Electrically controllable device having variable optical qualities or system which is holographic, thermotropic or which has suspended particles

• US 7,486,342 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2002
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Mathey, Gregoire, Giron, Jean-Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, WEN YING PATTY
• Application Number:
  US10/482,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20040169789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,400 Days
• Field of Search: 349/86, 349/16, 359/453, 359/460
• US Class Current: 349/16
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10045 with at least one intermediate layer consisting of a glass sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10201 Dielectric coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10495 optoelectronic, i.e. optical valve
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10504 Liquid crystal layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/1077 containing polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10788 containing ethylene vinylacetate
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0147 based on thermo-optic effects G02F1/132 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1334 based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133502 Antiglare, refractive index matching layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133509 Filters, e.g. light shielding masks
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/08 light absorbing layer

Abstract

The subject of the invention is an element having variable optical properties, comprising:

• • (a) a system having electrically controlled variable light scattering, of the optical-valve or liquid-crystal system type, a suspended-particle system or a holographic or thermotropic system (a′) which is associated with
  • (b) at least one absorbent element, absorbing at least in the visible range.

It applies especially to the manufacture of backprojection screens.

Claims

1. A back projection screen including a layered optical element having variable optical properties, comprising:

a first layer, said first layer being one of glass, a rigid substrate based on a polymer of polycarbonate, and a flexible polymer material;

a first and a second thermoplastic polymer sheet layer, said first thermoplastic polymer sheet layer in contact with the first layer;

(a) variable light scattering system, of optical-valve or liquid-crystal system type, a suspended-particle system or a holographic or thermotropic system, said variable light scattering system (a) sandwiched between the first and second thermoplastic polymer sheet layers;

a second layer, said second layer being one of glass, a rigid substrate based on a polymer of polycarbonate, and a flexible polymer material, said second layer in direct or indirect contact with the variable light scattering system; and

at least one element antireflecting in the visible range,

wherein at least one of said first and second layers comprise (b) an absorbent element, absorbing light at least in the visible range and chosen from at least one of the following elements;

a plastic rigid substrate, a bulk-tinted glass, a bulk-tinted sheet of flexible polymer of thermoplastic type, a plastic film configured to be calendered to a rigid substrate, or a thin absorbent layer placed on one of a face of a glass or plastic rigid substrate or of a sheet of flexible polymer, and

the back projection screen does not include a power source for the absorbent element, and the back projection screen does not include an electrochromic material.

2. The back projection screen as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bulk-tinted glass or the bulk-tinted sheet is a gray color.

3. The back projection screen as claimed in claim 1, wherein the absorbent element (b) is configured to increase light absorption of the layered optical element by at least 5%, and/or lowers light reflection of the layered optical element by at least 5%.

4. The back projection screen as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one antireflecting element is one of

an alternation of thin layers of interferential thickness having high and low refractive indices (high-index layer/low-index layer)_n, where n>

1, and

a single layer having an intermediate refractive index.

5. The back projection screen as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one antireflecting element is an alternation of thin layers including an absorbent layer,

said absorbent layer including metal nitride or another absorbent material.

6. The back projection screen as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one antireflecting element comprises the following multilayer stack:

Si₃N₄ or SnO₂/SiO₂/Si₃N₄ or Nb₂O₅/SiO₂.

7. The back projection screen as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one antireflecting element comprises one of

an antireflection film using a plastic film of antireflection-treated polyethylene terephthalate or cellulose triacetate, and

a surface texturing of an external substrate of said layered optical element.

8. The back projection screen as claimed in claim 1, wherein the layered optical element is a laminated glazing assembly having the following layers sequentially in contact:

optional antireflection coating/the first layer made of glass/thermoplastic polymer sheet(s)/variable light scattering system/thermoplastic polymer sheet(s)/the second layer made of glass/optional antireflection coating.

9. The back projection screen as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one antireflecting element comprises:

at least one coating antireflecting in the visible range, deposited on an external face of said absorbent element.

10. A back projection screen including a layered optical element having variable optical properties, comprising:

a first layer, said first layer being one of glass, a rigid substrate based on a polymer of polycarbonate, and a flexible polymer material;

a first and a second thermoplastic polymer sheet layer, said first thermoplastic polymer sheet layer in contact with the first layer;

(a) variable light scattering system, of optical-valve or liquid-crystal system type, a suspended-particle system or a holographic or thermotropic system, said variable light scattering system (a) sandwiched between the first and second thermoplastic polymer sheet layers;

a second layer, said second layer being one of glass, a rigid substrate based on a polymer of polycarbonate, and a flexible polymer material, said second layer in direct or indirect contact with the variable light scattering system,

wherein at least one of said first and second layers comprise (b) an absorbent element, absorbing light at least in the visible range and chosen from at least one of the following elements;

a bulk-tinted sheet of flexible polymer of thermoplastic type, a plastic film configured to be calendered to a rigid substrate, or a thin absorbent layer placed on one of a face of a glass or plastic rigid substrate or of a sheet of flexible polymer, and

the back projection screen does not include a power source for the absorbent element, and the back projection screen does not include an electrochromic material.

11. The back projection screen as claimed in claim 10, wherein the bulk-tinted sheet is a gray color.

12. The back projection screen as claimed in claim 10, wherein the absorbent element (b) is configured to increase light absorption of the layered optical element by at least 5%, and/or lowers light reflection of the layered optical element by at least 5%.

13. The back projection screen as claimed in claim 10, wherein the layered optical element is a laminated glazing assembly having the following layers sequentially in contact:

optional antireflection coating/the first layer made of glass/thermoplastic polymer sheet(s)/variable light scattering system/thermoplastic polymer sheet(s)/the second layer made of glass/optional antireflection coating.