Camouflage structure capable of altering its appearance

• US 8,871,327 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2011
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Tsai, Chen-Chu
• Primary Examiner(s): Austin, Aaron
• Assistant Examiner(s): VONCH, JEFFREY A
• Application Number:
  US13/053,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20120148797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• US Class Current: 428/137
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/202 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/40 having particular optical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/402 Coloured
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2437/00 Clothing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2571/02 defensive, e.g. armour plates or anti-ballistic clothing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/12 characterised by the relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers, e.g. the fibres or filaments being parallel or perpendicular to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 3/00 Camouflage, i.e. means or methods for concealment or disguise for vessels B63G8/34, B63G13/02 ; sound camouflage, i.e. simulating gun fire noise, F41A33/04; dummy or decoy targets F41J; chaff per se F41J2/00; ammunition for dispensing chaff F42B5/15, F42B12/70; radar absorbing fabrics H01Q17/005
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 3/02 Flexible, e.g. fabric covers, e.g. screens, nets characterised by their material or structuremaking thereof, see the relevant classes, e.g. D04
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/913 Material designed to be responsive to temperature, light, moisture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/919 Camouflaged article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24322 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]

Abstract

A camouflage structure, capable of altering its appearance, comprises a camouflage graphic layer and a color-changing layer disposed on the camouflage graphic layer. Originally, the camouflage structure presents a first color state. After the color-changing layer changes the color by driving methods, the camouflage structure presents a second color state. For example, a transparent or semi-transparent color-changing layer able to reflect or emitting red light could be disposed on the woodland camouflage graphic layer, which allows for the overall appearance to change from the greenish woodland camouflage to the brownish desert camouflage. Alternatively, the camouflage structure could comprise a greenish camouflage graphic layer made of material with red-shift characteristics, which means the greenish camouflage graphic layer consists of different colors of chromic materials with reversible red-shift characteristics. The greenish camouflage graphic layer can be red-shifted by driving methods so as to present an appearance of brownish desert camouflage.

Claims

1. A camouflage structure, comprising:

a camouflage graphic layer;

a color-changing layer, disposed on the camouflage graphic layer;

a transparent upper electrode, disposed on the color-changing layer; and

a transparent lower electrode, disposed beneath the camouflage graphic layer;

wherein the camouflage structure originally presents a first color state, and presents a second color state after the color-changing layer changes the color by a driving method.

2. The camouflage structure according to claim 1, wherein the color-changing layer comprises a cholesteric liquid crystal.

3. The camouflage structure according to claim 1, wherein the camouflage graphic layer is a greenish camouflage graphic layer and the first color state is green, the color-changing layer is able to change color between transparent and red, so as to make the camouflage structure present a brownish desert camouflage state after the color-changing layer turns red.

4. The camouflage structure according to claim 1, wherein the camouflage graphic layer is a brownish desert camouflage graphic layer, when the light passes through the color-changing layer, the color-changing layer is able to absorb red light and the brownish desert camouflage graphic layer reflects green light, so as to make the camouflage structure present a greenish camouflage state.

5. The camouflage structure according to claim 1, wherein after the color-changing layer changes the color by the driving method, the camouflage structure turns to at least an intermediate color state from the first color state, and then turns to the second color state from the intermediate color state.

6. The camouflage structure according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of discontinuous cuttings.

7. The camouflage structure according to claim 1, wherein the driving method uses electric driving methods.