Optical bodies including rough strippable boundary layers and asymmetric surface structures

• US 8,568,869 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Hebrink, Timothy J., Stover, Carl A., Denker, Martin E., Jackson, Jeffery N., Derks, Kristopher J., Weber, Michael F., Kobilansky, Anna A., Strobel, Joan M., Rosell, Barry S., Purcell, John P., Hamer, Kevin M., Taylor, Robert D., Black, William B., Thompson, Richard J., Bluem, Gregory L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ewald, Maria Veronica
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSENBERG, NANCY D
• Application Number:
  US11/398,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20060228092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,764 Days
• Field of Search: 428/141, 428/143
• US Class Current: 428/327
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00788 Producing optical films
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/26 characterised by a particular shape of the outline of the cross-section of a continuous layer; characterised by a layer with cavities or internal voids foam layer B32B5/18; layer of synthetic resin characterised by fillers that create voids or cavities B32B27/205; characterised by an apertured layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/06 permitting easy separation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/12 by surface treatment, e.g. by irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0221 the surface having an irregular structure G02B5/0226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0257 creating an anisotropic diffusion characteristic, i.e. distributing output differently in two perpendicular axes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0268 characterized by the fabrication or manufacturing method
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0278 used in transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/305 including organic materials, e.g. polymeric layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24372 Particulate matter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/254 Polymeric or resinous material

Abstract

Optical bodies are disclosed that include an optical film and at least one rough strippable skin layer. The at least one rough strippable skin layer can include a continuous phase and a disperse phase. In some embodiments, the at least one rough strippable skin layer can include a first polymer, a second polymer different from the first polymer and an additional material that is substantially immiscible in at least one of the first and second polymers. In some exemplary embodiments, a surface of the at least one rough strippable skin layer adjacent to the optical film comprises a plurality of protrusions and the adjacent surface of the optical film comprises a plurality of asymmetric depressions substantially corresponding to said plurality of protrusions. Methods of making such exemplary optical bodies are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An optical body, comprising:

a first optical film, a second optical film and at least one rough strippable boundary layer disposed between the first and second optical films adjacent to a surface of at least one of the first and second optical films, wherein at least one of the first and second optical films comprises a polymeric multilayer optical film;

wherein a surface of the rough strippable boundary layer disposed adjacent to an optical film comprises a first plurality of surface structures with a first shape and the adjacent surface of the optical film comprises a second plurality of asymmetric surface structures substantially corresponding to said first plurality of surface structures, wherein the asymmetrical surface structures have a second shape comprising at least one dimension different from a corresponding dimension of the first shape.

2. The optical body of claim 1, wherein the optical film having asymmetric surface structures is characterized by a haze of at least about 10%.

3. The optical body of claim 1, wherein the rough strippable boundary layer comprises a continuous phase and a disperse phase.

4. The optical body of claim 3, wherein the continuous phase comprises at least one of:

a polypropylene, a polyester, a linear low density polyethylene, a nylon and copolymers thereof, syndiotactic polypropylene, linear low density polyethylene and a random copolymer of propylene and ethylene.

5. The optical body of claim 3, wherein the disperse phase comprises at least one of:

styrene acrylonitrile, medium density polyethylene, modified polyethylene,

polycarbonate and copolyester blend, C-caprolactone polymer, propylene random copolymer, poly(ethylene octene) copolymer, anti-static polymer, high density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, polymethyl methacrylate, and inorganic materials.

6. The optical body of claim 3, wherein the disperse phase comprises a plurality of beads.

7. The optical body of claim 1, wherein at least one rough strippable boundary layer further comprises a nucleating agent or a coloring agent.

8. The optical body of claim 1, wherein at least one of the optical films is selected from the group consisting of:

a multilayer polarizer, a multilayer reflector, an optical film having a continuous and a disperse phase, a layer comprising styrene acrylonitrile, a layer comprising polycarbonate, a layer comprising polyethylene terephthalate, a layer comprising a cycloaliphatic polyester/polycarbonate and any number or combination thereof.

9. The optical body of claim 1, wherein at least one of the optical films comprises at least one underskin layer.

10. The optical body of claim 9, wherein the underskin layer comprises styrene acrylonitrile, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate or cycloaliphatic polyester/polycarbonate.

11. The optical body of claim 9, wherein the underskin layer comprises a first material and a second material substantially immiscible in the first material, said second material being polymeric or inorganic.

12. The optical body of claim 1, said optical body being substantially transparent.

13. The optical body of claim 1, wherein the optical body comprises a birefringent material.

14. The optical body of claim 1, further comprising at least one smooth strippable layer.

15. The optical body of claim 1, wherein the at least one rough strippable boundary layer further comprises voids.

16. The optical body of claim 1, wherein the adhesion between the surface of the rough strippable boundary layer and the surface of the optical film is characterized by a peel force of about 2 grams/inch to about 120 grams/inch such that the rough strippable boundary layer is cleanly removable from the optical film.

17. An optical body, comprising:

a first optical film, a second optical film and at least one rough strippable boundary layer disposed between the first and second optical films adjacent to a surface of at least one of the first and second optical films, wherein at least one of the first and second optical films comprises a polymeric multilayer optical film;

wherein a surface of the rough strippable boundary layer disposed adjacent to an optical film comprises a first plurality of surface structures with a first major dimension and a first minor dimension, and the adjacent surface of the optical film comprises a second plurality of asymmetric surface structures substantially corresponding to said first plurality of surface structures, wherein the asymmetric surface structures have a second major dimension and a second minor dimension, wherein at least one of the second major dimension and the second minor dimension are different from at least one of the first major dimension and the first minor dimension of the corresponding first surface structures, and wherein the second major dimension is substantially collinear with a first axis of the optical body and the second minor dimension is substantially collinear with a second axis of the optical body, and further wherein an average ratio of the second major dimension to the second minor dimension is at least about 1.5.

18. The optical body of claim 17, wherein the asymmetric surface structures have an average major dimension from about 4 microns to about 40 microns.

19. The optical body of claim 17, wherein the asymmetric surface structures have an average depth from about 0.2 microns to about 4 microns.

20. The optical body of claim 17, wherein the asymmetric surface structures have an average minor dimension from about 0.2 microns to about 5 microns.