Laminates and processes for making same

A laminate comprising:

• two bonding sheets, each bonding sheet having two major surfaces and a peripheral edge and being suitable for bonding to a transparent glazing component;
• and
• a transparent optical sheet comprising a non-metallic multi-layer optical film, said optical sheet having two major surfaces and a peripheral edge, said optical film having a peripheral edge, one major surface of said optical sheet being positioned adjacent to the other major surface of each of said bonding sheets such that said optical sheet is disposed between said bonding sheets and said bonding sheets are bondable between two glazing components,
• said optical film is dimensioned so that its peripheral edge is positionable so as to extend substantially beyond the peripheral edge of at least one of the glazing components between which said optical sheet is to be adhered.

A method of making a laminate for use in a window structure comprising:

• providing two bonding sheets and a transparent optical sheet, each having two major surfaces and a peripheral edge, and two transparent glazing components, each having a major surface and a peripheral edge, with the optical sheet comprising a non-metallic multi-layer optical film having a peripheral edge;
• dimensioning the optical sheet so that the peripheral edge of at least one of the glazing components is positionable substantially within the peripheral edge of the optical film;
• positioning one major surface of the optical sheet and one major surface of the first bonding sheet and positioning the other major surface of the optical sheet and one major surface of the second bonding sheet, such that the optical sheet is between the first and second bonding sheets;
• positioning the other major surface of the first bonding sheet and the major surface of one of the glazing components and positioning the other major surface of the second bonding sheet and the major surface of the other glazing component, such that the first and second bonding sheets are between the glazing components;
• and
• positioning the optical sheet such that a substantial portion of the peripheral edge of the optical film lies beyond the peripheral edge of at least one of the glazing components;
• and
• bonding together each of the major surfaces of the bonding sheets with the respective major surfaces of the optical sheet and the glazing components.

A kit for making a laminate, said kit comprising:

• a first bonding sheet having a major surface and a peripheral edge, said first bonding sheet being suitable for bonding to a glazing component having a major surface and a peripheral edge;
• and
• a transparent optical sheet comprising a non-metallic multi-layer optical film, said optical sheet having a major surface and a peripheral edge, said optical film having a peripheral edge, and the major surface of said optical sheet and the major surface of said first bonding sheet being positionable together such that a substantial portion of the peripheral edge of said optical film lies within the peripheral edge of said first bonding sheet,
• wherein said optical film is dimensioned so as to be positionable substantially within the peripheral edge of the glazing component to which said optical sheet is to be adhered.