US4783150A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Thermally electrically or magnetically controllable lyotropic liquid crystal optical devices
Assignee: Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et Aux Énergies Alternatives
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Filing: 1987-10-26
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Granted: 1988-11-08
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Expires: 2007-10-26
Abstract
Abstract Thermally, electrically or magnetically controllable lyotropic liquid crystal optical devices. The optical device comprises two insulating walls (6, 8) joined together by their edges by means of a sealing joint (9) and a lyotropic liquid crystal film (10) placed between the walls and whose light transmission varies as a function of the temperature, said liquid crystal being formed from 5 to 20% by weight of alcohol, 0 to 20% by weight of a quaternary ammonium halide, 0 to 94% by weight of oil and 1 to 95% by weight of water, the ratio of the mass of ammonium halide to the mass of alcohol being below 2.
Inventors
- 👤 James Tabony
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 02:12
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/132; C; C09; C09K; C09K19/00; G02F1/137; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S516/00; Y10S516/90
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
107 words
Optical device having a liquid crystal comprising a microemulsion (10,14,22) which has two stable optical states, namely a transparent state and an opaque state which can be controlled, characterized in that the liquid crystal (10,14,22) has a lamellar structure in the transparent state and a nematic lamellar structure in the opaque state, said two states being thermally controllable and that it contains 1 to 45% by weight of a surfactant, 0 to 45% by weight of a co-surfactant, 0 to 98% by weight of oil and 1 to 99% by weight of polar liquid, the ratio of the co-surfactant mass to the surfactant mass being below 2.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
107 words
Optical device having a liquid crystal comprising a microemulsion (10,14,22) which has two stable optical states, namely a transparent state and an opaque state which can be controlled, characterized in that the liquid crystal (10,14,22) has a lamellar structure in the transparent state and a nematic lamellar structure in the opaque state, said two states being thermally controllable and that it contains 1 to 45% by weight of a surfactant, 0 to 45% by weight of a co-surfactant, 0 to 98% by weight of oil and 1 to 99% by weight of polar liquid, the ratio of the co-surfactant mass to the surfactant mass being below 2.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains 5 to 20% by weight of surfactant, 0 to 20% by weight of co-surfactant, 0 to 94% by weight of oil and 1 to 95% by weight of polar liquid.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the polar liquid constitutes the dispersed phase of the microemulsion and the oil the continuous phase.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the oil constitutes the dispersed phase of the microemulsion and the polar liquid the continuous phase.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
102 words
Optical device having a liquid crystal (39,48) with two stable states which can be controlled, characterized in that said liquid crystal (39,48) is a nematic containing 1 to 45% by weight of surfactant, 1 to 45% by weight of co-surfactant, 1 to 97% by weight of oil and 1 to 97% by weight of a polar liquid, the ratio of the co-surfactant mass to the surfactant mass being below 2 and the four constituents form elongated aggregates, dispersed in a continuous liquid phase, whose length exceeds the distance separating two consecutive aggregates, the orientation of these aggregates being electrically or magnetically controllable.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
102 words
Optical device having a liquid crystal (39,48) with two stable states which can be controlled, characterized in that said liquid crystal (39,48) is a nematic containing 1 to 45% by weight of surfactant, 1 to 45% by weight of co-surfactant, 1 to 97% by weight of oil and 1 to 97% by weight of a polar liquid, the ratio of the co-surfactant mass to the surfactant mass being below 2 and the four constituents form elongated aggregates, dispersed in a continuous liquid phase, whose length exceeds the distance separating two consecutive aggregates, the orientation of these aggregates being electrically or magnetically controllable.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
48 words
Optical device according to claim 5, characterized in that it contains 1 to 45% by weight of surfactant, 1 to 45% by weight of co-surfactant, 50 to 97% by weight of oil and 1 to 48% by weight of water, the orientation of the aggregates being electrically controllable.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
Optical device according to claim 5, characterized in that the liquid crystal contains 5 to 20% by weight of surfactant, 1 to 20% by weight of co-surfactant, 5 to 93% by weight of oil and 1 to 44% by weight of polar liquid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
Optical device according to claim 5, characterized in that the distance separating two consecutive aggregates is between 7 and 300 nm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
Optical device according to claim 5, characterized in that the aggregates contain ferromagnetic particles.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
Optical device according to claim 9, characterized in that the ferromagnetic particles are magnetite particles (Fe 3 O 4 ).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
Optical device according to claim 5, characterized in that the polar liquid constitutes the dispersed phase and the oil constitutes the continuous phase.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the polar liquid is water.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the polar liquid contains an electrolyte.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electrolyte is chosen from among a basic hydroxide or an inorganic salt.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the oil is a hydrocarbon chosen from among saturated hydrocarbons, unsaturated hydrocarbons and cyclic hydrocarbons.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the oil is a hydrocarbon chosen from among benzene, toluene, cyclohexane, octane, decane, a derivative of these hydrocarbons or a mixture of these hydrocarbons.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the surfactant is chosen from the group including fatty acid salts with a long hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon chain, quaternary ammonium halides and alkyl sulphates or sulphonates of an alkali metal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the surfactant is chosen from among tetradecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, sodium dodecyl sulphate and potassium oleate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the co-surfactant is formed by at least one alcohol.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the co-surfactant is chosen from among butanol, pentanol and hexanol.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid crystal has a viscosity between 0.1 and 100 centipoises.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
15 words
Optical device according to claim 5, characterized in that the liquid crystal contains an anti-freeze.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
16 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid crystal contains optically active molecules.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
15 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid crystal contains diochroic dyes.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
20 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid crystal is located in capsules or microcapsules (12, 32).
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
30 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the surfactant is tetradecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, the co-surfactant is pentanol, the oil is cyclohexane and the polar liquid is water.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
29 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the surfactant is sodium dodecyl sulphate, the co-surfactant is pentanol, the oil is cyclohexane and the polar liquid is water.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
28 words
Optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the surfactant is potassium oleate, the co-surfactant is pentanol, the oil is cyclohexane and the polar liquid is water.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
30 words
Optical device according to claim 5, characterized in that the surfactant is tetradecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, the co-surfactant is butanol, the oil is octane and the polar liquid is water.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
30 words
Optical device according to claim 5, characterized in that the surfactant is tetradecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, the co-surfactant is butanol, the oil is cyclohexane and the polar liquid is water.
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| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-11-08 | 1992-05-09 | 1992-11-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-11-08 | 1996-05-09 | 1996-11-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-11-08 | 2000-05-09 | 2000-11-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |