Laminate structure with embedded cavities and related method of manufacture

Abstract

An integrated laminate structure adapted for application in the context of solar technology, wafer technology, cooling channels, greenhouse illumination, window illumination, street lighting, traffic lighting, traffic reflectors or security films, including a first carrier element optionally including optically substantially transparent material enabling light transmission therethrough, a second carrier element including at least one surface relief pattern including a number of surface relief forms and having at least one predetermined optical function relative to incident light, the second carrier element optionally including optically substantially transparent material enabling light transmission therethrough, the first and second carrier elements being laminated together such that the at least one surface relief pattern has been embedded within the established laminate structure and a number of related cavities have been formed at the interface of the first and second carrier elements. An applicable method of manufacture.

1 . An integrated laminate structure adapted for application in a context of solar technology, wafer technology, cooling channels, greenhouse illumination, window illumination, street lighting, traffic lighting, traffic reflectors or security films, the structure comprising,
 a first carrier element optionally comprising optically substantially transparent material enabling light transmission therethrough, and   a second carrier element comprising at least one surface relief pattern comprising a plurality of surface relief forms and having at least one predetermined optical function relative to incident light, said second carrier element optionally comprising an optically substantially transparent material enabling light transmission therethrough,   wherein the first and second carrier elements are laminated together such that the at least one surface relief pattern has been embedded within the established laminate structure and a plurality of related, optically functional cavities have been formed at the interface of said first and second carrier elements.   
     
     
         2 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the first carrier element comprises a piece of plastic or glass. 
     
     
         3 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , wherein a cavity formed within the laminate comprises fluid or solid different from the material of the second and optionally first carrier element. 
     
     
         4 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 3 , wherein the different material has a different refractive index relative to either or both the carrier elements. 
     
     
         5 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , wherein a cavity formed within the laminate comprises substantially air or other gaseous medium. 
     
     
         6 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 5 , wherein the air or other gaseous medium has a refractive index different from a refractive index of surrounding material. 
     
     
         7 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 6 , wherein the air or other gaseous medium has a refractive index different from the material of the second and/or first carrier elements. 
     
     
         8 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , wherein a cavity formed within the laminate comprises liquid or gel. 
     
     
         9 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid or gel has a refractive index different from a refractive index of surrounding material. 
     
     
         10 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , wherein said second carrier element is a substantially a film optionally being a bendable film. 
     
     
         11 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 10 , wherein said second carrier element is substantially thinner than said first carrier element. 
     
     
         12 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a functional, optionally optically functional, film.   
     
     
         13 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an indicative element comprising a visually indicative surface to exhibit a visual message, wherein the visually indicative surface optionally comprises a picture printed thereon and/or a number of printed symbols, letters, and/or numbers.   
     
     
         14 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 13 , wherein the indicative element comprises a film or layer. 
     
     
         15 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 13 , wherein the visually indicative surface comprises a visually indicative sign, a poster or plate surface. 
     
     
         16 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , wherein a number of optionally embedded surface relief forms are configured to establish a visual message when cooperating with incident light, wherein the message may exhibit a picture and/or a number of symbols, numbers and/or letters. 
     
     
         17 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the structure is configured to exhibit informative and/or commercial visual message. 
     
     
         18 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one element selected from the group consisting of: an embedded surface relief pattern or form configured to collimate incident light, an embedded surface relief pattern or form configured for internal light trapping by back-coupling and/or redirecting light substantially back to the direction the light arrived at the pattern or form from, and an embedded surface relief pattern or form configured for internal light coupling and/or redirecting optionally without reflective function.   
     
     
         19 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least partially embedded multilayer pattern of surface relief forms with a common function or at least jointly designed multiple functions, wherein the multilayer pattern may be established by one or more elements laminated together in the laminate structure.   
     
     
         20 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the embedded surface relief pattern has an optical function including at least one function selected from the group of: light directing function, light trapping function, reflective function, transmissive function, transreflective function, coupling function, incoupling function, outcoupling function, polarizing function, diffractive function, refractive function, anti-glare function, anti-clear function, anti-reflection function, collimating function, pre-collimation function, lens function, converging function, diverging function, wavelength modifying function, scattering function, coloring function, medium distribution function, and diffusing function. 
     
     
         21 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , wherein structure comprises a plurality of carrier elements, wherein at least one of the carrier elements comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of: plastic, elastomer, polymer, glass, semiconductor, silicon, adhesive, resin, and ceramic material. 
     
     
         22 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a functional coating and/or surface structure.   
     
     
         23 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the functional coating and/or surface structure comprises a surface relief pattern. 
     
     
         24 . The integrated laminate structure of  claim 22 , wherein the coating and/or surface structure has at least one function selected from the group consisting of: anti-reflection function, hydrophobic function, hydrophilic function, and self-cleaning function. 
     
     
         25 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of forms in the embedded surface relief pattern of sub-micron size.   
     
     
         26 . The integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface relief pattern comprises at least one form selected from the group consisting of: a groove, a protrusion, a ridge, a recess, a binary form, a slanted form, a rectangular form, a quadratic form, a triangular form, a grating pixel form, a trapezoidal form, an isosceles trapezoidal form, and a lens form. 
     
     
         27 . An indicative structure for visually indicating data, comprising:
 an integrated laminate structure comprising   a first carrier element optionally comprising optically substantially transparent material enabling light transmission therethrough, and   a second carrier element comprising at least one surface relief pattern comprising a plurality of surface relief forms and having at least one predetermined optical function relative to incident light, said second carrier element optionally comprising an optically substantially transparent material enabling light transmission therethrough,   wherein the first and second carrier elements are laminated together such that the at least one surface relief pattern has been embedded within the established laminate structure and a plurality of related, optically functional cavities have been formed at the interface of said first and second carrier elements.   
     
     
         28 . The indicative structure according to  claim 27 , wherein the date comprises an advertisement or informative data. 
     
     
         29 . The indicative structure according to  claim 27 , further comprising:
 an indicative element configured to visually exhibit a message cooperatively with light, wherein the indicative element optionally comprises a printed picture and/or a number of printed symbols, letters, and/or numbers, and/or comprises a number of embedded surface relief forms configured to establish a visual message when cooperating with light incident thereon, wherein the message may indicate a picture and/or a number of symbols, numbers and/or letters.   
     
     
         30 . The indicative structure according to  claim 29 , further comprising:
 a surface relief pattern embedded therein and positioned substantially closer to the indicative element than the opposite surface of the structure to enhance the contrast of the visually indicated data.   
     
     
         31 . A light coupling or transmission element, comprising an integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         32 . A light collimation, diffusion or diverging element, comprising the integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         33 . A window structure, comprising the integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         34 . A green house illumination element, comprising the integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         35 . An element comprising the integrated laminate structure according to  claim 1  and having at least one function selected from the group consisting of: light directing function, light trapping function, reflective function, transmissive function, transreflective function, coupling function, incoupling function, outcoupling function, polarizing function, diffractive function, refractive function, anti-glare function, anti-clear function, anti-reflection function, collimating function, pre-collimation function, lens function, converging function, diverging function, wavelength modifying function, scattering function, coloring function, medium distribution function, and diffusing function. 
     
     
         36 . An integrated laminate structure adapted for application in the context of solar technology, wafer technology, cooling channels, greenhouse illumination, window illumination, street lighting, traffic lighting, traffic reflectors or security films, said integrated laminate structure comprising at least two elements laminated together such that at least one surface relief pattern of either element has been embedded within the laminate structure. 
     
     
         37 . A method for constructing an integrated structure for optical applications in the context of solar technology, wafer technology, cooling channels, greenhouse illumination, window illumination, street lighting, traffic lighting, traffic reflectors or security films, the method comprising:
 obtaining a first carrier element;   obtaining a second carrier element provided with at least one surface relief pattern comprising a number of surface relief forms and having at least one predetermined optical function relative to incident light, said second carrier element preferably comprising optically substantially transparent material enabling light transmission therethrough, and   laminating, optionally in a roll-to-roll fashion, the first and second carrier elements together such that the at least one surface relief pattern is embedded within the established laminate structure and a number of cavities are formed at the interface of said first and second carrier elements.   
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein during manufacturing a master for surface relief production a pre-master with a pattern of surface relief forms is established and the pattern is modulated to generate the master by inclusion of preferably removable material, in the pattern to fill a number of forms thereof and to therefore prevent their introduction in the master. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein a surface relief form is produced using at least one technique selected from the group consisting of: embossing, imprinting, lithography, molding, micro-molding, and casting. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein adhesive and/or curing is applied during the lamination and/or forming of the surface relief pattern. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein the second carrier element comprises or is provided with curable material that is adapted to host the surface relief pattern.