# US 2014/0192392 A1 · Printed appliqué and method thereof

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- Number: US 2014/0192392 A1
- Document ID: US20140192392A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/150,408
- Filed: 2014-01-08
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-09
- Assignees: Gentex Corporation
- Applicants: Gentex Corporation
- Inventors: David J. Cammenga; Adam R. Heintzelman; Joel A. Stray; Autumn W. Trombka
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192392A1

## CPC

- G02F 1/157: Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
- B60R 1/088: {using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors}
- B60R 1/1207: {with lamps; with turn indicators}
- G02B 5/205: {Neutral density filters}
- G02F 2202/28: Adhesive materials or arrangements
- 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
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

An electro-optic assembly that includes a front substrate having a first surface and a second surface substantially parallel to the first surface; a rear substrate spaced from and substantially parallel to the front substrate, and having a third surface and a fourth surface substantially parallel to the third surface; and a carrier operably connected to at least one of the front substrate and the rear substrate. Further, the electro-optic assembly includes an appliqué layer directly on at least a first portion of the fourth surface and having an opening over a second portion of the fourth surface; and an assembly component that is coupled to the carrier, behind the fourth surface and substantially coincident with the opening. The portions of the fourth surface are in a transmissive region of the rear substrate, and the front and rear substrates define a cavity at least partially filled with an electro-optic material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electro-optic assembly, comprising:
a front substrate having a first surface and a second surface substantially parallel to the first surface;
a rear substrate spaced from and substantially parallel to the front substrate, the rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface substantially parallel to the third surface;
a carrier operably connected to at least one of the front substrate and the rear substrate;
an appliqué on at least a first portion of the fourth surface and having an opening over a second portion of the fourth surface, the portions of the fourth surface in a transmissive region of the rear substrate; and
an adhesive at least partially in the opening on the second portion of the fourth surface to connect at least one of the front substrate and the rear substrate to the carrier,
wherein the front and rear substrates define a cavity at least partially filled with an electro-optic material, and the carrier and adhesive provide support to at least one of the front substrate and the rear substrate, and
further wherein the appliqué and the adhesive are configured to substantially match in visual appearance through the front and rear substrates.

### Claim 2

An electro-optic assembly, comprising:
a front substrate having a first surface and a second surface substantially parallel to the first surface;
a rear substrate spaced from and substantially parallel to the front substrate, the rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface substantially parallel to the third surface;
an electrical contact for providing an electrical connection to an electrode in proximity to an electro-optic material, the contact having an extension at least partially over a transmissive portion of the fourth surface in a transmissive region of the rear substrate; and
an appliqué on at least the transmissive portion of the fourth surface, the appliqué having a contact-obscuring region in proximity to the extension of the electrical contact,
wherein the front and rear substrates define a cavity at least partially filled with the electro-optic material that is confined within the cavity by a seal substantially between the second surface and the third surface.

### Claim 3

An electro-optic assembly, comprising:
a front substrate having a first surface and a second surface substantially parallel to the first surface;
a rear substrate spaced from and substantially parallel to the front substrate, the rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface substantially parallel to the third surface;
an electrical contact for providing an electrical connection to an electrode in proximity to an electro-optic material, the contact having an extension at least partially over a transmissive portion of the fourth surface in a transmissive region of the rear substrate; and
an appliqué on at least the transmissive portion of the fourth surface, the appliqué having a contact-obscuring region that is located between the extension of the electrical contact and the fourth surface,
wherein the front and rear substrates define a cavity at least partially filled with the electro-optic material that is confined within the cavity by a seal substantially between the second surface and the third surface, and
further wherein the contact-obscuring region of the appliqué is configured to obscure the visual appearance of the extension of the electrical contact through the front and rear substrates.

### Claim 4

An electro-optic assembly, comprising:
a front substrate having a first surface and a second surface substantially parallel to the first surface;
a rear substrate spaced from and substantially parallel to the front substrate, the rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface substantially parallel to the third surface;
an electrical contact for providing an electrical connection to an electrode in proximity to an electro-optic material, the contact having an extension at least partially over a transmissive portion of the fourth surface in a transmissive region of the rear substrate;
an adhesive pad between the extension of the electrical contact and the fourth surface; and
an appliqué on at least the transmissive portion of the fourth surface, the appliqué having an obscuring region that is located in proximity to at least a portion of the adhesive pad,
wherein the front and rear substrates define a cavity at least partially filled with the electro-optic material that is confined within the cavity by a seal substantially between the second surface and the third surface, and
further wherein the obscuring region of the appliqué is configured to obscure the visual appearance of one of, or both of, the extension of the electrical contact and the adhesive pad through the front and rear substrates,
wherein the obscuring region of the appliqué is configured to obscure the visual appearance of the adhesive pad and the extension of the electrical contact through the front and rear substrates.

### Claim 5

An electro-optic assembly, comprising:
a front substrate having a first surface and a second surface substantially parallel to the first surface;
a rear substrate spaced from and substantially parallel to the front substrate, the rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface substantially parallel to the third surface;
an electrical contact for providing an electrical connection to an electrode in proximity to an electro-optic material, the contact having an extension at least partially over a transmissive portion of the fourth surface in a transmissive region of the rear substrate; and
an appliqué on at least the transmissive portion of the fourth surface, the appliqué having a contact-obscuring region that is located over at least a portion of the extension of the electrical contact,
wherein the front and rear substrates define a cavity at least partially filled with the electro-optic material that is confined within the cavity by a seal substantially between the second surface and the third surface, and
further wherein the contact-obscuring region of the appliqué and the extension of the electrical contact are configured to substantially match in visual appearance through the front and rear substrates.

### Claim 6

An electro-optic assembly, comprising:
a front substrate having a first surface and a second surface substantially parallel to the first surface;
a rear substrate spaced from and substantially parallel to the front substrate, the rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface substantially parallel to the third surface;
a carrier operably connected to at least one of the front substrate and the rear substrate;
an appliqué layer directly on at least a first portion of the fourth surface and having an opening over a second portion of the fourth surface, the portions of the fourth surface in a transmissive region of the rear substrate; and
an assembly component that is coupled to the carrier, behind the fourth surface and substantially coincident with the opening,
wherein the front and rear substrates define a cavity at least partially filled with an electro-optic material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 6, wherein the appliqué layer has a thickness of about 50 μm or less.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 6, further comprising:
a mirror element that includes the front substrate and the rear substrate, the mirror element having a substantial portion with greater than 10% optical transmission.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 8, further comprising:
a transflective layer on the third surface of the rear substrate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 8, wherein at least a substantial portion of the appliqué layer consists essentially of a substantially non-reflective material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 6, further comprising:
a light diffusing inkjet layer in the opening and over a portion of the appliqué layer in proximity to the opening, wherein the assembly component is a light source.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 11, wherein the light diffusing inkjet layer is adhered to the second portion of the fourth surface and the portion of the appliqué layer in proximity to the opening, and further wherein the portion of the appliqué layer in proximity to the opening is defined by a substantially annular region of the appliqué layer that extends at least 0.2 mm past the opening.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 11, wherein the light diffusing inkjet layer is characterized by approximately 25% or greater optical transmission and comprises 5% to 95% metal oxide particles by weight, the metal oxide particles selected from the group consisting of TiO2, CaCO3 and BaSO4.

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 6, further comprising:
a semitransparent inkjet layer in the opening and over a portion of the appliqué layer in proximity to the opening.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 14, wherein the assembly component is a light source, the opening defines an icon and the semitransparent inkjet layer is tinted.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 14, wherein the assembly component is a light source or a sensor, and the total optical transmission through the opening and the semitransparent layer is approximately 15% or less.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 14, wherein the assembly component is a light source or a sensor, the mirror element is characterized by approximately 20 to 50% optical transmission and the total optical transmission through the opening and the semitransparent layer is approximately 15% or less.

### Claim 18 (depends on 6)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 6, wherein the appliqué layer is characterized by an optical density of 2 or greater and the assembly component is a light source.

### Claim 19 (depends on 6)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 6, wherein the opening has a smallest opening dimension of about 500 μm or less and the appliqué layer has a thickness, and further wherein the ratio of the smallest opening dimension to the thickness of the inkjet appliqué layer is 5 or greater.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 19, wherein the ratio of the smallest opening dimension to the thickness of the appliqué layer is 10 or greater.

### Claim 21 (depends on 6)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 6, wherein the appliqué layer is characterized by a first optical density and the opening is defined by a region of the appliqué layer having a second optical density that is less than the first optical density.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 21, wherein the region of the appliqué layer having the second optical density is a gradient pattern, and the assembly component is a sensor.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 22, further wherein the second optical density is set such that the opening is characterized by an approximately 15% or less total optical transmission.

### Claim 24 (depends on 6)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 6, further comprising:
a color filter layer in the opening and over a portion of the appliqué layer in proximity to the opening.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 24, wherein the color filter layer is adhered to the second portion of the fourth surface and the portion of the appliqué layer in proximity to the opening, and further wherein the portion of the appliqué layer in proximity to the opening is defined by a substantially annular region of the appliqué layer that extends at least 0.2 mm past the opening.

### Claim 26

An electro-optic assembly, comprising:
a front substrate having a first surface and a second surface substantially parallel to the first surface;
a rear substrate spaced from and substantially parallel to the front substrate, the rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface substantially parallel to the third surface; and
an appliqué layer directly on at least a first portion of the fourth surface and having an opening and a discontinuous element over a second portion of the fourth surface, the portions of the fourth surface in a transmissive region of the rear substrate, and
wherein the front and rear substrates define a cavity at least partially filled with an electro-optic material.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 26, further comprising:
a transflective layer on the third surface of the rear substrate.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The electro-optic assembly of claim 26, wherein at least a substantial portion of the appliqué layer consists essentially of a substantially non-reflective material.