Optical film and process for manufacture thereof

• US 6,329,046 B1
• Filed: 10/18/1999
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Nevitt, Timothy J., Condo, Peter D., Merrill, William W., Tabar, Ronald J., Allen, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Merrick
• Application Number:
  US09/419,947
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 428/212, 428/156, 428/170, 264/1.9, 264/230, 429/131, 429/133, 528/348, 528/331, 528/345, 528/363
• US Class Current: 428/212
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 55/023 using multilayered plates or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 55/14 successively
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0018 having particular optical properties, e.g. fluorescent or phosphorescent
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3008 comprising dielectric particles, e.g. birefringent crystals embedded in a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3033 in the form of a thin sheet or foil, e.g. Polaroid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1002 with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24595 and varying density
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree

Abstract

Optical films and processes for forming the optical films are described in which materials having different properties are used and the different properties are exploited to obtain improved optical and/or mechanical properties of the optical film. The different properties of the materials may be used to select processing conditions under which the materials will react differently. The film may be processed with respect to two different directions with the amount of molecular orientation, if any, induced by the process being separately controlled for each material and each direction.

Claims

1. An optical film, comprising:

a first material having an orientation along each of a first and a second in-plane axis of the film; and

a second material coextruded with the first material, the second material having substantial orientation along only the first in-plane axes of the film, the optical orientation of the first and second material being such that refractive indices of the first material and the second material along one of the first and second in-plane axis of the film are substantially equal and the absolute value of the difference between refractive indices of the first and second material along the other of the first and the second in-plane axis divided by the average refractive index of the first and second material is greater than about 0.06.

2. An optical film as recited in claim 1, wherein refractive indices of the first and second material in a direction normal to a plane of the film are substantially equal.

3. An optical film as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second material are coextruded as a blend with the first material forming a continuous phase of material and the second material forming a disperse phase of material.

4. An optical film as recited in claim 1, wherein the film is comprised of alternating layers of the first and second materials.

5. An optical film as recited in claim 4, wherein refractive indices of adjacent layers of the first and second material in a direction normal to a plane of the film are substantially equal.

6. An optical film as recited in claim 1, wherein the film comprises a blend of the first and second materials.

7. An optical polarizing film, comprising a blend of a disperse phase of a first polymeric material optically interfaced with a continuous phase of a second polymeric material, the second polymeric material having a substantial molecular orientation with respect to a first axis of the film and having a weak, relative to the orientation with respect to the first axis, molecular orientation with respect to a second axis of the film, the first and second polymeric material having refractive indices along one of the first and second axes of the film sufficiently matched to substantially transmit light of a first polarization state while having refractive indices along the other of the first and second axes of the film sufficiently different to substantially reflect light of a second polarization state.

8. A film as recited in claim 7, wherein the second polymeric material has substantial molecular orientation with respect to one of the first and second axes of the film and minimal or no molecular orientation with respect to the other of the first and second axis of the film.