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.
Claims20
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, 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 that is configured to be in fluid communication with the first cavity via at least a first opening, the liquid trap being arranged to contain some of the liquid in the first cavity that flows from the first cavity through the first opening when the pressure inside the first cavity increases,
- wherein the liquid trap is between the first and second substrates and wherein the first cavity is coplanar with the liquid trap;
- further wherein the first cavity is full of the liquid and the liquid trap is empty or partially full of the liquid.
A laminated glazing comprising a film containing a liquid, a first sheet of glazing material and a first sheet of adhesive interlayer material, the first sheet of adhesive interlayer material having a thickness between 0.3 mm and 2.3 mm and being between the film and the first sheet of glazing material;
- the film comprising a first substrate joined to a second substrate, wherein the first substrate is a heat shrinkable plastic and further wherein the first substrate is spaced apart from the second substrate to define a first cavity in which at least a portion of the liquid is contained;
- wherein the first substrate has a first major surface facing into the first cavity and an opposing second major surface;
- 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 facing the second major surface of the first substrate and being arranged to accommodate at least a portion of the first substrate into the first void, the first void being spaced from a periphery of the first sheet of adhesive interlayer material and extending through the thickness of the first sheet of adhesive interlayer material at a selective region thereof.
A film containing a liquid, the film comprising a first substrate joined to a second substrate, wherein the first substrate is a heat shrinkable material and further wherein the first substrate is spaced apart from the second substrate to define a first cavity in which 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 some of the liquid in the first cavity that flows from the first cavity through the first opening,
- wherein the liquid trap is between the first and second substrates and wherein the first cavity is coplanar with the liquid trap;
- the film having a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein when the film is in the first configuration the first cavity is filled with the liquid and the fluid trap contains none of the liquid;
- and when the film is in the second configuration some of the liquid in the first cavity has flowed from the first cavity through the first opening when the pressure inside the first cavity increased.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.