Film-to-glass switchable glazing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10649252-B2
Application number	US-201815892251-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2018
Priority date	Feb 8, 2017
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A privacy glazing structure may include an electrically controllable optically active material, such as a liquid crystal material, sandwiched between a flexible substrate and a rigid substrate. The flexible substrate and the rigid substrate may each have a conductive layer deposited on the surface facing the optically active material. The flexible substrate may be bonded about its perimeter to the rigid substrate and may be sufficiently flexible to conform to non-planarity of the rigid substrate. As a result, the flexible substrate may adopt the surface contour of the rigid substrate to maintain a uniform thickness of optically active material between the flexible substrate and the rigid substrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A privacy glazing structure comprising:
a first rigid substrate of transparent material;
a second rigid substrate of transparent material that is generally parallel to the first rigid substrate, the second rigid substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
a spacer positioned between the first rigid substrate and the second rigid substrate to define a between-pane space;
a flexible substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
a first substantially transparent conductive layer carried on the first surface of the flexible substrate;
a second substantially transparent conductive layer carried on the first surface of the second rigid substrate facing the between-pane space; and
an electrically controllable optically active material,
wherein the flexible substrate is bonded about its perimeter to the first surface of the second rigid substrate to form a cavity therebetween,
the electrically controllable optically active material is disposed within the cavity,
the second rigid substrate exhibits non-planarity waviness having peaks projecting toward the between-pane space and valleys recessed away from the between-pane space, and
the flexible substrate is sufficiently flexible to conform to non-planarity of the second rigid substrate, the flexible substrate conforming to the non-planarity of the second rigid substrate by mirroring the non-planarity waviness of the second rigid substrate such that the cavity has a substantially uniform thickness across the nature.

2. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate is a polymeric sheet.

3. The structure of claim 2 , wherein the polymeric sheet comprises one or more layers formed of polyethylene terephthalate.

4. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate is aluminosilicate glass or borosilicate glass.

5. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate exhibits a flexural rigidity less than 5 N-mm.

6. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate exhibits a T 380 less than 2 percent.

7. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate has a thickness ranging from 0.0125 millimeters to 0.25 millimeters.

8. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the cavity varies by less than 2 millimeters across the structure.

9. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the first surface of the second rigid substrate has an optical roll wave distortion value for a centermost 90% area of the first surface ranging from 10 millidiopters to 180 millidiopters.

10. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the second rigid substrate is tempered float glass.

11. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the second rigid substrate has a thickness ranging from 2 mm to 4 mm.

12. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate has a coefficient of thermal expansion, the second rigid substrate has a coefficient of thermal expansion, and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the flexible substrate ranges from 20 percent of the coefficient of thermal expansion of the second rigid substrate to 120 percent of the coefficient of thermal expansion of the second rigid substrate.

13. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the first substantially transparent conductive layer and the second substantially transparent conductive layer form opposite wall surfaces of the cavity.

14. The structure of claim 1 , further comprising a third rigid substrate laminated to the second surface of the second rigid substrate.

15. The structure of claim 1 , wherein:
the spacer defines a first side surface positioned adjacent with the first rigid substrate, a second side surface positioned adjacent the first surface of the second rigid substrate, and a top surface exposed to the between-pane space, and
the flexible substrate is bonded to the second rigid substrate at a location that is inwardly offset from the top surface of the spacer.

16. The structure of claim 15 , wherein flexible substrate defines a terminal edge adjacent the top surface of the spacer and a distance separating the terminal edge of the flexible substrate from the top surface of the spacer is less than 5 millimeters.

17. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate is bonded about its perimeter to the first surface of the second rigid substrate with an adhesive.

18. The structure of claim 17 , wherein the adhesive is bonded to the flexible substrate over a width ranging from 1 millimeter to 10 millimeters.

19. The structure of claim 17 , wherein the flexible substrate and the second rigid substrate are devoid of any surface coatings over a region where the adhesive is positioned such that the adhesive is in direct contact with the flexible substrate and the second rigid substrate.

20. The structure of claim 17 , wherein the adhesive is selected from the group consisting of an acrylate, a methacrylate, a urethane, an epoxy, and combinations thereof.

21. The structure of claim 17 , wherein the adhesive exhibits a shear strength of at least 50 Newtons/mm 2 .

22. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the spacer comprises a tubular spacer.

23. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the electrically controllable optically active material is a liquid crystal material having a light transmittance that varies in response to application of an electrical field.

24. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the electrically controllable optically active material is selected from the group consisting of an electrochromic material and a suspended particle material.

25. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the second rigid substrate has a compressive strength of at least 8,000 pounds per square inch.

26. A privacy glazing structure comprising:
a first rigid substrate of transparent material;
a second rigid substrate of transparent material that is generally parallel to the first rigid substrate, the second rigid substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
a spacer positioned between the first rigid substrate and the second rigid substrate to define a between-pane space;
a flexible substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
a first substantially transparent conductive layer carried on the first surface of the flexible substrate;
a second substantially transparent conductive layer carried on the first surface of the second rigid substrate facing the between-pane space; and
an electrically controllable optically active material,
wherein the flexible substrate is bonded about its perimeter to the first surface of the second rigid substrate to form a cavity therebetween,
the electrically controllable optically active material is disposed within the cavity,
the first surface of the second rigid substrate has an optical roll wave distortion value for a centermost 90% area of the first surface ranging from 10 millidiopters to 180 millidiopters, and
the flexible substrate is sufficiently flexible to conform to non-planarity of the second rigid substrate.

27. The structure of claim 26 , wherein the flexible substrate is a polymeric sheet.

28. The structure of claim 26 , wherein the flexible substrate is aluminosilicate glass or borosilicate glass.

29. The structure of claim 26 , wherein the flexible substrate has a thickness ranging from 0.0125 millim

Assignees

• Cardinal Ig Co

Inventors

• Demiglio Andrew
• Bjergaard Eric
• Atkuri Hari
• Schleder Nicholas

Classifications

• G02F1/133305 Primary

  Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film · CPC title

• C03C17/23

  Oxides (C03C17/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B32B17/10513

  Electrochromic layer · CPC title

• E06B2003/66385

  with special shapes · CPC title

• G02F2203/01

  transmissive · CPC title