Device for the regulation of light transmission

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10690948-B2
Application number	US-201515544331-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2015
Priority date	Jan 19, 2015
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

The present application discloses a switchable device, comprising a switching layer and a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, where the switching layer is positioned between the first and the second conductive layer, and where at least one of the first and the second conductive layers comprises a plurality of isolating sections and a plurality of conductive sections, where the isolating sections and the conductive sections alternate over the area of the conductive layer, and where the switching state of the switchable device is controlled by touch motions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A switchable device for the regulation of light transmission, comprising
a stack of layers which comprises a first substrate layer, a second substrate layer, a switching layer which is positioned between the first and the second substrate layers, a first conductive layer which is positioned between the switching layer and the first substrate layer, and a second conductive layer which is positioned between the switching layer and the second substrate layer, and
which device comprises an interconnected assembly, comprising a touch sensitive layer, an assembly comprising one or more logic units, which translates the output signals of the touch sensitive layer into output signals, one or more voltage sources whose output voltage can be varied depending on an input signal, and a plurality of switches which are capable of switching each one of the plurality of conductive segments on and off, depending on an input signal,
wherein each of the switches of the plurality of switches is connected to a separate power source with independently adjustable voltage
where the switching layer comprises a material which changes its light transmissivity upon the application of voltage,
wherein the switching layer is a liquid crystal switching layer,
wherein the liquid crystal switching layer comprises one or more dichroic dyes dissolved in the liquid crystalline material,
where at least one of the first and the second conductive layers comprises a plurality of isolating sections and a plurality of conductive sections, where the isolating sections and the conductive sections alternate over the area of the conductive layer, and where the switching state of the switchable device is controlled by a touch motion,
where a part of one of the first and the second conductive layers does not overlap in the stack with the other of the first and the second conductive layers, which part is electrically connected to voltage, and
wherein the stack of layers comprises a UV blocking layer which blocks transmission of light with wavelengths in the range of 350 nm to 390 nm.

2. The switchable device according to claim 1 , wherein the isolating sections and the conductive sections alternate in a regular pattern over the area of the conductive layer.

3. The switchable device according to claim 1 , wherein for each one of the plurality of conductive sections, the switching state of the specific section of the switching layer which is covered by the area of the conductive section is capable of being selected independently of the switching state of the other sections of the switching layer.

4. The switchable device according to claim 3 , wherein the switching state of each of the specific sections of the switching layer which is capable of being selected independently is controlled by a touch motion on a touch sensitive layer.

5. The switchable device according to claim 1 , wherein the isolating sections are lines with a width of 0.2 μm to 100 μm.

6. The switchable device according to claim 1 , wherein the isolating sections are lines which are parallel to each other and which are regularly spaced, with a distance between the parallel lines of in each case between 1 μm and 1 m, where the conductive sections are positioned in the space between the lines.

7. The switchable device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and the second conductive layer comprise a thin layer of metal or of other material.

8. The switchable device according to claim 1 , wherein the isolating sections of the conducting layer have been created by laser ablation, chemical etching, laser photolithography, mechanical embossing, photo embossing, sputtering an ITO or similar conductive material coating as a conductive layer while certain sections have been covered, which has been followed by later removal of the covering material to obtain a glass section without the coating; or coating conductive material only in specific sections by inkjet printing of solution processable conductors.

9. The switchable device according to claim 1 , wherein only one of the first and the second conductive layers comprises a plurality of isolating sections, and the other one of the first and the second conductive layers comprises no or essentially no isolating sections.

10. The switchable device according to claim 1 , wherein a part of one of the first and the second conductive layers does not overlap in the stack with the other of the first and the second conductive layers in a freely accessible from at least one side, which part is electrically connected to voltage.

11. The switchable device according to claim 1 , wherein the part of one of the first and the second conductive layers which does not overlap in the stack with the other of the first and the second conductive layers has overlapping areas with each of the conductive sections of the conductive layer, where optionally, in these overlapping areas, the conductive sections are each separately electrically connected to voltage.

12. The switchable device according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive sections of one of the first and the second conductive layers are each separately and independently electrically contacted with a power source by direct addressing, passive matrix addressing, active matrix addressing or multiplex driving.

13. The switchable device according to claim 1 , wherein a touch sensitive layer is present inside or on the stack of layers of the switchable device, or in an external touch sensitive device which is connected to the switchable device by electrical wiring or by wireless connection.

14. The switchable device according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystal switching layer is selected from the group consisting of polymer comprising liquid crystal switching layers and small molecule based liquid crystal switching layers.

15. The switchable device according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystal switching layer is a polymer comprising a liquid crystal switching layer, which is a polymer dispersed liquid crystal switching layer.

16. The switchable device according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystalline material comprises one or more liquid crystalline organic compounds, which are selected from the group consisting of small molecules and polymeric materials.

17. The switchable device according to claim 1 , wherein the switching layer is switched by application of an electric field between at least two different switching states, where one of the states is a dark state or a scattering state, and the other state is a clear state.

18. The switchable device according to claim 17 , wherein in the dark state, the liquid crystalline material is in a state selected from the group consisting of nematic non-twisted, nematic twisted and nematic supertwisted, and wherein in the clear state, the material is in a homeotropic state.

19. A switchable device stack, comprising a first switchable device and a second switchable device, wherein both the first and second devices are according to claim 1 .

20. A window, comprising a switchable device according to claim 1 , and optionally comprising an insulated glass unit, where the switchable device is positioned inside of the insulated glass unit.

21. The window according to claim 20 , further comprising a separate touch sensitive device, which is optionally positioned on a frame of the window.

22. A building or a vehicle, comprising the switchable device according to claim 1 , or comprising a window that comprises said switchabl

Assignees

• Merck Patent Gmbh

Inventors

• De Jong Ties
• Van Oosten Casper Laurens
• Schlosser Felix Fritz Rudolf

Classifications

• G02F1/1347

  Arrangement of liquid crystal layers or cells in which the final condition of one light beam is achieved by the addition of the effects of two or more layers or cells · CPC title

• G02F1/13338

  Input devices, e.g. touch panels · CPC title

• G02F1/1334

  based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals · CPC title

• E06B9/24

  Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; {Slat blinds}(operating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00) · CPC title

• B60J3/04

  adjustable in transparency · CPC title