Wide band variable transmittance optical device

US9513524B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• ALPHAMICRON INCORPORATED · US

Inventors

• Pedro Coutino Soto · Meriden, US
• Tim Smith · Dallas, US
• Roy Miller · Stow, US
• Ludmila Sukhomlinova · Kent, US
• Volodymyr Bodnar · Kent, US
• Christine Baker · Cuyahoga Falls, US
• Tamas Kosa · Hudson, US
• Bahman Taheri · Shaker Heights, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 14, 2015
• Grant date: Dec 6, 2016
• Expiry date: Sep 14, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F1/13475
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

We describe a wide band variable transmission optical device having an electronically active cell comprising a guest-host mixture of a liquid crystal host and a dichroic guest dye material contained between a pair of plastic substrates. The liquid crystal host has an axis orientation that is alterable between a clear state orientation and a dark state orientation and the dichroic guest dye material includes one or more dichroic dyes. The optical device is characterized in that it exhibits a wide absorption band that is greater than 175 nm within a visible wavelength range of 400-700 nm, has a clear state transmission equal to or above 30% and a dark state transmission equal to or below 40%.