Smart glass-polymer assembly, method of manufacture, and smart window

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019047252-A1
Application number	US-201716076895-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 8, 2017
Priority date	Feb 12, 2016
Publication date	Feb 14, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a smart glass-polymer assembly ( 10 ) includes providing an optically clear polymer film ( 12 ) comprising a thermoplastic polymer, and further having a first surface ( 14 ) and a second surface ( 16 ) opposite the first surface; disposing a smart functionality ( 18 ) onto the second surface of the optically clear polymer film; disposing a first side of an optically clear adhesive layer ( 20 ) onto at least a portion of the smart functionality and the second surface of the optically clear polymer film; and disposing a glass layer ( 26 ) onto a second side of the optically clear adhesive layer opposite the first side of the optically clear adhesive layer. At least one of the disposing steps is by roll-to-roll lamination. A smart glass-polymer assembly and smart window are also described.

First claim

1 . A method of manufacturing a smart glass-polymer assembly ( 10 ), the method comprising
providing an optically clear polymer film ( 12 ) comprising a thermoplastic polymer, and further comprising a first surface ( 14 ) and a second surface ( 16 ) opposite the first surface; disposing a smart functionality ( 18 ) and optionally wiring for the smart functionality ( 119 ) onto the second surface ( 16 ) of the optically clear polymer film ( 12 ); disposing a first side ( 22 ) of an optically clear adhesive layer ( 20 ) onto at least a portion of the smart functionality ( 18 ) and the second surface of the optically clear polymer film ( 16 ); and disposing a glass layer ( 26 ) onto a second side ( 24 ) of the optically clear adhesive layer ( 20 ) opposite the first side ( 22 ) of the optically clear adhesive layer; wherein at least one of the disposing steps is by roll-to-roll lamination.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein all of the disposing steps are by roll-to-roll lamination.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising disposing an optically clear support layer ( 32 ) onto the first surface ( 14 ) of the optically clear polymer film ( 12 ).

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein disposing the optically clear support layer comprises laminating.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the optically clear polymer film comprises a multilayer film comprising two or more optically clear polymer layers, optionally wherein each optically clear polymer layer comprises the same thermoplastic polymer.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein two or more layers of the multilayer film each comprise a smart functionality.

7 . The method of claim 5 , comprising
depositing a first smart functionality onto a first optically clear polymer layer; laminating a second optically clear polymer layer onto a side of the first optically clear polymer layer; and depositing a second functionality onto a side of the second optically clear polymer layer opposite the first optically clear polymer layer.

8 . The method of claim 5 , comprising
depositing a first smart functionality onto a first optically clear polymer layer and depositing a second functionality onto the first optically clear polymer layer; and laminating the first optically clear polymer layer to a second optically clear polymer layer.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more smart functionalities comprises an electrochromic functionality, a thermochromic functionality, a display functionality, a light emitting diode functionality, a photovoltaic functionality, a transparent conductive functionality, a communication antenna, a sensing functionality, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
a 100 micrometer-thick sample of the optically clear polymer film transmits greater than 85% of visible light as determined according to ASTM D1003-00; or a 50 micrometer-thick sample of the optically clear adhesive transmits greater than 85% of visible light as determined according to ASTM D1003-00; or a 100 micrometer-thick sample of the optically clear support layer transmits greater than 85% of visible light as determined according to ASTM D1003-00.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying an overmolding on an outer edge of the smart glass-polymer assembly, wherein the overmolding optionally comprises a driver electronic device for the smart functionalities.

12 . A smart glass-polymer assembly, comprising
an optically clear polymer film ( 12 ) comprising a thermoplastic polymer, and further comprising first surface ( 14 ) and a second surface ( 16 ) opposite the first surface; a smart functionality ( 18 ) disposed on the second surface ( 16 ) of the optically clear polymer film ( 12 ), optionally further comprising wiring ( 119 ) for the smart functionality ( 18 ); an optically clear adhesive layer ( 20 ) comprising a first side ( 22 ) and a second side ( 24 ), wherein the first side ( 22 ) is disposed on at least a portion of the smart functionality ( 18 ) and the second surface ( 16 ) of the optically clear polymer film ( 12 ); and a glass layer ( 26 ) disposed on the second side ( 24 ) of the optically clear adhesive layer ( 20 ).

13 . The smart glass-polymer assembly of claim 12 , wherein the smart glass-polymer assembly is in the form of a roll.

14 . The smart glass-polymer assembly of claim 12 , further comprising an optically clear support layer ( 32 ) disposed on the first surface ( 14 ) of the optically clear polymer film ( 12 ).

15 . The smart glass-polymer assembly of claim 12 , wherein the optically clear polymer film is a multilayer film comprising two or more optically clear polymer layers, optionally wherein each optically clear polymer layer comprises the same thermoplastic polymer.

16 . The smart glass-polymer assembly of claim 15 , wherein at least two of the optically clear polymer layers comprise a smart functionality.

17 . The smart glass-polymer assembly of claim 12 , wherein the smart functionality comprises an electrochromic functionality, a thermochromic functionality, a display functionality, a light emitting diode functionality, a photovoltaic functionality, a transparent conductive functionality, a communication antenna, a sensing functionality, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

18 . The smart glass-polymer assembly of claim 12 , further comprising an overmolding ( 24 ) on an outer edge of the smart glass-polymer assembly ( 10 ), wherein the overmolding optionally comprises a driver electronic device for the smart functionality.

19 . A smart window comprising the smart glass-polymer assembly manufactured by the method of claim 1 , or the smart glass-polymer assembly of claim 1 .

20 . The smart window of claim 19 , further comprising an overmolding around an edge of the smart glass-polymer assembly, wherein the overmolding optionally comprises a driver electronic device for the smart functionality.

Assignees

• Sabic Global Technologies Bv

Inventors

• Sridhar Ashok
• Smits Valerie

Classifications

• B32B37/12

  characterised by using adhesives · CPC title

• B32B2457/20

  Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays · CPC title

• B32B7/12 Primary

  using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties · CPC title

• B32B17/064

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B32B2305/34

  Inserts · CPC title