US4749261A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Shatter-proof liquid crystal panel with infrared filtering properties
Assignee: Raychem Corp
•
Filing: 1986-12-30
•
Granted: 1988-06-07
•
Expires: 2006-12-30
Abstract
Abstract Liquid crystal material is operable to modulate light transmitted through a panel such as a sunroof, window or partition. The panel may have safety glazing properties. The panel may also include means for reflecting infrared energy. The liquid crystal material includes operationally nematic liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy and a containment medium for containing plural volumes of the liquid crystal material. The panel includes transparent surfaces with the liquid crystal material disposed therebetween and selectively operable primarily to transmit or primarily to scatter light. The liquid crystal material may alternatively include volumes of liquid crystal with a pleochroic dye in a containment medium for selectively attenuating light.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles W. McLaughlin
- 👤 Paul Drzaic
- 👤 Steven Marsland
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 05:06
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B17/00; B32B17/06; B32B17/10; B32B17/10005; B32B17/10009; B32B17/10018; B32B17/10165; B32B17/10293; B32B17/10302; B32B17/1055; B32B17/10761; B60; B60J; B60J3/00; B60J3/04; G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1334; E; E06; E06B; E06B9/00; E06B9/24; E06B2009/2464; G02F1/137; G02F1/13725
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 47
Claim 1
Independent Claim
76 words
A liquid crystal panel, comprising: first and second transparent surfaces through which visible light incident thereon may be transmitted; liquid crystal means located between said transparent surfaces for determining the amount of light transmitted through said panel; said liquid crystal means including operationally nematic liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy and a containment medium means for containing plural volumes of said liquid crystal; and means for reducing the amount of infrared energy transmitted through said panel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
76 words
A liquid crystal panel, comprising: first and second transparent surfaces through which visible light incident thereon may be transmitted; liquid crystal means located between said transparent surfaces for determining the amount of light transmitted through said panel; said liquid crystal means including operationally nematic liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy and a containment medium means for containing plural volumes of said liquid crystal; and means for reducing the amount of infrared energy transmitted through said panel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The panel of claim 1 further including means for absorbing ultraviolet radiation incident thereon.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The panel of claim 1 further including a polarizer for absorbing the polarization incorporating the light scattered by said liquid crystal means in a field-on state.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The panel of claim 1 further including a depolarizer for altering the polarization of light prior to incidence on said liquid crystal means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The panel of claim 1 wherein said first and second transparent surfaces have anti-abrasive properties.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The panel of claim 1 wherein at least one of said surfaces has anti-lacerative or shatter-resistant properties.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
95 words
A liquid crystal panel, comprising: first and second transparent surfaces through which visible light incident thereon may be transmitted; liquid crystal means located between said transparent surfaces and adhered to at least one of said transparent surfaces for determining the amount of light transmitted through said panel; said liquid crystal means including operationally nematic liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy and a containment medium means for containing plural volumes of said liquid crystal; and the combination of said liquid crystal means, and said first and second transparent surfaces providing said panel with safety glazing properties.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
95 words
A liquid crystal panel, comprising: first and second transparent surfaces through which visible light incident thereon may be transmitted; liquid crystal means located between said transparent surfaces and adhered to at least one of said transparent surfaces for determining the amount of light transmitted through said panel; said liquid crystal means including operationally nematic liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy and a containment medium means for containing plural volumes of said liquid crystal; and the combination of said liquid crystal means, and said first and second transparent surfaces providing said panel with safety glazing properties.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The panel of claim 7 further including means for reducing the amount of infrared energy transmitted through said panel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The panel of claim 7 further including a depolarizer for altering the polarization of light prior to incidence on said liquid crystal means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
98 words
A liquid crystal panel, comprising: first and second transparent surfaces through which visible light incident thereon may be transmitted; liquid crystal means located between said transparent surfaces for modulating light incident on said panel; said liquid crystal means including operationally nematic liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy and a containment medium means for containing plural volumes of said liquid crystal; means for reducing the amount of infrared energy transmitted through said panel; and said liquid crystal means including a plastic substrate adhered to at least one of said transparent surfaces to provide said panel with safety glazing properties.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
98 words
A liquid crystal panel, comprising: first and second transparent surfaces through which visible light incident thereon may be transmitted; liquid crystal means located between said transparent surfaces for modulating light incident on said panel; said liquid crystal means including operationally nematic liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy and a containment medium means for containing plural volumes of said liquid crystal; means for reducing the amount of infrared energy transmitted through said panel; and said liquid crystal means including a plastic substrate adhered to at least one of said transparent surfaces to provide said panel with safety glazing properties.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The panel of claim 10 further including means for absorbing ultraviolet light incident on said panel.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
The panel of claim 11 further including a light polarizer for absorbing the light polarization incorporating the light scattered by the liquid crystal means in a field-on state to produce a clearer panel in such state.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The panel of claims 11 or 12 wherein said first and second transparent surfaces include anti-abrasive properties.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
The panel of claim 10 further including a light depolarizer for altering the polarization of light prior to incidence on said liquid crystal means to increase the brightness of an image observed through the panel.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
The panel of claim 1 or 10 wherein said first transparent surface is an outer surface that is formed of glass that includes said infrared energy reducing means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
The panel of claim 15 wherein said second transparent surface is an inner surface that has anti-lacerative or shatter-resistant properties.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
The panel of claims 1, 8 or 10 wherein said infrared energy reducing means comprises an infrared energy absorbing dye in said liquid crystal material.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
The panel of claims 1, 8 or 10 wherein said infrared energy reducing means comprises a layer for preferentially reflecting infrared light.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
87 words
A liquid crystal panel, comprising: first and second transparent surfaces through which visible light incident thereon may be transmitted; liquid crystal means located between said transparent surfaces for modulating light incident on said panel; said liquid crystal means including operationally nematic liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy and a containment medium means for containing plural volumes of said liquid crystal; and said liquid crystal means including a plastic substrate means adhered to at least one of said transparent surfaces to provide said panel with safety glazing properties.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
87 words
A liquid crystal panel, comprising: first and second transparent surfaces through which visible light incident thereon may be transmitted; liquid crystal means located between said transparent surfaces for modulating light incident on said panel; said liquid crystal means including operationally nematic liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy and a containment medium means for containing plural volumes of said liquid crystal; and said liquid crystal means including a plastic substrate means adhered to at least one of said transparent surfaces to provide said panel with safety glazing properties.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The panel of claims 7, 8, 9, or 19 wherein said first and second transparent surfaces include anti-abrasive properties.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
18 words
The panel of claims 7, 8, 9, or 19 further including means for absorbing ultraviolet radiation incident thereon.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
30 words
The panel of claims 7, 8, 9, or 19 further including a polarizer for absorbing the polarization incorporating the light scattered by said liquid crystal means in a field-on state.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
32 words
The panel of claims 1, 7, 10, or 19 wherein one of said transparent surfaces comprises a flexible, scratch-resistant plastic film including an electrically-conductive, optically transparent coating and said liquid crystal means.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
30 words
The panel of claims 1, 7, 10, or 19 wherein said containment medium means comprises surface means for distorting the natural structure of said liquid crystal absent a prescribed input.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
79 words
The panel of claim 24 wherein said liquid crystal is birefringent and has an ordinary index of refraction in the presence of a prescribed input that is substantially matched to the index of refraction of said containment medium means to minimize refraction and scattering of light and an extraordinary index of refraction in the absence of such prescribed input that is different from the index of refraction of said containment medium means to cause refraction and scattering of light.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
19 words
The panel of claim 24 further including input means for applying the prescribed input to said liquid crystal means.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
30 words
The panel of claim 26 wherein said input means comprises electrode means at opposite surfaces of said liquid crystal means for applying an electric field across said liquid crystal means.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
29 words
The panel of claim 27 further including circuit means for providing electric energy to said electrode means to effect application of an electric field to said liquid crystal means.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
25 words
The panel of claim 28 wherein at least one of said transparent surfaces is electrically conductive and comprises at least one of said electrode means.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
13 words
The panel of claim 24 further comprising pleochroic dye in said liquid crystal.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
36 words
The panel of claim 30 wherein the structure of said pleochroic dye conforms to the structure of said liquid crystal, said dye being operative to absorb light when said liquid crystal structure is in distorted alignment.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
39 words
The panel of claim 30 further including means for applying an electric field to said liquid crystal means to tend to effect generally parallel alignment of said liquid crystal structure to reduce the amount of absorption by said dye.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
22 words
The panel of claim 32 wherein said means for applying includes plural electrodes, one on each side of said liquid crystal means.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
19 words
The panel of claim 1, 7, 10, or 19 utilized as a divider between interior portions of a vehicle.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
16 words
The panel of claims 1, 7, 10, or 19 utilized as a sunroof or a moonroof.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
14 words
The panel of claims 1, 7, 10, or 19 utilized as a vehicle window.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
14 words
The panel of claims 1, 7, 10, or 19 utilized as an architectural window.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
18 words
The panel of claims 1, 7, 10, or 19 utilized as a skylight or an interior building partition.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
19 words
The panel of claim 1, 7, 10, or 19 wherein at least one of said transparent surfaces is tinted.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
28 words
The panel of claims 1, 7, 10, or 19 wherein at least one of said transparent surfaces is coated with a material with a high index of refraction.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
17 words
The panel of claims 1, 7, 10, or 19 further including a layer for reflecting visible light.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
19 words
The panel of claim 19 further including means for reducing the amount of infrared energy transmitted through said panel.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
23 words
The panel of claim 19 further including a depolarizer for altering the polarization of light prior to incidence on said liquid crystal means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-06-07 | 1991-12-07 | 1992-06-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-06-07 | 1995-12-07 | 1996-06-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-06-07 | 1999-12-07 | 2000-06-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |