Film
AssigneePilkington Group Limited
InventorsJonathan Barclay DIXON, Joseph Jeremy BOOTE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A film contains an electrically actuated liquid having variable optical opacity under the influence of an electric field. The film comprises first and second spaced apart substrates defining a first cavity therebetween in which some or all of the liquid is contained. The film also comprises a liquid trap in fluid communication with the first cavity via a first opening. The liquid trap contains liquid that may flow from the first cavity through the first opening due to the volume of first cavity decreasing. The film may be included in a laminated glazing. A method of preparing a cell for a liquid is also described, and such a cell may be part of a film having variable optical opacity.
Claims33
A film containing a liquid, the film comprising a first substrate joined to a second substrate, the first substrate being spaced apart from the second substrate to define a first cavity in which at least a portion of the liquid is contained, wherein upon applying a suitable electric field between the first and second substrates, the film changes from a first optical opacity to a second optical opacity, characterised in that the film comprises a liquid trap configured to be in fluid communication with the first cavity via at least a first opening, the liquid trap being arranged to contain liquid that flows from the first cavity through the first opening.
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A method of preparing a cell for a liquid, the cell comprising a first substrate joined to a second substrate, the first and/or second substrate comprising a heat shrinkable material;
- the method comprising:
- (i) providing the first substrate;
- (ii) positioning the second substrate on the first substrate such that the first substrate is spaced apart from the second substrate;
- (iii) forming the cell by joining the second substrate to the first substrate to form a cavity having a first volume;
- and
- (iv) heating the cell formed at (iii) to cause the first volume of the cavity to decrease to a second volume.
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A laminated glazing comprising a film containing a liquid, a first sheet of glazing material and a first sheet of adhesive interlayer material;
- the film comprising a first substrate joined to a second substrate, the first substrate being spaced apart from the second substrate to define a first cavity in which at least a portion of the liquid is contained;
- the film being joined to the first sheet of glazing material by the first sheet of adhesive interlayer material;
- wherein the first sheet of adhesive interlayer material has at least a first void therein, the first void being arranged to accommodate at least a portion of the film into the first void.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.