Voided diffuser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8982468-B2
Application number	US-201013501310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2010
Priority date	Oct 24, 2009
Publication date	Mar 17, 2015
Grant date	Mar 17, 2015

Abstract

A voided diffuser and an optical construction incorporating the voided diffuser are provided. The voided diffuser includes a plurality of beads and a binder composition in contact with the plurality of beads. The binder composition includes a binder and a plurality of interconnected voids. The optical construction includes the voided diffuser disposed on a substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A voided diffuser, comprising:
a plurality of beads;
a binder composition in contact with the plurality of beads, the binder composition comprising a binder and a plurality of interconnected voids, wherein a volume fraction of the plurality of interconnected voids in the binder composition is not less than about 5%.

2. The voided diffuser of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of beads has an average size that is not less than about 1 micron.

3. The voided diffuser of claim 1 , wherein a weight ratio of the plurality of beads to that of the binder composition is not less than about 1:1.

4. The voided diffuser of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of interconnected voids has an average void size that is not greater than about 2 microns.

5. The voided diffuser of claim 1 , wherein the volume fraction of the plurality of interconnected voids in the binder composition is not less than about 10%.

6. The voided diffuser of claim 1 having an optical haze that is not less than about 90%.

7. The voided diffuser of claim 1 having an optical clarity that is not greater than about 10%.

8. The voided diffuser of claim 1 , having an optical clarity that is less than about 10% and a thickness that is not less than about 5 microns.

9. The voided diffuser of claim 1 , having an optical clarity that is less than about 5% and a thickness that is not less than about 5 microns.

10. The voided diffuser of claim 1 , wherein the binder composition further comprises a plurality of particles.

11. The voided diffuser of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of particles has an average size that is not greater than about 1 micron.

12. The voided diffuser of claim 10 , wherein a weight ratio of the binder to the plurality of particles is not less than about 1:1.

13. An optical construction comprising:
a substrate; and
a voided diffuser disposed on the substrate, the voided diffuser including:
a binder;
a plurality of interconnected voids dispersed within the binder; and
a plurality of beads, wherein a weight ratio of the binder to the plurality of the beads is not less than about 1:1.

14. The optical construction of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of interconnected voids has an average void size that is not greater than about 1 micron.

15. The optical construction of claim 13 , wherein a volume fraction of the plurality of interconnected voids in the voided diffuser is not less than about 5%.

16. The optical construction of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of beads has an average size that is not greater than about 10 microns.

17. The optical construction of claim 13 , having a gain of no less than about 1.2.

18. An optical construction comprising:
a reflective polarizer; and
a voided diffuser disposed on the reflective polarizer and having a plurality of voids and a plurality of beads, and an optical clarity that is not greater than about 10%, wherein a thickness of the voided diffuser is not less than about 5 microns.

19. The optical construction of claim 18 having a gain of no less than about 1.2.

20. An optical stack comprising:
an absorbing polarizer;
a voided diffuser comprising a plurality of voids and a plurality of beads; and
a reflective polarizer, wherein substantial portions of each two neighboring major surfaces in the optical stack are in physical contact with each other.

21. The optical stack of claim 20 , wherein the voided diffuser is disposed between the absorbing polarizer and the reflective polarizer.

Assignees

• Petaja Jason S
• Edmonds William F
• Haag Adam D
• Nelson Eric W
• Hao Encai
• Kolb William Blake
• Lu Fei
• Pokorny Richard J
• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Petaja Jason S
• Edmonds William F
• Haag Adam D
• Nelson Eric W
• Hao Encai
• Kolb William Blake
• Lu Fei
• Pokorny Richard J

Classifications

• G02B5/0247 Primary

  by means of voids or pores · CPC title

• G02B1/115

  Multilayers · CPC title

• Y10T428/249986

  Void-containing component contains also a solid fiber or solid particle · CPC title

• G02B5/0242

  by means of dispersed particles · CPC title

• G02B5/0263

  with positional variation of the diffusing properties, e.g. gradient or patterned diffuser · CPC title