Multilayer film having a continuous and disperse phase
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An optical body, comprising:
- a polymeric first phase; and
a second phase, disposed within said first phase, which is discontinuous along at least two of any three mutually perpendicular axes;
wherein said first and second phases have indices of refraction which differ along a first axis by more than about 0.05, and which differ along a second axis orthogonal to said first axis by less than about 0.05;
wherein said first phase has a birefringence of at least about 0.1; and
wherein said optical body has a total reflectivity of greater than 50% for a first polarization of visible light and a total transmission of greater than 50% for a second polarization of visible light.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
350 Citations
94 Claims
-
1. An optical body, comprising:
-
a polymeric first phase; and a second phase, disposed within said first phase, which is discontinuous along at least two of any three mutually perpendicular axes; wherein said first and second phases have indices of refraction which differ along a first axis by more than about 0.05, and which differ along a second axis orthogonal to said first axis by less than about 0.05;
wherein said first phase has a birefringence of at least about 0.1; and
wherein said optical body has a total reflectivity of greater than 50% for a first polarization of visible light and a total transmission of greater than 50% for a second polarization of visible light. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A polarizer, comprising:
a plurality of layers arranged in a repeating sequence of at least a first and second layer type;
wherein said first layer type comprises a strain-induced birefringent polymeric continuous phase and a polymeric disperse phase, disposed within said continuous phase;
wherein said polarizer diffusely reflects visible light of wavelength λ
polarized in a first direction and specularly transmits visible light of wavelength λ
polarized in a second direction;
wherein the disperse phase comprises a plurality of particles that are larger than about 2λ
in a first dimension and are larger than about λ
/30 but smaller than about λ
in a second and third dimension;
wherein 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 wavelength λ
polarized along a second of three mutually orthogonal axes; and
wherein the diffuse reflectivity of the composition along at least one axis for at least one polarization of electromagnetic radiation of wavelength λ
is at least about 30%.- View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
35. A polarizer, comprising:
a plurality of layers, each of said layers comprising a polymeric first phase having a birefringence of at least about 0.05, and a polymeric second phase, disposed within said first phase, which is discontinuous along at least two of any three mutually perpendicular axes;
wherein said first and second phases have indices of refraction which differ along a first axis by more than about 0.05, and which differ along a second axis orthogonal to said first axis by less than about 0.05.- View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
-
41. A polarizer, comprising:
-
a continuous phase having a birefringence of at least about 0.05; and a disperse phase, disposed within said continuous phase; wherein said continuous and disperse phases comprise first and second diverse thermoplastic polymers, respectively;
wherein said first polymer is a polyester; and
wherein said continuous and disperse phases have indices of refraction which differ by more than about 0.05 for visible light polarized along a first axis, and which differ by less than about 0.05 for visible light polarized along a second axis. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
-
-
70. A polarizer, comprising:
-
a continuous phase having a birefringence of at least about 0.05; a disperse phase, disposed within said continuous phase; and a compatibilizer; wherein said continuous and disperse phases comprise first and second diverse thermoplastic polymers, respectively; and
wherein said continuous and disperse phases have indices of refraction which differ by more than about 0.05 for visible light polarized along a first axis, and which differ by less than about 0.05 for visible light polarized along a second axis. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
-
-
76. A polarizer, comprising:
-
a continuous phase comprising a syndiotactic vinyl aromatic polymer; and a disperse phase, disposed within said continuous phase; wherein said continuous and disperse phases have indices of refraction which differ by more than about 0.05 for visible light polarized along a first axis, and which differ by less than about 0.05 for visible light polarized along a second axis orthogonal to said first axis. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79)
-
-
80. A polarizer, comprising:
-
a continuous phase comprising a naphthalene dicarboxylic acid polyester; and a disperse phase, disposed within said continuous phase; wherein said continuous and disperse phases have indices of refraction which differ by more than about 0.05 for visible light polarized along a first axis, and which differ by less than about 0.05 for visible light polarized along a second axis orthogonal to said first axis. - View Dependent Claims (81)
-
-
82. An optical body, comprising:
-
a biaxially oriented polymeric continuous phase; and a disperse phase, disposed within said continuous phase; wherein said continuous and disperse phases have indices of refraction which differ along a first axis by more than about 0.05, and which differ along a second axis orthogonal to said first axis by less than about 0.05.
-
-
83. A polarizing film, comprising:
-
a polymeric continuous phase; and a disperse phase, disposed within said continuous phase; wherein said continuous and disperse phases have indices of refraction which differ by less than about 0.05 for visible light polarized along a first axis and which differ by more than about 0.05 for visible light polarized along a second axis; and
wherein said first axis is perpendicular to the plane of said film.
-
-
84. An optical body, comprising:
-
a continuous phase having a birefringence of at least about 0.05; and a disperse phase, disposed within said continuous phase; wherein said continuous and disperse phases comprise first and second diverse thermoplastic polymers, respectively;
wherein said continuous and disperse phases have indices of refraction which differ by more than about 0.05 for visible light polarized along first and second in-plane axes; and
wherein said optical body has a total reflectivity of greater than about 50% for visible light polarized along said first and second axes. - View Dependent Claims (85, 86, 87, 88, 89)
-
-
90. An optical body, comprising:
-
a polymeric first phase; and a second phase, disposed within said first phase, which is discontinuous along at least two of any three mutually perpendicular axes; wherein said first and second phases have indices of refraction which differ by more than about 0.05 for visible light polarized along a first axis, and which differ by less than about 0.05 for visible light polarized along a second axis orthogonal to said first axis;
wherein said first phase has a birefringence of at least about 0.1; and
wherein at least about 40% of visible light polarized along said second axis is transmitted through said optical body with an angle of deflection of less than about 8°
. - View Dependent Claims (91, 92, 93, 94)
-
Specification