Method of manufacturing an optical composite

• US 7,991,257 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fusion Optix Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fusion Optix Inc.
• Inventors: Coleman, Zane
• Primary Examiner(s): HEALY, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US12/209,709
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 385/14, 385/33, 385/129, 385/130, 385/131, 385/132, 385/146, 385/141, 385/143, 385/145, 385/36, 264/1.24, 264/1.26, 264/1.27, 264/1.29, 264/1.32, 264/1.34, 264/1.7, 264/1.8, 264/2.1, 264/2.7, 264/21, 264/405, 264/464, 264/466, 264/480, 264/494, 264/496, 362/97.1, 362/97.2, 362/97.4, 349/56, 349/57, 349/58, 349/61
• US Class Current: 385/129
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/0073 Optical laminates
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0041 provided in the bulk of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0058 varying in density, size, shape or depth along the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0065 Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1039 Surface deformation only of sandwich or lamina [e.g., embossed panels]

Abstract

Embodiments of this invention include composite articles having specific optical properties. In one embodiment of this invention, a composite comprises high and low refractive index light transmitting material and surface relief features. In further embodiments, the composite comprises volumetric dispersed phase domains that may be asymmetric in shape. In one embodiment of this invention, the composite is an optical film providing light collimating features along two orthogonal planes perpendicular to the surface of the film. In another embodiment, the composite has improved optical, thermal, mechanical, or environmental properties. In further embodiments of this invention, the composite is manufactured by optically coupling or extruding two or more light transmitting materials, and forming inverted light collimating surface relief features or light collimating surface relief features. In further embodiments of this invention, a method of manufacturing a composite comprises forming one or more surface relief features on a component and injection molding or otherwise optically coupling two or more materials to the component. In one or more embodiments of this invention a light source is optically coupled to the composite or used in a light emitting device.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an article comprising:

a) providing a first light transmitting material of refractive index n_L1x in a first axis x;

b) extruding the first light transmitting material into a first film comprising a first surface and a second surface;

c) embossing the first surface of the first film to achieve a first plurality of inverted light collimating surface features on the first surface;

d) extruding a second light transmitting material of refractive index n_H2X in the first axis x onto the first surface of the first film forming a substantially planar third surface;

e) extruding a third light transmitting material of refractive index n_H3X in the first axis x onto the second surface of the first film;

f) embossing the third light transmitting material to achieve a fourth surface comprising a plurality of light collimating surface features.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first light transmitting material is a polymer and the melt temperature of the first light transmitting material is higher than the second light transmitting material.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first light transmitting material is a fluoropolymer.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the second light transmitting material is a polycarbonate.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first surface of the first film is thermally embossed during the extrusion of the first light transmitting material.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the inverted light collimating features have a dimensional size after the second light transmitting material is extruded onto the first surface that is between 80% to 120% of the size before extrusion of the second light transmitting material along each of the first axis x direction, a second axis y direction orthogonal to the first axis x direction, and third axis z direction orthogonal to the first axis x direction and second axis y directions.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein n_H2x>

1.56 and n_L1x<

1.47.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the second light transmitting material and the third light transmitting materials are extruded substantially at the same time.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the second light transmitting material and the third light transmitting material comprise the same polymer.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first light transmitting material is a radiation curable polymer and the embossing of the first surface of the first light transmitting material is a radiation cured embossing process.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first light transmitting material comprises a polysiloxane.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first light transmitting material is extruded onto a substrate or carrier film.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first light transmitting material further comprises a plurality of dispersed domains of a light transmitting material of refractive index n_H4x.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of dispersed domains are asymmetrically shaped.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the extrusion of the first light transmitting material elongates the plurality of first dispersed domains along a first elongation direction.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the inverted light collimating surface features are concave and the light collimating surface features are convex.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the inverted light collimating surface features comprise an array of grooves within the first light transmitting material and the light collimating surface features comprise an array of protruding prisms in the third light transmitting material oriented substantially orthogonal to the array of grooves.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the average separation between the valley regions of the inverted light collimating surface features and the valley regions of the light collimating surface features is less than 25 microns in the thickness direction of the article.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the average separation between the valley regions of the inverted light collimating surface features and the valley regions of the light collimating surface features is less than 15 microns in the thickness direction of the article.

20. An article manufactured by the method of claim 1 wherein the article is a film that collimates incident light.

21. An article manufactured by the method of claim 1 wherein the total thickness of the article is greater than 200 microns and the article collimates incident light.

22. The article of claim 21 wherein the article is lens for a light fixture, a diffuser plate for a backlight, or a lightguide.

23. A light emitting device comprising the article manufactured by the method of claim 1 wherein the light emitted by the device is more collimated relative to the light emitted by the device without the article.

24. A method of manufacturing an article comprising:

a) Manufacturing a light transmitting film with inverted light collimating surface features in a first light transmitting material;

b) Coupling optically a second light transmitting material to the inverted light collimating surface features;

c) Coupling optically and embossing a third light transmitting material onto the light transmitting film.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the coupling optically and embossing of the third light transmitting material occur substantially at the same time.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the refractive index of the first light transmitting material is less than 1.47 and the refractive index of the third light transmitting material is greater than 1.56 in a first axis x.

27. An article manufactured by the method of claim 24 wherein the article is a film that collimates incident light.

28. An article manufactured by the method of claim 24 wherein the total thickness of the article is greater than 200 microns and the article collimates incident light.

29. The article of claim 24 wherein the article is lens for a light fixture, a diffuser plate for a backlight, or a lightguide.

30. A light emitting device comprising the article manufactured by the method of claim 24 wherein the light emitted by the device is more collimated relative to the light emitted by the device without the article.