Optical polarizing films with designed color shifts

• US 7,256,936 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Hebrink, Timothy J., Jonza, James M., Gilbert, Laurence R., Ruff, Andrew T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Stephone B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pritchett; Joshua L.
• Application Number:
  US11/424,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20060221446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 359/487, 359/500, 359/584, 283/91, 428/29
• US Class Current: 359/485.04
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/023 Optical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/355 Security threads
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/45 Associating two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/287 comprising at least one layer of organic material
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/305 including organic materials, e.g. polymeric layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 Thickness [relative or absolute]

Abstract

Multilayer films are provided that exhibit a colored appearance when viewed at an oblique angle as a result of one or more reflection bands in the visible region of the spectrum. The films however provide no substantial reflection bands in either the visible or near infrared regions for light normally incident on the film. The films can be made to shift from clear at normal incidence to an arbitrary designed color at an oblique angle without necessarily becoming cyan.

Claims

1. An optical film, comprising a plurality of optical layers adapted to provide a reflection band covering a portion of the visible spectrum at an oblique angle such that the optical film appears colored at such oblique angle, and wherein the plurality of layers provide substantially no reflection bands for normally incident light.

2. The film of claim 1, wherein the reflection band at the oblique angle is associated only with p-polarized light.

3. The film of claim 1, wherein for normally incident light the plurality of layers provide no reflection band having a peak reflectivity greater than 20%.

4. The film of claim 1, wherein the plurality of layers comprise alternating layers of a first and second thermoplastic polymer, and wherein the first polymer is substantially isotropic and the second polymer is birefringent.

5. The film of claim 4, wherein the first polymer has refractive indices along orthogonal in-plane directions that differ from corresponding in-plane refractive indices of the second polymer by less than 0.02.

6. The film of claim 5, wherein the second polymer has a refractive index along a thickness axis of the film that differs from a refractive index of the first polymer along the thickness axis of the film by at least 0.1.

7. The film of claim 6, wherein the second polymer has a refractive index along a thickness axis of the film that differs from a refractive index of the first polymer along the thickness axis of the film by at least 0.15.

8. The film of claim 4, wherein the first polymer has a refractive index of at least 1.61.

9. The film of claim 8, wherein the first polymer has a refractive index of at least 1.65.

10. The film of claim 1, wherein the film has a first and second portion, and the pluraltly of layers in the first portion have a different overall thickness than the plurality of layers in the second portion.

11. The film of claim 10, wherein the first and second portions define indicia.

12. The film of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the film comprises a colored absorber in an amount sufficient to render the film colored at normal incidence.

13. The film of claim 1, wherein the film comprises a skin layer at an outer surface thereof, the film further comprising indicia disposed at the skin layer.

14. An article comprising the film of claim 1 disposed on another layer.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein the another layer includes colored indicia.

16. The film of claim 1, wherein the film exhibits a color shift with increasing incidence angle selected from the group of clear-to-green, clear-to-yellow, clear-to-magenta, clear-to-red, and clear-to-blue.