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Optical elements based on liquid-crystalline substances with no birefringence in a non-perpendicular direction and a process for their preparation

Assignee: Consortium fuer Elektrochemische Industrie GmbH
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Filing: 1993-02-01
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Granted: 1994-10-25
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Expires: 2013-02-01
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Abstract

Abstract The invention relates to optical elements based on liquid-crystalline substances, and to a process for the production thereof. The optical elements based on liquid-crystalline substances are ones which exhibit no birefringence in a defined direction of incidence, optical elements in which no birefringence occurs perpendicularly to the surface being excepted. The process for preparing the optical elements comprises illuminating a liquid-crystalline substance with unpolarized light of suitable wavelength at a defined angle in such a way that, after illumination, the director of this substance is aligned parallel to the direction of the illuminating light on passing through said substance.

Inventors

  • 👤 Alfred Miller
  • 👤 Horst Leigeber
  • 👤 Franz-Heinrich Kreuzer

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 15:24
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/133365; G02B; G02B5/00; G02B5/30; G02B5/3016; G02F1/1337

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 30 words
Optical elements based on liquid-crystalline substances which exhibit no birefringence in a defined direction of incidence, wherein said defined direction is not perpendicular to the surface of the liquid-crystalline substances.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 30 words
Optical elements based on liquid-crystalline substances which exhibit no birefringence in a defined direction of incidence, wherein said defined direction is not perpendicular to the surface of the liquid-crystalline substances.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 55 words
A process for the production of optical elements based on liquid-crystalline substances, which comprises illuminating a liquid-crystalline substance with unpolarized light of suitable wavelength at a defined angle in such a way that, after illumination, the director of said substance is aligned parallel to the direction of the illuminating light on passing through said substance.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 55 words
A process for the production of optical elements based on liquid-crystalline substances, which comprises illuminating a liquid-crystalline substance with unpolarized light of suitable wavelength at a defined angle in such a way that, after illumination, the director of said substance is aligned parallel to the direction of the illuminating light on passing through said substance.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 15 words
The process of claim 2, wherein the liquid-crystalline substance contains at least one photoisomerizable compound.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 13 words
The process of claim 3, wherein the photoisomerizable compound is a photoisomerizable dye.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 29 words
The process of claim 3, wherein unpolarized light having a wavelength in the region in which the absorption of the photoisomerizable dye of the liquid-crystalline substance lies is used.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 23 words
The process of claim 2, wherein the illumination is carried out at an angle of 90° to the surface of the liquid-crystalline substance.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 11 words
Information storage systems which contain the optical elements of claim 1.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 15 words
Lens-type optical elements which contain the optical elements obtained from the process of claim 2.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 21 words
A device for varying diffusion constant of liquid-crystalline membranes which contains the optical elements obtained from the process of claim 2.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 27 words
Optical elements which appear transparent only in a narrow angular range but are opaque at other viewing angles which are obtained from the process of claim 2.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4410570A Cited
DE3808430A1 Cited
US5098978A Cited
US5032009A Cited
EP0397263A1 Cited
DE3920420A1 Cited
US5073294A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-10-24 1998-04-25 1998-10-25 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2001-10-24 2002-04-25 2002-10-25 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2005-10-24 2006-04-25 2006-10-25 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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