Thermally switched optical filter incorporating a guest-host architecture
US8284336B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 12, 2010 |
| Grant date | Oct 9, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 28, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F1/13725
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Thermochromic filters are constructed using absorptive, reflective, or fluorescent dyes, molecules, polymers, particles, rods, or other orientation-dependent colorants that have their orientation, order, or director influenced by carrier materials, which are themselves influenced by temperature. These order-influencing carrier materials include thermotropic liquid crystals, which provide orientation to dyes and polymers in a Guest-Host system in the liquid-crystalline state at lower temperatures, but do not provide such order in the isotropic state at higher temperatures. The varying degree to which the absorptive, reflective, or fluorescent particles interact with light in the two states can be exploited to make many varieties of thermochromic filters. Thermochromic filters can control the flow of light and radiant heat through selective reflection, transmission, absorption, and/or re-emission. The filters have particular application in passive or active light-regulating and temperature-regulating films, materials, and devices, and particularly as construction materials and building and vehicle surfaces.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.