Optical bodies containing cholesteric liquid crystal material and methods of manufacture

• US 7,277,141 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Watson, Philip E., Pokorny, Richard J., Radcliffe, Marc D., Ebihara, Ikuko, Bowley, Christopher C.
• Primary Examiner(s): QI, ZHI QIANG
• Application Number:
  US11/141,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20060197903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 349/96, 349/175, 349/115, 359/487, 359/501, 359/437
• US Class Current: 349/96
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3016 involving passive liquid crystal elements optical properties of liquid crystals G02F1/0063; polarising elements associated with active liquid crystal devices G02F1/133528

Abstract

An optical body includes a substrate and a cholesteric liquid crystal layer disposed on the substrate. The cholesteric liquid crystal layer has a non-uniform pitch along a thickness direction of the layer and comprises a crosslinked polymer material that substantially fixes the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. The crosslinking hinders diffusion of cholesteric liquid crystal material within the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. In other methods of making an optical body, a reservoir of chiral material is provided during the process over a first cholesteric liquid crystal layer to diffuse into the layer and provide a non-uniform pitch. Alternatively, two coating compositions can be disposed on a substrate where the material of the first coating composition is not substantially soluble in the second coating composition.

Claims

1. An optical body, comprising:

a substrate;

a first cholesteric liquid crystal region consisting essentially of a layer of a first cholesteric liquid crystal material disposed on the substrate;

a second cholesteric liquid crystal region comprising cross-linked first chiral monomers; and

a third cholesteric liquid crystal region disposed between the first and second regions and comprising the first cholesteric liquid crystal material and the first chiral monomers, the chiral monomers in the third region being crosslinked to the chiral monomers in the second region,

wherein the third cholesteric liquid crystal region has a non-uniform pitch along a thickness direction of the cholesteric liquid crystal region.

2. The optical body of claim 1, wherein the pitch of at least a portion of the third cholesteric liquid crystal region changes monotonically along a thickness direction.

3. An optical display, comprising:

a display medium;

a reflective polarizer comprising a substrate; and

an optical body of claim 2 disposed on the substrate.

4. The optical body of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first cholesteric liquid crystal region adjacent the substrate has a uniform pitch.

5. An optical display, comprising:

a display medium;

a reflective polarizer comprising a substrate; and

an optical body of claim 4 disposed on the substrate.

6. The optical body of claim 1, wherein a portion of the second cholesteric liquid crystal region has a pitch such that the portion reflects light having a wavelength outside of a range from 400 to 750 nm.

7. An optical display, comprising:

a display medium;

a reflective polarizer comprising a substrate; and

an optical body of claim 6 disposed on the substrate.

8. The optical body of claim 1, wherein the third region comprises a molecular weigh gradient in the thickness direction with the highest molecular weight being adjacent the first region and the lowest molecular weight being adjacent the second region.

9. An optical display, comprising:

a display medium;

a reflective polarizer comprising a substrate; and

an optical body of claim 8 disposed on the substrate.

10. An optical display, comprising:

a display medium;

a reflective polarizer comprising a substrate;

a first cholesteric liquid crystal region consisting essentially of a layer of first cholesteric liquid crystal material disposed on the substrate;

a second cholesteric liquid crystal region comprising cross-linked first chiral monomers; and

a third cholesteric liquid crystal region disposed between the first and second regions and comprising the first cholesteric liquid crystal material and the first chiral monomers, the chiral monomers in the third region being crosslinked to the chiral monomers in the second region,

wherein the third cholesteric liquid crystal region has a non-uniform pitch along a thickness direction of the cholesteric liquid crystal region.