Adjustably opaque window

Abstract

An adjustably opaque window including an external pane, an internal pane, a light transmission control layer and a shock-absorbing layer is provided. The external pane and the internal pane provide a cavity between them, and the light transmission control layer and the shock-absorbing layer are positioned in the cavity. The shock-absorbing layer is a flexible sheet that supports and protects the light transmission control layer. The light transmission layer consists of liquid crystal cells. The transmission ratio of the cells can be controlled variably.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a window having adjustable opacity. More particularly, this invention relates to an adjustable or variable window tinting system for the vehicle and architectural industries, and further, a window system for sunlight protection. [0002] Vehicle and building windows that transmit a fixed fraction of incident light are desired by many, and are currently commercially available to control the sunlight intrusion into the vehicles and buildings. Such windows with a fixed tint, while desired by users during bright sunlight days, are undesirable on cloudy days and in the evenings. Windows are needed where a controllable fraction of incident visible light intensity can be applicable under varying environmental as well as social conditions and needs. A protective variable tinting that controls in fractions, the visible light transmitting through the window, and at the same time that can filter out UV and most of the infrared l...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0043] Protective adjustably opaque windows according to the present invention offer a number of advantages.

[0044] Natural sunlight radiation has a broad spectrum in the optical frequency regime, ranging from ultraviolet to infrared beams. Ultraviolet (UV) light can induce photochemical reactions, particularly in organic systems, and are harmful to passengers as well as the interior of a vehicle or building. UV filtering feature provided by the protective adjustably opaque window is an added environmental safety feature to, for example the occupants of a vehicle, and alleviates the problem of use of sunscreen products for the occupants. UV radiation damage to active layers, such as active layers made using liquid crystals, can also be minimized or eliminated by preventing UV from entering the active layers.

[0045] The infrared spectrum of sunlight radiation can be absorbed by materials that make up the interior of a vehicle or building, and is a very significant portion of heat converted from absorption of light. According to the present invention, the light control layer can filter out the infrared by reflection or absorption or a combination of both. The filtering of this infrared spectrum can reduce the temperature rise of the interior of a vehicle or building due to this converted heat, and reduce the energy and cost of desired cooling of a vehicle or building on a hot day.

[0046] The primary function, and thus the advantage of the adjustably opaque window is that it reduces the transmission of unwanted light when the light setting is too bright, and it can be tuned for maximum transmission in a darker light setting. An additional advantage of the use of the protective adjustably opaque window is that they can provide privacy under a wide range of natural lighting conditions. Unless a near perfect reflection mirror is placed in the interior of the setting protected by the window, the reflected light is stronger than that passing through a window from behind in typical applications. Thus objects on the dimmer interior side of the window will be obscured to observers on the brighter side by the reflected exterior light. Privacy can be further enhanced by controlling the tint, to reduce the transmission of light through the window.

[0047] Furthermore, the tiled structure of the active layer for large windows is advantageous in several ways. The yield, and thus the associated costs, of active layers is typically a nonlinear function of its area size. For example, the cost of a semiconductor IC chip grows exponentially as a function of the area, due to unavoidable contaminations and defects. Smaller active layers have much higher yield ratios and the material costs will be lower. In addition, many supply materials and tools necessary to make the active layers may not be able to handle large sizes even if it is chosen to do so. The overall handling of smaller but very thin active layers can be easier compared to handling the larger ones. Thus the cost is cheaper and the windows are easier to manufacture. In the larger size windows, the active layer is a collection of seamlessly tiled smaller pieces of active layers. Due to a higher yield in the smaller tiles, the tooling is readily available, and it is easier to handle.

Problems solved by technology

Such windows with a fixed tint, while desired by users during bright sunlight days, are undesirable on cloudy days and in the evenings.

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