Privacy film and display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12306484-B2
Application number	US-202217758229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2022
Priority date	May 20, 2022
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A privacy film and a display device are provided. The privacy film includes a first polarizer, a first electrode layer, a dimming liquid crystal layer, a second electrode layer, and a second polarizer. The first polarizer, the first electrode layer, the dimming liquid crystal layer, the second electrode layer, and the second polarizer are stacked in sequence, so that multi-angle privacy protection can be achieved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A privacy film, comprising:
a first polarizer;
a first electrode layer;
a dimming liquid crystal layer;
a second electrode layer; and
a second polarizer,
wherein the first polarizer, the first electrode layer, the dimming liquid crystal layer, the second electrode layer, and the second polarizer are stacked in sequence in a vertical direction parallel with an upper surface of the first polarizer;
wherein the first electrode layer comprises at least two first electrode plates spaced apart from each other, the second electrode layer comprises at least one second electrode plate, and an orthographic projection of the second electrode plate on the first electrode layer falls between two adjacent ones of the first electrode plates in a plan view of the privacy film perpendicular with the vertical direction, wherein the at least one second electrode plate has a same bent shape as that of the at least two first electrode plates and the bent shape of the at least one second electrode plate has a same orientation as that of the at least two first electrode plates in the plan view;
wherein each of the first electrode plates comprises first sub-electrode plates connected end to end in sequence and a first angle is formed between every two connected ones of the first sub-electrode plates in the plan view, and the second electrode plate comprises second sub-electrode plates connected end to end in sequence and a second angle is formed between every two connected ones of the second sub-electrode plates in the plan view, to enable electrical fields created between each of the second sub-electrode plates and one or more of the first sub-electrode plates of respective ones of the first electrode plates adjacent and parallel with the second sub-electrode plate and formed respectively in at least four different directions, and wherein the first angle and the second angle is greater than zero and less than 180°;
wherein the first sub-electrode plates include a first first sub-electrode plate and a second first sub-electrode plate connected in series, the first angle is formed between the first first sub-electrode plate and the second first sub-electrode plate, the second sub-electrode plates include a first second sub-electrode plate and a second second sub-electrode plate connected in series, and the second angle is formed between the first second sub-electrode plate and the second second sub-electrode plate;
wherein the first first sub-electrode plate is parallel to the first second sub-electrode plate, and the second first sub-electrode plate is parallel to the second second sub-electrode plate; and
wherein an optical axis direction of the first polarizer is parallel to an optical axis direction of the second polarizer.

2. The privacy film of claim 1 , wherein odd-numbered ones of the first sub-electrode plates are parallel to each other, and odd-numbered ones of the second sub-electrode plates are parallel to each other.

3. The privacy film of claim 1 , wherein even-numbered ones of the first sub-electrode plates are parallel to each other, and even-numbered ones of the second sub-electrode plates are parallel to each other.

4. The privacy film of claim 1 , wherein the first angle is 90 degrees, and the second angle is 90 degrees.

5. The privacy film of claim 1 , wherein the first sub-electrode plates further comprise a third first sub-electrode plate connected to the second first sub-electrode plate, the second sub-electrode plates further comprise a third second sub-electrode plate connected to the second second sub-electrode plate, and the third first sub-electrode plate is parallel to the third second sub-electrode plate.

6. The privacy film of claim 5 , wherein the first first sub-electrode plate is parallel to the third first sub-electrode plate.

7. The privacy film of claim 5 , wherein the first first sub-electrode plate is not parallel to the third first sub-electrode plate.

8. The privacy film of claim 1 , wherein in a first mode, an angle α is formed between a major axis of each of liquid crystal molecules in the dimming liquid crystal layer and a normal line of the first polarizer, and α is greater than or equal to 85 degrees and less than or equal to 90 degrees, or α is greater than or equal to zero degrees and less than or equal to five degrees; and
in a second mode, the major axis of each of the liquid crystal molecules in the dimming liquid crystal layer is tilted with respect to the normal line of the first polarizer in one of at least four directions.

9. The privacy film of claim 8 , wherein in the second mode, major axes of the liquid crystal molecules in the dimming liquid crystal layer are tilted with respect to the normal line of the first polarizer in front, rear, left, and right directions, respectively.

10. The privacy film of claim 8 , wherein in the second mode, an acute angle is formed between the major axis of each of the liquid crystal molecules in the dimming liquid crystal layer and the normal line of the first polarizer.

11. The privacy film of claim 10 , wherein the acute angle ranges from 20 degrees to 40 degrees in the second mode.

12. The privacy film of claim 1 , wherein the dimming liquid crystal layer comprises a polymer network and liquid crystal molecules distributed in the polymer network.

13. A display device, comprising:
a privacy film; and
a display panel;
wherein the privacy film comprises:
a first polarizer;
a first electrode layer;
a dimming liquid crystal layer;
a second electrode layer; and
a second polarizer,
wherein the first polarizer, the first electrode layer, the dimming liquid crystal layer, the second electrode layer, and the second polarizer are stacked in sequence in a vertical direction parallel with an upper surface of the first polarizer;
wherein the first electrode layer comprises at least two first electrode plates spaced apart from each other, the second electrode layer comprises at least one second electrode plate, and an orthographic projection of the second electrode plate on the first electrode layer falls between two adjacent ones of the first electrode plates in a plan view of the privacy film perpendicular with the vertical direction, wherein the at least one second electrode plate has a same bent shape as that of the at least two first electrode plates and the bent shape of the at least one second electrode plate has a same orientation as that of the at least two first electrode plates in the plan view;
wherein each of the first electrode plates comprises first sub-electrode plates connected end to end in sequence and a first angle is formed between every two connected ones of the first sub-electrode plates in the plan view, and the second electrode plate comprises second sub-electrode plates connected end to end in sequence and a second angle is formed between every two connected ones of the second sub-electrode plates in the plan view, to enable electrical fields created between each of the second sub-electrode plates and one or more of the first sub-electrode plates adjacent and parallel with the second sub-electrode plate and formed respectively in at least four different directions, and wherein the first angle and the second angle is greater than zero and less than 180°;
wherein the first sub-electrode plates include a first first sub-electrode plate and a second first sub-electrode plate connected in series, the first angle is formed between the first first sub-electrode plate and the second first sub-electrode plate, the second sub-electrode plates include a first second sub-electrode plate and a second second sub-electrode plate connected in series, and

Assignees

• Wuhan China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ye Wenlong
• Cheng Wei

Classifications

• G02F1/134309

  characterised by their geometrical arrangement · CPC title

• G02F1/133531

  characterised by the arrangement of polariser or analyser axes · CPC title

• G02F1/13345 Primary

  Network or three-dimensional gels · CPC title

• G02F1/1335

  Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. polarisers or reflectors · CPC title

• G02F1/1323 Primary

  Arrangements for providing a switchable viewing angle · CPC title