High transmission light control film

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12493208-B2
Application number	US-202418444975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2024
Priority date	Aug 1, 2018
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

A light control film comprises a light input surface and a light output surface opposite the light input surface; alternating transmissive regions and absorptive regions disposed between the light input surface and the light output surface, wherein the absorptive regions comprise a core having a first concentration, C 1 , of a light absorbing material sandwiched between cladding layers having a second concentration, C 2 , of the light absorbing material, wherein C 2 <C 1 , and wherein the cores have an aspect ratio of at least 20.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of making a light control film comprising:
providing a microstructured film comprising a plurality of light transmissive regions alternated with channels, wherein the microstructured film has a surface defined by a top surface and side walls of the light transmissive regions and a bottom surface of the channels; applying one or more layers of a light absorptive cladding material, each layer having a concentration of light absorbing particles, to the surface; applying a layer of a light absorptive core material having a first concentration of light absorbing particles, C 1 , on the one or more layers of light absorptive cladding material; applying an additional one or more layers of a light absorptive cladding material, each additional layer having the concentration of light absorbing particles, on the layer of light absorptive core material; and removing at least a portion of the one or more layers of light absorptive cladding material, the layer of light absorptive core material and the additional one or more layers of light absorptive cladding material from the top surface of the light transmissive regions and bottom surface of the channels, resulting in a plurality of louvers comprising a core layer having an aspect ratio of at least 20 sandwiched between a first cladding layer and a second cladding layer; wherein the concentration of light absorbing materials in each of the one or more layers of a light absorptive cladding material and each of the additional one or more layers of a light absorptive cladding material is less than C1; and wherein the layer of light absorptive core material comprises 30 wt % to 100 wt % of the light absorbing particles, and the one or more layers of light absorptive cladding material and the additional one or more layers of light absorptive cladding material comprise 0.5 wt % to 50 wt % of the light absorbing particles.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising filling the channels with an organic polymeric material.

3 . A light control film made using the method of claim 1 .

4 . An optical system comprising the light control film of claim 3 .

5 . A method of making a light control film comprising: providing a microstructured film comprising a plurality of light transmissive regions alternated with channels, wherein the microstructured film has a surface defined by a top surface and side walls of the light transmissive regions and a bottom surface of the channels; applying one or more layers of a light absorptive cladding material, each layer having an extinction coefficient, to the surface; applying a layer of a light absorptive core material having a first extinction coefficient, k 1 , on the one or more layers of light absorptive cladding material; applying an additional one or more layers of the light absorptive cladding material, each additional layer having the extinction coefficient, on the layer of light absorptive core material; and removing at least a portion of the one or more layers of light absorptive cladding material, the layer of light absorptive core material and the additional one or more layers of light absorptive cladding material from the top surface of the light transmissive regions and bottom surface of the channels, resulting in a plurality of louvers comprising a core layer having an aspect ratio of at least 20 sandwiched between a first cladding layer and a second cladding layer; wherein the extinction coefficient of each of the one or more layers of a light absorptive cladding material and each of the additional one or more layers of a light absorptive cladding material is less than k 1 ; and wherein the layer of light absorptive core material comprises 30 wt % to 100 wt % of a first light absorbing material, and the one or more layers of light absorptive cladding material and the additional one or more layers of light absorptive cladding material comprise 0.5 wt % to 50 wt % of a second light absorbing material.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising filling the channels with an organic polymeric material.

7 . A light control film made using the method of claim 5 .

8 . An optical system comprising the light control film of claim 7 .

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Company

Inventors

• Schmidt Daniel J
• Gotrik Kevin W
• Johnson Nicholas A
• Kenney Raymond J
• Nelson Caleb T
• Epstein Kenneth A

Classifications

• G02B2207/123

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

• G02B5/305

  including organic materials, e.g. polymeric layers · CPC title

• G02B5/003

  Light absorbing elements · CPC title

• G02F1/133562

  on the viewer side · CPC title

• G02F1/133536

  Reflective polarizers (G02F1/13362 takes precedence) · CPC title