# US 11,442,320 B2 · Light control sheet and method of producing light control sheet > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,320 B2 - Document ID: US11442320B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/125,077 - Filed: 2020-12-17 - Published: 2021-05-13 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-18 - Assignees: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Masaaki Yoshino - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442320B2 ## CPC - B23K 26/0661: {disposed on the workpiece} - G02F 1/13439: {characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making} - B23K 26/0006: {taking account of the properties of the material involved (B23K26/32, B23K26/40 take precedence)} - B23K 26/24: Seam welding - B23K 26/362: Laser etching - B23K 26/57: the laser beam entering a face of the workpiece from which it is transmitted through the workpiece material to work on a different workpiece face, e.g. for effecting removal, fusion splicing, modifying or reforming - E06B 9/24: Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; {Slat blinds}(operating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00) - G02F 1/1334: based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals - E06B 2009/2464: {featuring transparency control by applying voltage, e.g. LCD, electrochromic panels} - G02F 1/13345: {Network or three-dimensional gels} - G02F 1/13775: {Polymer-stabilized liquid crystal layers} - G02F 1/1393: {the birefringence of the liquid crystal being electrically controlled, e.g. ECB-, DAP-, HAN-, PI-LC cells (G02F1/1396, G02F1/141 take precedence)} - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - E06B: FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES (shades or blinds for greenhouses A01G9/22; curtains A47H; lids for car boots or bonnets B62D25/10; skylights E04B7/18; sunshades, awnings E04F10/00) ## Abstract A method of producing a light control sheet includes forming a multilayer laminate in which a light control layer comprising a liquid crystal composition is sandwiched between a first transparent conductive layer formed on a first transparent support layer and a second transparent conductive layer formed on a second transparent support layer, and conducting laser irradiation to the multilayer laminate such that a laser beam penetrates one of the first and second transparent support layers located closer to a laser source than the first transparent conductive layer, and that an insulating portion is formed in the first transparent conductive layer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A light control sheet, comprising: a light control layer comprising a liquid crystal composition; a pair of transparent electrode layers including a first transparent electrode layer and a second transparent electrode layer, and sandwiching the light control layer; and a pair of transparent support layers sandwiching the light control layer and the pair of transparent electrode layers and comprising a first transparent support layer and a second transparent support layer, wherein the first transparent electrode layer is formed on the first transparent support layer and includes a plurality of electrode portions and an insulating portion comprising a structure formed by laser irradiation such that the electrode portions are separated by the insulating portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The light control sheet according to claim 1, wherein the first transparent electrode layer comprises a conductive film, and the structure of the insulating portion is formed by breaking a portion of the conductive film by the laser irradiation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The light control sheet according to claim 1, wherein the first transparent electrode layer comprises a conductive film comprising the plurality of electrode portions and the insulating portion such that the insulating portion includes a fragment of the conductive film removed from the first transparent support layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The light control sheet according to claim 1, wherein the first transparent electrode layer includes a plurality of elements and is modified by the laser irradiation such that a content of at least one of the elements is higher in a portion of the light control layer in contact with the insulating portion than in a portion of the light control layer in contact with the plurality of electrode portions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The light control sheet according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the insulating portion is rougher than a surface of a portion of the first transparent electrode layer adjacent to the insulating portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The light control sheet according to claim 1, wherein the second transparent electrode layer includes a strip-shaped insulating portion including a plurality of insulating portions formed by laser irradiation such that the insulating portions are separated from one another and positioned in an extending direction of the strip-shaped insulating portion, and that the strip-shaped insulating portion of the second transparent electrode layer overlaps with the insulating portion of the first transparent electrode layer in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the light control sheet. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The light control sheet according to claim 1, wherein a visible light transmittance in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the light control sheet is lower in a region where the insulating portion of the first transparent electrode layer is formed than in a region of the first transparent electrode layer where the insulating portion is not formed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The light control sheet according to claim 1, wherein the insulating portion of the first transparent electrode layer is part of a strip-shaped region having an outer shape including a plurality of rounded regions connected and extended in one direction, in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the light control sheet. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The light control sheet according to claim 1, wherein the electrode portions of the first transparent electrode layer are configured to receive different voltage signals. ### Claim 10 A method of producing a light control sheet, comprising: forming a multilayer laminate in which a light control layer comprising a liquid crystal composition is sandwiched between a first transparent conductive layer formed on a first transparent support layer and a second transparent conductive layer formed on a second transparent support layer; and applying laser irradiation to the multilayer laminate such that a laser beam penetrates one of the first and second transparent support layers located closer to a laser source than the first transparent conductive layer, and that an insulating portion and a plurality of electrode portions separated by the insulating portion are formed in the first transparent conductive layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the laser irradiation includes applying the laser beam to the light control layer via the first transparent conductive layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the laser irradiation includes applying the laser beam to the light control layer via the second transparent conductive layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the laser irradiation is conducted such that the insulating portion including a plurality of insulating portions connected to one another is formed in the first transparent conductive layer, and that a plurality of insulating portions are formed in the second transparent conductive layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the laser irradiation is conducted such that the insulating portions connected to one another are formed in the second transparent conductive layer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the laser irradiation is conducted such that the insulating portions separated from one another are formed in the second transparent conductive layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The light control sheet according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of terminal portions formed on the first transparent support layer such that the plurality of terminal portions is configured to apply voltage signals to the plurality of electrode portions, respectively. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The light control sheet according to claim 1, further comprising: an alignment layer formed between the light control layer and the first transparent electrode layer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The light control sheet according to claim 1, further comprising: a first alignment layer formed between the light control layer and the first transparent electrode layer; and a second alignment layer formed between the light control layer and the second transparent electrode layer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The light control sheet according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of first terminal portions formed on the first transparent support layer such that the plurality of first terminal portions is configured to apply voltage signals to the plurality of electrode portions, respectively; and a second terminal portion formed on the second transparent support layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The light control sheet according to claim 1, wherein the second transparent electrode layer is formed on the second transparent support layer and includes a plurality of second electrode portions and a second insulating portion comprising a structure formed by laser irradiation such that the second electrode portions are separated by the second insulating portion.