Light masked smart glazing

• US 9,904,136 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2015
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Burrows, Keith James, Hartig, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Richard
• Application Number:
  US14/668,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20150277165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2464 featuring transparency control by applying voltage, e.g. LCD, electrochromic panels
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/247 Electrically powered illumination
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/24 Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blindsoperating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1339 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/137 characterised by the electro-optical or magneto-optical effect, e.g. field-induced phase transition, orientation effect, guest-host interaction or dynamic scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13756 the liquid crystal selectively assuming a light-scattering state G02F1/1334, G02F1/13718 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/153 Constructional details

Abstract

A multiple-pane insulating glazing unit may include multiple panes of transparent material and a layer of electrically controllable optically active material that provides controllable privacy for the glazing unit. Despite efforts to fully black out the multiple-pane insulating glazing unit by switching the optically active material from a transmissive state to a privacy state, the glazing unit may exhibit some residual direct visible transmission. In some examples, the multiple-pane insulating glazing unit may include a light emitting element positioned to direct light at the layer of optically active material to address this issue. Light emitted by the light emitting element may reflect and mask residual visibility through the electrically controllable optically active material.

Claims

1. A glazing structure comprising:

a first substrate defining an inner surface and an outer surface;

a second substrate defining an inner surface and an outer surface;

a layer of electrically controllable optically active material positioned between the inner surface of the first substrate and the inner surface of the second substrate, the electrically controllable optically active material having a light transmissive state and a privacy state; and

at least one light emitting element positioned to direct light at either the outer surface of the first substrate or the outer surface of the second substrate,

wherein the at least one light emitting element is configured to be inactive when the electronically controllable optically active material is in the light transmissive state but activate when the electronically controllable optically active material is placed in the privacy state such that light emitted by the at least one light emitting element reflects off the electrically controllable optically active material and through the outer surface of the first substrate or the outer surface of the second substrate at which the light is directed and masks residual visibility through the electrically controllable optically active material when in the privacy state.

2. The glazing structure of claim 1, wherein the glazing structure is part of a multiple-pane insulating glazing unit comprising a third substrate and a spacer holding the third substrate generally parallel to and spaced apart from the first substrate to define a between-pane space filled with an insulative gas, the outer face of the first substrate being positioned inside the between-pane space.

3. The glazing structure of claim 2, wherein the at least one light emitting element comprises a plurality of light emitting elements positioned about the perimeter of the multiple-pane insulating glazing unit.

4. The glazing structure of claim 3, wherein the plurality of light emitting elements are positioned to direct light at the first plane at an angle ranging from 15 degrees to 75 degrees with respect to normal.

5. The glazing structure of claim 2, further comprising a frame positioned around the multiple-pane insulating glazing unit.

6. The glazing structure of claim 5, wherein the at least one light emitting element is positioned in at least one of the spacer of the multiple-pane insulating glazing unit and the frame positioned around the multiple-pane insulating glazing unit.

7. The glazing structure of claim 2, wherein

the multiple-pane insulating glazing unit defines from an external environment inwards toward an internal environment a number one surface, a number two surface, a number three surface, and a number four surface,

the third substrate is positioned to provide the number one surface and the number two surface, and the first substrate is positioned to provide the outer surface as the number three surface and the inner surface as the number four surface, and

the at least one light emitting element is configured to direct light through the number one surface followed by the number two, three, and four surfaces of the multiple-pane insulating glazing unit, at least a portion of which is reflected by the electrically controllable optically active material back through the number four surface followed by the number three, two, and one surfaces of the multiple-pane insulating glazing unit.

8. The glazing structure of claim 1, wherein the electrically controllable optically active material is configured to reflect at least 5 percent of the light emitted by the at least one light emitting element.

9. The glazing structure of claim 1, wherein the electrically controllable optically active material comprises liquid crystals.

10. The glazing structure of claim 9, wherein the electrically controllable optically active material comprises a liquid crystal layer that is optically scattering in an absence of an applied electrical field.

11. The glazing structure of claim 1, wherein the electrically controllable optically active material, when in the privacy state, exhibits a visible transmittance of greater than 0.05 percent.

12. The glazing structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one light emitting element comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes.

13. The glazing structure of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of light emitting diodes is configured to emit at a single wavelength.

14. A multiple-pane insulating glazing unit comprising:

a first pane of transparent material defining a first surface and second surface;

a second pane of transparent material that is generally parallel to the first pane of transparent material, the second pane of transparent material defining a third surface and a fourth surface;

a spacer positioned between the second surface of the first pane of transparent material and the third surface of the second pane of transparent material to define a first between-pane space;

a layer of electrically controllable optically active material positioned behind the fourth surface of the second pane of transparent material, the electrically controllable optically active material having a light transmissive state and a privacy state; and

at least one light emitting element positioned to direct light at the layer of electrically controllable optically active material through at least the third and fourth surfaces of the second pane of transparent material such that light emitted by the at least one light emitting element reflects off the electrically controllable optically active material and through the third and fourth surfaces of the second pane of transparent material and masks residual visibility through the electrically controllable optically active material when in the privacy state.

15. The multiple-pane insulating glazing unit of claim 14, wherein the at least one light emitting element comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes positioned to direct light at an angle ranging from 15 degrees to 75 degrees with respect to normal.

16. The multiple-pane insulating glazing unit of claim 14, wherein the spacer comprises a first spacer and further comprising:

a third pane of transparent material that is generally parallel to the second pane of transparent material; and

a second spacer positioned between the second pane of transparent material and the third pane of transparent material to define a second between-pane space,

wherein the layer of electrically controllable optically active material is positioned behind the third pane of transparent material and the at least one light emitting element positioned to direct light at the layer of electrically controllable optically active material directs light through at least the second pane of transparent material and the third pane of transparent material.

17. The multiple-pane insulating glazing unit of claim 14, further comprising a frame positioned around the multiple-pane insulating glazing unit.

18. The multiple-pane insulating glazing unit of claim 17, wherein the at least one light emitting element is positioned in at least one of the spacer and the frame positioned around the multiple-pane insulating glazing unit.

19. The multiple-pane insulating glazing unit of claim 14, wherein the first pane of transparent material and the second pane of transparent material each comprises glass.

20. The multiple-pane insulating glazing unit of claim 14, wherein

the multiple-pane insulating glazing unit defines from an external environment inwards toward an internal environment a number one surface, a number two surface, a number three surface, and a number four surface,

the first substrate is positioned to provide the first surface as the number one surface and the second surface as the number two surface and the second substrate is positioned to provide the third surface as the number three surface and the fourth surface as the number four surface, and

the at least one light emitting element is configured to direct light through the number one surface followed by the number two, three, and four surfaces of the multiple-pane insulating glazing unit, at least a portion of which is reflected by the electrically controllable optically active material back through the number four surface followed by the number three, two, and one surfaces of the multiple-pane insulating glazing unit.

21. The multiple-pane insulating glazing unit of claim 14, wherein the electrically controllable optically active material comprises liquid crystals that, when in the light scattering privacy state, exhibit a direct visible transmittance of greater than 0.1 percent.

22. The multiple-pane insulating glazing unit of claim 14, wherein the at least one light emitting element is configured to be inactive when the electronically controllable optically active material is in the light transmissive state but activate when the electronically controllable optically active material is placed in the privacy state.

23. A method comprising:

controlling an optically active material to transition the optically active material from a light transmissive state to a privacy state; and

directing light through a surface of transparent substrate at the optically active material in the privacy state, thereby causing at least a portion of the light to reflect off the optically active material and through the surface of the transparent substrate and mask residual visibility through the optically active material.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the optically active material comprises liquid crystals, and controlling the optically active material comprises at least one of applying electrical current to the liquid crystals and ceasing delivery of electrical current to the liquid crystals.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein directing light through the transparent substrate comprises directing light at an angle ranging from 15 degrees to 75 degrees with respect to normal.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein directing light through the transparent substrate comprising directing light through a first transparent substrate, a second transparent substrate, and a between-pane space filled with insulative gas separating the first transparent substrate from the second transparent substrate.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the optically active material, when in the light scattering privacy state, exhibit a direct visible transmittance of greater than 0.1 percent.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

controlling the optically active material to transition the optically active material from the privacy state to the light transmissive state; and

deactivating a light emitting source directing light through the transparent substrate at the optically active material.