Patterned gradient polymer film and method

• US 9,403,300 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Kolb, William Blake, Free, Michael Benton, Kolb, Brant U., Lu, Fei, Wheatley, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Victor
• Application Number:
  US13/639,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20130039094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,111 Days
• Field of Search: 428/304.4, 428/308.4, 428/310.5, 428/315.9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 2490/50 compositions varying with a gradient perpendicular to the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 2490/60 compositions varying with a gradient parallel to the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/067 Curing or cross-linking the coating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0827 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/24 for making articles of indefinite length
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0018 having particular optical properties, e.g. fluorescent or phosphorescent
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/04 made of organic materials, e.g. plastics G02B1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0247 by means of voids or pores
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0263 with positional variation of the diffusing properties, e.g. gradient or patterned diffuser
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133631 with a spatial distribution of the retardation value
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249961 With gradual property change within a component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2933 Coated or with bond, impregnation or core

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to patterned gradient polymer films and methods for making the same, and more particularly to patterned gradient optical films that have regions that include variations in optical properties such as refractive index, haze, transmission, clarity, or a combination thereof. The variation in optical properties can occur across a transverse plane of the film as well as through a thickness direction of the film.

Claims

1. A gradient polymer film, comprising:

a binder; and

a plurality of nanovoids, wherein a local volume fraction of the plurality of nanovoids varies across a transverse plane of the gradient polymer film.

2. The gradient polymer film of claim 1, wherein the local volume fraction remains essentially constant along a first direction within the transverse plane.

3. The gradient polymer film of claim 1, wherein the local volume fraction further varies in a thickness direction perpendicular to the transverse plane.

4. The gradient polymer film of claim 1, wherein the local volume fraction comprises a local pore-size distribution.

7. An optical construction, comprising:

a substrate; and

the gradient polymer film of claim 1 or claim 5 disposed on the substrate.

8. The optical construction of claim 7, wherein the substrate comprises at least one of a polymer film, a release liner, an adhesive, a volume diffuser, a surface diffuser, a diffractive diffuser, a refractive diffuser, a retroreflector, an absorbing polarizer, a reflective polarizer, a fiber polarizer, a cholesteric polarizer, a multilayer polarizer, a wire grid polarizer, a partial reflector, a volume reflector, a multilayer polymer reflector, a metal reflector, a metal/dielectric multilayer reflector, a fiber, a lens, a microstructure, a solid light guide, or a hollow light guide.

9. The optical construction of claim 8, wherein the microstructure comprises a cube-comer retroreflector, a brightness enhancing film (BEF), a lenslet, a gain diffuser, a light extraction film, or a turning film.

10. The optical construction of claim 7, wherein the gradient polymer film comprises a bulb-hiding film.

11. The gradient polymer film of claim 1 or claim 5, wherein at least one of refractive index, haze, clarity, or transmission vary across the transverse plane.

5. A gradient polymer film, comprising:

a binder; and

a plurality of nanovoids, wherein a first local volume fraction of the plurality of nanovoids proximate a first region of the gradient polymer film is greater than a second local volume fraction of the plurality of nanovoids proximate a second region adjacent the first region, along a transverse plane of the gradient polymer film.

6. The gradient polymer film of claim 5, wherein the first local volume fraction of the plurality of nanovoids decreases monotonically to the second local volume fraction of the plurality of nanovoids, along the transverse plane of the gradient polymer film.

12. A patterned light guide, comprising:

a light guide; and

a gradient polymer film disposed on the light guide, the gradient polymer film comprising;

a binder; and

a plurality of nanovoids, wherein a first local volume fraction of the plurality of nanovoids proximate a first region of the gradient polymer film is greater than a second local volume fraction of the plurality of nanovoids proximate a second region adjacent the first region, along a transverse plane of the gradient polymer film.

13. The patterned light guide of claim 12, wherein the first region has a first index of refraction lower than the index of the refraction of the light guide, and the second region has a second index of refraction not lower than the index of refraction of the light guide, such that light within the light guide is capable of exiting through the second region but not through the first region.

14. The patterned light guide of claim 13, further comprising a light redirecting element disposed to receive light exiting the gradient polymer, the light redirecting element selected from a structured surface or an angle selective multilayer optical film.