblique thereto. According to the present embodiment, the transverse liquid communication portion 18 intersects the printing direction liquid communication portion 14 of an adjacent column of cells 4. In the printing process of this invention, conductive liquid according to the present invention (to be described below) is allowed to cross cell boundaries in both the printing direction P and the transverse direction T. Electrically conductive pathways can thus be configured in any direction parallel to or oblique to the printing and transverse directions.
In FIG. 3, the cell walls 16 are oriented at plus and minus 30-60 (preferably 45) degrees, respectively, with respect to the axis of roller 2. As the roller 2 rotates in the printing direction P, the thus-disposed cell walls 16 actually guide and regulate the flow of conductive liquid according to the present invention in the transverse direction to deposit an even and continuous layer of conductive liquid in any direction and in any configuration desired. The conductive liquid 10 from the bath 3 is picked-up by the cells 4 as the roller 2 rotates in the bath. Excess liquid is removed by the doctor blade 8, and the conductive liquid according to the present invention is carried to the substrate 6 where it is deposited directly thereon. While the central portion 12 of each cell 4 may be deeper than the liquid communication portions 14 and 18 thereof, when the liquid is deposited on the substrate 6, the free-flowing liquid according to the present invention tends to equalize readily in all areas where the solution contacts the substrate 6. Thus, uniform and continuous electrical pathways are formed on the substrate. The disposition of cell walls 16 depicted in FIG. 3 also provides support for doctor blade 8 in the transverse direction T around the entire circumference of roller 2.
FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3, and depicts the relationship between cell central portion 12, liquid communication portions 14 and 18, cell walls 16, and the doctor blade 8. Sufficient voids are provided in roller 2 below the doctor blade 8 to carry the conductive liquid 10 from the bath 3 to the substrate 6. The depth of central cell portion 12 is substantially 10-100 (preferably 40 microns), and the depth of liquid communication portions 14, 18 is substantially 20-60 (preferably 20) microns. Since the columns of cells 4 in the present invention are disposed much closer together in the transverse direction, approximately 200 columns of cells are provided per inch in the present embodiment, as compared to 165 columns of cells per inch in the prior art roller depicted in FIG. 2.
While the press according to the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. has been described above with respect to a roller similar to one used in rotogravure printing, it is to be understood that the press according to the present invention may comprise a flat plate, may be made of a photopolymer or plastic, and may utilize technology similar to rotogravures flexographic, offset gravure, offset, and letter press printing. All such similar and equivalent presses are, of course, included within the scope of the appended claims.
3. The Conductive Liquid
According to the present invention, the conductive liquid (including conductive paste) utilized to form the electrically-conductive pathways may comprise a solution, a suspension, or a paste having a viscosity substantially within a range of 10 to 50,000 cp; more preferably within the range of 10-200 cp; even more preferably within the range of 10-50 cp. The liquid preferably comprises (i) a solvent and/or water (or a combination of solvent and water), solids (ii) (resins and conductive powder), and (iii) plasticizers. Solventless liquids may also be used and oligimers will replace the solvent and/or water.
Preferably, the solvent comprises between substantially 55 percent and substantially 85 percent by weight of the liquid. (If water is used, it will comprise 25-65 percent by weight of the liquid). Even more preferably, the solvent is between substantially 65 percent and substantially 80 percent by weight; and even more preferably between 70 and 75 (most preferably 72) percent by weight of the liquid. The solvent preferably includes esters, ether glycol, and ketones. Between substantially 60 percent and substantially 95 percent by weight of the solvent are esters or equivalents. The most preferred embodiment includes 80 percent by weight of esters in the solvent. The solvent also should include between substantially 3 percent and substantially 20 percent, by weight ether glycols, and most preferably 10 percent. Finally, the solvent includes between substantially 3 percent and substantially 20 percent by weight of ketones, most preferably 10 percent. Of course, water-based dispersions could be used in lieu of the solvent-based solution. In this instance, wetting agents and foam suppressors, known to those of skill in the art, may also be used.
The preferred conductive liquid also includes between substantially 10 percent and substantially 40 percent by weight of solids, most preferably 25 percent. The solids preferably include substantially 5 percent to substantially 90 percent (preferably 20 percent to 90 percent) by weight of polymer resin (polyester)--a polar resin. Preferably, the polymer resins comprise 72 percent by weight of the solids.
The solids preferably include between substantially 3 percent and substantially 80 percent (preferably 10 percent to 80 percent) by weight of a conductive powder, most preferably 28 percent. The conductive powder comprises particles in the range of substantially 3 to substantially 50 (preferably 5-10) microns in diameter and may comprise aluminum, graphite, gold, silver, carbon, or other known conductive materials, or any combination thereof. The choice of conductive powder will vary in accordance with the component being designed, the width and thickness of the printed electrical pathway, and the current required to be carried therethrough.
Additionally, the conductive liquid according to the present invention preferably includes between substantially 1 percent and substantially 7 percent by weight, and most preferably between 2 and 3 percent by weight, of plasticizers. A preferred plasticizer is Dioctylphatalate.
Equivalents of the above-described electrically-conductive liquid may include water in addition to or as a replacement for the solvent. When replacing the solvent, the water comprises 25-65 percent by weight of the liquid. Solventless liquids can also be provided where oligimers replace the solvent and comprise substantially 25-60 percent by weight of a liquid. In this formulation, the conductive powders comprise 15-50 percent by weight of the liquid, and the plasticizers preferably comprise 1-5 percent by weight of the liquid. The oligimers may be activated by heat, light, electromagnetic radiation, etc.
The conductive liquids described above are merely illustrative and are designed to be used in signal lines for carrying low-power signals in the printed electrical circuit. Of course, a wide variety of solutions, suspensions, and/or pastes may be adapted depending upon the use for which the circuit component is designed. For example, signal lines and power lines will be highly-conductive. On the other hand, liquids used to print resistors will have a much lower conductivity. Magnetic liquids may be used to prepare inductive circuits, and electroluminescent liquids may be used to produce light-emitting circuitry. Of course, all such equivalent conductive liquids are encompassed by the present invention.
Furthermore, pigments may also be included in the conductive liquid to provide ornamental as well as functional features. Thus, not only may the conductive liquid perform an electrical circuit function, it may also be used as a label to provide information regarding the source of the goods or the product contained within the package. For example, an electrical circuit used in a child's toy may be arranged so that the circuitry spells out the toy name and/or toy instructions.
In a preferred embodiment, a conductive liquid for use in directly printing signal lines may be manufactured by pouring into a container substantially 88 percent by weight of the final liquid of AQUADAG.TM. liquid produced by Acheson Colloids Co., 1600 N. Washington, Port Huron, Mich. In a separate container, 1/2-2 percent by weight of plasticizer (preferably Dioctylphatalate) is premixed by hand at ambient temperature with 10 percent by weight of solvent, esters, and/or ether glycol. After premixing the plasticizer and solvent, the premix is added to the AQUADAG.TM. and mixed by air mixer for 15-20 minutes.
4. The Process
The GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. for directly printing an electrical circuit component onto a substrate is schematically depicted in FIG. 5. The process will be described with reference to the manufacture of a computerized pill dispenser article which is depicted in FIG. 6. Such an article is used to monitor and schedule the dispensation of drugs in pill form. In FIG. 6, a pill in a plastic blister is disposed over top of each curved conductor line. The substrate beneath the conductor line is aluminum foil or some other easily-tearable surface. The pill dispenser is placed in a computerized monitoring device (not shown), and the device will send signals through the signal lines to determine the electrical continuity of each line. As each pill is dispensed, it is pushed downward through the aluminum substrate, severing the signal line to indicate that that pill has been dispensed. A display on the device will indicate which pills have been dispensed and when; the display may also indicate when the next pill should be dispensed. Where the pill dispenser has on-board signal generating, memory, and display circuitry, it is even possible for the dispenser itself to determine the time at which the pill was dispensed, and the time the next pill is scheduled to be dispensed.
The process of FIG. 5 feeds a substrate (web) of 1 mil aluminum foil 52 from a roller 54 to printing station 1 which is configured similar to a well-known rotogravure printing station. At printing station 1, a roller 56 sits in a bath of dielectric coating 58 and rotates to deposit a thin but continuous layer of dielectric over the bottom surface of aluminum sheet 52. The dielectric coating is preferably a polymer resin and solvent solution 10 microns thick which prevents any electrical contact with the aluminum sheet 52. A pinch roller 60 is disposed on the other side of aluminum foil 52 and ensures a uniform dispersal of dielectric coating on the aluminum sheet 52.
Printing station 1 also includes a dryer 62 which dries the dielectric coating on the sheet 52. The dryer may comprise a hot air oven (5 feet long @200.degree. C.) directing an air blast at the foil for 0.5-1.5 seconds.
After exiting printing station 1, the sheet 52 is fed to printing station 2 where a roller 64 (for example, the roller 2 described above) sits in a bath 66 of conductive liquid #1 at ambient temperature. Since the conductive liquid may contain powders, an ink agitation system may be used in bath 66. This first conductive liquid will be used for signal lines, power lines, and other high-conductivity uses, and may comprise the conductive liquid described above. The roller 64 will have a pattern of cells 4 disposed in the printing direction P, in the transverse direction T, and in any directions oblique thereto. Preferably, the roller 64 is wide enough to simultaneously print seven electrical circuits as depicted in FIG. 6. Again, a pinch roller 68 will ensure a proper printing, and a dryer 70 will dry the conductive liquid #1. While the dryer 70 may comprise a hot air oven, as described above, preferably it is a microwave or radio frequency generator (e.g., 27 megahertz) which will dry the conductive liquid internally and not just the skin, which is a problem with air dryers. Thus, at printing station 2 the electrical circuit and its components are directly printed in a single operation without the post-printing operations described earlier.
At printing station 3, a print roller 72 will apply conductive liquid #2 from bath 74 onto the sheet 52. Conductive liquid #2 is less conductive than liquid #1 and is used to deposit components such as resistors. Again, a pinch roller 76 and a dryer 78 are used to print and dry the conductive liquid #2. Alternatively, printing station 3 could apply an additional layer of conductive liquid #1 over the previous layer to form a thick circuit, such as a power line.
Where the circuits require an insulating layer to be deposited on top of conductive liquids #1 and #2, a printing station 4 may be provided. At printing station 4, the print roller 80 sits in a bath of insulator coating 82 (such as a lacquer) to deposit a specified thickness of insulation over top of the conductive liquids. The insulator coating is deposited at any thickness required by the circuit. For example, to form a capacitor, the insulator layer may be 1 micron to 1000 (preferably 500) microns thick. However, if a push-pad switch is being produced, the thickness of the insulator layer may be less, such as 10 microns. As with the previous printing stations, printing station 4 includes a pinch roller 84 and a dryer 86.
Alternative to printing station 4, or in addition thereto, a laminating insulator material 88 may be applied from a roller 90. For example, the insulator 88 may comprise paper, polymeric plastic, or any other flexible insulating substrate or web. The insulator 88 may have holes or electrically conductive patterns therein to allow electrical contact between the conductive liquid #1 and later-deposited conductive layers, if desired. The holes in insulator 88 may be small enough so that contact is only established by pushing the two conductive layers together through the insulator 88 to produce, for example, a push-pad switch. In addition to laminating an insulator material, a roller may be provided for laminating one or more conductive layers (such as metallic foil) for additional signal or power channels, or for radio frequency shielding, as desired. Specific circuit details will be described later.
In FIG. 5, the sheet 52 is then transported to printing station 5 where a print roller 90 applies conductive liquid #3 from a bath 94 to the sheet 52 on top of the insulating layer. Conductive liquid #3 may comprise a highly-conductive liquid similar to conductive liquid #1. Again, this liquid may be used for upper-layer signal lines, power lines, capacitors, etc. A pinch roller 96 and a dryer 98 are also provided at printing station 5. Again, one or more layers of conductive liquid #3 may be printed, as desired.
If desired, a printing station 6 may be provided wherein any one or more of specialty liquids and/or printing inks may be applied. For example, special effects liquids may be provided such as thermochromic liquids, electrophosphorescent liquids, magnetochromic liquids, electrochromic liquids, zinc oxide (glow-in-the-dark) liquids, electroluminescent liquids, magnetic liquids, etc. If desired, more than one printing station may be provided for applying a series of such specialty liquids. In addition to, or as an alternative to the specialty liquids, graphic printing inks may be provided for affixing well-known labels, instructions, or decorations to the product. These inks may include conductive liquid so that the graphic image may comprise an electrical circuit and/or component. At the printing station 6, a print roller 100 transfers the specialty liquid and/or the printing ink from a bath 102 and applies it to sheet 52 aided by a pinch roller 104 and a dryer 106.
At station 7, a spiked roller 108 is used to provide appropriate layer interconnects between the upper and one or more lower layers of conductive liquid. Each spike 109 will penetrate through the conductive liquid #3, the insulating layer, and the conductive liquid #1 and/or #2 to make an electrical contact between the upper and lower conductive layers. If dryers 98 and 106 are not activated (or are preferably modulated), the conductive liquid #3 will still be in liquid or semi-liquid form when spike 109 penetrates through the insulating layer to the lower conductive layer. The conductive liquid will move through the interconnect hole and make a good electrical contact with the lower conductive layer. Preferably, the spiked roller will be disposed before the upper conductive layer printing station so that the printing of the upper layer will force liquid under pressure into the interconnect hole. Of course, the number, location, and depth of each of these spikes 109 may be specially designed depending upon the particular circuit which is being manufactured. As an alternative, the roller 108 may sit in a bath (not shown) of conductive liquid to further enhance the inter-layer electrical contact. At station 7, the spiked roller may be a punch roller press, a male-female die; or a backing roller or other device 110 may be used to provide proper support for the penetrating spikes 109. A dryer 112 may be used, if desired, to dry the conductive liquid connecting the conductive layers. Alternatively, crimps, rivets or other electrical conductors (preferably those which can be installed in an in-line process) may be used to electrically couple two or more conductive layers.
Station 8 is equipped to provide a protective coating over the top of the finished electrical circuit. The roller 114 applies a protective coating from bath 116 to cover the surface of the finished product. The protective coating may comprise lacquer, polymeric plastic, etc. A pinch roller 118 (or smoothing bar) and a dryer 120 may be provided, if desired. A cutting/separating unit 122 may be provided to cut, separate, and stack separate electrical circuits. Alternatively, the sheet containing the printed circuit boards may be rewound onto another roller for shipping and subsequent processing. These units are reasonably well known to those of skill in the art and will not be described in further detail herein.
The process described above with respect to FIG. 5 is capable of infinite variation depending upon the electrical circuit being produced. For example, three, four, or five conductive layers may be provided with (or without) interspersed insulating layers. Conductive liquids may be printed on top of each other to build thick components, e.g., 5 layers for a power line. The spiked roller 108 may be provided at any station or in between stations depending upon the interconnections required among the various conductive layers (e.g., to interconnect layers 1 and 2, and then 4 and 5). The insulating layers may be transparent or may be light-blocking. The type of conductive liquid and the pattern dimensions may be adjusted to achieve desired electrical characteristics such as resistance ohms, capacitor picofarads, the wattage of any power line, current, inductance, reactance, etc. The characteristics of the insulator coatings may be chosen for desirable insulating properties such as breakthrough voltage, tangent losses, etc. Additional aluminum sheets and/or conductive layers may be inserted via roller, as with the insulator roller 90, at any point in the process. The aluminum sheet may act as a ground plane for all of the electrical components, or may carry power to all of the circuits disposed above the dielectric layer, or may shield the circuit from electromagnetic or static electric interference.
As another alternative, an additional station (not shown in FIG. 5) may be provided at any point in the process for checking the quality of the already-printed circuits. For example, a roller may be provided having a plurality of electrodes disposed thereon which are arranged (registered) to come into contact with appropriate terminals on the sheet 52 passing beneath the roller. The electrodes on the roller will be activated (pulsed) to run continuity checks, resistance checks, voltage checks, amperage checks, etc., through the terminals in contact with the roller electrodes, etc. High-speed in-line quality checks will ensure a highly reliable product by quickly identifying failed circuits for removal at cutting/separating device 122. Alternatively, defective products may be marked as the sheet 52 is being rewound.
As yet another alternative, the process depicted in FIG. 5 may be "looped" from station 8 back to station 1 so that further additional conductive and insulating layers may be deposited and interconnected, as required.
As a further alternative, the electrical circuit may be formed on a flexible substrate (such as a 1 to 15 (preferably 1) mil thick polymeric plastic), and then bonded to a rigid substrate, such as an epoxy-fiberglass composite. Such a product is still far less expensive to produce than the known methods of producing known rigid printed circuit boards.
While the substrate depicted in FIG. 5 comprises a flexible aluminum foil, other flexible substrates may be utilized, such as polymeric materials to include films, plastics, combinations, coextrusions, laminations, non-woven polymeric fabrics, cloth, paper, wool, etc. Also, while flexible substrates are preferred, semi-rigid or relatively rigid substrates can also be used including polyamide, polycarbonate, polyester, mylar, lexan, kevlar, cardboard, acrylics, acetate, foamed or foamable polymers, fiberboard, etc. Rigid substrates can be provided in many forms including for example, ceramics, glass, plastics, paper compositions, or composite substrates such as epoxy-fiberglass, epoxy-paper laminate, etc.
The conductive liquid printed according to the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. may be of any practical thickness, length, and width desired. The thickness may vary from one molecular layer to 200 microns, or even up to 500 microns if desired. Since the liquid can be made to be relatively free-flowing, very thin, closely-spaced components may be printed. This flexibility provides the circuit designer with a wide range of circuit component values which can be accommodated by the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM..
5. The Articles
An extraordinarily wide variety of useful articles may be produced according to the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM., and hence many products that have never been practical or cost-effective will become available as a result of this invention. For example, FIG. 6 depicts one article useful for the reliable dispensation of drugs. Some patients are forgetful or uncertain as to whether and when certain drugs have been or should be dispensed. A drug dispensation system in which it is positively known when the last drug was dispensed and when the next drug should be dispensed is quite important. FIG. 6 depicts a plan view of a drug dispenser article which may accurately and reliably schedule drug treatment. The circuit shown in FIG. 6 may be produced according to the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. described above, and its use will be described below. Drug dispenser article 200 has a plurality of electrodes 202 disposed along one edge thereof. The electrodes 202 are configured to be inserted into a computerized drug scheduler (not shown). Signal lines 204 extend from electrodes 202 and back to matching electrodes 206, making a continuous electrically conductive path from electrodes 202 to electrodes 206. The signal lines 204 include curvelinear portions 208 which are preferably disposed on aluminum foil immediately beneath a pill 210 contained within a plastic blister 212.
In order to dispense a pill, the patient pushes the pill 210 through the aluminum foil at the bottom of the article 200, thus severing signal line 208. The severing of the signal line 208 is detected by the computerized scheduler, and the time is noted therein. The computer now has a schedule indicating the identity of and time that each pill was removed from the article 200. The patient merely observes the display of the computerized scheduler to determine when the last drug was taken, and when the next drug is scheduled to be taken.
FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of a portion of the article 200 as viewed along lines 7--7, of FIG. 6. The flexible aluminum foil 52 has disposed thereon a dielectric coating 58, as has been described above with reference to FIG. 5. Signal lines L.sub.S1 and L.sub.S2 are deposited thereover and carry signals. A thicker line L.sub.p may be provided as a bus line for communication, as a circuit-matching resistor, or as a power line for carrying power, if required. Disposed over top of the signal lines is a protective coating 116 of, for example lacquer, as described earlier with respect to FIG. 5.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a number of alternative circuit components which may be produced according to the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. described above. All circuits are depicted as being printed on a substrate layer 53, such as 1-2 mil polymeric plastic. A capacitor C.sub.1 is provided having plates 802 and 804 separated by an insulating layer 806. The capacitor plates 802, 804 and the insulating layer 806 are dimensioned to produce the appropriate capacitance required for the circuit. Of course, the capacitor plates 802, 804 are coupled to other conductive circuitry (not shown).
A switch SW.sub.1 is also shown in FIG. 8 and may comprise electrodes 808 and 810. The electrodes are separated by an insulating layer 812 which may comprise an insulating material having a plurality of voids or holes therein. Pushing down on electrode 810 will cause it to make contact with electrode 808, thus closing switch SW.sub.1. If the insulating layer 812 has elastic properties, releasing pressure on electrode 810 will cause the switch to open.
Energy source (battery) E.sub.1 is also shown in FIG. 8 and comprises electrode 816, electrolyte 818, and electrode 820. The electrolyte 818 preferably comprises micro-encapsulated liquid electrolyte (e.g., alkalines) which may also be deposited via the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. printing techniques described above. Alternatively, the electrolyte may comprise a liquid or a gel encased in a plastic blister which is deposited on the electrode 816 in an in-line process, as depicted in FIG. 5 for insulator 88. When the power source is ready for activation, the electrolyte 818 may be activated by the user pressing thereon, or some other process can be applied for causing the electrolyte 818 to make contact with both electrodes 816 and 820 (e.g., mechanical pressure, electrical activation, heating, photo-stimulation, etc.). Such a power source may be a simple short-term, one-shot power supply, or it may provide longer-lasting, higher-power similar to known 1.5-volt batteries, depending upon the number of electrodes and the type of electrolyte used. In a preferred embodiment, a battery may be printed by printing a carbon electrode on a substrate, depositing a dry alkaline on top of the carbon electrode, and printing a zinc electrode over the dry alkaline. The zinc will have a plurality of holes therein so that dipping the battery in water will liquidify the alkaline thus activating the electrolyte to power the battery. If higher voltages are needed, a plurality of such batteries may be connected in series, or an increase in battery current may be achieved by connecting a plurality of such batteries in parallel.
Also depicted in FIG. 8 is a simple resistor R.sub.1 which may provide a resistance depending upon the thickness, width, length, and type of conductive liquid used therefor.
FIG. 9 depicts further articles which may be produced according to the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. described above. FIG. 9 shows how a through (or interconnect) hole 822 which may be provided between signal lines L.sub.S1 and L.sub.S2. The through hole 822 may be produced, for example, by the spiked roller 108 depicted in FIG. 5. FIG. 9 also depicts a light electrode LE1 which may, for example, comprise an electroluminescent layer. Upon application of the appropriate current, LE1 will emit photons for a time and intensity depending upon the composition of the solution and the applied current and voltage.
FIG. 10 depicts a theft-detection tag produced according to the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. described above. Such tags may also be used for registering inventory, identifying products, tracking hospital patients (newborns), anti-shoplifting, product labeling, etc. The anti-theft tag of FIG. 10 comprises a resonant circuit printed on both the top and bottom of an insulating substrate, for example, paper, cardboard, polymer films, nonwoven fabrics, cotton cloth, silk, etc. The top and bottom circuits may be connected by folding, welding, or interconnecting as described above with reference to FIG. 5. The resonant circuit comprises a conductive coil 900 having a thin, 1 mm long, 0.25 mm wide bridge-portion 902 disposed therein. When the theft-detection tag passes through a detector unit (not shown), RF energy emitted by the detector unit causes the circuit to resonate and act as a transmitter, giving off RF energy which may be detected by the detector. If the product has been properly purchased, a microwave capacitor 904 disposed near the cash register may emit a low-power microwave ray to burn and sever the bridge 902, thus decoupling the resonant circuit and permitting the tag to be removed from the store through the detector apparatus without alarm. Of course, other ways of decoupling the resonant circuit may be used, such as mechanical severing, magnetic alteration, etc. Very few articles of clothing currently have theft-detection circuits affixed thereto because known circuits are not cost-effective. However, according to the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM., cotton or silk clothing labels bearing both product information and anti-theft circuitry may be produced in an in-line, high-speed process at low cost.
A wide variety of other articles may be produced according to the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. described above. For example, heating circuits can be printed on plastic sheeting which is laminated to a thermoformable plastic substrate, the laminate being subsequently thermoformed into a three dimensional product. Such a process can produce food trays made of foamed polymers may have heating circuits printed in the bottom thereof, so that food may be heated with an available electrical circuit, for example, a cigarette lighter in a car. Such a heating element may also be printed in coffee cups, soup cups, hot cereal containers, baby bottles, etc. The circuit need only have two electrodes and an appropriate number of resistors disposed near the product to be heated. Also, food products can be heated within flexible pouches with printed heating elements.
Other heating applications are also susceptible to the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. described above. For example, space heaters (e.g., for use in a van or trailer) may be produced by thermoforming large sheets of a semi-rigid substrate (e.g., foamable polymeric composites). Printed on the substrate (prior to thermoforming) would be a plurality of heating elements produced according to the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM.. The heating elements could be readily configured to provide high heat or low heat and for a particular space desired. The heating elements could even be produced in interconnectable modular form. Power could be provided through a vehicle cigarette lighter, from a vehicle alternator, or from a wall outlet for use in a building space heater.
Heating elements may also be printed on cloth or on the non-woven polymer fabrics discussed above. This could result in inexpensive heated products such as heated blankets, heated towels, heated socks, heated mittens, heated caps, heated clothes, heated automobile seats, heated furniture, etc.
Furthermore, large sheets of polyethylene having heated elements printed thereon may be produced for use in hot houses for personal or commercial use. The heating elements may be designed to produce a wide range of btu's depending on the type of hot house being assembled.
Alternatively, electrical circuits produced according to the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. may be used to cool products. It is well known that semi-conductor materials (P-N junctions) may generate heat or absorb heat depending upon the current (and direction of current) applied thereto. All of the above-noted heating applications may have complementary cooling applications which can be satisfied according to the electrical circuits produced by the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM.. As one example, the foam labels adhered to soda bottles may have circuitry printed therein to absorb heat from the bottle, thus cooling the liquid. The cooling circuitry may be coupled to an external power source, or a power source may be printed into the label, as described above. Thus, the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. may produce a great number of products capable of being heated and/or cooled.
Electrically conductive liquids may also be printed according to the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. on documents requiring authentication, such as bonds, stocks, currency, etc.
Electrical circuitry having particular characteristics may be printed on the document and later verified with a small electrical authenticator which ascertains the characteristics of the electrical circuit printed on the document.
Furthermore, electrically conductive liquids may be printed according to the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. to perform the function of product registration in well-known in-line bag-making, sheeting, or pouch-making processes and in any process requiring position detecting and triggering. Currently, a large black or dark registration mark is provided on a bag web. An optical reader determines the location of the registration mark to control the feeding, and cutting of the printed web. However, optical readers are susceptible to dirt and other reliability problems. By using a conductive ink as a small registration mark, a small roller (or wheel) with one or more electrodes thereon may be used to detect the passage of the conductive ink registration mark, e.g., with a continuity check.
Microwave susceptors may also be printed into products to be used in microwave ovens, such as microwave popcorn bags or boxes (plastic or paper). Currently, microwave susceptors must be mechanically (or manually) inserted into pouches or between layers of a microwave container, (e.g., a popcorn bag). With the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM., such susceptors may be printed on or within container layers in an in-line, low-cost process. Indeed, the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. may combine printing electrically conductive circuits with ornamental labels, as discussed earlier. Thus, the name of the microwave popcorn manufacturer may be printed with an electrically-conductive liquid so that the manufacturer's name itself acts as a microwave susceptor.
Electroluminescent liquids may be advantageously used in light-up displays attractive to the consumer. For example, soda cans may be printed with electroluminescent liquids, power lines, and terminals using the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. described above. The soda can display at the store may have matching electrodes and a power source such that the displayed soda cans actually light up with the manufacturer's name and/or trademark.
Furthermore, tamper-evident packaging may also be created utilizing electrical circuits produced by the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. described above. For example, signal lines may be printed on shrink-wrap product coverings such that the signal lines break to show tampering. A simple circuit located at the cash register would be used to detect broken signal lines indicating that the package had been tampered with.
As described above, any known or useful electrical circuit can be produced according to the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. including, but not limited to, signal lines, power lines, connectors, switches, antennas, induction heaters, radiant heaters, coolers, radiation reflectors, diodes, capacitors, transistors, resistors, inductors, coils, batteries, sensors, fuel cells, piezoelectric elements, light emitting circuits, photovoltaic cells, photo-imaging cells, etc.
6. Conclusion
Thus, what has been described above is a method and apparatus for the high-speed mass production of electrical circuit components by directly printing electrically conductive liquids onto a substrate without post-printing processes. The GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. is far superior to the best-known printed circuit board techniques, such as silk-screen. The GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. can produce printed circuit boards 10-50 times faster than silk-screen processes. The precision and geometric tolerances produced according to the present invention are also far superior to silk-screening since a stencil does not have to be pulled away from the substrate allowing the thick ink to cause dispersion at the edges. The silk-screen process can produce signal lines on the order of 500 microns wide, whereas the present invention can produce signal lines tolerances an order of magnitude narrower. Silk-screen inks are also quite expensive, from 600-700 dollars per pound, orders of magnitude more expensive than the conductive liquid according to the present invention. In addition, a large amount of ink wastage is seen in silk-screen processes, where the present invention will waste very little ink. The present invention can miniaturize or downsize circuits because the direct printing process can produce much finer and smaller dimensions than silk-screen stencils. For example, silk-screen processes can only approximately space signal lines approximately 2 millimeters apart, whereas the present invention can space signal lines approximately 0.1 millimeters apart. Further, the GRAVCO-PROCESS.TM. can easily produce multi-layer circuitry, whereas silk screening can only produce a single layer. Finally, silk-screen processes cannot print circuit boards on flexible substrates, whereas the present invention can print on one mil flexible substrates such as plastic, paper, or aluminum foil. Accordingly, the present invention can produce electrical circuit components and/or electrical circuits at a fraction of the cost and in a fraction of the time of the best-known current printed circuit board techniques.
While the present invention has been described with what are presently considered to be the preferred embodiments, the claims are not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, the claims are intended to cover various modifications and equivalent structures and functions as are apparent from the appended claims.
1. A flexible, electrically-conductive article, comprising:
- a flexible substrate; and
- an electrical circuit component formed of a conductive liquid printed directly onto one side of said flexible substrate, the electrical circuit component having uniform and continuous electrically conductive pathways in a printing direction and in a direction transverse thereto.
2. An article according to claim 1, wherein said electrical circuit component comprises at least one of: a signal line; a power line; a resistor; an inductor; a diode; a coil; a transistor; a battery; an antenna; and a switch.
3. An article according to claim 1, wherein said flexible substrate comprises at least one of polymeric plastic, paper, flexible fiber board, non-woven polymeric fabric, cloth, and metallic foil.
4. An article according to claim 1, wherein said flexible substrate comprises a metallic foil, and further comprising a dielectric layer printed between said metallic foil and said electrical circuit component.
5. An article according to claim 4, wherein said foil, said dielectric layer, and said electrical circuit component are breakable.
6. An article according to claim 1, further comprising a second electrical circuit component formed of a conductive layer directly printed onto said flexible substrate.
7. An article according to claim 1, further comprising a flexible insulating layer formed on said flexible substrate over top of said electrical circuit component.
8. An article according to claim 7, further comprising a second electrical circuit component formed of a conductive liquid printed directly onto said insulating layer over said electrical circuit component.
9. An article according to claim 8, wherein said second electrical component, said insulating layer, and said electrical circuit component comprise a capacitor.
10. An article according to claim 8, wherein said insulating layer includes a plurality of voids therein, and wherein said second electrical circuit component, said insulating layer, and said electrical circuit component comprise a push-pad switch.
11. An article according to claim 1, wherein said electrical circuit component comprises an anti-theft resonant circuit.
12. An article according to claim 1, wherein said electrical circuit component comprises a pill dispensing article.
13. An article according to claim 1, wherein said flexible substrate comprises a thermoformed foamed plastic material, and wherein said electrical circuit component comprises a heating element printed directly on the foamed substrate.
14. An article according to claim 1, wherein said electrical circuit component comprises first and second battery electrodes, and further comprising a battery electrolyte formed on said flexible substrate between said first and second battery electrodes.
15. An article according to claim 1, wherein said electrical circuit component comprises a microwave susceptor.
16. An article according to claim 1, wherein said electrical circuit component comprises an ornamental design as well as a functional circuit component.
17. An article according to claim 1, wherein said electrical circuit component comprises a light-emitting circuit component.
18. An article according to claim 1, further comprising:
- an insulating layer printed directly on said electrical circuit component;
- a second electrical circuit component formed of a conductive liquid printed directly onto the insulating layer; and
- a layer interconnect through hole disposed through said insulating layer and connecting said second electrical circuit component and said electrical circuit component.
19. An article according to claim 1, wherein said electrical circuit component comprises at least one heating element.
20. A substrate containing a plurality of printed circuit boards, the web comprising:
- a flexible substrate; and
- a plurality of identical electrical circuit components formed of a conductive liquid printed directly onto one side of said flexible substrate, each of said identical circuit components having uniform and continuous electrically conductive pathways in a printing direction and in a direction transverse thereto.
21. A plurality of flexible substrate according to claim 20 bonded to a rigid substrate.
22. A plurality of webs according to claim 20, wherein said substrate is between 5-25 mils thick.
23. A printed circuit board comprising:
- a flexible or semi-rigid substrate; and
- a gravure-printed electrical circuit component directly printed on one side of said substrate, said electrical circuit component having uniform and continuous electrically-conductive pathways extending in a print direction and in a direction transverse thereto.
24. A printed circuit board according to claim 23, wherein said electrical circuit component comprises a conductive ink.
25. A printed circuit board according to claim 24, wherein said conductive ink comprises a metallic powder and a plasticizer.
26. A printed circuit board according to claim 25, wherein said metallic powder comprises silver.
27. A printed circuit board according to claim 24, wherein said conductive ink comprises graphite.
28. A printed circuit board according to claim 24, wherein said conductive ink comprises a magnetic ink.
29. A printed circuit board according to claim 23, wherein said electrical circuit component comprises an inductor.
30. A printed circuit board according to claim 23, wherein a second printed electrical circuit component is disposed on the opposite side of said substrate.
31. A printed circuit board according to claim 30, further comprising an electrical connection between said printed electrical circuit component and said second printed electrical circuit component.
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- Harper, "Electronic Packaging Microelectronics & Interconnection Dictionary" p. 174. Websters II, New Riverside Dictionary p. 1308. Printed Circuit Techniques by C. Brunetti and R.W. Curtis, National Bureau of Standards Circular 468 issued Nov. 15, 1947. Provisional Product Data Sheet by Acheson Colloids Co.; Engineering News, Design News Apr. 10, 1995; New Scientific This Weeks, undated. Electrodag Polymer Thick Film Inks by Acheson Colloids Co., Electrodag Surface Mount Technology for Flexible Printed Circuits by Acheson, undat. Provisional Product Data Sheet No. SS 24600 by Acheson Colloids Co.
Type: Grant
Filed: Oct 7, 1995
Date of Patent: Jun 9, 1998
Assignee: Paramount Packaging Corporation (Chalfont, PA)
Inventors: Irvin Isen (Narboth, PA), Joseph Kucherovsky (Philadelphia, PA)
Primary Examiner: Elizabeth Evans
Law Firm: Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto
Application Number: 8/488,284
International Classification: B32B 300;


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Every current or former State of Texas employee and retiree who had medical coverage through the GBP during the Calendar Year (January 1 – December 31) will receive Form 1095–B. Please refer to FAQ #4 for more information about which Medicare members will receive a Form 1095-B from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). If you covered a spouse or children under your GBP plan, they will be included on this form; you will not receive a separate Form 1095-B for each of your dependents.
If anyone reported as covered by GBP medical coverage on Form 1095-B files a separate income tax return or is listed as tax dependent on another person's income tax return, the GBP member is responsible for providing copies of the Form 1095-B to the person filing the tax return for that dependent.
If you do not receive your Form 1095-B by the end of February, or if you lose it, you can call your medical insurance provider toll-free to request another copy. Please see the contact information below:
Every current or former State of Texas employee and retiree who had medical coverage through the GBP will receive Form 1095-B from the administrator of the plan (or plans) under which he or she had medical coverage during the calendar year. Depending on which plan(s) you were covered by, you will receive form 1095-B directly from:
If you have Medicare Part A, you may get IRS Form 1095-B from Medicare in the early part of the year. If you don't get a Form 1095-B, don't worry. Not everyone will get this form from Medicare, and you don't need to have it to file your taxes.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will mail Form 1095–B only to participants who meet the following criteria:
If you were covered by Medicare Part A for all 12 months of the year, just check the box on your Federal income tax return indicating you had qualifying health coverage all year. CMS is reporting your coverage to the IRS.
This includes members enrolled in:
People enrolled in the Medicare Advantage plans will not receive a separate Form 1095-B from those plans.
If you also had coverage under TRICARE, TRICARE will send a Form 1094-B.
If you don't report information from your Form 1095-B, the IRS may assume you did not have medical coverage and may assess the Individual Mandate Penalty. Please see the Department of Health and Human Services website for detailed information on how the penalty is calculated.
Every medical coverage provider that covered you (and any dependents) for at least one day is required to send you a Form 1095-B. State of Texas medical coverage will be reported for each month of your enrollment in a GBP medical plan.
If you had medical coverage from another employer and its respective carrier, you will receive a separate Form 1095-B from each one.
If you had coverage from more than one GBP plan – for example, if you were in an HMO January through August, but switched to HealthSelect in September – you will receive Form 1095-B from each plan. If you did not have medical coverage through the GBP at any time during the Calendar Year, you will not receive a Form 1095-B from any of the GBP plans.
Additional benefits such as dental plans, life insurance or short-term and long-term disability (through the Texas Income Protection Plan) do not need to be reported to the federal government and will not be included on Form 1095-B.
Please make sure your name, Social Security number (SSN), names and SSNs of any dependents you cover, and your mailing address are correct on your Form1095-B. If you're an active employee, contact your benefits coordinator to update any incorrect information. If you're a former employee or retiree, contact ERS to update incorrect information. Once you update the information, please contact your medical coverage provider to see if you need an updated Form 1095-B. Please see question 3 for contact information for GBP medical coverage providers.
Providing accurate SSNs on all income and healthcare benefit documentation to your agency is the best way to ensure your employer and medical insurance provider report correct information to the IRS. ERS receives the information from your employer and sends it to medical insurance providers so they can issue Form 1095-B in your name. The IRS will send written notice to you with instructions on how to respond to any questions they have about differences in reporting. Your employer or health insurance provider is not responsible for incorrect or missing employee or dependent IRS reporting information. It's your responsibility to contact your benefits coordinator or ERS for any corrections to your personal information on your Form 1095-B.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Businesses of all sizes have jumped on the social media bandwagon, using things like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to promote their brands. Some SMBs don't even have a website and opts to use social media as the main way for consumers to discover them online. But using social media for business is a tricky affair and a recent survey breaks down the challenges companies face when using this medium.
Social media image from Shutterstock
Hootsuite, a company that creates social media management tools, recently surveyed 100 executives and managers across a number of industries in Australia and found that 87 per cent of respondents believed social media provides a competitive advantage. But it's realising this competitive advantage that businesses struggle with.
Here are the challenges that Australian companies face when it comes to using social media:
- Content creation (30 per cent)
- Social media measurement (18 per cent)
- Content distribution (on various channels simultaneously (15 per cent)
- Ability to monitor and feedback quickly across channels (12 per cent)
- Tracking competition (12 per cent)
- Assigning authority to multiple team members to publish content (12 per cent)
It's no surprise that content creation is still the leading hurdle for businesses using social media to boost their brands. There are many instances where a stray Tweet has landed companies in hot water. Sometimes, what seems like a good idea to execute on social media could end up biting companies back in the butt (remember the #YourTaxis debacle last year?).
There's no easy way to address the issue of content creation but doing your homework and having the plan before engaging with folks on social media is a wise move. You can refer to our Four Tips For Businesses Developing A Social Media Strategy article for guidance.


text:
The other day I was browsing www.flipkart.com looking for some books on Madhubani. Unfortunatelly I didn't find any books, except for "Toy Kraft" Madhubani kit. "Toy Kraft" is a brand that has about six craft kits related to Madhubani:
Madhubani Glass Painting
Madhubani Art Puzzles
Papier Mache With Madhubani
Sandsational Madhubani
Simple & Symbolic Sand Art Madhubani
You can buy all of them at these Indian websites: www.toy-kraft.com or www.flipkart.com for the price ranging between m 200 rs to 600 rs.
|Cover of the box
The Madhubani kit that I bought was "Sandsational Madhubani". It had five Madhubani tracing patterns, a booklet on Madhubani painting, instructions, "Fevicol" glue, a plastic brush, a black sketch pen (black fell-tip pen), a sieve and many packets of colored sand.
|Contents of Madhubani Sandsational art kit
"Sandsational Kit" is all about sand and in this kit Madhubani is made by applying "Fevicol" on top of the wanted part of the tracing pattern (yellow card board sheets) and then pouring the colored sand. For example, after applying brown color on the tree, we then apply glue on its leaves and pour the green color on top of it.
|The one my daughter made: cow and mango tree
As a Madhubani fanatic, I hoped to make my daughter interested in Madhubani through art and craft. My daughter loved it at first but after applying three colors she got bored and I ended up finishing the Madhubani. We didn't use the black sketch pen to make the outlines, as I thought it won't work that nice on the sand. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised for my five year old daughter getting tired of making a Madhubani sand work, because the kit is meant for children eight years and above and for adults.
|Peacock trace pattern
I am not really that fond of sand but this kit had really nice tracing patterns and a booklet on Madhubani - two things that I liked the most about it. The images that one can find in the booklet, however are the same ones you can see on the Internet.


text:
John Donne: Poems
Dying to Love: Romance and Faith in John Donne's "The Funeral"
The speaker in John Donne's "The Funeral" appears to have reasoned through the problem of death. He writes that "Whoever comes to shroud" him after he passes should not disturb "That subtle wreath of hair" which adorns his arm; he attests that the mystical bracelet, a prize given to him by a beloved mistress, will "keep [his] limbs... from dissolution" (lines 1, 3, 8). He bolsters the Romantic powers of his lover's keepsake with Christian imagery, consecrating the wreath with religious might and importance. Yet, the idealized comparison inspires obvious skepticism in any candid reading of the poem. After all, does the speaker really think a tangle of hair can function as an "outward soul" and keep him alive after death (5)? In the second stanza, this doubt even creeps into the narrator's logic as he tries to explain how the band works. Yet, the uncertain meaning and power of the bracelet only moves him to more religious bravado. The speaker's use of classic, religious diction to describe his faith in the wreath, intimates his extreme faith in Love, while also contradicting its supposed power.
In the first stanza, the speaker relies on the subtle use of religious...
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text:
Travel back in time to enjoy bright, bold, larger-than-life icons from the 1950s to the 1990s. From yo-yos to the Sony Walkman®, from Play-Doh® to the Rubik's Cube®, experience a Resort that celebrates the fashions, catch phrases, toys and dances that captivated the world through the decades.
Standard View/Standard Room: Rooms offer views of wooded landscaping, a courtyard and pool or parking area. All Guest Rooms have two double beds or one king-size bed, table and chairs, vanity area with sink and a bathroom. Guest Room amenities include in-room wall safe, voice mail, and data port on phone. Hair dryer, iron and ironing board and refrigerator are available upon request.
Quick Service Everything Pop Shopping and Dining Blast back to the past at this fun- and fad-filled Food Court where four different counter-service shops offer a wide variety of favorites, including sandwiches, salads, pizza, pasta, burgers and a bevy of baked goods. Eat your meal among popular retro icons from the 50s through the 90s that will have you reminiscing with relish. Or, for fun-on-the-run, the Grab-N-Go Market serves fresh food to take out.
Pools: Dive into fun at the Computer Pool, the '60s-themed Hippy Dippy Pool, the Bowling Pool, kiddie pool and Pop jet water fountain. Arcade: Play a variety of video and pinball games at Fast Forward Arcade, located across from the Food Court. Playground: Climb, slide and play to your heart's content at a "play" space especially for kids.


text:
About Us
Founded in 1998, the Eastside Arts Coalition is more than 60 Eastside arts groups and individual artists who have joined forces to promote performing, visual, literary and media arts and heritage in communities in East King County (Washington state, USA).
Membership of the Eastside Arts Coalition is open to individuals and groups that create, exhibit, support, teach, present or produce culture on the Eastside, including music, dance, theatre, visual, literary, heritage, film and multi-media arts.
Our members cover all sizes and types of groups, including non-profit organizations, governmental entities such as arts commissions, and for-profit corporations, all sharing a common aim of enhancing the vitality of arts and culture on the Eastside.
Our Mission
Our mission is to enhance the vitality of the Eastside by bringing the arts and cultural community together, building community awareness, support and involvement, and promoting partnerships and joint programs that maximize the resources available to Eastside artists and arts and cultural organizations.
Our members meet on the fourth Tuesday of the month, usually in the morning.
Meetings are hosted by our member organizations, and we change the meeting location regularly. We are seeking meeting locations for 2012 and would welcome offers to host from our members (requires space, tables and chairs for about 20-30 people, we provide a contribution towards refreshments).
Key projects initiated by the Eastside Arts Coalition that address our mission include:
On September 15 2007, we organized the first Eastside Arts Education Fair – a collection of information, performances, workshops and activities highlighting the arts and educational services and opportunities the Eastside has to offer to the community.
30 artists and groups took part in the event at Bellevue City Hall. View the poster large scale.
We held a second Fair in April 2008, and this time moved the event to Crossroads of Bellevue, which encouraged more people to stop by the tables of the organizations that were represented. The Fair took place on the same day as the Bite of Crossroads. Our third Fair, on April 25 2009, again at Crossroads, was our most successful yet – more details here.
The first Eastside Arts Alive! Festival was held in 2004 and included about 20 member organizations performing concurrently at two venues, the Theatre at Meydenbauer Center and Kirkland Performance Center, over three days.
The East King County Arts & Cultural Economic Impact Study was commissioned by EAC and released in September 2001.Sponsored by Bellevue Arts Commission, Bellevue Chamber Foundation, Corporate Council for the Arts/ArtsFund, Eastside Arts Coalition, Issaquah Arts Commission, King County Arts Commission, Music Works Northwest & Redmond Arts Commission
Prepared by: William B. Beyers of Department of Geography, Box 353550, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
You may download the Executive Summary as a PDF file to read and/or print off-line.


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Glucose Syrup
Availability: In Stock« Return to Baking
This product is a 1 kg pale and perfect for any of your baking, chocolate or foodie creations.
Glucose syrup or liquid glucose is a colourless syrup derived from corn starch and used in baking and sweet-making.Product is larger and a different brand from the one in the photo, but of equal or better quality. New photo coming soon. This is also known as Liquid Glucose .
Recipes, Links & More...
Remember, glucose syrup can make a formidable substitute for corn syrup!


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Auto Glass Service & Minor Body and Paint
Auto Glass Service
We offer auto glass service, including windshield, window, and mirror replacement for your convenience.
Frequently we see customer cars with cracks or a chip in the windshield. In many instances, those can be repaired without having to replace the glass. Much of it has to do with the size, location and/or how long you have waited to address it. Cracks that are left unaddressed for long periods of time collect dirt and moisture making it difficult if not impossible to repair.
Manufacturers include lots of extras in the windshields today, including rain sensors, heat elements and other items that can impact how well your car works. If you notice damage to your windshield, getting auto glass service sooner rather than later can save you money.
Glass replacement, whether it's a broken windshield or a shattered side glass, can generally be installed same day.
In addition to auto glass service, there are other window problems that can arise like motor and regulator failures. We can fix windows that are dragging or sluggish or if the window isn't moving at all.
Body and Paint Work
One of the things that sets us apart from other auto repair shops is that we strive to be full-service. This includes minor body and paint work, from bumpers to mirror housings and panel replacement. If something needs attention, just let us know and we will have one of our technicians check it out.
Did you purchase or received some cool car accessories and now need installation help? We install special lighting, running boards, stereo and GPS tracking equipment. We have fabricated and installed specialized bumpers and exhaust systems. We have even fabricated doors for box trucks for one of our fleet customers.
If we don't have the capability to repair something in house, we have an extensive list of working partners who can. We will go out of our way to make sure your repair is as pain free as possible.
Remember, at Dulles South Chantilly Automotive we pride ourselves on our motto "It's not just a repair, it's a relationship!"


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Search & Read
ShiningWorld Reader
I Am That
Seeker: Mr. Swartz, I came across this today and want to share it.
Does duality indeed exist? And what experiences/observes the jiva going to or coming from the cave? Everything is limitless consciousness, sarvam khalvidam brahman.
Then what is this about understanding non-duality, hard work and seeing that you are not the mind? Consciousness is all. How it manifests in this dream gets a lot of press, but strip it all away and it is all nothing but Him. He is inscrutable to casual analysis, rhyme and reason. It is clear that this is a dream, even for the wise, although the ignorant think it real. So? It thinks, It acts, It reasons… there is nothing else.
When It lifts the pen and asks patients in the office, "What do you see?," the patient says, "I see a pen," but He says, "It is Me appearing as a pen. May He… That… stay present and foremost when you are in any state of consciousness."
James: Brahma satyam jagan mithya. This is certainly true from the non-dual self's point of view and from its point of view there is no dream. But the last statement, "may it stay foremost and present," etc. includes the dream point of view, jagan mithya. Yes, it is desirable that it "stay" but what makes it stay except constant discrimination – until there is absolute no doubt in jiva's mind that the world and the mind is a dream? It is not going to "stay" on its own, because it is always present; it never went away. So the "staying" is only in terms of the hard and fast knowledge "I am He."


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Dear Dr. Pepper, I really should give you up. But I don't wanna!
Dear Zoe, if you keep losing your teeth I'm going to have to buy you doggy dentures. Or blend up your food.
Dear dust, I loath you. I clean you up and 3 days later you're back.
Dear book, I bought you Saturday, and I believe I will finish you today. You are that good!
Dear Arrested Development, thanks for the laughs!
Dear Hunger Games movie, you did not disappoint!


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Losing weight can be too daunting. Granted, your weight slush off quickly at first, sometimes it seems like it won't budge a bit. This condition is dubbed as weight loss plateau, which can be too disappointing and frustrating. What causes the weight loss plateau? Keep on reading.
Skimping sleep and calories a lot
Based on a study conducted previously by some doctors at the University of Chicago General Clinical Resource Center, most people on a diet who are getting not more than six hours of nap at night tend to lose less fat than people who sleeps eight hours. In addition to that, they often feel hungrier. As per PlamenPenev, MD, PhD the study director and assistant professor from University of Chicago, if you're aiming to get rid of your fat, skipping your sleep can be simply compared to poking sticks on the wheels of your bicycle. It compromises your effort to eliminate fat by means of dieting.
You're moving too slow (literally)
Wondering why you're not losing while you're at the same rate like before? Then possible, you have to increase your rate. Researchers discovered that HIIT or high-intensity interval trainingcan generate more weight loss than your old, boring and moderate-intensity exercises. For instance, you usually jog moderately for about 30 minutes. Instead of doing things like that, try to warm up for five minutes. After that, run intensely for about one minute and them recover through running easily for 4 minutes. Do this routine for five times.
You forgot to portion your food
What causes the weight loss plateau? A question most dieters always ask. The answer may lie with your portion control of foods.
Unbelievably, lots of people don't really know the value of portion sizes. It is essential to keep an eye on the amount of food you'll ingest as it make a huge difference especially if you're trying to lose some pounds.
For instance, if you add another tablespoon of peanut butter for your smoothie today, you should know that is about 120 extra calories. That only means you will 840 extra calories every week. You need to be a little careful when you are getting closer to your target body weight.
So, once you have stopped seeing good results, consider looking at your portion control of food. Be more mindful of the foods you need to eat.
Always remember, that it's okay for weight loss to stall or slow on some instances. You don't have to be discouraged. Now that you have the answers to the question 'what causes the weight loss plateau', you can already craft a plan once your number on the scale stops shedding.


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Our social work faculty reflects a cross-section of the social work profession, representing many specialties.
Career Opportunities
- Social Welfare Agencies
- Community Development
- Family Services
- Hospitals
- Criminal Justice and Corrections
- Mental Health
Related Websites
Program Overview
The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program helps students develop knowledge and skills to understand complex social issues and the ability to assess and intervene, directly and indirectly, at the individual, family, group, organizational, community, and/or policy levels. In each phase of the program, students are taught to think critically, communicate effectively, and analyze and evaluate their social work practice. The program prepares students for entry-level employment in social welfare agencies, schools, hospitals, correctional institutions, social action and community organizations, and day care, geriatric, or rehabilitation and residential centers.
Students entering UMSL as freshman and as transfer students begin as a pre-social work major. Students with a junior-level standing and a GPA of 2.75 or higher in social work related areas may formally apply for the BSW program concurrently with SOC WK 3100. Admission to the program is conditional upon the successful completion of all necessary requirements.
The BSW degree program requires a minimum of 43 credit hours of coursework in human behavior, practice, research and policy, as well as 30 credit hours of related area coursework. In addition, students must complete 570 clock hours of fieldwork in a social services agency.
Learn more about the program curriculum.
What UMSL Social Work has to offer
The UMSL School of Social Work prepares leaders to bring about positive change, especially in St. Louis. One of the largest BSW programs in the region, it boasts a database of 400-plus practicum locations, including DOORWAYS, United Way of Greater St. Louis and Beyond Housing, providing extraordinary opportunities for community engagement. Through critical, empirical and applied aspects of social work, students gain a multicultural perspective with a strong emphasis on community and agency field work.
The School of Social Work is strongly committed to providing accessible, affordable and high quality social work degree programs at the baccalaureate and master's levels to a diverse and nontraditional student body. It is also committed to carrying out research and scholarship to improve social work knowledge and to provide community service activities that serve to enhance the welfare and well-being of the people in the St. Louis Metropolitan region, the state and other metropolitan areas. The UMSL social work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. This accreditation assures graduates placement in social service agencies and allows students to apply for a license to practice social work. Professional social work education enables students to integrate the knowledge, values and skills of the profession into competent practice.
For more on the School of Social Work, visit http://www.umsl.edu/~socialwk/index.html.


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EY Report – Companies with Women on Boards More Likely to Lead Companies to Success
New report encourages high-growth companies to 'shoot for the moon' and develop a diverse board to improve results
With the right board, the sky's no limit: Ernst & Young LLP reveals diversity pays off; companies with women on boards more likely to challenge the status quo and lead companies to success.
For high-growth companies, getting the board composition right is crucial to growth and success. Ernst & Young recently unveiled Shoot for the moon: With the right board, the sky's no limit, which offers high-growth companies leading practices and tips on how to build a well-rounded board to help shape the direction of a company and improve its results. The report is a series of perspectives including Diversity Improves Results, which provides guidance on formalizing a diverse board structure, how to be successful with the right board members at your side, and ultimately, how to improve company results with a calculated board composition.
"Diversity in skill sets, experience, expertise, viewpoints and gender can lead to a stronger, more effective board," said Bryan Pearce, Director, Entrepreneur of the Year and Venture Capital Advisory Group, Ernst & Young LLP. "High-growth companies with a diverse board are more likely to challenge the status quo and to think about things in a different way – two very useful traits in today's demanding and rapidly evolving business world."
Ernst & Young reports that as companies start to build their boards it's important to consider diversity as a way to embed different perspectives in the direction and operation of the company. In terms of gender, research shows companies with women directors outperform those without.
Diversity improves results:
In a ranking of companies based on the average number of woman directors from 2004 to 2008, companies in the top quartile outperformed those in the bottom quartile by 26 percent, as Ernst & Young's 2012 Getting on board report notes. Over the past six years, companies with women on the board also showed better average growth (14 percent vs. 10 percent) and a higher return on equity (16 percent vs. 12 percent).
In other key findings, Credit Suisse Research took a look at the performance of close to 2,400 companies with and without female board members from 2005 onwards and reported that in a like-for-like comparison, companies with at least one woman on the board would have outperformed stocks with no women on the board by 26 percent over the course of the last 6 years. However, in a recent Catalyst Census study, results indicate that women held only 16.6 percent of board seats at Fortune 500 companies in 2012. Additionally, in both 2011 and 2012, less than one-fifth of companies had 25 percent or more women directors, while one-tenth had no women serving on their boards.
"With research evidencing a positive correlation between greater diversity and a corporation's growth performance, U.S. companies with more homogeneous boards may be missing a major opportunity to add fresh talent to their leadership mix and drive growth," said Pearce. "Ernst & Young continues to advocate and raise awareness around the advancement of women into leadership roles, and ultimately, to help equip companies with the tools and networks needed to close the diversity gap."
The art of diverse selection:
– Prioritize diversity. In building your board, consider diversity as a way of bringing a broad range of perspectives to bear on all decisions.
– Put on your customers' shoes. Diversity on the board can also help management better understand a diverse customer base. Ensure people who are living the experience of your customers are at your table.
– Embed varied life experiences. Directors with different life experiences are more likely to approach the issues before the board from a fresh perspective. A diverse board is more likely to challenge established thinking and the status quo.
– Think growth. Diverse boards aim to help companies hit growth goals, bring added value to the company, and ultimately, drive top and bottom lines to help management consider how their company can be the best it can be.
"A diverse board can be a valuable resource when it comes to diversity in hiring, financing alternatives and in diversity supplier situations," said Tom McDonnell, CEO for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. "Once you've achieved that diversity, you have to have a homogenous board from a standpoint of where the business is going, what its business lines are and what are the metrics for that business."
This report is the second in a series of perspectives from Shoot for the moon, which focus on topics such as board diversity, communication and recruiting. The full paper also explores why and how high-growth companies are likely to be more successful with the right board members at their side, and offers advice from successful entrepreneurs and investors, including how to build the right board, getting the board composition right, the art of director rotation and overall approaches to board communication to encourage open and honest dialogue and shared results.
Learn More: http://www.ey.com/US/en/Services/Strategic-Growth-Markets/Shoot-for-the-moon.
About Ernst & Young's Strategic Growth Markets Practice
Through our Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) practices, Ernst & Young guides high-growth companies to market leadership worldwide. Our multidisciplinary teams of dedicated professionals provide perspective, advice, and insights to help our clients accelerate their growth. Ernst & Young is the undisputed leader in guiding Russell 2000® companies, IPO-bound companies and Forbes' largest private companies. We deliver assurance, advisory, tax and transaction advisory services to thousands of companies in numerous, selected industries.
About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.
EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.
Learn More: http://ey.com
This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.
SOURCE: Ernst & Young


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Substitute Teachers
I am a part of a number of different committees and inquiry groups that take me away from my classroom from time to time. Most of these absences are for half a day, either the morning or the afternoon. There will be several that will be full-day absences, but fortunately not too many. I also have about half an hour or so once a week that I meet with members of our support staff to collaborate on services for students who need it. Because of this, my students will be getting used to seeing substitute teachers in the classroom from time to time.
In an effort to promote consistency in my students' lives, I try to have the same couple of substitutes in my room. Now, obviously, I can't always get what I want, but I try and I am usually able to get the veteran retired teachers who spent almost more time in the classroom than I have being alive. There is the added benefit that they are teachers that my students have seen in the building regularly for as long as they have gone to school.
Today was my first extended absence for professional work. While I was away for the morning, I left my students in the very capable hands of one of these subs. While I was away, i did not have to worry about what was happening in the room. While I was working on examining our district's writing curriculum and discussing possible strategies for improvement, my students did their typical morning work: PE, Book Exchange, writing, science, and literacy.
I got back early and saw my class sitting on the carpet, listening a the sub read an adaptation of The Magic Flute to them. (This was in preparation for a trip to the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts next week to watch a stage production of the Mozart opera based on this story.)
After she finished reading, I took over and asked the class to review their day. For each part of the day, each student rated how the class did on a scale of one to five with one meaning everyone was off task and a five being everyone doing exactly what was expected. For each four or five, the students received one pebble in our incentive jar. The morning had five parts, so the class could earn up to five pebbles. However, when they receive all five, the pebbles are doubled, but when there is a substitute and they earn all five, they are tripled! The class had, in the words of the sub, an exceptional day, and so they earned all of their pebbles! What a wonderful way to end our week!
The Day the Crayons Quit
Continuing my effort to incorporate more picture books into my instructional practices this year, I shared a new book with my students that I discovered at Barnes & Noble one evening and immediately decided to read. Yes, I judged the book by its cover. Yes, I am glad I did! At first I wasn't sure about using it for my class, but once I read it, I knew I could use it for a writing prompt and for an examination of writer's craft.
The book was The Day the Crayons Quit, written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. It is a delightful story about a boy named Duncan whose crayons all revolted one day. Fortunately, each one wrote a letter explaining exactly why they were upset with him. Well, except Green Crayon. Green is perfectly content to be used how and as often as he is. He's just upset because Yellow Crayon and Orange Crayon are feuding over which one is the true colour of the sun.
Before reading the story, I asked my class to think about what items they have in their desks that never get used. Then I asked them to think about the items they use all the time. I didn't want them to discuss it, though, until after we'd read the book. As I read aloud, I showed the illustrations, read the letters from the crayons, and then showed the illustrations again. It was wonderful seeing reactions as the students realised what was being told with the pictures: Red is angry about being used on all the holidays, Blue is sad because he is used way too much, Gray wants to be used for small things like pebbles and baby penguins instead of elephants, hippos, and rhinos, and White wants to be used as more than filler and for pictures of a white cat in a snow storm.
After I finished reading, I gave the students their writing task: write a letter to themselves from the perspective of the item used the least and the item used the most. After we edit them and publish, we are going to share the original book with our learning buddies and then share our own letters with them. (By the way, Miss C doesn't know about this plan yet.) For the next hour, I had all of my students thinking, writing, giggling, and sharing as they wrote their first drafts during our Writers' Workshop time.
We will revisit The Day the Crayons Quit later in the year to think about writer's craft, voice, and style. But for the next week or so, we will work on revising and editing the letters so that we can publish and share them with others.