Optical device with antistatic property

Abstract

An optical device having a first optical member, a second optical member, and an antistatic layer disposed between the first optical member and the second optical member wherein the antistatic layer contains the reaction product of a mixture comprising at least one polymerizable onium salt having an anion and at least one non-onium polymerizable monomer, oligomer, or polymer.

1 . An optical device comprising a first optical member, a second optical member, and an antistatic layer disposed between said first optical member and said second optical member wherein said antistatic layer comprises the reaction product of a mixture comprising at least one polymerizable onium salt having an anion and at least one non-onium polymerizable monomer, oligomer, or polymer. 
     
     
         2 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the onium salt is a quaternary ammonium salt. 
     
     
         3 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the anion is a fluorochemical anion. 
     
     
         4 . The optical device of  claim 3  wherein the fluoroorganic anion is an imide. 
     
     
         5 . The optical device of  claim 3  wherein the fluoroorganic anion is a methide. 
     
     
         6 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein said onium salt is selected from the group consisting of ammonium salts, sulfonium salts, phosphonium salts, pyridinium salts, and imadazolium salts. 
     
     
         7 . The optical construction of  claim 1  wherein said onium salt has the formula:
   (R 1 ) a-b G + [(CH 2 ) q DR 2 ] b X −   (I)
 
 wherein
 each R 1  comprises independently an alkyl, alicyclic, aryl, alkalicyclic, alkaryl, alicyclicalkyl, aralicyclic, or alicyclicaryl moiety, wherein such moieties may comprises one or more heteroatoms such as for example, nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur, or may comprise phosphorus, or a halogen; R 1  may be cyclic or aromatic and include G +  in the cycle, 
 
 G is nitrogen, sulfur or phosphorous; 
 a is 3 where G is sulfur and a is 4 where G is nitrogen or phosphorous then; 
 b is an integer of 1 to 3 where G is sulfur and b is an integer of 1 to 4 where G is nitrogen or phosphorous; 
 q is an integer from 1 to 4; 
 D is oxygen, sulfur, or NR wherein R is H or a lower alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; 
 R 2  is a (meth)acryl; and 
 X −  is an anion. 
 
     
     
         8 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein said polymerizable monomer, oligomer, or polymer is independently selected from the group consisting of mono-(meth)acrylate monomers bearing ethyleneoxy moieties, and polyurethane multi-acrylates. 
     
     
         9 . The optical device of  claim 8  wherein the acrylate or methacrylate is alkoxylated. 
     
     
         10 . The optical device of  claim 8  wherein the acrylate or methacrylate is ethoxylated. 
     
     
         11 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one non-onium polymerizable monomer, oligomer, or polymer comprises a mixture of at least two polymerizable compounds. 
     
     
         12 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one non-onium polymerizable monomer, oligomer, or polymer comprises an acrylate or a methacrylate. 
     
     
         13 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one non-onium polymerizable monomer, oligomer, or polymer comprises a monofunctionally polymerizable monomer or oligomer. 
     
     
         14 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one non-onium polymerizable monomer, oligomer, or polymer comprises a di- or multi-functionally polymerizable monomer or oligomer. 
     
     
         15 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one non-onium polymerizable monomer, oligomer, or polymer comprises a monofunctionally polymerizable monomer or oligomer and a di- or multi-functionally polymerizable monomer or oligomer. 
     
     
         16 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one non-onium polymerizable monomer, oligomer, or polymer comprises a mixture of an aliphatic urethane diacrylate and an ethoxylated phenoxy ethyl acrylate. 
     
     
         17 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one polymerizable onium salt comprises from 2 to 50% by weight of the mixture. 
     
     
         18 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the mixture further comprises a photoinitiator. 
     
     
         19 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the glass transition temperature of the antistatic layer is less than 40° C. 
     
     
         20 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the antistatic layer is affixed to at least one of the first optical member and the second optical member. 
     
     
         21 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the antistatic layer is affixed to both the first optical member and the second optical member. 
     
     
         22 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the antistatic layer is affixed to at least one of the first optical member and the second optical member via an intervening layer. 
     
     
         23 . The optical device of  claim 22  wherein the antistatic layer is affixed to both the first optical member via an intervening layer, and the second optical member via an intervening layer. 
     
     
         24 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the antistatic layer is affixed to either the first optical member or the second optical member, and is also affixed to the remaining optical member via an intervening layer. 
     
     
         25 . The optical device of  claim 1  exhibiting a charge decay time of less than 10 seconds. 
     
     
         26 . The optical device of  claim 1  exhibiting a charge decay time of less than 5 seconds. 
     
     
         27 . The optical device of  claim 1  exhibiting a charge decay time of less than 2 seconds. 
     
     
         28 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the first optical member and the second optical member are independently selected from the group consisting of optical base films, multilayer optical films, diffuse reflecting polarizer films, prismatic brightness enhancement films, arrays of prismatic optical features, arrays of lenticular optical features, and beaded gain diffuser films. 
     
     
         29 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the first optical member comprises an optical base film and the second optical member comprises a prismatic brightness enhancement film. 
     
     
         30 . The optical device of  claim 29  having an Optical Gain greater than 1.6 
     
     
         31 . The optical device of  claim 28  wherein the first optical member comprises an optical base film and the second optical member comprises an array of prismatic optical features. 
     
     
         32 . The optical device of  claim 28  wherein the first optical member comprises a multilayer optical film and the second optical member comprises a prismatic brightness enhancement film. 
     
     
         33 . The optical device of  claim 28  wherein the multilayer optical film is a polarizer. 
     
     
         34 . The optical device of  claim 28  wherein the first optical member comprises a multilayer optical film and the second optical member comprises an array of prismatic optical features. 
     
     
         35 . The optical device of  claim 34  having an Optical Gain greater than 2.0. 
     
     
         36 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the antistatic layer has a surface texture on one or both sides. 
     
     
         37 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the antistatic layer is greater than 0.25 micron thick. 
     
     
         38 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the antistatic layer is greater than 0.5 micron thick. 
     
     
         39 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the antistatic layer is greater than 1 micron thick. 
     
     
         40 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the charge decay time is lower than that for an optical device which lacks said second optical member but is otherwise identical in all respects. 
     
     
         41 . The optical device of  claim 1  wherein the charge decay time is lower than that for an optical device which lacks said antistatic layer but is otherwise identical in all respects.