Light control film and vehicle body panel including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10877345-B2
Application number	US-201916667129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2019
Priority date	Nov 5, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A light control film to be bonded to a panel member for a vehicle includes film substrates, conductive layers, and a liquid crystal layer. The conductive layers are on surfaces of the film substrates opposed to each other, respectively. The liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between conductive layers. The light control film is switchable between a first state with a first haze percentage and a second state with a second haze percentage that is lower than the first haze percentage. Each film substrate includes at least an acrylic imide layer made of acrylic imide. Each conductive layer includes a thin silver film or a copper wire mesh.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle body panel for a vehicle comprising:
a panel member including at least one flat portion and at least one curved portion; and
a light control film bonded to the panel member without any gaps between the panel member and the light control film, the light control film including:
two film substrates including opposed surfaces opposed to each other;
two conductive layers on the opposed surfaces, respectively; and
a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the conductive layers, wherein

the light control film is switchable between a first state with a first haze percentage and a second state with a second haze percentage that is lower than the first haze percentage,
each of the film substrates includes at least an acrylic imide layer made of acrylic imide,
each of the conductive layers includes one of a thin silver film and a copper wire mesh,
each of the film substrates further includes a thermoplastic resin layer made of a thermoplastic resin other than acrylic imide,
the thermoplastic resin layer has an impact resistance higher than that of the acrylic imide layer,
the at least one flat portion includes a first flat portion, a second flat portion, and a third flat portion,
the at least one curved portion includes a first curved portion and a second curved portion having a first degree of curvature and a second degree of curvature, respectively,
the first degree of curvature and the second degree of curvature are different from each other,
the second flat portion is perpendicular to the first flat portion,
the third flat portion is at an angle relative to at least the second flat portion,
the first curved portion extends from the first flat portion and curves toward the second flat portion,
the first curved portion connects the second flat portion to the first flat portion,
the second flat portion extends from an end of the first curved portion on an opposite side from the first flat portion,
the second curved portion extends from an end of the second flat portion on an opposite side from the first curved portion and curves toward the third flat portion,
the second curved portion connects the third flat portion to the second flat portion, and
the third flat portion extends from an end of the second curved portion on an opposite side from the second flat portion.

2. The vehicle body panel according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic resin layer is an aromatic polycarbonate layer made of aromatic polycarbonate.

3. The vehicle body panel according to claim 1 , wherein
the panel member includes an outer panel in a flat plate shape and an inner panel opposed to the outer panel,
the outer panel is made of resin and substantially transparent,
the inner panel is made of resin and substantially transparent,
the at least one flat portion and the at least one curved portion are included in the inner panel,
the first flat portion is vertically oriented in a cabin of the vehicle and fixed to the outer panel,
the first curved portion curved toward an inner side of the cabin,
the second flat portion extends from the end of the first curved portion toward the inner side of the cabin, and
the light control film is bonded to a surface of the inner panel facing an interior space of the cabin.

4. The vehicle body panel according to claim 3 , wherein
the at least one flat portion further includes a fourth flat portion and a fifth flat portion,
the fifth flat portion is vertically oriented in the cabin of the vehicle and fixed to the outer panel,
the at least one curved portion further includes a third curved portion and a fourth curved portion having a third degree of curvature and a fourth degree of curvature, respectively,
the first degree of curvature, the second degree of curvature, the third degree of curvature, and the fourth degree of curvature are different from one another,
the third curved portion extends from an end of the third flat portion on an opposite side from the second curved portion and curves toward the fourth flat portion,
the third curved portion connects the fourth flat portion to the third flat portion,
the fourth flat portion extends from an end of the third curved portion on an opposite side from the third flat portion toward the outer panel,
the fourth curved portion extends from an end of the fourth flat portion on an opposite side from the third curved portion and curves toward the fifth flat portion,
the fourth curved portion connects the fifth flat portion to the fourth flat portion, and
the fifth flat portion extends from an end of the fourth curved portion on an opposite side from the fourth flat portion.

5. The vehicle body panel according to claim 1 , wherein each of the film substrates has a total light transmittance of 90% or greater.

6. The vehicle body panel according to claim 1 , wherein each of the film substrates has a yellowness index of 1 or less.

7. The vehicle body panel according to claim 1 , wherein each of the film substrates has a retardation of 15 nm or less.

Assignees

• Toyota Boshoku Kk
• Riken Technos Corp
• Tdk Corp

Inventors

• Irie Masahiro
• Kobayashi Kanji
• Okamoto Kenji
• WASHIO Nozomu
• Mishima Koji
• Harada Shouhei
• Yamada Kazushi

Classifications

• C08J2333/24

  Homopolymers or copolymers of amides or imides · CPC title

• G02F1/133723

  Polyimide, polyamide-imide · CPC title

• G02F2203/01

  transmissive · CPC title

• G02F1/133711

  by organic films, e.g. polymeric films · CPC title

• G02F1/13439

  characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making · CPC title