Switch element comprising a liquid-crystalline medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9371483-B2
Application number	US-201113702669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2011
Priority date	Jun 7, 2010
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to a switch element, which is thermoresponsive and which switches between a less transmissive state for radiant energy and a more transmissive state for radiant energy, and which comprises a liquid-crystalline medium. The invention furthermore relates to the use of the switch element for the regulation of radiant energy flow between interior spaces and the environment and for the regulation of the temperature of interior spaces. The invention furthermore relates to a liquid-crystalline medium, characterized in that it comprises 5-60% of a compound of the formula (I), in particular for use in the switch elements according to the invention.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A switch element, that is thermoresponsive and that switches between a less transmissive state for radiant energy and a more transmissive state for radiant energy, comprising in said element a liquid-crystalline medium, which comprises one or more compounds of formula (I)

where
R 11 , R 12 are on each occurrence, identically or differently, are F, Cl, CN, NCS, R 1 —O—CO—, R 1 —CO—O—, an alkyl, alkoxy or thioalkoxy group having 1 to 10 C atoms or an alkenyl, alkenyloxy or thioalkenyloxy group having 2 to 10 C atoms, where one or more H atoms in the groups mentioned above may be replaced by F or Cl, and where one or more CH 2 groups in the groups mentioned above may be replaced by O, S, —O—CO— or —CO—O—; and where
R 1 is, identically or differently on each occurrence, an alkyl or an alkenyl group having 1 to 10 C atoms, in which one or more H atoms may be replaced by F or Cl; and

are

and
Z 11 is —CO—O— or —O—CO—,
said liquid-crystalline medium having a clearing point lower than 50° C.

2. The switch element according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid-crystalline medium additionally comprises one or more compounds of formula (II)

where
R 21 , R 22 have the meanings indicated for R 11 and R 12 in claim 1 ; and

are

and
X is on each occurrence, identically or differently, F, Cl, CN or an alkyl, alkoxy or thioalkoxy group having 1 to 10 C atoms, where one or more H atoms in the groups mentioned above may be replaced by F or Cl and where one or more CH 2 groups may be replaced by O or S; and
Y is on each occurrence, identically or differently, H or X; and
Z 21 is —CO—O—, —O—CO—, —CF 2 O—, —OCF 2 —, —CH 2 CH 2 —, —OCH 2 —, —CH 2 O— or a single bond;
with the proviso that if

are both selected to be

Z 21 is not —CO—O— or —O—CO—.

3. The switch element according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid-crystalline medium additionally comprises one or more compounds of formulas (III) or (IV)

where
R 31 , R 32 , R 41 and R 42 have the meanings indicated for R 11 and R 12 in claim 1 ; and

are on each occurrence, identically or differently,

where X and Y are defined as in claim 1 ; and

are on each occurrence, identically or differently,

where X and Y are defined as in claim 1 ; and
Z 31 and Z 32 are on each occurrence, identically or differently, —CO—O—, —O—CO—, —CF 2 O—, —OCF 2 —, —CH 2 CH 2 —, —OCH 2 —, —CH 2 O— or a single bond; and
Z 41 , Z 42 and Z 43 are on each occurrence, identically or differently, —CO—O—, —O—CO— or a single bond.

4. The switch element according to claim 1 , wherein the compounds according to formula (I) are compounds according to at least one of formulas (I-1) to (I-4)

where R 11 and R 12 are defined as in claim 1 .

5. The switch element according to claim 2 , wherein the compounds according to formula (II) are compounds of at least one of formulas (II-1) to (II-3)

where R 21 , R 22 ,

are defined as in claim 2 , with the proviso that for formula (II-1),

6. The switch element according to claim 3 , wherein the compounds according to formula (III) are compounds of at least one of formulas (III-1) to (III-3)

where the groups R 31 , R 32 , Z 31 , Z 32 and

are defined as in claim 3 .

7. The switch element according to claim 3 , wherein the compounds according to formula (IV) are compounds of at least one of formulas (IV-1) or (IV-2)

where R 41 and R 42 and

are defined as in claim 3 .

8. The switch element according to claim 2 , wherein X is on each occurrence, identically or differently, F or Cl.

9. The switch element according to claim 1 , having a total concentration of compounds of formula (I) between 5 and 60%.

10. The switch element according to claim 2 , having a total concentration of compounds of formulas (I) and (II) between 40 and 100%.

11. The switch element according to claim 1 , wherein no electrical wiring, circuitry and/or switching network is present.

12. A method for the regulation of the flow of radiant energy between an interior space and the environment, which comprises regulating the flow with a switch element according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Junge Michael
• Merck Patent Gmbh

Inventors

• Junge Michael

Classifications

• C09K19/3402

  having oxygen as hetero atom (sugars C09K19/0422) · CPC title

• C09K19/3452

  Pyrazine · CPC title

• C07C255/31

  having cyano groups bound to acyclic carbon atoms of a carbon skeleton containing rings other than six-membered aromatic rings · CPC title

• C09K19/32

  containing condensed ring systems, i.e. fused, bridged or spiro ring systems · CPC title

• C09K19/3475

  the heterocyclic ring being a six-membered aromatic ring containing at least three nitrogen atoms · CPC title