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US 2003/0193709 A1Published application
Switchable electro-optical laminates
AssigneeAvery Dennison Corporation
InventorsPrakash Mallya, Yi-Hung Chiao, David N. Edwards, Kai Li, Xin-Jiu Wang, Sriram Venkatasanthanam
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to an electrically switchable laminate construction for applications including smart windows, and other uses and applications in which light management is desired. The electro-optical laminate construction has scattering and transparent modes of operation for dynamically controlling electromagnetic radiation flow.
Claims39
A bistable electro-optical device comprising:
- a first transparent substrate, having an interior and exterior surface;
- a second transparent substrate, having an interior and exterior surface;
- a transparent electrically conductive layer on the interior surface of each of the first and second flexible substrates;
- a cholesteric liquid crystal material comprising a nematic liquid crystal material, a chiral material and an ionic additive, wherein the cholesteric liquid crystal material is positioned between the electrically conductive layers of the first and second transparent flexible substrates;
- wherein the first and second transparent substrates are spaced apart a predetermined distance;
- and
- wherein the cholesteric liquid crystal material is switched from a transparent state to a light scattering state and from a light scattering state to a transparent state upon application of an electric field to the cholesteric liquid crystal material, and wherein an electric field is not required to maintain either the transparent state or the light scattering state.
4 more elements
An electro-optical device comprising:
- a first transparent substrate, having an interior and exterior surface;
- a second transparent substrate, having an interior and exterior surface;
- a transparent electrically conductive layer on the interior surface of each of the first and second flexible substrates;
- a cholesteric liquid crystal material comprising about 90-98% by weight of a nematic liquid crystal material, about 1-3% by weight of a chiral material and about 1-6% by weight of a polymerizable acrylate or methacrylate based resin material having two or more functional groups, wherein the cholesteric liquid crystal material is positioned between the electrically conductive layers of the first and second transparent flexible substrates;
- wherein the first and second transparent substrates are spaced apart a predetermined distance.
2 more elements
A process for making an electro-optical device including the steps of:
- (a) providing two transparent substrates, each having an interior side and an exterior side, and coated on the interior side with a transparent conductive layer, wherein the substrates are separated by spacers to create an area between the substrates;
- (b) depositing a cholesteric liquid crystal mixture comprising a nematic liquid crystal material, a chiral material, an ionic additive, and a polymerizable monomer or polymer in the area between the substrates,
- (c) sealing the perimeter of the transparent substrates to contain the cholesteric liquid crystal mixture within the area between the substrates;
- and
- (d) polymerizing the monomer or polymer of the cholesteric liquid crystal mixture.
2 more elements
A substantially continuous process for making an electro-optical laminate structure including the steps of:
- (a) providing two substantially continuous, flexible transparent substrates, each having an interior side and an exterior side, and coated on the interior side with a transparent conductive layer, wherein the flexible substrates are separated by spacers to create an area between the flexible substrates;
- (b) depositing a cholesteric liquid crystal mixture comprising a polymerizable monomer or polymer in the area between the substrates,
- (c) sealing the perimeter of the flexible transparent substrates to contain the polymerizable cholesteric liquid crystal mixture within the area between the substrates;
- and
- (d) polymerizing the monomer or polymer of the cholesteric liquid crystal mixture.
2 more elements
A process for making an electro-optical device including the steps of:
- (a) providing two transparent substrates, each having an interior side and an exterior side, and coated on the interior side with a transparent conductive layer, wherein the substrates are separated by spacers to create an area between the substrates;
- (b) depositing a mixture of at least one photopolymerizable monomer and a liquid crystal material in the area between the substrates,
- (c) sealing the perimeter of the transparent substrates to contain the cholesteric liquid crystal mixture within the area between the substrates;
- and
- (d) irradiating a prescribed area of the mixture with light to cure the photopolymerizable monomer thereby forming polymeric walls surrounding liquid crystal regions.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.