Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal device having an ultraviolet-polymerizable matrix and a variable optical transmission and a method for preparing same
First Claim
1. A liquid crystal-containing sandwich construction comprising:
- a first flexible, polymeric substrate having an electrode material on one major surface thereof;
a second flexible, polymeric substrate having an electrode material on one major surface thereof, the major surfaces of the first and second substrates having electrode material thereon being in a facing relationship; and
a liquid crystal-containing layer comprising a liquid crystal material blended with an ultraviolet radiation polymerizable liquid medium, the layer being disposed between the major surfaces of the first and second substrates having electrode material thereon;
wherein the sandwich construction is free from mechanical spacers that separate the major surfaces of the first and second substrates and control the thickness of the liquid crystal-containing layer therebetween.
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Abstract
A polymer-dispersed liquid crystal device comprises a multiplicity of droplets of a birefringent, functionally nematic liquid crystal material dispersed in a matrix comprising the reaction product of ultraviolet radiation polymerizable materials. The device specularly transmits incident light as a function of the magnitude of an electric field applied across the device. The difference between a first applied voltage corresponding to a first percentage of the total incident light transmitted by the device as specular light and a second applied voltage corresponding to a second percentage of the total incident light transmitted by the device as specular light is greater than or equal to 15 volts. As a result, a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal device according to the invention displays a variable grey scale which has a uniform optical transmission. A method for preparing a PDLC device in general is also disclosed.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A liquid crystal-containing sandwich construction comprising:
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a first flexible, polymeric substrate having an electrode material on one major surface thereof; a second flexible, polymeric substrate having an electrode material on one major surface thereof, the major surfaces of the first and second substrates having electrode material thereon being in a facing relationship; and a liquid crystal-containing layer comprising a liquid crystal material blended with an ultraviolet radiation polymerizable liquid medium, the layer being disposed between the major surfaces of the first and second substrates having electrode material thereon; wherein the sandwich construction is free from mechanical spacers that separate the major surfaces of the first and second substrates and control the thickness of the liquid crystal-containing layer therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A flexible film construction comprising:
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a first flexible, polymeric substrate having an electrode material on one major surface thereof, a second flexible, polymeric substrate having an electrode material on one major surface thereof, the major surfaces of the first and second substrates having electrode material thereon being in a facing relationship; wherein the first and second substrates are separated from each other only by a layer of liquid that is disposed between the major surfaces of the substrates having electrode material thereon, the layer of liquid comprising a liquid crystal material and an ultraviolet radiation polymerizable liquid. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A flexible film construction comprising:
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a first flexible, polymeric substrate having an electrode material on one major surface thereof; a second flexible, polymeric substrate having an electrode material on one major surface thereof, the major surfaces of the first and second substrates having electrode material thereon being in a facing relationship; and a homogeneous liquid solution disposed between the major surfaces of the first and second substrates having electrode material thereon, the homogeneous liquid solution comprising a liquid crystal material and an ultraviolet radiation polymerizable liquid; wherein the film construction is free from mechanical spacers that separate the major surfaces of the first and second substrates and control the thickness of the homogeneous liquid solution therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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38. A film construction comprising:
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a first flexible, polymeric substrate having an electrode material on one major surface thereof; a second flexible, polymeric substrate having an electrode material on one major surface thereof, the major surfaces of the first and second substrates having electrode material thereon being in a facing relationship; wherein the first and second substrates are separated from each other only by a layer of liquid that is disposed between the major surfaces of the substrates having electrode material thereon, the layer of liquid comprising a liquid crystal material and an ultraviolet radiation polymerizable liquid, and further wherein the film construction is not in fixed supportive contact with a rigid plate. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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42. A film construction comprising:
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a first flexible, polymeric substrate having an electrode material on one major surface thereof; a second flexible, polymeric substrate having an electrode material on one major surface thereof, the major surfaces of the first and second substrates having electrode material thereon being in a facing relationship; and a homogeneous liquid solution disposed between the major surfaces of the first and second substrates having electrode material thereon, the homogeneous liquid solution comprising a liquid crystal material and an ultraviolet radiation polymerizable liquid; wherein the film construction is free from mechanical spacers that separate the major surfaces of the first and second substrates and control the thickness of the homogeneous liquid solution therebetween, and further wherein the film construction is not in fixed supportive contact with a rigid plate. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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46. A method of preparing a light transmission device comprising:
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(a) providing a liquid crystal-containing sandwich construction comprising; a first flexible, polymeric substrate having an electrode material on one major surface thereof; a second flexible, polymeric substrate having an electrode material on one major surface thereof, the major surfaces of the first and second substrates having electrode material thereon being in a facing relationship; and a liquid crystal-containing layer comprising a liquid crystal material blended with an ultraviolet radiation polymerizable liquid medium, the layer being disposed between the major surfaces of the first and second substrates having electrode material thereon; wherein the sandwich construction is free from mechanical spacers that would otherwise separate the major surfaces of the first and second substrates and control the thickness of the liquid crystal-containing layer therebetween; and (b) exposing the liquid crystal-containing layer to ultraviolet radiation to form a polymer dispersed liquid crystal film of substantially equal thickness that comprises a multiplicity of droplets of liquid crystal material dispersed in an ultraviolet radiation polymerized matrix.
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Specification