Light valve films laminated between thin glass and plastic substrates

Abstract

A laminated light valve film comprising: (a) a film having first and second opposed outer surfaces; (b) a first layer of a polymeric interlayer material upon at least a portion of each opposed outer surface; (c) a first pair of substrates, one of which is adhered to the interlayer material upon the first outer opposed surface of the light valve film and the second is adhered to the interlayer material upon the second outer opposed surface of the light valve film, these substrates being formed from plastic or glass; (d) a second layer of polymeric interlayer material applied to at least a portion of an outer surface of each one of the first pair of substrates; and (e) a second pair of substrates, one being adhered to the interlayer upon the outer surface of one of the first pair of substrates and a second one adhered to the interlayer material on the outer surface of a second one of the first pair of substrates, the second pair of substrates being formed from plastic or glass, with the proviso that when the first pair of substrates is formed of plastic, the second pair of substrates is formed of glass, and vice-versa.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laminated light valve film forming a light modulating element of a light valve, said laminated film comprising:
 a) a light valve film having first and second opposed outer surfaces;   b) a layer of a polymeric interlayer material applied to at least a portion of said first and said second opposed outer surfaces of said light valve film; and   c) a pair of substrates wherein one of said pair is applied upon and adhered to the interlayer material applied upon the first outer opposed surface of said light valve film and a second one of said substrates is applied upon and adhered to the interlayer material applied upon the second opposed surface of the light valve film, said substrates each formed of a plastic coated on one or both sides with at least one layer of glass, said glass coatings ranging in thickness from 0.5 microns to 2.4 microns.   
     
     
         2 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 1  wherein a plastic portion of each of said substrates has a thickness ranging between 1.0 mm to 10.0 mm. 
     
     
         3 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 2  wherein the plastic portion of each of said substrates has a thickness ranging from 1.0 mm to 5.0 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 1 , wherein the glass coating on each said substrate has a thickness ranging from 0.5 microns to 1.5 microns. 
     
     
         5 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 1 , wherein the film comprises:
 a) a cured suspended particle device emulsion having a plurality of uncrosslinked droplets of a liquid light valve suspension distributed throughout the cured emulsion; and   b) first and second plastic sheets, said sheets located outwardly from and sandwiching said cured emulsion wherein, located upon an inner surface of each said first and said second plastic sheet, adjacent said cured emulsion, is a layer of a thin, transparent, electrically conductive coating, said coatings serving as an electrode to permit passage of an applied electric field through said cured emulsion.   
     
     
         6 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 1 , wherein the film comprises:
 a) droplets containing liquid crystals dispersed in a cured polymer; and   b) first and second plastic sheets, said sheets located outwardly from and sandwiching said cured polymer wherein, located upon an inner surface of each said first and said second plastic sheet, adjacent said cured polymer, is a layer of a thin, transparent, electrically conductive coating, said coatings serving as an electrode to permit passage of an applied electric field through said cured polymer.   
     
     
         7 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 1 , wherein the light valve film further comprises a conductive material affixed to the electrodes such that the material extends beyond the perimeter of the laminated light valve film to permit connection of said film to a suitable voltage source. 
     
     
         8 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 1 , wherein the glass used in coating said plastic is selected from the group consisting of tempered glass, annealed glass, low iron glass, low e glass, UV blocking glass, chemically strengthened glass and antimicrobial glass. 
     
     
         9 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 1 , wherein the plastic used in forming the substrates is selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene and polypropylene. 
     
     
         10 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 1 , wherein the material used in forming the plastic substrates has a softening point of at least 10° C. higher than that of the polymeric interlayer material. 
     
     
         11 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 10 , wherein the polymeric interlayer material is selected from the group consisting of ethylene vinylacetate (EVA), polyvinyl butyral (PVB) and polyurethane. 
     
     
         12 . A laminated light valve film forming a light modulating element of a light valve, said laminated film comprising:
 a) a light valve film having first and second opposed outer surfaces;   b) a layer of a polymeric interlayer material applied to at least a portion of said first and said second opposed outer layers of said light valve film; and   c) a pair of substrates wherein one of said pair is applied upon and adhered to the interlayer material applied upon the first outer opposed surface of said light valve film and a second one of said substrates is applied upon and adhered to the interlayer material applied upon the second opposed surface of the light valve film, said substrates each formed of glass coated on one or both sides with at least one layer of plastic, the glass of each said substrate ranging in thickness from 0.55 mm to 2.0 mm.   
     
     
         13 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 12 , wherein the plastic coating on either side of the glass may have the same thickness or wherein the thickness on one side may be different from the thickness of the coating on the other side. 
     
     
         14 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 12 , wherein the plastic coating on each said substrate has a thickness ranging from 1 micron to 25 microns. 
     
     
         15 . The laminated light valve according to  claim 14 , wherein the plastic coating on each said substrate has a thickness ranging from 10 microns to 25 microns. 
     
     
         16 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 12 , wherein the film comprises:
 a) a cured suspended particle device emulsion having a plurality of uncrosslinked droplets of a liquid light valve suspension distributed throughout the cured emulsion; and   b) first and second plastic sheets, said sheets located outwardly from and sandwiching said cured emulsion wherein, located upon an inner surface of each said first and said second plastic sheet, adjacent said cured emulsion, is a layer of a thin, transparent, electrically conductive coating, said coatings serving as an electrode to permit passage of an applied electric field through said cured emulsion.   
     
     
         17 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 12 , wherein the film comprises:
 a) droplets containing liquid crystals dispersed in a cured polymer; and   b) first and second plastic sheets, said sheets located outwardly from and sandwiching said cured polymer wherein, located upon an inner surface of each said first and said second plastic sheet, adjacent said cured polymer, is a layer of a thin, transparent, electrically conductive coating, said coatings serving as an electrode to permit passage of an applied electric field through said cured polymer.   
     
     
         18 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 12 , wherein the light valve film further comprises a conductive material affixed to the electrodes such that the material extends beyond the perimeter of the laminated light valve film to permit connection of said film to a suitable voltage source. 
     
     
         19 . The laminated light valve according to  claim 12 , wherein the glass used in forming the substrates is selected from the group consisting of tempered glass, annealed glass, low iron glass, low e glass UV blocking glass, chemically strengthened glass and antimicrobial glass. 
     
     
         20 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 12 , wherein the plastic is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene and polypropylene. 
     
     
         21 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 12 , wherein the plastic material used in coating the substrates has a softening point of at least 10° C. higher than that of the polymeric interlayer material. 
     
     
         22 . The laminated light valve film according to  claim 21 , wherein the polymeric interlayer material is selected from the group consisting of ethylene vinylacetate (EVA), polyvinyl butyral (PVB) and poly urethane. 
     
     
         23 . A laminated light valve film forming a light-modulating element of a light valve, said laminated film comprising:
 (a) a light valve film having first and second opposed outer surfaces, said light valve film comprising
 (i) a cured suspended particle device emulsion having a plurality of uncrosslinked droplets of a liquid light valve suspension distributed throughout the cured emulsion; and 
 (ii) first and second plastic sheets, said sheets located outwardly from and sandwiching said cured emulsion wherein, located upon an inner surface of each of said first and said second plastic sheet, adjacent said cured emulsion, is a layer if a thin, transparent, electrically conductive coating, said coating serving as an electrode to permit passage of an applied electric field through said cured emulsion; 
   (b) a first layer of a polymeric interlayer material applied to at least a portion of each said first and said second opposed outer surface of said light valve film;   (c) a first pair of substrates, wherein one of said first pair is applied upon and adhered to the interlayer material applied upon said first outer opposed surface of said light valve film and a second one of said first pair is applied upon and adhered to the interlayer material applied upon said second outer opposed surface of the light valve film, said first pair of substrates being formed of a material selected from the group consisting of plastic and glass, and wherein each of said first pair of substrates has a thickness ranging from 0.1 to 0.55 mm;   (d) a second layer of polymeric interlayer material applied to at least a portion of an outer surface of each one of said first pair of substrates; and   (e) a second pair of substrates, wherein one of said second pair is applied upon and adhered to the interlayer applied upon the outer surface of one of said first pair of substrates and a second one of said second pair is applied upon and adhered to the interlayer material applied upon the outer surface of a second one of said first pair of substrates, said second pair of substrates being formed of a material selected from the group consisting of plastic and glass, wherein each of said second pair of substrates has a thickness ranging from 0.10 to 0.55 mm.