Touch position sensitive optical waveguides
First Claim
1. A transparent touch position sensitive optical waveguide exhibiting a thickness of at least 2.5 mm and consisting essentially of a layer of cured, fracture resistant, resin reinforced polyorganosiloxane elastomer having two substantially parallel major surfaces, at least one of which is bonded to a dirt- and puncture resistant coating, where said elastomer exhibits a hardness of from 0, measured using the Shore 00 durometer scale, to a value of 10, measured using the Shore A durometer scale, and is the product of a hydrosilation reaction between the ingredients of a composition comprising:
- A. at least one liquid polydiorganosiloxane exhibiting a viscosity of from 0.1 to 40 Pa.s at 25°
C. and containing either a vinyl radical or a silicon-bonded hydrogen atom at each of the two terminal positions;
B. an amount of an organosiloxane crosslinking agent sufficient to produce said elastomer by a hydrosilation reaction between said crosslinking agent and the other ingredients of said composition;
C. from 5 to about 40 percent, based on the total weight of said composition, of a benzene soluble resinous copolymer comprising triorganosiloxy units of the general formula R"3 SiO1/2, diorganovinylsiloxy units of the general formula CH2 ═
CH(R'"'"'")2 SiO1/2, and SiO2 units, where R" and R'"'"'" are individually monovalent hydrocarbon or halohydrocarbon radicals containing from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms and free of ethylenic unsaturation, the molar ratio of combined triorganosiloxy units and diorganovinylsiloxy units to SiO2 units is from 0.7 to 1.2 and said copolymer contains from 0.1 to 8 weight percent of silicon-bonded vinyl radicals; and
D. a platinum-containing hydrosilation catalyst in an amount sufficient to cure said composition to said elastomer;
where the molar ratio of silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms to vinyl radicals in said composition does not exceed 1;
1, said coating is formed from a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of (a) polyurethanes derived from aromatic, aliphatic or cycolaliphatic diisocyanates and organic polyols, (b) polyorganosiloxane and (c) block copolymers comprising (1) repeating units of a polyurethane and (2) up to 50 mole percent, based on total repeating units in said block copolymer, of diorganosiloxane units; and
where a coated surface of said waveguide resists fracturing under a force of 5 kilograms applied using a 1.6 cm.-diameter sphere the compressibility at any point on a coated surface of the waveguide is such that the force required to depress said surface a distance of 1 mm is no greater than 200 grams applied using a 1.6 cm.- diameter sphere, and the waveguide recovers at least 95% of its initial thickness within one second after being compressed up to 50% of its initial thickness for a period of up to one minute.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Touch position sensitive optical waveguides comprise a layer of optically transparent polyorganosiloxane elastomer exhibiting a hardness of up to 100 on the Shore 00 scale. The elastomer layer is the product of a hydrosilation reaction and at least one surface of the layer bears a dirt- and puncture-resistant coating formed from a polyurethane, a polyorganosiloxane or an organosiloxane/urethane copolymer. The compressability, compressive strength and resiliency of the waveguide are within specified limits.
36 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A transparent touch position sensitive optical waveguide exhibiting a thickness of at least 2.5 mm and consisting essentially of a layer of cured, fracture resistant, resin reinforced polyorganosiloxane elastomer having two substantially parallel major surfaces, at least one of which is bonded to a dirt- and puncture resistant coating, where said elastomer exhibits a hardness of from 0, measured using the Shore 00 durometer scale, to a value of 10, measured using the Shore A durometer scale, and is the product of a hydrosilation reaction between the ingredients of a composition comprising:
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A. at least one liquid polydiorganosiloxane exhibiting a viscosity of from 0.1 to 40 Pa.s at 25°
C. and containing either a vinyl radical or a silicon-bonded hydrogen atom at each of the two terminal positions;B. an amount of an organosiloxane crosslinking agent sufficient to produce said elastomer by a hydrosilation reaction between said crosslinking agent and the other ingredients of said composition; C. from 5 to about 40 percent, based on the total weight of said composition, of a benzene soluble resinous copolymer comprising triorganosiloxy units of the general formula R"3 SiO1/2, diorganovinylsiloxy units of the general formula CH2 ═
CH(R'"'"'")2 SiO1/2, and SiO2 units, where R" and R'"'"'" are individually monovalent hydrocarbon or halohydrocarbon radicals containing from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms and free of ethylenic unsaturation, the molar ratio of combined triorganosiloxy units and diorganovinylsiloxy units to SiO2 units is from 0.7 to 1.2 and said copolymer contains from 0.1 to 8 weight percent of silicon-bonded vinyl radicals; andD. a platinum-containing hydrosilation catalyst in an amount sufficient to cure said composition to said elastomer; where the molar ratio of silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms to vinyl radicals in said composition does not exceed 1;
1, said coating is formed from a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of (a) polyurethanes derived from aromatic, aliphatic or cycolaliphatic diisocyanates and organic polyols, (b) polyorganosiloxane and (c) block copolymers comprising (1) repeating units of a polyurethane and (2) up to 50 mole percent, based on total repeating units in said block copolymer, of diorganosiloxane units; and
where a coated surface of said waveguide resists fracturing under a force of 5 kilograms applied using a 1.6 cm.-diameter sphere the compressibility at any point on a coated surface of the waveguide is such that the force required to depress said surface a distance of 1 mm is no greater than 200 grams applied using a 1.6 cm.- diameter sphere, and the waveguide recovers at least 95% of its initial thickness within one second after being compressed up to 50% of its initial thickness for a period of up to one minute. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification