Patent · US Expired

Multilayer optical filter for producing colored reflected light and neutral transmission

US4793669A · kind A · utility

67Cited by
6References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 11, 1987
Grant dateDec 27, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 11, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02C7/108
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A short-wave-pass optical filter, that includes a partially absorbing or transparent substrate coated by a set of layers having specified quarter-wave optical thickness, and is designed to reflect visible radiation of a selected color while transmitting visible radiation and maintaining a neutral color balance. The coating includes layers having a high refractive index alternating with layers having a low refractive index. The refractive indices and layer thicknesses are selected so that the filter's reflectance spectrum exhibits a ripple over a first segment of the visible spectrum but no significant ripple over a second segment of the visible. The filters may be used as sunglass lenses that have a selected color (such as blue, orange, or violet) when viewed by one other than the sunglass wearer, while permitting the wearer to perceive transmitted light with a correct color balance. The design of the inventive filter is preferably optimized to have the desired optical properties while being conveniently and repeatably manufacturable.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.