Method for making an optical film
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for producing an optical body, comprising the steps of:
- providing a composition comprising a continuous phase having a birefringence of at least about 0.05 and a disperse phase, wherein the index of refraction of at least one of the continuous and disperse phases is adjustable by orientation; and
orienting the composition until the diffuse reflectivity of the composition along at least one axis for at least one polarization of electromagnetic radiation is greater than about 30% and the indices of refraction of the first and second phases differ by more than about 0.05 along a first of three mutually orthogonal axes but differ by less than about 0.05 along a second of three mutually orthogonal axes.
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Abstract
An optical film is provided which includes a disperse phase of polymeric particles disposed within a continuous birefringent matrix. The film is oriented, typically by stretching, in one or more directions. The size and shape of the disperse phase particles, the volume fraction of the disperse phase, the film thickness, and the amount of orientation are chosen to attain a desired degree of diffuse reflection and total transmission of electromagnetic radiation of a desired wavelength in the resulting film.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method for producing an optical body, comprising the steps of:
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providing a composition comprising a continuous phase having a birefringence of at least about 0.05 and a disperse phase, wherein the index of refraction of at least one of the continuous and disperse phases is adjustable by orientation; and orienting the composition until the diffuse reflectivity of the composition along at least one axis for at least one polarization of electromagnetic radiation is greater than about 30% and the indices of refraction of the first and second phases differ by more than about 0.05 along a first of three mutually orthogonal axes but differ by less than about 0.05 along a second of three mutually orthogonal axes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 33, 34)
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11. A method for producing an optical body, comprising the steps of:
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providing a first resin whose index of refraction is adjustable along a first of three mutually orthogonal axes; providing a second resin; incorporating the second resin as a disperse phase within a matrix of the first resin; and orienting the first resin along the first axis until the indices of refraction of the first and second resins are substantially mismatched along the first axis, but are substantially matched along a second of the three mutually orthogonal axes, and the diffuse reflectivity for said matrix and said disperse phase taken together along at least one axis for at least one polarization of electromagnetic radiation is at least about 30%. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 32)
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24. A method for producing an optical body, comprising the steps of:
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providing a first resin whose index of refraction is adjustable along a first of three mutually orthogonal axes; providing a second resin; incorporating the second resin as a disperse phase within a matrix of the first resin; and orienting the first resin along the first axis until (i) the absolute value of the difference in index of refraction of said first and second resins is Δ
n1 along a first axis and Δ
n2 along a second axis orthogonal to said first axis, (ii) the absolute value of the difference between Δ
n1 and Δ
n2 is at least about 0.05, and (iii) the diffuse reflectivity of said first and second resins taken together along at least one axis for at least one polarization of electromagnetic radiation is at least about 30%. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 35, 40)
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29. A method for producing an optical body, comprising the steps of:
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providing a first phase having a birefringence of at least about 0.05 whose index of refraction is adjustable along a first of three mutually orthogonal axes; providing a second phase which is discontinuous along at least two of any three mutually orthogonal axes; incorporating the second phase into the first phase; and orienting the first phase along the first axis until (i) the absolute value of the difference in index of refraction of said first and second phases is Δ
n1 along a first axis and Δ
n2 along a second axis orthogonal to said first axis, (ii) the absolute value of the difference between Δ
n1 and Δ
n2 is at least about 0.05, and (iii) the diffuse reflectivity of said first and second phases taken together along at least one axis for at least one polarization of electromagnetic radiation is at least about 30%. - View Dependent Claims (30, 41)
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36. A method for producing an optical body, comprising the steps of:
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providing a composition comprising a continuous phase having a birefringence of at least about 0.05, and a disperse phase which is randomly aligned within the continuous phase, wherein the index of refraction of at least one of the continuous and disperse phases is adjustable by orientation; and orienting the composition until the indices of refraction of the first and second phases differ by more than about 0.05 along a first of three mutually orthogonal axes but differ by less than about 0.05 along a second of three mutually orthogonal axes, and the diffuse reflectivity of the composition along at least one axis for at least one polarization of electromagnetic radiation is greater than about 30%. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. A method for producing an optical body, comprising the steps of:
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providing a composition comprising (i) a first resin whose index of refraction is adjustable along a first of three mutually orthogonal axes, and (ii) a second resin which is randomly oriented within the first resin; and orienting the first resin along the first axis until (i) the absolute value of the difference in index of refraction of said first and second resins is Δ
n1 along a first axis and Δ
n2 along a second axis orthogonal to said first axis, (ii) the absolute value of the difference between Δ
n1 and Δ
n2 is at least about 0.05, and (iii) the diffuse reflectivity of said first and second phases taken together along at least one axis for at least one polarization of electromagnetic radiation is at least about 30%. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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42. A method for producing an optical body which diffusely reflects electromagnetic radiation of wavelength λ
- having a first polarization and which specularly transmits electromagnetic radiation of wavelength λ
having a second polarization, comprising the steps of;providing a composition comprising a continuous phase of strain-induced birefringent material and a disperse phase disposed within the continuous phase, wherein the disperse phase comprises a plurality of particles that are larger than about 2 λ
in a first dimension and are larger than about λ
/30 but smaller than about λ
in a second and third dimension; andorienting the composition until the indices of refraction of the continuous and disperse phases differ by more than about 0.05 for electromagnetic radiation of wavelength λ
polarized along a first of three mutually orthogonal axes but differ by less than about 0.05 for electromagnetic radiation of wavelegnth λ
polarized along a second of three mutually orthogonal axes, and the diffuse reflectivity of the composition along at least one axis for at least one polarization of electromagnetic radiation of wavelegnth λ
is at least about 30%. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
- having a first polarization and which specularly transmits electromagnetic radiation of wavelength λ
Specification