US4772506A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Glass with temperature-controlled transluency
Assignee: Roehm GmbH Darmstadt
•
Filing: 1987-05-18
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Granted: 1988-09-20
•
Expires: 2007-05-18
Abstract
Abstract A glass system with temperature controlled translucency, utilizing plastics, where the glass system comprises a polymer blend P, formed from unlike polymer constituents P 1 and P 2 , and has a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), where under the critical solution temperature the polymer blend is single-phase and transparent and above the critical solution temperature polymer constituents P 1 and P 2 separate, and where the polymer constituents P 1 and P 2 have different indices of refraction.
Inventors
- 👤 Werner Siol
- 👤 Joachim Otto
- 👤 Ulrich Terbrach
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 22:16
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B17/00; B32B17/06; B32B17/10; B32B17/10005; B32B17/1055; C; C09; C09K; C09K9/00; C09K9/02; E; E06; E06B; E06B3/00; E06B3/66; E06B3/67; E06B3/6715; E06B3/6722; G; G02; G02B; G02B26/00; G02B26/02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/0147; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/913; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24942; Y10T428/25; Y10T428/254; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31507; Y10T428/3154; Y10T428/31551; Y10T428/31725; Y10T428/31786; Y10T428/31855; Y10T428/31935; Y10T428/31938
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 67
Claim 1
Independent Claim
82 words
A transparent covering with temperature-controlled translucency, which comprises: a polymer blend P, formed from at least two unlike polymer constitutents P 1 and P 2 which differ in their index of refraction by at least 0.01, wherein said polymer blend has a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), whereby at temperatures under the critical solution temperature the polymer blend is single-phase and transparent and at temperatures above the critical solution temperature, polymer constituents P 1 and P 2 separate, on a support base.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
82 words
A transparent covering with temperature-controlled translucency, which comprises: a polymer blend P, formed from at least two unlike polymer constitutents P 1 and P 2 which differ in their index of refraction by at least 0.01, wherein said polymer blend has a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), whereby at temperatures under the critical solution temperature the polymer blend is single-phase and transparent and at temperatures above the critical solution temperature, polymer constituents P 1 and P 2 separate, on a support base.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein the temperature differential between the LCST and the glass temperature Tg of polymer blend P is at least 20° C.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein the polymers differ in their index of refraction by at least 0.03.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein polymer blend P has an LCST under 150° C.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein polymer blend P has an LCST under 100° C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein polymer blend P has an LCST under 50° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein the reduction in transmission from >80% to <60% occurs within a temperature span of <20° C.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the two polymers P 1 or P 2 exhibits a carbon content of <80%.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the polymers that makes up polymer blend P is composed of at least 5% by weight of one or more groups with a double or triple bond involving carbon.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the polymers that make up polymer blend P is a compolymer constituent in which the predominant monomer constitutes no more than 95% by weight.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein in the range from room temperature to LCST the polymer blend P has a single glass transition temperature Tg and contains no crystalline areas.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein the polymer blend P contains aging or ultraviolet protective agents in proportions of from 0.01% to 5% by weight.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein polymer blend P adheres to a support base.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
13 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein the support base is colored.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
13 words
A shaped article for glazing consisting of transparent covering according to claim 1.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
53 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein upon an increase in temperature from 10° C. below the LCST to 10° C. above the LCST there is a reduction in light transmission through said polymer blend of at least 20%, where the determination is made on an unpigmented test sample 0.1 m thick.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The transparent covering according to claim 16 wherein the transmission is >80% within the temperature range of 10° C. below the LCST to at least 50° C. above the LCST.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein in the separated state above the LCST two polymer phases co-exist side by side, of which at least one polymer phase exhibits a domain magnitude within the range of 10 nm 2 to 10 8 nm 2 .
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
The transparent covering according to claim 18 wherein at least one polymer phase exhibits a domain magnitude of 10 2 nm 2 to 10 6 nm 2 .
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1, wherein at least one low molecular weight substance W selected from the group consisting of solvent, plasticizers, stabilizers and pigments is added to polymer blend P.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
The transparent covering according to claim 20 wherein the low molecular substance W is a solvent for at least one of the polymers P 1 or P 2 .
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
The transparent covering according to claim 20 wherein the low molecular weight substance W does not have the same index of refraction as polymers P 1 and P 2 .
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
34 words
The transparent covering according to claim 20 wherein at least one of the two polymers P 1 or P 2 is not soluble in water within a temperature range from 0° to 100° C.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
22 words
The transparent covering according to claim 20 wherein the polymers that make up the polymer blend P are not soluble in water.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
33 words
The transparent covering according to claim 20 wherein a low molecular weight substance W equal to 0.1%-1000% by weight relative to polymers P 1 and P 2 is added to polymer blend P.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
26 words
The transparent covering according to claim 25 wherein a low molecular weight substance W equal to 5%-300% by weight is added to the polymer blend P.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
21 words
The transparent covering according to claim 25 wherein the low molecular weight substance W has a solid point of <10° C.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
24 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein the glass temperature Tg of polymer blend P lies at least 50° C. below the LCST.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
24 words
The transparent covering according to claim 28 wherein the glass temperature Tg of polymer blend P lies at least 100° C. below the LCST.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
44 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the polymers that makes up the polymer blend P has a content of more than 10% by weight of covalently bonded halogens selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine and bromine.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
31 words
The transparent covering according to claim 30 wherein the ratio of the halogen content, as a percentage by weight, in polymer P 1 to that in polymer P 2 is >1.5:1.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
43 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the polymers that make up the polymer blend P has a content of more than 10% by weight of covalently bonded chalcogens selected from the group consisting of oxygen and sulfur.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
31 words
The transparent covering according to claim 32 wherein the ratio of the oxygen content, as a percentage by weight, in polymer P 1 to that in polymer P 2 is >1.2:1.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
31 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the two polymers P 1 or P 2 has an average molecular weight M w of at least 2,000.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
31 words
The transparent covering according to claim 34 wherein at least one of the two polymers P 1 or P 2 has an average molecular weight M w of at least 10,000.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
34 words
The transparent covering according to claim 34 wherein at least one of the two polymers P 1 or P 2 has an average molecular weight M w in the range from 2,000 to 500,000.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
27 words
The transparent covering according to claim 34 wherein both polymers P 1 and P 2 have an average molecular weight in the range from 10,000 to 500,000.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
37 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein in polymer mixture P the blend ratio of polymer P 1 to polymer P 2 is in the range of 98:2 parts by weight to 2:98 parts by weight.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
33 words
The transparent covering according to claim 38, wherein the blend ratio of polymer P 1 to polymer P 2 is in the range of 90:10 parts by weight to 10:90 parts by weight.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
33 words
The transparent covering according to claim 38 wherein the blend ratio of polymer P 1 to polymer P 2 is in the range of 80:20 parts by weight to 20:80 parts by weight.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
13 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein polymer blend P is colored.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
21 words
The transparent covering according to claim 41 wherein a coloring agent soluble in polymer blend P is used for the color.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
42 words
The transparent covering according to claim 41, wherein a pigment coloring agent with pigment particles is used for coloring, the diameter of the particles being no more than 50% of the average observed diameter of the polymer phase domains created by separation.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
20 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1, wherein the layer of polymer blend is less than 1 mm in thickness.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
20 words
The transparent covering according to claim 44, wherein said layer of polymer blend P is less than 0.1 mm thick.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
20 words
The transparent covering according to claim 45, wherein said layer of polymer blend P is less than 0.05 mm thick.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
26 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the polymer constituents P 1 of polymer blend P is produced by emulsion polymerization.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
32 words
The transparent covering according to claim 47 wherein both polymer constituents P 1 and P 2 of polymer blend P are produced in an emulsion polymerization process involving at least two steps.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
44 words
The transparent covering according to claim 48 wherein the emulsion polymerization is carried out according to the core-shell principle, where a latex synthesized primarily of polymer constituent P 1 serves as a saturated latex for the polymerization by emulsion of the second polymer constituent.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
48 words
The transparent covering according to claim 49 wherein the emulsion polymerization entails a process involving at least three steps, involving consecutively the polymerization of polymer constituent P 1 , polymer constituent P 2 and polymer constituent PM, where PM is a polymer material compatible with said matrix material.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
20 words
The transparent covering of claim 1, wherein said supported polymer blend P component is provided with a transparent overlying layer.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
33 words
The transparent covering according to claim 51, wherein layered polymer blend P applied to said support base and covered with said transparent overlying layer, has the geometric shape of a sheet or pane.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
37 words
The transparent covering according to claim 51, wherein none of the layers of said transparent covering, which are not the polymer blend layer nor a layer containing said polymer blend, has a thickness which exceeds 0.5 mm.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
19 words
The transparent covering according to claim 51 wherein the support base and the overlying layer are of silicate glass.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
19 words
The transparent covering according to claim 51 wherein the support base or the overlying layer is a transparent plastic.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
31 words
The transparent covering according to claim 55 wherein the transparent plastic is selected from the group consisting of acrylic resins, polycarbonates, polyamides, polyesters, polystyrenes, polyvinyl halogenides, polyolefins, polyacetals, polysulfones and polyurethanes.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
50 words
The transparent covering according to claim 1, wherein said polymer blend P, as a layer, is embedded in a matrix material on said support which matrix which has an index of refraction which coincides with the index of refraction of polymer blend P below the LCST of the polymer blend.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
35 words
The transparent covering according to claim 57, wherein polymer blend P is embedded in said matrix material in the form of discrete particles with a diameter within the range of 20 nm to 200 μm.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
27 words
The transparent covering according to claim 58, wherein said discrete particles of polymer blend P have a diameter within the range of 50 nm to 50 μm.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
30 words
The transparent covering according to claim 58 wherein polymer blend P is in the form of discrete particles with a diameter within the range of 50 nm to 5 μm.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
97 words
A transparent covering with temperature-controlled transluency, which comprises: a polymer constituency of at least 0.1% by weight of polymer constituent P 1 covalently bonded to polymer constituent P 2 , said polymer constituents P 1 and P 2 being unlike and having indexes of refraction which differ by at least 0.01, said polymer constituency having a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), whereby at temperatures under the critical solution temperature the polymer constituency is single-phase and transparent and at a temperature above the critical solution temperature, polymer constituents P 1 and P 2 separate, on a support base.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
97 words
A transparent covering with temperature-controlled transluency, which comprises: a polymer constituency of at least 0.1% by weight of polymer constituent P 1 covalently bonded to polymer constituent P 2 , said polymer constituents P 1 and P 2 being unlike and having indexes of refraction which differ by at least 0.01, said polymer constituency having a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), whereby at temperatures under the critical solution temperature the polymer constituency is single-phase and transparent and at a temperature above the critical solution temperature, polymer constituents P 1 and P 2 separate, on a support base.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
32 words
The transparent covering according to claim 61 wherein polymer constituent P 1 is covalently bonded to polymer constituent P 2 as a result of block copolymer structure or by graft copolymer structure.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
31 words
The transparent covering according to claim 61 wherein the conditions n.sub.D matrix =n.sub.D polymerizate P.sbsb.1 (Δn>0.001) n.sub.D matrix <n.sub.D polymerizate P.sbsb.2 (Δn>0.001) n.sub.D matrix ≅n.sub.D polymer blend (Δn<0.01) are met simultaneously.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
97 words
A transparent covering with temperature-controlled translucency, which comprises: a polymer blend P, supported on a support base, which is formed from at least two unlike polymer constituents P 1 and P 2 which differ in their index of refraction by at least 0.01, wherein said polymer blend has a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), whereby at temperatures under the critical solution temperature the polymer blend is single-phase and transparent and at temperatures above the critical solution temperature, polymer constituents P 1 and P 2 separate, and wherein the enthalpy of mixing of the polymer constituents is exothermic.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
97 words
A transparent covering with temperature-controlled translucency, which comprises: a polymer blend P, supported on a support base, which is formed from at least two unlike polymer constituents P 1 and P 2 which differ in their index of refraction by at least 0.01, wherein said polymer blend has a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), whereby at temperatures under the critical solution temperature the polymer blend is single-phase and transparent and at temperatures above the critical solution temperature, polymer constituents P 1 and P 2 separate, and wherein the enthalpy of mixing of the polymer constituents is exothermic.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-09-20 | 1992-03-21 | 1992-09-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-09-20 | 1996-03-21 | 1996-09-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-09-20 | 2000-03-21 | 2000-09-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |