Electrical contacts for polymer dispersed liquid crystal films

An optically responsive polymer dispersed liquid crystal film comprising:

• a pair of transparent substrates with a polymer matrix therebetween, said polymer matrix having liquid crystal microdroplets dispersed therein, each of said transparent substrates having an electrically conductive transparent electrode disposed thereon so that each of said electrodes contacts said polymer matrix;
• a first electrically conductive overlayer applied to a contact region on each of said transparent electrodes;
• and
• electrically conductive means for electrically contacting said transparent electrodes, said electrically conductive means being a pair of U-shaped, electrically conductive spring connectors each having a contact end and U-shaped region with an arcuate region disposed contiguous with and between said contact end and said U-shaped region, said contact end of each of said spring connectors being biased against said corresponding contact region of each of said electrodes so as to compressively clamp and electrically contact said electrically conductive overlayer at said contact region.

An optically responsive polymer dispersed liquid crystal film comprising:

• a pair of transparent substrates with a polymer matrix therebetween, said polymer matrix having liquid crystal microdroplets dispersed therein, each of said transparent substrates having electrically conductive, transparent, indium-tin oxide electrodes disposed thereon so that each of said electrodes contacts said polymer matrix;
• an electrically conductive, silver overlayer applied to a contact region on each of said transparent electrodes;
• and
• a pair of U-shaped, electrically conductive spring connectors for electrically contacting said corresponding transparent electrodes, said U-shaped electrically conductive spring connectors being formed from a beryllium copper alloy and each of said U-shaped spring connectors having a plurality of projections extending from a corresponding U-shaped region, each of said projections having a contact end and an arcuate region which is contiguous with and between said contact end and said corresponding U-shaped region, each of said contact ends of each spring connector being biased against said corresponding contact region of said corresponding electrode so as to compressively clamp and redundantly electrically contact said electrically conductive overlayer at said contact region.