Transparent product that gives image only at one side

• US 8,648,987 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2011
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Amimori, Ichirou, Takahashi, Kouki, Suzuki, Satomi, Kaneiwa, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): DUDEK, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US13/072,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20110234946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 349/114
• US Class Current: 349/114
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 55/04 uniaxial, e.g. oblique
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0018 having particular optical properties, e.g. fluorescent or phosphorescent
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133557 Half-mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1393 the birefringence of the liquid crystal being electrically controlled, e.g. ECB-, DAP-, HAN-, PI-LC cells G02F1/1396, G02F1/141 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/34 Colour display without the use of colour mosaic filters

Abstract

A transparent product that gives an image only at one side, which can be used for an advertisement on the window or the like, which is a product that has a semi-transmissive-half-reflective layer having transmittance of 30% or higher and a reflectance of 30% or higher, a birefringent layer which is a patterned optically anisotropic layer having two or more regions of different birefringence in the form of a pattern or a driven-type optically anisotropic layer containing a liquid-crystal compound driven by voltage application to control the optical anisotropy, and a polarizing layer in this order and does not have, at the opposite side of the polarizing layer with respect to the birefringent layer, a polarizing layer, is provided.

Claims

1. A product comprising a semi-transmissive-half-reflective layer having transmittance of 30% or higher and a reflectance of 30% or higher, a birefringent layer, and a polarizing layer in this order, and not comprising, at the opposite side of the polarizing layer with respect to the birefringent layer, a polarizing layer,

wherein the birefringent layer is a patterned optically anisotropic layer having two or more regions of different birefringence in the form of a pattern.

2. The product according to claim 1, wherein the regions of different birefringence in the form of a pattern are regions of different retardation or different slow axis.

3. The product according to claim 1, wherein the patterned optically anisotropic layer comprises a region of retardation of 30 to 1000 nm and a region of retardation less than 30 nm.

4. The product according to claim 1, wherein the patterned optically anisotropic layer is a layer that is formed of a composition comprising a liquid-crystal compound having at least one reactive group.

5. The product according to claim 4, wherein the patterned optically anisotropic layer is formed by a method comprising steps (1) to (3) below:

(1) irradiating with heat or light a layer formed of a composition comprising a liquid-crystal compound;

(2) subjecting the layer to a patterned light exposure; and

(3) heating the layer obtained to 50°

C. or higher but not higher than 400°

C.

9. The product according to claim 1, wherein the polarizing layer is an absorption-type polarizing layer prepared by uniaxially stretching a film comprising a polyvinyl alcohol doped with iodine or a dichroism pigment.

12. The product according to claim 1, wherein the polarizing layer is a reflection-type polarizing layer prepared by uniaxially stretching a laminated film formed by carrying out alternate lamination of two kind of polymer layers of different birefringence each of which is 20 to 300 nm in thickness.

14. The product according to claim 1, wherein the polarizing layer is a layer comprising a cholesteric liquid-crystal to selectively reflect circular polarized light.

15. The product according to claim 1, wherein the polarizing layer is a layer comprising a mixture of a polymeric liquid-crystal compound and a dichroism pigment being oriented by using the liquid-crystallinity and then fixed in the orientation by polymerization.

16. The product according to claim 1, wherein the polarizing layer is a layer comprising a liquid-crystal dichroism pigment being oriented by using the liquid-crystallinity.

17. An advertisement, which comprises the product according to claim 1.

18. Window glass which is applied with the product according to claim 1.

19. A pair of eyeglasses which is applied with the product according to claim 1.

6. A product comprising a semi-transmissive-half-reflective layer having a transmittance of 30% or higher and a reflectance of 30% or higher, a birefringent layer, and a polarizing layer in this order, and not comprising, at the opposite side of the polarizing layer with respect to the birefringent layer, a polarizing layer, wherein the birefringent layer is a driven-type optically anisotropic layer.

7. The product according to claim 6, wherein the driven-type optically anisotropic layer is a layer comprising a liquid-crystal compound driven by voltage application and the product comprises two electrode layers for the voltage application.

8. The product according to claim 7, wherein one of the two electrode layers is the semi-transmissive-half-reflective layer.

10. The product according to claim 6, wherein the polarizing layer is an absorption-type polarizing layer prepared by uniaxially stretching a film comprising a polyvinyl alcohol doped with iodine or a dichroism pigment.

11. The product according to claim 8, wherein the polarizing layer is an absorption-type polarizing layer prepared by uniaxially stretching a film comprising a polyvinyl alcohol doped with iodine or a dichroism pigment.

13. The product according to claim 6, wherein the polarizing layer is a reflection-type polarizing layer prepared by uniaxially stretching a laminated film formed by carrying out alternate lamination of two kind of polymer layers of different birefringence each of which is 20 to 300 nm in thickness.

20. Window glass which is applied with the product according to claim 6.