Liquid crystal dimming device and dimming device

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of liquid crystal, and discloses a liquid crystal dimming device and a dimming device. The liquid crystal dimming device comprises a first flexible substrate layer, a first bonding layer, a second flexible substrate layer, a second bonding layer, a liquid crystal layer and a plurality of spacers, the first bonding layer is arranged on one side of the first flexible substrate layer; each spacer is provided with a first end and a second end which are oppositely arranged, and the first end is adhered to one surface, deviating from the first flexible substrate layer, of the first adhesive layer; the second flexible substrate layer and the first flexible substrate layer are oppositely arranged; the second bonding layer is arranged on the side, close to the spacer, of the second flexible substrate layer, and the second end is bonded to the face, away from the second flexible substrate layer, of the second bonding layer. The liquid crystal layer is arranged between the first flexible substrate layer and the second flexible substrate layer. According to the liquid crystal dimming device, the problem of black spots can be avoided, and the defect of white spots or vacuum bubbles can also be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of liquid crystal technology, and in particular to a liquid crystal dimming device and a dimming apparatus. Background Art

[0002] Liquid crystal dimming devices are devices that use the optical properties of liquid crystal materials to adjust light intensity. Liquid crystal is a crystalline substance with liquid flow properties, and its molecular arrangement is between crystal and liquid. Through the action of electric field, the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules can be changed, thereby changing its light transmittance and absorption. This characteristic makes liquid crystal materials widely used in dimming devices.

[0003] However, current liquid crystal dimming devices are prone to black spots, white spots or vacuum bubbles after being subjected to external pressure or experiencing a high temperature and then cooling process.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present disclosure is to overcome the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art and to provide a liquid crystal dimming device and a dimming apparatus.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid crystal dimming device is provided, comprising:

[0007] a first flexible base layer;

[0008] A first adhesive layer, disposed on one side of the first flexible base layer;

[0009] A plurality of spacers, each of the spacers having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end being bonded to a side of the first adhesive layer away from the first flexible base layer;

[0010] a second flexible base layer, arranged opposite to the first flexible base layer;

[0011] A second adhesive layer is provided on a side of the second flexible base layer close to the spacer, and the second end is bonded to a side of the second adhesive layer away from the second flexible base layer;

[0012] The liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first flexible substrate layer and the second flexible substrate layer.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the first adhesive layer includes a plurality of first adhesive portions arranged at intervals, and the first end is bonded to a side of the first adhesive portion facing away from the first flexible substrate layer; the liquid crystal dimming device further includes:

[0014] The first orientation film is provided on the side of the first flexible base layer where the first adhesive layer is provided. The first orientation film is provided with a plurality of first openings, and the first adhesive portions are located in the first openings.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the first adhesive layer is made of transparent adhesive glue, and the first adhesive layer entirely covers one side of the first flexible base layer.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the second adhesive layer includes a plurality of second adhesive portions arranged at intervals, and the second end is bonded to a side of the second adhesive portion away from the second flexible substrate layer; the liquid crystal dimming device further includes:

[0017] The second alignment film is provided with a plurality of second openings, and the second bonding portion is located in the second openings.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the liquid crystal layer includes liquid crystal and a dye, the color of the first adhesive portion is the same as the color of the dye, and / or the color of the second adhesive portion is the same as the color of the dye.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the material of the second adhesive layer is transparent adhesive glue, and the entire second adhesive layer covers one side of the second flexible base layer.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the area of ​​the end surface of the first end is larger than the area of ​​the end surface of the second end, and the orthographic projection area of ​​the first adhesive portion on the first flexible substrate layer is larger than the area of ​​the end surface of the first end.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the first adhesive portion is set to black.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the spacer includes a plurality of bar blocks, the plurality of bar blocks are connected to each other, one end of the bar block is bonded to the first adhesive layer, and the other end of the bar block is bonded to the second adhesive layer.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, at least part of the spacers are made of adhesive.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the liquid crystal dimming device further includes:

[0025] A first transparent conductive layer, disposed between the first flexible substrate layer and the first adhesive layer;

[0026] The second transparent conductive layer is disposed between the second flexible base layer and the second adhesive layer.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a dimming device is provided, comprising:

[0028] The liquid crystal dimming device is any one of the liquid crystal dimming devices described above.

[0029] The liquid crystal dimming device disclosed in the present invention can bond and fix the first end of the spacer to the first flexible substrate layer through the first adhesive layer, and can bond and fix the second end of the spacer to the second flexible substrate layer through the second adhesive layer. When the first flexible substrate layer and / or the second flexible substrate layer have bulges and wrinkles after being subjected to external pressure or experiencing a high temperature and then cooling process, the bonding action of the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer can provide a retraction force in the opposite direction of the bulge of the first flexible substrate layer and / or the second flexible substrate layer, effectively reducing the bulge deformation of the first flexible substrate layer and / or the second flexible substrate layer, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the deformation of the sealing space of the overall flexible liquid crystal dimming device, thereby avoiding the problem of black spots and also avoiding the defect of white spots or vacuum bubbles.

[0030] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The accompanying drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and together with the specification are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without creative work.

[0032] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of a liquid crystal dimming device disclosed in the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of a second exemplary embodiment of a liquid crystal dimming device disclosed in the present invention.

[0034] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a third exemplary embodiment of a liquid crystal dimming device disclosed in the present invention.

[0035] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of a fourth exemplary embodiment of a liquid crystal dimming device disclosed in the present invention.

[0036] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal dimming device having black spots and white spots in the related art.

[0037] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a defect in which multiple rainbow rings appear on a liquid crystal dimming device in the related art.

[0038] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of a fifth exemplary embodiment of a liquid crystal dimming device disclosed in the present invention.

[0039] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the top view structure of multiple spacers.

[0040] Fig. 9 The diagram is a top view of another exemplary embodiment of a plurality of spacers in the liquid crystal dimming device disclosed in the present invention.

[0041] Fig.10 The schematic diagram is a cross-sectional structural diagram of an exemplary implementation of a spacer in a liquid crystal dimming device disclosed in the present invention.

[0042] Fig.11 The schematic diagram is a cross-sectional structural diagram of another exemplary embodiment of a spacer in a liquid crystal dimming device disclosed in the present invention.

[0043] Fig.12 The schematic diagram is a cross-sectional structural diagram of another exemplary embodiment of a spacer in a liquid crystal dimming device disclosed in the present invention.

[0044] Fig.13 It is a schematic structural diagram of a sixth exemplary embodiment of a liquid crystal dimming device disclosed in the present invention.

[0045] Description of reference numerals:

[0046] 11. a first flexible base layer; 12. a second flexible base layer;

[0047] 21. a first transparent conductive layer; 22. a second transparent conductive layer;

[0048] 31, first adhesive layer; 311, first adhesive portion; 32, second adhesive layer; 321, second adhesive portion;

[0049] 41, first alignment film; 411, first opening; 42, second alignment film; 421, second opening;

[0050] 5. Spacer; 5a. Adhesive spacer; 51. First end; 52. Second end; 53. Stop bar;

[0051] 6. Liquid crystal layer; 7. Frame sealing glue;

[0052] 8. Black spots; 9. White spots; 10. Rainbow rings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in a variety of forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be comprehensive and complete and fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar structures, and thus their detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the drawings are only schematic illustrations of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0054] Although relative terms such as "upper" and "lower" are used in this specification to describe the relative relationship of one component of the illustration to another component, these terms are used in this specification only for convenience, such as according to the orientation of the examples described in the drawings. It is understood that if the device of the illustration is turned upside down, the component described as "upper" will become the component "lower". When a structure is "on" other structures, it may mean that the structure is formed integrally on the other structure, or that the structure is "directly" disposed on the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly" disposed on the other structure through another structure.

[0055] The terms "a", "an", "the", "said" and "at least one" are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms "including" and "having" are used to express an open-ended inclusive meaning and mean that additional elements / components / etc. may exist in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.; the terms "first", "second" and "third" etc. are used merely as labels and are not intended to limit the quantity of their objects.

[0056] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the term "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. "And / or" is just a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0057] The exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a liquid crystal dimming device, referring to Figure 1-Figure 4 as well as Figure 7-Figure 12As shown, the liquid crystal dimming device may include a first flexible substrate layer 11, a first adhesive layer 31, a second flexible substrate layer 12, a second adhesive layer 32, a liquid crystal layer 6 and a plurality of spacers 5; the first adhesive layer 31 is arranged on one side of the first flexible substrate layer 11; each spacer 5 has a first end 51 and a second end 52 arranged opposite to each other, and the first end 51 is bonded to a side of the first adhesive layer 31 facing away from the first flexible substrate layer 11; the second flexible substrate layer 12 is arranged opposite to the first flexible substrate layer 11; the second adhesive layer 32 is arranged on a side of the second flexible substrate layer 12 close to the spacer 5, and the second end 52 is bonded to a side of the second adhesive layer 32 facing away from the second flexible substrate layer 12; the liquid crystal layer 6 is arranged between the first flexible substrate layer 11 and the second flexible substrate layer 12.

[0058] The liquid crystal dimming device disclosed in the present invention can bond and fix the first end 51 of the spacer 5 to the first flexible substrate layer 11 through the first adhesive layer 31, and can bond and fix the second end 52 of the spacer 5 to the second flexible substrate layer 12 through the second adhesive layer 32. When the first flexible substrate layer 11 and / or the second flexible substrate layer 12 are subjected to external pressure or experience a high temperature and then a cooling process and then bulge and wrinkle, a retraction force opposite to the bulging direction of the first flexible substrate layer 11 and / or the second flexible substrate layer 12 can be provided through the bonding action of the first adhesive layer 31 and the second adhesive layer 32, thereby effectively reducing the bulging deformation of the first flexible substrate layer 11 and / or the second flexible substrate layer 12, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the deformation of the sealing space of the overall flexible liquid crystal dimming device, thereby avoiding the problem of black spots 8 and also avoiding the defect of white spots 9 or vacuum bubbles.

[0059] In this exemplary embodiment, the first flexible substrate layer 11 may be flexible, that is, the first flexible substrate layer 11 may be easily bent; the material of the first flexible substrate layer 11 may be a flexible material, specifically, the material of the first flexible substrate layer 11 may be an organic material, for example, the material of the first flexible substrate layer 11 may be a resin material such as polyimide, polycarbonate, polyacrylate, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyethylene naphthalate. The first flexible substrate layer 11 may be a single-layer structure formed by the above materials, or the first flexible substrate layer 11 may be a stacked structure of two or more layers formed by the above materials.

[0060] The second flexible substrate layer 12 may be flexible, that is, the second flexible substrate layer 12 is easy to be bent, so that the liquid crystal dimming device is a flexible liquid crystal dimming device, which is easy to be bent and is suitable for application scenarios of hyperbolic or large curved surfaces, such as the sunroof glass of a car; the material of the second flexible substrate layer 12 may be a flexible material, specifically, the material of the second flexible substrate layer 12 may be an organic material, for example, the material of the second flexible substrate layer 12 may be a resin material such as polyimide, polycarbonate, polyacrylate, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene naphthalate. The second flexible substrate layer 12 may be a single-layer structure formed by the above-mentioned materials, or the second flexible substrate layer 12 may be a stacked structure of two or more layers formed by the above-mentioned materials.

[0061] Reference Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, the second flexible base layer 12 is arranged opposite to the first flexible base layer 11, specifically, the second flexible base layer 12 is arranged opposite to the first flexible base layer 11. A frame sealant 7 is bonded between the second flexible base layer 12 and the first flexible base layer 11, and the frame sealant 7 is arranged around the edge of the second flexible base layer 12 and the first flexible base layer 11. The second flexible base layer 12 and the first flexible base layer 11 can be sealed and fixedly connected by the frame sealant 7, so that the second flexible base layer 12, the first flexible base layer 11 and the frame sealant 7 can form a sealed space.

[0062] A liquid crystal layer 6 is disposed between the first flexible substrate layer 11 and the second flexible substrate layer 12, that is, the liquid crystal layer 6 is disposed in a sealed space formed by the second flexible substrate layer 12, the first flexible substrate layer 11 and the frame sealant 7, so as to ensure that the liquid crystal layer 6 does not flow out and prevent external gas from flowing in. Liquid crystal is a substance between liquid and solid, with orderly arrangement and fluidity of macromolecules. Liquid crystal molecules can exhibit anisotropy at a specific temperature.

[0063] The material of the liquid crystal layer 6 can be dye liquid crystal, that is, the liquid crystal layer 6 can include liquid crystal and dye, or it can be said that the dye liquid crystal is a special liquid crystal formed by adding a dichroic dye to the liquid crystal material. Under normal conditions, the dye liquid crystal can absorb light to make the material present a specific color or grayscale, that is, the dye molecules can be used to adjust the optical properties of the liquid crystal, especially in terms of light absorption, emission and response speed. The introduction of the dye can change the refractive index and optical symmetry of the liquid crystal. When the power is turned on, the voltage will control the deflection of the dye liquid crystal molecules. By adjusting the intensity of the electric field, the transmittance of the light can be changed, and the light modulation and control can be achieved, thereby achieving the adjustment of the display effect; that is, the dye liquid crystal is a functional material that can achieve different degrees of absorption of external light by regulating the size of the electric field. In addition, the dye liquid crystal is generally in a fluid state at room temperature and is very easy to flow when subjected to external tension or pressure.

[0064] A plurality of spacers 5 are also arranged in the sealed space formed by the second flexible substrate layer 12, the first flexible substrate layer 11 and the frame sealant 7. The plurality of spacers 5 can be arranged in an array. Of course, the plurality of spacers 5 can also be arranged as required, which will not be described here. The first flexible substrate layer 11 and the second flexible substrate layer 12 can be supported by the plurality of spacers 5 to ensure that a fixed sealed space is formed between the first flexible substrate layer 11 and the second flexible substrate layer 12 for accommodating the liquid crystal layer 6. Each spacer 5 has a first end 51 and a second end 52 that are arranged opposite to each other.

[0065] The elastic modulus of the flexible first flexible substrate layer 11 is relatively small, and the elastic modulus of the flexible second flexible substrate layer 12 is also relatively small. For example, the elastic modulus of polyethylene terephthalate is generally around 4 GPa, and the thermal expansion coefficient is generally 60*10^-6 / ℃ (or 60ppm / ℃)-120*10^-6 / ℃ (or 120ppm / ℃). After being pressed externally or experiencing a high temperature and then cooling process, the polyethylene terephthalate PET material itself expands and contracts unevenly, resulting in a defective wrinkle in the liquid crystal dimming device formed by the first flexible substrate layer 11 and the second flexible substrate layer 12. The wrinkles are in the micro The first flexible substrate layer 11 and / or the second flexible substrate layer 12 is bulged or concave. In this case, even if a spacer 5 is provided between the first flexible substrate layer 11 and the second flexible substrate layer 12, the spacer 5 can only play a supporting role. However, when the first flexible substrate layer 11 and / or the second flexible substrate layer 12 itself is deformed due to external force and bulges outward, the internal space of the liquid crystal dimming device becomes larger, and the spacer 5 can no longer play the role of maintaining the sealed space of the liquid crystal dimming device. At this time, because the liquid crystal layer 6 is liquid, when the space of the liquid crystal dimming device becomes larger, more liquid crystal will be filled in there. Figure 5 As shown, the problem of black spots 8 occurs. At the same time, because there is too much liquid crystal in this area, there will be too little liquid crystal in other areas, resulting in white spots 9 or vacuum bubbles.

[0066] In this exemplary embodiment, a first adhesive layer 31 is provided on one side of the first flexible substrate 11, and a first end 51 of the spacer 5 is bonded to a side of the first adhesive layer 31 that is away from the first flexible substrate 11; a second adhesive layer 32 is provided on a side of the second flexible substrate 12 that is close to the spacer 5, and a second end 52 of the spacer 5 is bonded to a side of the second adhesive layer 32 that is away from the second flexible substrate 12. The first end 51 of the spacer 5 can be bonded and fixed to the first flexible substrate 11 through the first adhesive layer 31, and the second end 52 of the spacer 5 can be bonded and fixed to the second flexible substrate 12 through the second adhesive layer 32.

[0067] When the first flexible substrate layer 11 and / or the second flexible substrate layer 12 are bulged and wrinkled after being subjected to external pressure or experiencing a high temperature and then cooling process, the bonding effect of the first adhesive layer 31 and the second adhesive layer 32 can provide a retraction force in the opposite direction of the bulging direction of the first flexible substrate layer 11 and / or the second flexible substrate layer 12, thereby effectively reducing the bulging deformation of the first flexible substrate layer 11 and / or the second flexible substrate layer 12, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the deformation of the sealing space of the overall flexible liquid crystal dimming device, thereby avoiding the problem of black spots 8 and the occurrence of white spots 9 or vacuum bubbles.

[0068] In the case where the liquid crystal dimming device is a rigid liquid crystal dimming device, the first flexible substrate layer 11 is replaced by a first rigid substrate layer, and the second flexible substrate layer 12 is replaced by a second rigid substrate layer. The material of the first rigid substrate layer can be glass, quartz, etc., and the material of the second rigid substrate layer can be glass, quartz, etc. Due to the characteristics of glass and quartz being fragile when bent, the rigid liquid crystal dimming device is mainly used in some application scenarios with small curvature or single curvature or plane, such as the side window glass of a car, the curtain wall or skylight of a building, etc.

[0069] Since the elastic modulus of the glass itself is approximately between 60Gpa and 70Gpa, that is, the rigidity is very large, and its thermal expansion coefficient is in the range of 5*10^-6 / ℃ (or 5ppm / ℃) to 9*10^-6 / ℃ (or 9ppm / ℃), the liquid crystal molecules are between the first rigid substrate layer and the second rigid substrate layer made of glass, and a spacer 5 with a columnar periodic lattice arrangement of a certain height is arranged between the first rigid substrate layer and the second rigid substrate layer. The spacer 5 plays a role in supporting the space between the first rigid substrate layer and the second rigid substrate layer. Even if such a structure is subjected to external pressure or undergoes a high temperature and then a cooling process, the space between the first rigid substrate layer and the second rigid substrate layer can be stably restored to its initial state. When the internal space between the first rigid substrate layer and the second rigid substrate layer is stable, the liquid crystal layer 6 therein will not flow around, and it is not easy to have the defects of black spots 8, white spots 9 or vacuum bubbles that are prone to appear in the above-mentioned flexible liquid crystal dimming device.

[0070] Alternatively, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the first adhesive layer 31 may include a plurality of first adhesive portions 311 spaced apart from each other, and the first end 51 is bonded to a side of the first adhesive portion 311 facing away from the first flexible substrate layer 11; the number of the first adhesive portions 311 is the same as the number of the spacers 5, so that the first end 51 of each spacer 5 can be bonded to a side of the first adhesive portion 311 facing away from the first flexible substrate layer 11.

[0071] The liquid crystal dimming device may further include a first orientation film 41, which is disposed on the side of the first flexible substrate layer 11 where the first adhesive layer 31 is disposed, that is, the first orientation film 41 and the first adhesive layer 31 are disposed on the same side of the first flexible substrate layer 11; a plurality of first openings 411 are disposed on the first orientation film 41, and the first adhesive portions 311 are located in the first openings 411. The number of the first openings 411 is the same as the number of the first adhesive portions 311, so that one first adhesive portion 311 is located in one first opening 411; and the shape of the first opening 411 may also be the same as the shape of the first adhesive portion 311.

[0072] The specific manufacturing process is as follows: first, a transparent adhesive layer is coated on the first transparent conductive layer 21, and the adhesive layer is patterned by exposure and development or laser etching to form a plurality of first bonding portions 311; then, a spacer material layer is coated on the first bonding layer 31, and the spacer material layer is developed into a spacer 5 by exposure and development, so that the first bonding layer 31 is directly bonded to the first transparent conductive layer 21 and the first end 51 of the spacer 5; then, a first alignment film material layer is coated on the entire surface, and after high-temperature baking, rubbing orientation is performed. Alignment is required during the patterning process.

[0073] The thickness of the first adhesive portion 311 is h1, the thickness of the first orientation film 41 is h2, the height of the spacer 5 is h3, the distance between the side of the first orientation film 41 facing away from the first flexible substrate layer 11 and the side of the second adhesive layer 32 facing away from the second flexible substrate layer 12 is the gap distance (Cell Gap), and the gap distance is h4. Then, h1=h2+h4-h3. Generally, h2, h3 and h4 are all known values. Therefore, h1 can be calculated through h2, h3 and h4.

[0074] Of course, in some other exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, reference Figure 3 As shown, the material of the first adhesive layer 31 is transparent adhesive glue, that is, the first adhesive layer 31 is a transparent material that can transmit light. The first adhesive layer 31 is entirely covered on one side of the first flexible base layer 11, that is, the first adhesive layer 31 is provided as an entire layer, rather than being provided as the plurality of first adhesive portions 311 spaced apart as described above; it can also be said that the first adhesive layer 31 is an entire film layer.

[0075] Since the material of the first adhesive layer 31 is transparent adhesive, even if the first adhesive layer 31 is set as a whole film layer, it will not affect the light transmittance and dimming function of the dimming device.

[0076] In this case, since the first adhesive layer 31 is used to bond the spacer 5, the first adhesive layer 31 needs to be in direct contact with the spacer 5; and the first orientation film 41 is used to orient the liquid crystal layer 6, the first orientation film 41 needs to be in direct contact with the liquid crystal layer 6; when the first adhesive layer 31 is set as a whole layer of the film, the first orientation film 41 that is in direct contact with the liquid crystal layer 6 cannot be set, that is, when the first adhesive layer 31 is set as a whole layer of the film, the first orientation film 41 is not set.

[0077] In some example embodiments of the present disclosure, reference is made to Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the second adhesive layer 32 may include a plurality of second adhesive portions 321 spaced apart from each other, and the second end 52 is bonded to a side of the second adhesive portion 321 facing away from the second flexible base layer 12; the number of the second adhesive portions 321 is the same as the number of the spacers 5, so that the second end 52 of each spacer 5 can be bonded to a side of the second adhesive portion 321 facing away from the second flexible base layer 12.

[0078] The liquid crystal dimming device may further include a second orientation film 42, which is disposed on the side of the second flexible substrate 12 where the second adhesive layer 32 is disposed, that is, the second orientation film 42 and the second adhesive layer 32 are disposed on the same side of the second flexible substrate 12; a plurality of second openings 421 are disposed on the second orientation film 42, and the second adhesive portions 321 are located in the second openings 421. The number of the second openings 421 is the same as the number of the second adhesive portions 321, so that one second adhesive portion 321 is located in one second opening 421; and the shape of the second opening 421 may also be the same as the shape of the second adhesive portion 321.

[0079] The preparation method of the plurality of second adhesive portions 321 and the second alignment film 42 may be the same as the preparation method of the first adhesive portion 311 and the first alignment film 41 , and therefore, it will not be described in detail herein.

[0080] When the second adhesive layer 32 includes a structure in which a plurality of second adhesive portions 321 are spaced apart and is used in conjunction with a structure in which the first adhesive layer 31 includes a structure in which a plurality of first adhesive portions 311 are spaced apart, the liquid crystal layer 6 can be oriented jointly by the first orientation film 41 and the second orientation film 42, thereby having more advantages in controlling the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules.

[0081] When the second adhesive layer 32 includes a plurality of second adhesive portions 321 spaced apart from each other and is used in conjunction with a structure in which the first adhesive layer 31 is provided as a whole film layer, the liquid crystal layer 6 can be oriented by the second orientation film 42, and the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules can also be controlled.

[0082] In some example embodiments of the present disclosure, reference is made to Figure 1As shown, the material of the second adhesive layer 32 is transparent adhesive glue, that is, the second adhesive layer 32 is a transparent material that can transmit light. The second adhesive layer 32 is entirely covered on one side of the second flexible base layer 12, that is, the second adhesive layer 32 is provided as an entire layer, rather than being provided as the plurality of second adhesive portions 321 spaced apart as described above; it can also be said that the second adhesive layer 32 is an entire film layer.

[0083] Since the material of the second adhesive layer 32 is transparent adhesive, even if the second adhesive layer 32 is set as a whole film layer, it will not affect the light transmittance and dimming function of the dimming device.

[0084] In this case, since the second adhesive layer 32 is used to bond the spacer 5, the second adhesive layer 32 needs to be in direct contact with the spacer 5; and the second orientation film 42 is used to orient the liquid crystal layer 6, the second orientation film 42 needs to be in direct contact with the liquid crystal layer 6; when the second adhesive layer 32 is set as a whole layer of the film, the second orientation film 42 that is in direct contact with the liquid crystal layer 6 cannot be set, that is, when the second adhesive layer 32 is set as a whole layer of the film, the second orientation film 42 is not set.

[0085] When the second adhesive layer 32 is configured as a whole film layer and is used in conjunction with the first adhesive layer 31 including a plurality of first adhesive portions 311 spaced apart, the liquid crystal layer 6 can be oriented by the first orientation film 41, and the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules can also be controlled.

[0086] For the above exemplary embodiment, when the first adhesive layer 31, the spacer 5 and the second adhesive layer 32 are all made of transparent materials, when the black state is achieved by adjusting the liquid crystal layer 6, light leakage is likely to occur at the position of the spacer 5, which is specifically characterized by the appearance of small bright spots arranged in a regular pattern. When a beam of point light source is used to illuminate the liquid crystal dimming device from the outside, because the refractive index of the spacer 5 does not match that of the liquid crystal layer 6 and the spacer 5 is regularly arranged in an array, it is very easy to have a superposition effect similar to prism splitting plus diffraction spots, thereby producing a phenomenon such as Figure 6 The undesirable phenomenon shown is that there are multiple rainbow rings 10 around a point light source, similar to Newton's rings.

[0087] In some example embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, all example embodiments in which the first bonding portion 311 is provided may refer to Figure 4As shown, the color of the first adhesive portion 311 is the same as the color of the dye. For example, when the color of the dye is black, the first adhesive portion 311 can be set to black, that is, the material of the first adhesive layer 31 is black adhesive glue; in this way, not only can the first end 51 of the spacer 5 be bonded by the first adhesive portion 311, but the first adhesive portion 311 can also effectively absorb the light passing through the transparent spacer 5, reduce the phenomenon of diffraction rainbow rings, and at the same time, the light leakage problem of the transparent spacer 5 is also solved, and small bright spots arranged regularly will no longer appear in the dark state. In addition, the color of the liquid crystal dimming device can be adjusted by adjusting the color of the dye. When the color of the dye is red, green, yellow, pink, blue, purple, etc., the color of the first adhesive portion 311 is also red, green, yellow, pink, blue, purple, etc. In this way, the color of the first adhesive portion 311 is the same as the color of the liquid crystal dimming device in the dark state.

[0088] Of course, in some other exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the color of the second adhesive portion 321 is the same as the color of the dye. For example, in all exemplary embodiments in which the second adhesive portion 321 is provided, when the color of the dye is black, the second adhesive portion 321 can be provided in black, that is, the material of the second adhesive layer 32 is black adhesive glue; in this way, not only can the second end 52 of the spacer 5 be bonded by the second adhesive portion 321, but the second adhesive portion 321 can also effectively absorb the light passing through the transparent spacer 5, weaken the phenomenon of the diffraction rainbow ring, and at the same time, the light leakage problem of the transparent spacer 5 is also solved, and small bright spots arranged regularly will no longer appear in the dark state. In addition, the color of the liquid crystal dimming device can be adjusted by adjusting the color of the dye. When the color of the dye is red, green, yellow, pink, blue, purple, etc., the color of the second adhesive portion 321 is also red, green, yellow, pink, blue, purple, etc. In this way, the color of the second adhesive portion 321 is the same as the color of the liquid crystal dimming device in the dark state.

[0089] In addition, when the first adhesive portion 311 and the second adhesive portion 321 are provided at the same time, the color of the first adhesive portion 311, the color of the second adhesive portion 321 and the color of the dye are the same. For example, when the color of the dye is black, the first adhesive portion 311 and the second adhesive portion 321 can be both set to black, that is, the material of the first adhesive portion 311 and the second adhesive portion 321 are both black adhesive glue; the light passing through the transparent spacer 5 can be effectively absorbed by the first adhesive portion 311 and the second adhesive portion 321, and the phenomenon of diffraction rainbow rings can be weakened. At the same time, the light leakage problem of the transparent spacer 5 is also solved, and small bright spots arranged regularly will no longer appear in the dark state. In addition, the color of the liquid crystal dimming device can be adjusted by adjusting the color of the dye. When the color of the dye is red, green, yellow, pink, blue, purple, etc., correspondingly, the color of the first adhesive portion 311 and the color of the second adhesive portion 321 are also red, green, yellow, pink, blue, purple, etc. In this way, the color of the first adhesive portion 311 and the color of the second adhesive portion 321 are the same as the color of the liquid crystal dimming device in the dark state.

[0090] Of course, one of the first adhesive portion 311 and the second adhesive portion 321 may be set to black. The thickness of the first adhesive layer 31 is less than or equal to 10 microns. Optionally, the thickness of the first adhesive layer 31 is less than or equal to 1 micron. For example, the thickness of the first adhesive layer 31 may be 0.2 microns, 0.5 microns, 0.7 microns, etc.

[0091] The viscosity of the first adhesive layer 31 may be inversely proportional to the contact area between the spacer 5 and the first adhesive layer 31; for example, the contact area between a single spacer 5 and the first adhesive layer 31 is approximately 615 μm 2 For example, the viscosity of the first adhesive layer 31 is required to be at least >300gf / 25mm; when the contact area is larger than the example value, the viscosity of the first adhesive layer 31 can be reduced, and when the contact area is smaller than the example value, the viscosity of the first adhesive layer 31 can be increased.

[0092] The material of the first adhesive layer 31 can be acrylic, silicone or polyurethane (PU) adhesive material.

[0093] The thickness of the second adhesive layer 32 is less than or equal to 10 micrometers. Optionally, the thickness of the second adhesive layer 32 is less than or equal to 1 micrometer. For example, the thickness of the second adhesive layer 32 may be 0.2 micrometers, 0.5 micrometers, 0.7 micrometers, etc.

[0094] The viscosity of the second adhesive layer 32 may be inversely proportional to the contact area between the spacer 5 and the second adhesive layer 32; for example, the contact area between a single spacer 5 and the second adhesive layer 32 is approximately 615 μm 2For example, the viscosity of the second adhesive layer 32 is required to be at least >300gf / 25mm; when the contact area is larger than the example value, the viscosity of the second adhesive layer 32 can be reduced, and when the contact area is smaller than the example value, the viscosity of the second adhesive layer 32 can be increased.

[0095] The second adhesive layer 32 may be made of acrylic, silicone or polyurethane (PU) adhesive materials.

[0096] Optionally, the area of ​​the end surface of the first end 51 is greater than the area of ​​the end surface of the second end 52. For example, the spacer 5 can be set to a conical structure, a pyramid structure, or a step structure.

[0097] Since the second adhesive layer 32 is set as a whole film layer, no positioning is required when the second end 52 of the spacer 5 is bonded to the second adhesive layer 32. The first adhesive layer 31 includes a plurality of first adhesive portions 311 arranged at intervals, and positioning is required when preparing the spacer 5 and the first adhesive portion 311. The area of ​​the end surface of the first end 51 bonded to the first adhesive portion 311 is set larger, which is convenient for positioning, and even if there is a positioning deviation, the bonding effect between the first adhesive portion 311 and the first end 51 can still be guaranteed.

[0098] The orthographic projection area of ​​the first bonding portion 311 on the first flexible substrate layer 11 is larger than the area of ​​the end face of the first end 51. Similarly, the orthographic projection area of ​​the first bonding portion 311 on the first flexible substrate layer 11 is set larger to facilitate positioning, and even if positioning deviation occurs, the bonding effect between the first bonding portion 311 and the first end 51 can still be guaranteed.

[0099] For example, the diameter of the orthographic projection of the first bonding portion 311 on the first flexible substrate layer 11 is 2 μm to 10 μm larger than the diameter of the end face of the first end 51 , that is, the difference between the diameter of the orthographic projection of the first bonding portion 311 on the first flexible substrate layer 11 and the diameter of the end face of the first end 51 is greater than or equal to 2 μm and less than or equal to 10 μm.

[0100] Of course, when the first adhesive layer 31 is set as a whole film layer and the second adhesive layer 32 includes a plurality of second adhesive portions 321 arranged at intervals, the area of ​​the end surface of the first end 51 may be smaller than the area of ​​the end surface of the second end 52 .

[0101] Similarly, since the first adhesive layer 31 is set as a whole film layer, no positioning is required when the first end 51 of the spacer 5 is bonded to the first adhesive layer 31. The second adhesive layer 32 includes a plurality of second adhesive portions 321 arranged at intervals, and positioning is required when preparing the spacer 5 and the second adhesive portion 321. The area of ​​the end surface of the second end 52 bonded to the second adhesive portion 321 is set larger, which is convenient for positioning, and even if there is a positioning deviation, the bonding effect between the second adhesive portion 321 and the second end 52 can still be guaranteed.

[0102] The orthographic projection area of ​​the second bonding portion 321 on the second flexible substrate layer 12 is larger than the area of ​​the end face of the second end 52. Similarly, the orthographic projection area of ​​the second bonding portion 321 on the second flexible substrate layer 12 is set larger to facilitate positioning, and even if positioning deviation occurs, the bonding effect between the second bonding portion 321 and the second end 52 can still be guaranteed.

[0103] For example, the diameter of the orthographic projection of the second bonding portion 321 on the second flexible substrate layer 12 is 2 μm to 10 μm larger than the diameter of the end face of the second end 52, that is, the difference between the diameter of the orthographic projection of the second bonding portion 321 on the second flexible substrate layer 12 and the diameter of the end face of the second end 52 is greater than or equal to 2 μm and less than or equal to 10 μm.

[0104] In some example embodiments of the present disclosure, reference is made to Figure 7-Figure 9 As shown, the spacer 5 made of adhesive is an adhesive spacer 5a, and at least part of the spacer 5 is made of adhesive. Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, a part of the spacer 5 may be made of adhesive. Fig. 9 As shown, the material of all the spacers 5 can also be adhesive. The spacers 5 are made of adhesive so that the spacers 5 themselves have adhesive properties, thereby further strengthening the bonding firmness between the spacers 5 and the first adhesive layer 31, and further strengthening the bonding firmness between the spacers 5 and the second adhesive layer 32, and further reducing the bulging deformation of the first flexible substrate layer 11 and / or the second flexible substrate layer 12, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the deformation of the sealing space of the overall flexible liquid crystal dimming device, thereby avoiding the problem of black spots 8, and also avoiding the defects of white spots 9 or vacuum bubbles.

[0105] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the spacer 5 may be configured as a column; Fig.10 , Fig.11As shown, the spacer 5 may include a plurality of stoppers 53, the plurality of stoppers 53 are interconnected, one end of the stopper 53 is bonded to the first adhesive layer 31, and the other end of the stopper 53 is bonded to the second adhesive layer 32. With such a configuration, the area of ​​the end surface of the first end 51 of the spacer 5 can be increased, and the area of ​​the end surface of the second end 52 of the spacer 5 can also be increased, thereby increasing the bonding strength between the spacer 5 and the first adhesive layer 31, and increasing the bonding strength between the spacer 5 and the second adhesive layer 32, further reducing the bulging deformation of the first flexible substrate layer 11 and the second flexible substrate layer 12, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the deformation of the sealing space of the overall flexible liquid crystal dimming device, thereby avoiding the problem of black spots 8, and also avoiding the defect of white spots 9 or vacuum bubbles.

[0106] The bars 53 of adjacent spacers 5 are not connected together, that is, adjacent spacers 5 are spaced apart to ensure that liquid crystal can flow and fill between the bars 53 . The spacing between the bars 53 of two adjacent spacers 5 needs to be at least greater than 1 micron.

[0107] For example, refer to Fig.10 As shown, the spacer 5 may include three stoppers 53, one side of the three stoppers 53 is connected together, so that the spacer forms a three-leaf fan structure. Moreover, the three stoppers 53 extend in a direction perpendicular to the first flexible substrate layer 11, so that one end of the three stoppers 53 can be bonded to the first adhesive layer 31, and the other end of the three stoppers 53 can be bonded to the second adhesive layer 32.

[0108] For example, refer to Fig.11 As shown, the spacer 5 may include four stoppers 53, one side of the four stoppers 53 is connected together, so that the spacer forms a cross-shaped structure. Moreover, the four stoppers 53 extend in a direction perpendicular to the first flexible substrate layer 11, so that one end of the four stoppers 53 can be bonded to the first adhesive layer 31, and the other end of the four stoppers 53 can be bonded to the second adhesive layer 32.

[0109] Of course, refer to Fig.12 As shown, the cross section of the spacer 5 can be set to be circular, and the cross section is a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the spacer 5.

[0110] In this example implementation, refer to Figure 1-Figure 4 , Figure 7As shown, the liquid crystal dimming device may further include a first transparent conductive layer 21 and a second transparent conductive layer 22; the first transparent conductive layer 21 is disposed between the first flexible substrate layer 11 and the first adhesive layer 31, specifically, when a first orientation film 41 is provided, the first transparent conductive layer 21 is disposed between the first flexible substrate layer 11 and the first orientation film 41 and the first adhesive layer 31; when the first orientation film 41 is not provided, the first transparent conductive layer 21 is disposed between the first flexible substrate layer 11 and the first adhesive.

[0111] The second transparent conductive layer 22 is disposed between the second flexible substrate layer 12 and the second adhesive layer 32. Specifically, when the second orientation film 42 is provided, the second transparent conductive layer 22 is disposed between the second flexible substrate layer 12 and the second orientation film 42 and the second adhesive layer 32; when the second orientation film 42 is not provided, the second transparent conductive layer 22 is disposed between the second flexible substrate layer 12 and the second adhesive.

[0112] In some example embodiments of the present disclosure, reference is made to Fig.13 As shown, the liquid crystal dimming device may include a first flexible substrate layer 11 and a second flexible substrate layer 12, a first transparent conductive layer 21 is arranged on one side of the first flexible substrate layer 11, a second transparent conductive layer 22 is arranged on one side of the second flexible substrate layer 12, a second orientation film 42 is arranged on the side of the second transparent conductive layer 22 away from the second flexible substrate layer 12, and a frame sealing glue 7, a spacer 5 and a liquid crystal layer 6 are arranged between the second orientation film 42 and the first transparent conductive layer 21, and the liquid crystal layer 6 is a dye liquid crystal.

[0113] Of course, a first transparent conductive layer 21 may be provided on one side of the first flexible substrate layer 11, a first orientation film 41 may be provided on the side of the first transparent conductive layer 21 away from the first flexible substrate layer 11, a second transparent conductive layer 22 may be provided on one side of the second flexible substrate layer 12, and a sealing glue 7, a spacer 5 and a liquid crystal layer 6 may be provided between the first orientation film 41 and the second transparent conductive layer 22, wherein the liquid crystal layer 6 is a dye liquid crystal.

[0114] Based on the same inventive concept, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a dimming device, which may include any of the liquid crystal dimming devices described above. The specific structure of the liquid crystal dimming device has been described above, so it will not be repeated here.

[0115] The dimming device may be a window, for example, the dimming device may be a car glass, a window of a building, etc.

[0116] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the dimming device provided by the exemplary embodiment of the present invention are the same as the beneficial effects of the liquid crystal dimming device provided by the above exemplary embodiment, and are not described in detail herein.

[0117] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any modification, use or adaptation of the present disclosure, which follows the general principles of the present disclosure and includes common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in the present disclosure. The specification and examples are intended to be exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal dimming device, characterized in that: include: a first flexible base layer; A first adhesive layer, disposed on one side of the first flexible base layer; A plurality of spacers, each of the spacers having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end being bonded to a side of the first adhesive layer away from the first flexible base layer; a second flexible base layer, arranged opposite to the first flexible base layer; A second adhesive layer is provided on a side of the second flexible base layer close to the spacer, and the second end is bonded to a side of the second adhesive layer away from the second flexible base layer; The liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first flexible substrate layer and the second flexible substrate layer.

2. The liquid crystal dimming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first adhesive layer includes a plurality of first adhesive portions arranged at intervals, and the first end is bonded to a side of the first adhesive portion away from the first flexible substrate layer; the liquid crystal dimming device also includes: The first orientation film is provided on the side of the first flexible base layer where the first adhesive layer is provided. The first orientation film is provided with a plurality of first openings, and the first adhesive portions are located in the first openings.

3. The liquid crystal dimming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first adhesive layer is made of transparent adhesive, and the first adhesive layer entirely covers one side of the first flexible base layer.

4. The liquid crystal dimming device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The second adhesive layer includes a plurality of second adhesive portions arranged at intervals, and the second end is bonded to a side of the second adhesive portion away from the second flexible substrate layer; the liquid crystal dimming device also includes: The second alignment film is provided with a plurality of second openings, and the second bonding portion is located in the second openings.

5. The liquid crystal dimming device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The liquid crystal layer includes liquid crystal and dye, the color of the first adhesive portion is the same as the color of the dye, and / or the color of the second adhesive portion is the same as the color of the dye.

6. The liquid crystal dimming device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The material of the second adhesive layer is transparent adhesive glue, and the second adhesive layer entirely covers one side of the second flexible base layer.

7. The liquid crystal dimming device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The area of ​​the end surface of the first end is larger than the area of ​​the end surface of the second end, and the orthographic projection area of ​​the first adhesive portion on the first flexible substrate layer is larger than the area of ​​the end surface of the first end.

8. The liquid crystal dimming device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first adhesive portion is set to be black.

9. The liquid crystal dimming device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 6 to 8, characterized in that: The spacer includes a plurality of bars, the plurality of bars are connected to each other, one end of the bar is bonded to the first adhesive layer, and the other end of the bar is bonded to the second adhesive layer.

10. The liquid crystal dimming device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 6 to 8, characterized in that: At least part of the spacers are made of adhesive.

11. The liquid crystal dimming device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 6 to 8, characterized in that: The liquid crystal dimming device also includes: A first transparent conductive layer, disposed between the first flexible substrate layer and the first adhesive layer; The second transparent conductive layer is disposed between the second flexible base layer and the second adhesive layer.

12. A dimming device, characterized in that: include: The liquid crystal dimming device is the liquid crystal dimming device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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