OPTICAL CONTROL DEVICES AND METHODS OF MAKING

• Main Authors: BAI, FENG, SAHOUANI, HASSAN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 31.03.2011
• Subjects: BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; CONTACT LENSES; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PHYSICS; PROSTHESES; SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURESAS SPECTACLES; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS

Herein are disclosed methods by which a layer of oriented chromonic material may be transferred from a flexible substrate to a receiving substrate, so as to form a subassembly for use in the assembly of liquid crystal cells. The oriented chromonic material layer may function as an alignment layer for aligning liquid crystal material, and may also incorporate a pleochroic dye so as to function as a polarizing layer. An oriented chromonic material layer of relatively large area can be transferred, which enables the production of relatively large liquid crystal cells for use in, e.g., autodarkening filters such as used for eye protection in welding operations. Curved liquid crystal cells are also disclosed. La présente invention concerne des procédés permettant de transférer d'un substrat souple à un substrat récepteur une couche de matière chromique orientée, pour former un sous-ensemble destiné à un ensemble de cellules de cristaux liquides. La couche de matière chromique orientée, qui peut se comporter comme une couche d'alignement pour aligner un matériau de cristal liquide, peut également comporter un colorant pléochroïque de façon à servir de couche polarisante. Il est possible de transférer à partir d'une superficie relativement grande une couche de matière chromique orientée, ce qui permet de produire des cellules de cristaux liquides relativement grandes convenant, par exemple, à des filtres fonçant automatiquement tels que ceux qu'on utilise pour protéger les yeux dans les opérations de soudage. L'invention concerne également des cellules de cristaux liquides incurvées.