Light control device and method for producing the same

• US 7,505,188 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2006
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited (AGC, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited (AGC, Inc.)
• Inventors: Niiyama, Satoshi, Ito, Hiroshige, Aoki, Naoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang; Hung X
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tra; Tuyen Q
• Application Number:
  US11/472,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20060291030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 359/237, 359265-275, 359/296, 345 1- 4, 345/105, 345/107, 345/903, 345/38, 345/50, 345/87, 349/73, 349/187
• US Class Current: 359/237
• 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 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13336 Combining plural substrates to produce large-area displays, e.g. tiled displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133502 Antiglare, refractive index matching layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/153 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/025 thermocurable
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/28 Adhesive materials or arrangements

Abstract

A light control device according to the present invention comprises a plurality of optical elements between two transparent plates in each of which a pair of transparent substrates having taper-shaped side faces with transparent electrodes are located so as to face each other, and a light control layer capable of changing the light transmitting state by electrically controlling the pair of transparent electrodes is disposed between the pair of transparent electrodes, and further, a transparent solid layer is filled in a space formed in the gap between the two transparent plates.

Claims

1. A light control device comprising a plurality of optical elements disposed between two transparent plates, said optical elements each comprising a pair of transparent substrates with transparent electrodes facing each other and a light control layer, disposed between the pair of transparent electrodes, capable of changing the light transmitting state by electrically controlling the pair of transparent electrodes, wherein

a transparent solid layer is disposed in a space formed in the gap between the two transparent plates,

the transparent substrates have taper-shaped side faces,

the optical element is a transmitting and scattering type liquid crystal optical element, and

when the refractive index of any of the transparent plates is represented by n_a, the refractive index of the transparent solid layer is represented by n_b, the refractive index of any of the transparent substrates is represented by n_c and the taper angle of any of the transparent substrates is represented by θ

(degree), there is a relation of n_a>

n_b, and when n_b>

n_c, the following Formula 1 is satisfied, and when n_b<

n_c, the following Formula 2 is satisfied;

θ

<

180−

sin<sup>−

1</sup>(1/n_b)−

sin<sup>−

1</sup>(n_c/n_b) 

 

Formula 1

θ

<

sin<sup>−

1</sup>(n_b/n_c)−

sin<sup>−

1</sup>(1/n_c) 

 

Formula 2.

2. A light control device comprising at least one optical element disposed between two transparent plates, said optical element comprising a pair of transparent substrates with transparent electrodes facing each other and a light control layer, disposed between the pair of transparent electrodes, capable of changing the light transmitting state by electrically controlling the pair of transparent electrodes, wherein

a transparent solid layer is disposed in a space formed in the gap between the two transparent plates,

the refractive index difference between the transparent solid layer and a transparent substrate is within ±

0.10,

the optical element is a transmitting and scattering type liquid crystal optical element, and

the device can transmit light when no voltage is applied and scatter light when voltage is applied.

3. A light control device comprising a plurality of optical elements disposed between two transparent plates, said optical elements each comprising a pair of transparent substrates with transparent electrodes facing each other and a light control layer, disposed between the pair of transparent electrodes, capable of changing the light transmitting state by electrically controlling the pair of transparent electrodes, wherein

a transparent solid layer is disposed in a space formed in the gap between the two transparent plates,

the transparent substrates have taper-shaped side faces,

the optical element is a transmitting and scattering type liquid crystal optical element, and

the device can transmit light when no voltage is applied and scatter light when voltage is applied.

4. A light control device comprising at least one optical element disposed between two transparent plates, said optical element comprising a pair of transparent substrates with transparent electrodes facing each other and a light control layer, disposed between the pair of transparent electrodes, capable of changing the light transmitting state by electrically controlling the transparent electrodes, wherein

the optical element is located so as to face the two transparent plates with distances,

transparent spacing members are formed between the optical element and the two transparent plates,

a transparent solid layer is disposed in a space formed in the gap between the two transparent plates,

the refractive index difference between the transparent solid layer and any of the transparent substrates is within ±

0.10,

the optical element is a transmitting and scattering type liquid crystal optical element, and

the device can transmit light when no voltage is applied and scatter light when voltage is applied.

5. A light control device comprising at least one optical element disposed between two transparent plates, said optical element comprising a pair of transparent substrates with transparent electrodes facing each other and a light control layer, disposed between the pair of transparent electrodes, capable of changing the light transmitting state by electrically controlling the pair of transparent electrodes,

wherein a transparent solid layer is disposed in a space formed in the gap between the two transparent plates,

the refractive index difference between the transparent solid layer and a transparent substrate is within ±

0.10,

the optical element is a transmitting and scattering type liquid crystal optical element and

a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate each has a non-facing region in the vicinity of its one side, which does not face the other transparent substrate, and each non-facing region has wires connected to the substrate.

6. A light control device comprising a plurality of optical elements disposed between two transparent plates, said optical elements each comprising a pair of transparent substrates with transparent electrodes facing each other and a light control layer, disposed between the pair of transparent electrodes, capable of changing the light transmitting state by electrically controlling the pair of transparent electrodes, wherein

a transparent solid layer is disposed in a space formed in the gap between the two transparent plates,

the transparent substrates have taper-shaped side faces,

the optical element is a transmitting and scattering type liquid crystal optical element, and

a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate each has a non-facing region in the vicinity of its one side, which does not face the other transparent substrate, and each non-facing region has wires connected to the substrate.

7. A light control device comprising at least one optical element disposed between two transparent plates, said optical element comprising a pair of transparent substrates with transparent electrodes facing each other and a light control layer, disposed between the pair of transparent electrodes, capable of changing the light transmitting state by electrically controlling the transparent electrodes,

wherein

the optical element is located so as to face the two transparent plates with distances,

transparent spacing members are formed between the optical element and the two transparent plates,

a transparent solid layer is disposed in a space formed in the gap between the two transparent plates,

the refractive index difference between the transparent solid layer and any of the transparent substrates is within ±

0.10,

the optical element is a transmitting and scattering type liquid crystal optical element, and

a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate each has a non-facing region in the vicinity of its one side, which does not face the other transparent substrate, and each non-facing region has wires connected to the substrate.

8. A method for producing a light control device having an optical element between two transparent plates, comprising:

preparing an optical element in which a pair of transparent substrates with transparent electrodes are facing each other and a light control layer capable of changing the light transmitting state by electrically controlling the pair of transparent electrodes is disposed between the pair of transparent electrodes,

fixing the optical element to at least one of the two transparent plates and

disposing a transparent solid layer in a space formed in the gap between the two transparent plates, wherein

the refractive index difference between the transparent solid layer and any of the transparent substrates is within ±

0.10,

the light control device transmits and scatters light, and

the preparing of the optical element comprises placing a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate so that each has a non-facing region in the vicinity of its one side, which does not face the other transparent substrate, and connecting wires to each non-facing region of the substrates.

9. A method for producing a light control device having an optical element between two transparent plates, comprising:

disposing a pair of transparent substrates having taper-shaped side faces at front and rear sides of an optical element,

forming a transparent electrode on each of the pair of the transparent substrates,

preparing the optical element so that a light control layer capable of changing the light transmitting state by electrically controlling the pair of transparent electrodes is disposed between the pair of transparent electrodes,

fixing the optical element to at least one of the two transparent plates, and

disposing a transparent solid layer in a space formed in the gap between the two transparent plates,

wherein the light control device transmits and scatters light, and

the preparing of the optical element comprises placing a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate so that each has a non-facing region in the vicinity of its one side, which does not face the other transparent substrate, and connecting wires to each non-facing region of the substrates.

10. A method for producing a light control device having an optical element between two transparent plates, which comprises:

preparing an optical element in which a pair of transparent substrates with transparent electrodes are facing each other and a light control layer capable of changing the light transmitting state by electrically controlling the pair of transparent electrodes is disposed between the pair of transparent electrodes,

fixing the optical element to at least one of the two transparent plates and

disposing a transparent solid layer in a space formed in the gap between the two transparent plates wherein the refractive index difference between the transparent solid layer and any of the transparent substrates is within ±

0.10,

wherein the light control device transmits light when no voltage is applied and scatters light when voltage is applied.

11. A method for producing a light control device having an optical element between two transparent plates, which composes;

disposing a pair of transparent substrate having taper-shaped side faces at front and rear sides of an optical element,

forming a transparent electrode on each of the pair of the transparent substrates,

preparing the optical element so that a light control layer capable of changing the light transmitting state by electrically controlling the pair of transparent electrodes is disposed between the pair of transparent electrodes,

fixing the optical element to at least one of the two transparent plates and

disposing a transparent solid layer in a space formed in the gap between the two transparent plates,

wherein the light control device transmits light when no voltage is applied and scatters light when voltage is applied.