Optical system including light control film and Fresnel lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12201005-B2
Application number	US-202418643225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2024
Priority date	Nov 8, 2019
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

An optical system includes an optical film curved about a first axis and a light control film curved about the first axis. The light control film can be disposed between a light source and the optical film. The optical film includes a microstructured first major surface and an opposing second major surface. The microstructured first major surface defines a linear Fresnel lens including a plurality of Fresnel elements extending longitudinally along the first axis. The first major surface of the optical film faces the light control film. The light control film can include a plurality of alternating optically transmissive and optically absorptive regions extending longitudinally along the first axis such that in a cross-section orthogonal to the first axis, for at least a majority of the optically transmissive regions, a centerline between adjacent optically absorptive regions is substantially normal to a major surface of the light control film.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical system, comprising:
an optical film curved about a first axis and comprising a microstructured first major surface and an opposing second major surface, the microstructured first major surface defining a linear Fresnel lens comprising a plurality of Fresnel elements extending longitudinally along the first axis, each Fresnel element comprising an optical facet and a sidewall meeting the optical facet at a ridge of the Fresnel element; and
a light control film curved about the first axis and disposed proximate the optical film such that the optical film and the light control film are substantially concentric, the first major surface of the optical film facing the light control film, the light control film comprising a plurality of alternating optically transmissive and optically absorptive regions extending longitudinally along the first axis,
wherein an airgap separates at least a majority of the first major surface of the optical film from the light control film.

2. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising a light source, the light control film disposed between the light source and the optical film.

3. The optical system of claim 2 , wherein the light source comprises an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display curved about the first axis.

4. The optical system of claim 2 , wherein the light source comprises a light guide curved about the first axis.

5. The optical system of claim 1 further comprising a display panel, the optical film disposed between the display panel and the light control film.

6. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of Fresnel elements comprises a plurality of polymeric Fresnel elements at least partially coated with an inorganic optically transparent layer.

7. The optical system of claim 6 , wherein for each Fresnel element in at least a majority of the Fresnel elements, an optically absorptive layer is disposed on and substantially covers the inorganic optically transparent layer disposed on the sidewall.

8. The optical system of any one of claim 1 , wherein the optical film and the light control film are taped to one another along at least an edge of the optical film and corresponding edge of the light control film.

9. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the first major surface of the optical film comprises a plurality of elongated spacer members extending toward the light control film and being received by an adhesive layer disposed on the light control film.

10. An optical system, comprising:
an optical film curved about a first axis and comprising a microstructured first major surface and an opposing second major surface, the microstructured first major surface defining a linear Fresnel lens comprising a plurality of Fresnel elements extending longitudinally along the first axis, each Fresnel element comprising an optical facet and a sidewall meeting the optical facet at a ridge of the Fresnel element; and
a light control film curved about the first axis and disposed proximate the optical film such that the optical film and the light control film are substantially concentric, the first major surface of the optical film facing the light control film, the light control film comprising a plurality of alternating optically transmissive and optically absorptive regions extending longitudinally along the first axis,
wherein at least a majority of the first major surface of the optical film is separated from the light control film by a low index layer having a refractive index of no more than 1.45.

11. The optical system of claim 10 , wherein the low index layer is disposed on and contacts at least a majority of the first major surface of the optical film, and an optical adhesive bonds the low index layer to the light control film.

12. The optical system of claim 10 , further comprising a light source, the light control film disposed between the light source and the optical film.

13. The optical system of claim 12 , wherein the light source comprises an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display curved about the first axis.

14. The optical system of claim 12 , wherein the light source comprises a light guide curved about the first axis.

15. The optical system of claim 10 further comprising a display panel, the optical film disposed between the display panel and the light control film.

16. The optical system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of Fresnel elements comprises a plurality of polymeric Fresnel elements at least partially coated with an inorganic optically transparent layer.

17. The optical system of claim 16 , wherein for each Fresnel element in at least a majority of the Fresnel elements, an optically absorptive layer is disposed on and substantially covers the inorganic optically transparent layer disposed on the sidewall.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Company

Inventors

• Liu Tao
• Boyd Gary T
• Schmidt Daniel J
• Nelson Caleb T
• Anderson Owen M
• Pham Tri D
• Hao Encai
• Fan Shu-Ching

Classifications

• G02B3/08 Primary

  with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens {(diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876)} · CPC title

• G02B6/0036

  2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces · CPC title

• G02B6/0011

  the light guides being planar or of plate-like form · CPC title

• G02B2207/123

  Optical louvre elements, e.g. for directional light blocking · CPC title

• G09F9/33

  being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes · CPC title