Busbar anchoring system and method for PDLC films
AssigneeSwitchble LLC
InventorAnton Yerkeyev
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A busbar anchoring system and method for polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film layup that includes a plurality of mesh anchors with at least one of the plurality of electrically conductive mesh anchors interposed between and adhesively coupled to a first strip along a first section of the PDLC film layup formed by at least one of two indium tin oxide (ITO) layers flanking a PDLC layer and with at least one of the plurality of mesh anchors interposed between and adhesively coupled to a second strip along a second section of the PDLC film layup and the at least one of the two ITO layers.
Claims14
In combination with a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film layup having an outer layup surface, an inner layup surface opposing the outer layup surface, a perimeter edge surrounding the outer and inner layup surfaces, a PDLC layer interposed between two conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) layers, a first strip of an electrically conductive material and adhesively and electrically conductively coupled to at least one of the two ITO layers and the PDLC layer, a second strip of an electrically conductive material adhesively and electrically conductively coupled to the at least one of the ITO layers and the PDLC layer, and operably configured to selectively modulate the transparency through the PDLC film layup, the improvement comprising:
- a busbar anchoring system having a plurality of electrically conductive mesh anchors with at least one of the plurality of mesh anchors interposed between and adhesively coupled, with an electrically conductive adhesive formed from silver, to the first strip along a first section of the PDLC film layup and the at least one of the two ITO layers and with at least one of the plurality of mesh anchors interposed between and adhesively coupled, with an electrically conductive adhesive formed from silver, to the second strip along a second section of the PDLC film layup and the at least one of the two ITO layers;
- and
- an electrically conductive ink layer directly and continuously superimposed over the PDLC layer and on the first section of the PDLC film layup and the second section of the PDLC film layup, the conductive ink layer having the plurality of mesh anchors directly superimposed and adhesively coupled thereto with the electrically conductive adhesive.
A method of anchoring a busbar to a PDLC film layup comprising the steps of:
- providing a PDLC film layup having an outer layup surface, an inner layup surface opposing the outer layup surface, a perimeter edge surrounding the outer and inner layup surfaces, and a PDLC layer interposed between two conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) layers;
- removing a strip of at least one of the two ITO layers proximal to the perimeter edge of the PDLC film layup to define a first section of the PDLC film layup and a second section of the PDLC film layup to expose the PDLC layer;
- applying an electrically conductive adhesive material onto and in disproportionately length portions with respect to the first and second sections of the PDLC film layup;
- superimposing and directly coupling a plurality of mesh anchors to the disproportionally length portions of the electrically conductive adhesive material applied to the first and second sections of the PDLC film layup;
- superimposing, directly coupling, and adhesively coupling a first strip of an electrically conductive material to the first section of the PDLC film layup;
- superimposing, directly coupling, and adhesively coupling a second strip of an electrically conductive material to the second section of the PDLC film layup;
- and
- directly coupling a positive lead wire to an outer strip surface of the first strip and a negative lead wire to an outer strip surface of the second strip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.