Patent · US Expired

Optical bodies made with a birefringent polymer

US6449093B2 · kind B2 · utility

64Cited by
50References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 12, 1999
Grant dateSep 10, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 12, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T428/2495
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A optical body has at least two polymeric materials forming a reflective interface for at least one polarization of light. One optical body is a multilayer optical film that includes birefringent first optical layers and second optical layers interleaved with the first optical layers. Each first optical layer is formed using a polymer, such as a copolymer of polyethylene naphthalate. The second optical layers are formed so that they have a lower in-plane birefringence than the first optical layers for 632.8 nm light. Optical bodies can be used as, for example, polarizers and mirrors. The optical bodies can be formed using polymers that provide better index matching and are more easily protected from UV light without coloring the optical body.

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