Method for contacting PDLC blanks

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for contacting a PDLC blank (32, 32 ') for use in a PDLC component (20) in the case of a vehicle window panel (12), comprising the following steps: providing a processed PDLC blank (32'), the invention relates to a substrate (10) comprising a first carrier film (22) having a segmented first electrically conductive coating (28), a second carrier film (24) having an in particular segmented second electrically conductive coating (30), and a PDLC layer (26) arranged between the two carrier films (22, 24), the segmented first electrically conductive coating (28) of the first carrier film (22) being exposed at least in one surface region (31); at least in the exposed surface region (31), the segmented first electrically conductive coating (28) is used to form at least one insulating region (34), a first segment of the first electrically conductive coating (28) and a second segment of the first electrically conductive coating (28), at least in some regions and / or regions (24), the first segment and the second segment of the first electrically conductive coating (28) are electrically insulated from each other; and applying an electrically conductive conductor track (36), the electrically conductive conductor track (36) extending from the first section or the second section to a contact region (38) for electrical contact.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for contacting, in particular electrically, a PDLC blank used in a vehicle window pane. Background Art

[0002] A vehicle window panel with a PDLC component is known in the prior art, in which a PDLC blank is used, and the vehicle window panel is, for example, a roof element that is adjustable or fixed relative to the vehicle structure. The vehicle window panel is a composite component comprising a window panel outer body and a window panel inner body. The window panel outer body forms the outer surface of the vehicle window panel, while the window panel inner body forms the inner surface of the vehicle window panel. A PDLC (polymer dispersed liquid crystal) component is arranged between the window panel outer body and the window panel inner body, via which the light entry through the vehicle window panel can be controlled. The PDLC component can be switched between a blocking state (Sperrzustand), in which it acts as a diffuser, and a transmission state (Transmissionzustand), in which light passes through the vehicle window panel essentially without scattering.

[0003] Typically, a PDLC assembly consists of two plastic films, each with a transparent, electrically conductive coating on its inner side, and a PDLC layer arranged between the plastic films that can be switched between a blocking state and a transparent state by applying a corresponding voltage. The conductive coatings of the plastic films each form an electrode layer, which can be connected to a control device and / or a voltage source via corresponding electrical contacts. Electrical contacting of the electrode layers is typically performed at the side edges of the PDLC assembly.

[0004] In order to enable a vehicle window panel with such a PDLC component to achieve a rolling blind effect and / or partial light blocking, the PDLC layer and the conductive coating are optionally segmented so that each segment of the PDLC component can be independently controlled and switched between a blocking state and a transparent state. The segmentation increases the manufacturing effort required to provide the corresponding contacts.

[0005] To enable contacting, it is preferred to expose the corresponding conductive coating at least partially in the edge region. Previously, residue-free exposure of the conductive coating of the plastic film of a PDLC component was only possible by also mechanically processing the conductive coating in question, which could result in damage and / or impairment of the conductive coating and / or the coating quality.

[0006] In the prior art, after the conductive coating is exposed and / or after the PDLC polymer remaining on the conductive coating is cleaned, a tin busbar is typically applied by soldering or welding to provide corresponding electrical contact to each segment. The tin busbar is placed according to the corresponding orientation and / or arrangement of the corresponding PDLC segment on the conductive coating so that the individual PDLC segments or the individual segments of the conductive coating can be contacted in a segmented manner and thus energized. In addition, for each PDLC segment, a wire is placed in the surrounding hot melt adhesive, and one end of the wire is soldered and / or welded to the previously applied tin busbar, especially when additional solder is used. Similarly, the other end of the wire is soldered and / or welded to a connector, such as a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), when additional solder is used. The connector is then placed so that it is placed in the edge area of the vehicle window panel during subsequent use and can be attached to a voltage source and / or control device in this way.

[0007] This known process for providing contacts has a number of disadvantages.

[0008] For example, during brazing or welding, applying solder in sections can only be done very slowly, so that to increase manufacturing speed, multiple brazing stations operating in parallel are required. This leads to increased capital and operating costs. In addition, if the PDLC component needs to be bent and / or moved, for example, during further production, the low flexibility of the solder can cause it to separate during subsequent process steps. In addition, the tin busbars applied by the material weld can become an obstacle to the degassing of the film composite structure during subsequent process steps, which can, in particular, lead to the formation of bubbles within the composite layer. This, in turn, leads to optically interfering areas in the vehicle window panel.

[0009] Several disadvantages also occur when contacting the individual segments via wires. Therefore, each PDLC segment must have a (single) wire placed and / or embedded in the surrounding hot melt adhesive, which requires high-precision work. In addition, the speed of the placement process is limited. In order to increase this speed, multiple tool heads must be used, which increases capital and operating costs. In addition, the wires cannot be placed in parallel, so multiple tool heads need to be used at different workstations. Defects in the wires also lead to damage to the entire film composite structure, so that in the assembled vehicle window panel, the entire vehicle window panel must eventually be replaced to regain functionality. Similarly, the contact points of the wires with the tin busbars are exposed along the entire exposed area of the PDLC component, because each PDLC segment must be contacted with a wire respectively. Likewise, each wire must be soldered at two soldering points, which further increases the manufacturing costs.

[0010] Therefore, it is necessary to overcome the above shortcomings. Summary of the Invention

[0011] In view of this, the object of the present invention is to provide a method for contacting PDLC blanks used in vehicle window panels and / or PDLC components, in which the production efficiency is improved compared to the prior art and / or the susceptibility of subsequent PDLC components to failures due to poor contact is at least reduced by the method.

[0012] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1 .

[0013] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims. The scope of the present invention includes all combinations of at least two features disclosed in the description, claims, and / or drawings. It is particularly understood that common linguistic rewordings and / or substitutions of meanings of corresponding concepts in common linguistic practice, in particular the use of synonyms supported by generally recognized linguistic literature, are included in the present disclosure, even if not explicitly mentioned in the respective descriptions.

[0014] Therefore, according to the present invention, a method for contacting a PDLC blank is proposed, the PDLC blank being used in the context of a vehicle window panel and / or in a PDLC assembly. In its intended use, the PDLC blank is used in a PDLC assembly, which in turn is used in the vehicle window panel to provide a sunshade function and / or a roller blind function. Although the present invention is described with respect to a PDLC assembly, this should not be construed as restrictive, and all embodiments and / or descriptions—unless technically excluded—should also apply to LC assemblies. Thus, in the present case, a PDLC blank can be an LC blank, and / or a PDLC assembly can be an LC assembly.

[0015] The method according to the present invention comprises at least the following steps: In a first step, a processed PDLC blank is provided, comprising a first carrier film having a segmented first conductive coating, a second carrier film having a preferably segmented second conductive coating, and a PDLC layer arranged between the two carrier films, wherein the segmented first conductive coating of the first carrier film is exposed in at least one surface area. The segmented first conductive coating can also be completely exposed. However, it is preferred that the segmented first conductive coating is exposed partially and / or segmentally and / or locally. In a further step, the segmented first conductive coating is removed at least partially and / or segmentally in at least the exposed surface area to form at least one insulating region, a first segment of the first conductive coating, and a second segment of the first conductive coating, wherein the first segment and the second segment of the first conductive coating are electrically insulated from one another. Particularly preferably, in this step, the segmented first conductive coating is removed at least partially and / or segmentally in at least the exposed surface area to form at least one insulating region by which the individual segments of the segmented first conductive coating are electrically insulated from one another. It should be understood that the removal can have a further segmentation of the segmented first conductive coating at least partially or regionally and / or sectionally, so as to form at least one first sub-segment of the first conductive coating and a second sub-segment of the first conductive coating, wherein the first sub-segment and the second sub-segment of the first conductive coating are electrically insulated from each other. The number of sub-segments required can be related to the positioning of the attachment area and the number of segments in the first conductive coating. In one embodiment, the removal step is carried out by (material) removal, for example, removal using a laser. Alternatively, the removal can be carried out by etching or by mechanical removal, in particular using a brush and / or a tool. In a further step, conductive conductor lines are applied in particular in parallel, wherein the conductive conductor lines extend from the first segment or the second segment to the contact area for electrical contact. Therefore, preferably, one conductor line extends from the first segment to the contact area and the other conductor line extends from the second segment to the contact area. Preferably, in a further step, electrically conductive conductor tracks are applied in parallel to at least one insulating region and / or the first conductive coating, wherein the individual segments of the segmented first conductive coating are electrically contacted with corresponding contact regions via these conductor tracks. A method is currently provided for insulating the applied individual conductor tracks from or relative to one another in such a manner that segmented current flow is possible.

[0016] It should be understood that other segments may also be present. In addition, it should be understood that according to the present invention, the first conductive coating does not have to be completely removed, but only a portion of the first conductive coating may be removed. For example, the first segment and / or the second segment may also include the path of the conductor lines applied subsequently, but they are electrically insulated from each other. In this case, the conductor lines are applied to the first conductive coating. Therefore, according to the present invention, the path along which the corresponding conductor lines should be applied does not necessarily have to be removed from the first conductive coating, but can be retained, wherein such segmentation is still electrically insulated from the other segment used to at least partially remove the first coating. Therefore, it is particularly preferred that the conductive conductor lines are applied to the insulating area and / or the first conductive coating. It should also be understood that the first coating and / or the second coating do not necessarily have to be (pre-) segmented, but can also be segmented before being provided. The second coating does not necessarily have to be segmented. It is only necessary that one of the two coatings is implemented as a segmented coating so that the roller blind function and / or segmented switching of the membrane can be achieved.

[0017] The present invention therefore relates to a contacting solution for electrically connecting and / or contacting preferably pre-segmented PDLC blanks so that they can be energized in sections for their intended use. In this way, PDLC blanks contacted according to this method can be used to construct PDLC components that can be switched and / or energized in sections depending on the application. Thus, for example, a roller blind function can be provided.

[0018] The conductor tracks are preferably designed so that they have a relatively lower surface resistance than the conductive coating. The lower layer resistance enables improved voltage transmission capabilities. Compared to extended tracks that are simply coated, voltage can be applied to the film with relatively low voltage losses. The extended conductor tracks also provide a larger connection area to each segment of the carrier film, resulting in a synergistic effect of improved electrical connection.

[0019] The exposure of the segmented first conductive coating in at least one surface area can preferably be provided in any manner. For example, this surface area can be achieved by cutting the second carrier film and the underlying PDLC layer (this is also known as a "kiss-cut" process). Any residues of the PDLC layer on the segmented first conductive coating can then be removed by cleaning.

[0020] According to the present invention, the segmented first conductive coating is at least partially or partially removed to form insulating regions, thereby ultimately enabling segmented electrification of the individual PDLC segments. The first and second carrier films preferably comprise PET. The segmented first conductive coating and / or the segmented second conductive coating preferably comprise indium tin oxide (ITO). Other conductive coatings may also be used.

[0021] Compared to the prior art, applying conductive conductor lines in parallel and / or simultaneously for all PDLC segments has significant advantages in terms of manufacturing time, especially relative to welding and / or soldering tin busbars and relative to soldering and / or integrating individual wires. This provides a cycle time advantage. Due to the small amount of material applied, preferably in the micrometer range, the conductor lines do not hinder the ventilation of the membrane composite. In addition, when using an edge sealing scheme (in which the edges of the PDLC composite and / or the edges of the subsequent PDLC components are sealed with a liquid adhesive), these conductor lines can be completely encapsulated by the liquid adhesive due to their small material thickness. Similarly, defects in the conductor lines applied according to the present invention no longer lead to damage to the entire membrane composite. Instead, only the PDLC component can be replaced, and the hot melt adhesive film is retained for continued use. Resources can thus be saved. According to the present invention, the contact of the PDLC blank is only carried out at a particularly central position by (ultrasonic) welding connection and / or soldering connection and / or mechanical contact method, preferably crimping and / or by hot melt welding connection and / or bonding achieved particularly with the aid of a conductive adhesive. In this case, a welded connection can be reliably achieved by, in particular, identical material pairings (PET and PET).

[0022] In one embodiment, removing the segmented first conductive coating at least partially and / or in sections comprises removing the coating by etching with a laser and / or by an etchant and / or by mechanical removal, particularly with the aid of a brush. The first coating can also be removed by grinding. Removal by means of a laser or etching is advantageous due to the structural accuracy that can be achieved. Mechanical removal, for example, by means of a rotating brush, is cost-effective. In principle, mechanical removal can also be achieved by scoring with the aid of a tool. This is a particularly simple way to insulate the individual segments and requires a simple structural manufacturing structure. For example, a CO2 laser can also be used for removal. Other laser types can also be used. The laser is preferably operated in a continuous scanning mode, but in principle, it can also be operated in a pulsed mode. The laser power is preferably 0.1 watt to 500 watts, particularly preferably 0.5 watt to 5 watts. Therefore, the laser power is preferably at least in the low single-digit range, for example, less than or equal to 5 watts. In order to remove the coating, the laser beam is preferably focused on the segmented first conductive coating, thereby ensuring a high power density and a thin cutting line.

[0023] In one embodiment, applying the electrically conductive conductor tracks comprises printing at least one insulating region and / or a first electrically conductive coating with a conductive pigment and / or conductive ink and / or comprises applying a conductive paste and / or conductive ink. Particularly preferably, such inks and / or pigments and / or pastes are highly flexible and particularly suitable for printing onto, for example, PET, onto, for example, ITO-coated PET substrates, or onto other, preferably flexible substrates. This ensures that the printed and / or applied conductor tracks remain undamaged during further production and / or further production steps of the PDLC blank, even in the event of bending and / or curvature.

[0024] In one embodiment, at least one template and / or printing mask is used during printing and / or application, and / or a digital printing method is used. This allows for structuring and predefined shaping of the conductor tracks. Furthermore, the conductor tracks can also have complex track lengths.

[0025] In one embodiment, the electrically conductive conductor paths lead in a structured course to a particularly common contact region, which is preferably arranged at an end region of the surface region. The contact region preferably also serves as an electrical contact for the second electrically conductive coating.

[0026] In one embodiment, a contact section is constructed on the corresponding end area of the corresponding conductor line, which is arranged in the contact area, and the contact section is widened relative to the width of the corresponding conductor line. It should be understood that the contact section of the corresponding conductor line can exist in a widened manner, but this is not necessary. Widening can simplify the contact with the connector because the joining area is increased. In order to contact each individual segment, printing and / or applying the conductor line in parallel is preferably carried out together with printing and / or applying preferred attachment points and / or attachment locations in the contact area. Starting from the contact area, for example, attachment to a flexible connector, especially an FPBC, can be carried out. In other words, preferably in the contact area, the especially flexible energy supply cable and / or the especially flexible connector are connected to the corresponding conductor line, especially individually or as a whole, by welding, especially ultrasonic welding and / or hot welding and / or by soldering and / or by bonding and / or by clamping and / or by crimping and / or other mechanical contact processes. Preferably, the FPCB is welded to the printed contact points by ultrasonic welding. For example, a plug connection and / or a clamping connection can be provided for the electrical connection between the contact region and an electrical line, such as a cable, so that the contact region itself or another component arranged on the contact region is designed accordingly.

[0027] In one embodiment, the electrically conductive conductor tracks are flexible after being printed onto the insulating region. This has the advantage, compared to the prior art, that even when the PDLC blank is bent, the conductor tracks cannot separate and thus damage the PDLC contacts.

[0028] In one embodiment, the conductive conductor lines are pre-dried after application, in particular by intense pulsed light (IPL). Pre-drying can also be carried out by laser or thermally by hot air and / or infrared and / or heating box and / or ultraviolet radiation. Optional pre-drying of the ink and / or pigment and / or paste is performed to obtain improved handling strength. Optional pre-drying is performed to generate adhesion so that the conductor lines are not damaged in further manufacturing steps. IPL has the advantage of short cycle times because only a short energy input time is required. It should be mentioned that IPL is a photon drying process. Here, the cycle time is particularly short and is in the range of milliseconds to seconds. Compared to thermal drying, photon drying only requires a few seconds, for example 5 to 30 seconds, for example only a few milliseconds to a few seconds, while in the case of thermal drying, the cycle time is expected to be about 30 seconds to 30 minutes. Pre-drying and the possible subsequent drying, especially in an autoclave, can have a positive impact on the manufacturing time and / or cycle time.

[0029] The pre-dried or dried conductors are preferably completely dried in subsequent production steps (degassing and autoclaving). Degassing and autoclaving are preferred because they allow the production of sandwich composites. In these processes, the pre-dried conductors can be completely cured or sintered. This can achieve cycle time advantages.

[0030] In one embodiment, to provide a processed PDLC blank, at least the following steps are performed: heating the PDLC blank on one side of a first carrier film; separating a defined area of a second carrier film, together with the section of the PDLC layer adhered thereto, from the first carrier film, such that the first conductive coating of the first carrier film is exposed in the surface area corresponding to the separated area of the second carrier film, preferably without any residue of the PDLC layer. The first conductive coating is preferably removed from the PDLC layer without any residue.

[0031] It has been shown that by heating the PDLC blank on one side or on both sides, the other side of the PDLC blank as a whole with the PDLC layer or PDLC mass can be separated due to the reduced adhesion between the PDLC mass and the conductive coating of the first carrier film. The cohesive forces in the PDLC mass and the adhesion between the PDLC mass and the conductive coating of the second carrier film are retained. As a result, the PDLC mass can be removed from the conductive coating of the first carrier film without damaging its conductive coating. The separation process can be carried out quickly and with high work safety because no solvents are required. In addition, high reproducibility is ensured. The defined area of the second carrier film is reproducible, so that the method according to the invention can also be quickly implemented industrially.

[0032] The PDLC blank is, for example, a cutout of a film composite consisting of a first carrier film having a first conductive coating, a second carrier film having a second conductive coating, and a PDLC layer arranged therebetween. Cutting out the PDLC blank can be integrated into the method of the present invention.

[0033] According to the invention, after carrying out the preferred method, the resulting PDLC blank processed in this manner can be further processed. Here, according to the invention, the exposed conductive coating of the first carrier film can be contacted, thereby enabling its connection to a control device, and the PDLC component can be integrated into the composite structure of a vehicle window panel, so that it is arranged, for example, between two window panels. The composite structure of a vehicle window panel can include further plastic films and / or layers arranged on one or more window panels and / or include an ambient light function. For example, at least one hot-melt adhesive film and / or a functional coating, for example for reflecting or absorbing light of a specific wavelength, is arranged between the outer window panel and / or the inner window panel and the first or second carrier film.

[0034] The manufactured PDLC component of a vehicle window panel, in particular, forms a sunshade component that can be switched between a blocking state and a transmitting state by applying a corresponding voltage via an attached electrical control device. In particular, the vehicle window panel constructed in this manner is suitable as a window panel for a vehicle roof. It can be part of a fixed roof element rigidly arranged relative to the vehicle structure, or part of a cover element movable relative to the vehicle structure via a corresponding drive mechanism.

[0035] According to the invention, at least one of the two conductive coatings of the two carrier films of the PDLC blank is designed to be segmented, wherein the corresponding segments of the conductive coating can be contacted separately by applying the method according to the invention.

[0036] In a special embodiment of the method according to the invention, the PDLC blank is heated on one side of the first carrier film in such a way that the first carrier film reaches a temperature of 60° C. to 220° C., in particular 60° C. to 150° C. and preferably 60° C. to 100° C. These temperature ranges are particularly suitable when using a PET film as the carrier film, which has a melting point of approximately 260° C.

[0037] In this preferred method, no mechanical processing of the exposed conductive coating is required, so that it is present in a solvent-free and also cleaning-free manner.

[0038] In a special embodiment, the defined areas of the second carrier film together with the sections of the PDLC layer adhering thereto are separated by means of a separating tool. The separating tool is preferably placed on the structures of the PDLC blank without contacting the conductive coating of the first carrier film.

[0039] In order to clearly define the area in which the second carrier film, together with the section of the PDLC layer attached in that area, is separated from the first carrier film, in a preferred embodiment of the method, the defined area is produced by cutting the second carrier film along a cutting line without mechanically processing the first carrier film and its conductive coating. In other words, the cutting process does not involve the first carrier film and its conductive coating. This cutting process is also commonly referred to as "kiss cutting" or "half cutting."

[0040] The defined area of the conductive coating of the first carrier film exposed by the method according to the invention can have a strip, L, U or frame shape. It is also conceivable that the defined area is formed by a local surface section that can have any geometric shape.

[0041] In a special embodiment, to support the separation of the second carrier film and the section of the PDLC layer adhering thereto from the first carrier film, the PDLC blank is held outside the defined area by means of a gripper during the separation of the defined area.

[0042] In a special embodiment, to further support the separation process and to ensure adhesion between the PDLC mass or PDLC layer and the conductive coating of the second carrier film, the PDLC blank is cooled on one side of the second carrier film while the defined areas of the second carrier film are separated.

[0043] A vehicle glass is currently proposed, which has: a switchable film, wherein the switchable film has a first carrier film, a segmented first conductive coating, a second carrier film having a second, in particular segmented, conductive coating, and a functional layer, in particular a PDLC layer, arranged between the two carrier films; wherein the conductive coating of the first carrier film is exposed in at least one surface area; and wherein the surface area includes conductive conductor lines, which extend from each segment of the first conductive coating, wherein each of the conductor lines is electrically insulated from the other conductor lines and extends from the corresponding segment of the first conductive coating to an attachment area.

[0044] In some embodiments, the conductive conductor lines can be insulated from each other by sub-segments of the coating. The sub-segments may include further segmentation of the coating and provide an insulating path for the conductive lines so that the connection area can be reached from each coating segment. In one embodiment, the sub-segments of the coating between the conductive conductor lines include segmentation lines that are separated from the coating segment and overlap with the coating segment. In one embodiment, the conductive lines extend through the conductive coating segment within the sub-segments so that the conductive lines respectively control one of the coating segments. In one embodiment, the electrical conductor lines are preferably arranged so that at least two conductive conductor lines extend parallel to each other over at least a portion of their length. Preferably, the sub-segments are arranged so that sufficient space is reserved for the positioning of the conductor lines without overlapping with the sub-segments. In one embodiment, at least one conductive conductor line extends from an area different from the connection area to the contact area. In one embodiment, each conductor line extends from an area different from the contact area to the contact area.

[0045] Further advantages and preferred embodiments of the present invention can be found in the description, the drawings and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Below, an embodiment of the method according to the present invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] Figure 1 A perspective view showing a roof area of a motor vehicle;

[0048] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view showing a window panel of a vehicle roof;

[0049] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a PDLC blank contacted according to the method according to the present invention;

[0050] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing a PDLC blank contacted according to the method according to the present invention;

[0051] Figure 5A schematic diagram showing a PDLC blank contacted according to the method according to the present invention;

[0052] Figure 6 a schematic diagram showing a PDLC blank contacted according to the method according to the present invention; and

[0053] Figure 7 Schematic diagram showing a PDLC blank contacted according to the method according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] exist Figure 1 FIGURE 1 shows a motor vehicle 10 comprising a roof 12 having a fixed roof element 14 rigidly or immovably attached to the vehicle body. Fixed roof element 14 forms a vehicle window panel configured to have a light-blocking function, thereby controlling the incidence of light into the interior of motor vehicle 10 via the fixed roof element. Roof 12 extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction x and a vehicle width direction y. The vehicle longitudinal direction x is perpendicular to the vehicle width direction y. This vehicle window panel may also be referred to as vehicle glass.

[0055] The fixed roof element 14 has a composite structure, which is schematically represented by Figure 2 The invention relates to a window panel assembly having a plurality of fixed roof elements 14 and a plurality of fixed roof elements 14. The fixed roof element 14 is provided with a window panel outer body 16, which forms the exterior viewing surface of the fixed roof element 14 facing the vehicle's surroundings, and a window panel inner body 18, which forms the interior viewing surface of the fixed roof element 14 accessible from the vehicle interior. A PDLC component (polymer dispersed liquid crystal component) 20, which forms the shading system for fixing the roof element 14, is arranged between the window panel outer body 16 and the window panel inner body 18. The PDLC component 20 is attached to the window panel outer body 16 and the window panel inner body 18 by an adhesive layer (not shown in detail) made of PCB (polyvinyl butyral). Other hot-melt adhesive films can also be used as an alternative.

[0056] The PDLC component 20 comprises a first carrier film 22 and a second carrier film 24. A segmented PDLC layer 26 or PDLC mass is arranged between the two first carrier films 22 and the second carrier film 24, which is a functionally active element of the PDLC component 20. The carrier films 22 and 24, which can each be made of a material such as PET, are each provided with a segmented transparent conductive coating 28 and 30 on their side facing the PDLC layer 26, which constitutes an electrode layer and is currently made of an ITO coating (indium tin oxide coating). Other conductive coatings are also conceivable. The segmentation of the coatings 28, 30 and the PDLC layer 26 is Figure 2 The segmentation can be achieved, for example, by removing the coatings 28, 30 by means of a laser and / or by mechanical methods and / or by dividing the PDLC layer 26. For example, the CO2 laser described above can be used. Figure 2 A total of three segments can be seen in FIG, wherein for reasons of clarity each reference numeral is only indicated once.

[0057] By means of segmented conductive coatings 28 and 30, a voltage can be applied to the similarly segmented PDLC layer 26 by means of a control device (not shown in further detail), thereby varying the transmission properties (light transmission properties) of the PDLC layer 26. The PDLC layer 26 or PDLC component 20 can thus be switched between a blocking state, in which the PDLC layer 26 strongly scatters light due to the non-oriented liquid crystals, and a transmission state, in which a certain portion of the light can pass through the vehicle window panel 12 unscattered into the vehicle interior. The PDLC layer 26 forms the actual light-blocking element and comprises a polymer matrix in which the liquid crystals are incorporated in the form of droplets.

[0058] In order to be able to energize and / or control the individual PDLC segments, they must be electrically contacted. Purely by way of example, the first carrier film 22 of the PDLC assembly 20 has, by way of example, a greater width in the vehicle width direction y to which the roof element 12 is fixed than the second carrier film 24, so that in the side edge regions, surface areas 31 of the first carrier film 22, which are designed as contact strips, are exposed (see FIG. Figure 3 (Example of such a surface area 31 in FIG. 3 ). According to the present invention, the segmented first conductive coating 28 can be contacted in sections via the exposed surface areas 31 or connected to a control device (not shown in further detail) via flexible connectors 29. The coating 30 of the second carrier film 24 is connected to the control device at suitable other locations. Contacting of the second conductive coating 30 is preferably performed in the contact area 38.

[0059] When manufacturing the PDLC assembly 20 or in preparation for contacting and laminating it Figure 2 In the composite structure shown in FIG, a PDLC blank 32 is preferably first provided. The PDLC blank preferably has the following dimensions, which are the dimensions of the first carrier film 22 when the PDLC component 20 is in the installed state. Subsequently, a so-called "kiss-cut" process is performed on the PDLC blank 32. In this kiss-cut process, the second carrier film 24 is separated along the cutting line S without causing mechanical stress to the first carrier film 22 and its coating 28.

[0060] The PDLC blank 32 is then preferably heated on one side of the first carrier film 22 so that the first carrier film has a temperature of approximately 80° C. to 100° C. With the aid of a corresponding separating tool (not shown), the region defined by the cutting line S, together with the section of the PDLC layer 26 adhering to the second carrier film 24 in this region, can be separated from the first carrier film 22 and its coating 28, particularly without leaving any residue, thereby producing exposed surface regions 31 of the coating 28 of the first carrier film 22 in the edge region. This process is preferably carried out along the two side edges (as viewed in the vehicle longitudinal direction x) of the PDLC blank 32, thereby providing a processed PDLC blank 32′ having two lateral surface regions 31.

[0061] Figure 3 and Figure 4 The contact of the PDLC blank 32 processed in this way with at least one exposed surface area 31 was further investigated in . Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , the corresponding second carrier film 24 is transparent, allowing the underlying segmented conductive coating 30 to be visible even in the unexposed areas of the PDLC blank 32'. According to the present invention, the segmented conductive coating 28 is at least partially and / or sectionally removed, at least in the exposed surface area 31, to form at least one insulating region 34, which electrically insulates the individual segments of the segmented first conductive coating 28 from one another. The at least partial and / or sectionally removed segmented first conductive coating 28 may include layer removal by laser, etching with an etchant, and / or mechanical layer removal methods such as grinding or scraping.

[0062] Furthermore, according to the invention, an electrically conductive conductor track 36 is applied to the at least one insulating region 34, wherein the individual segments of the segmented first conductive coating 28 are electrically contacted via the conductor track 36. The application of the electrically conductive conductor track 36 comprises printing out the at least one insulating region with a conductive pigment / ink and / or applying a conductive paste and / or conductive ink. A stencil or a printing mask can be used for this purpose. Figure 3 and 4 As shown, electrically conductive conductor tracks 36 are arranged in a structured course relative to one another and merge into a common contact region 38 , which is arranged at an end region of the exposed area region 31 .

[0063] At the respective end region of the respective conductor 36 arranged in the contact region 38, a contact section 40 is formed which is preferably widened relative to the width of the respective conductor 36. In the present case, the respective contact section 40 is printed as a contact point.

[0064] Preferably, in the contact region 38 or at the corresponding contact section 40 , the in particular flexible connector 29 is connected in particular individually to the individual conductor tracks 36 by ultrasonic welding and / or by a mechanical contacting method such as clamping or crimping.

[0065] from Figure 4 The detailed view in FIG shows the insulating regions 34 of the segmented first conductive coating 28 and the unremoved regions. The coating 28 is preferably removed only in the regions where the insulating effect is to be achieved, so that the segments can be individually controlled. For efficiency reasons, the coating may not be removed at certain locations, and the conductors 36 may not contact the coating, in order to accelerate the removal process. These unremoved regions are exemplarily designated by reference numeral 42.

[0066] from Figure 4 , the corresponding welding points 44 or adhesive bonding points are also shown by way of example at the corresponding contact sections 40. It can also be seen that the individual sections of the first coating 28 are each contacted via a conductor 36, wherein the corresponding conductor 36 is also widened in the corresponding contact area and in particular forms a further contact point.

[0067] Figure 5 Basically corresponds to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , differs in that the first conductive coating 28 is not removed in the region of the conductor tracks 36, so that the first conductive coating 28 follows the course and / or path of the corresponding conductor tracks 36. Except for the segments remaining for contacting, the remaining portions of the first conductive coating 28 are removed. In this embodiment, the conductor tracks 36 (preferably made of conductive ink) are applied and / or printed onto the segmented first conductive coating 28 (e.g., an ITO layer). The first coating extends all the way to the contact region.

[0068] Figure 6 Basically corresponds to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , with the difference that the first coating 28 is also removed in the edge region of the surface region 31 and that no further unremoved and uncontacted regions 42 of the first coating 28 are present.

[0069] Figure 7 Basically corresponds to Figure 3 and Figure 4, with the difference that the first coating 28 is not removed in a planar manner, but only the first coating 28 is removed to segment the individual segments and to insulate the applied conductor lines 36 accordingly from one another. In this way, current transmission from one conductor line 36 to an adjacent conductor line 36 can preferably not occur. Therefore, at least one insulating area is strip-shaped or linear and electrically insulates the individual segments of the first coating from one another. As a result, unremoved and uncontacted areas 42 of the first coating 28 are obtained, as well as segments of the first coating 28 to which conductor lines 36 are applied or printed, which extend to corresponding contact sections 40 in the contact area 38. Therefore, in Figure 7 In the case of , segmentation is achieved solely by correspondingly segmenting the first conductive coating 28, for example by means of a laser or a knife. The segmentation line 45, shown as a dashed line, currently extends continuously from the left edge to the right edge. The other segmentation lines 47 are preferably arranged around the conductor tracks 36 and their corresponding contact sections 40. The corresponding segmentation lines 45, 47 are preferably introduced into the conductive coating. If the conductive coating is removed, the segmentation lines 45, 47 are preferably no longer present. The corresponding segmentation lines 45, 47 are preferably arranged in a plane below the printed conductor tracks 36. The corresponding horizontally extending segmentation lines 45, 47 preferably constitute the segmentation of the PDLC layer 26.

[0070] Figure 8 Basically corresponds to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The structure shown in FIG. 1 differs in that the first coating 28 is not removed over the entire surface, but rather only the first coating 28 is removed to segment the individual segments to provide sub-segments within at least one of the segments and to insulate the applied conductors 36 from one another. In this way, current transfer from one conductor 36 to an adjacent conductor 36 is preferably prevented. Figure 8 In the case of , segmentation is achieved by correspondingly removing the first conductive coating 28, for example by means of a laser or a tool. The segmentation line 45 shown in dotted lines currently extends continuously from the left edge to the right edge. The corresponding segmentation line 45 is preferably introduced into the conductive coating 28. The corresponding segmentation line 45 is preferably arranged in a plane below the printed conductor track 36. The corresponding horizontally extending segmentation line 45 preferably belongs to the segmentation of the PDLC layer 26. In addition, three vertically extending segmentation lines 46 shown in dotted lines are shown between the conductor tracks 36 starting from the upper edge area, which are preferably used to insulate the corresponding segmented conductor tracks 36 from the respectively adjacent segmented conductor tracks 36 and to define sub-segments. The segmentation lines 46 can intersect with the segmentation lines 45, thereby forming an electrically insulating path for the conductive tracks 36.

[0071] Reference Signs List

[0072] 10 Motor Vehicles

[0073] 12 Roof

[0074] 14 Securing the roof elements

[0075] 16 Window panel outer body

[0076] 18 Window panel inner body

[0077] 20 PDLC components

[0078] 22 Carrier film

[0079] 24 Carrier Film

[0080] 26 PDLC layer

[0081] 28 coating

[0082] 29 Connectors

[0083] 30 coatings

[0084] 31 areas

[0085] 32 PDLC blanks

[0086] 32' processed PDLC blank

[0087] 34 Insulation Area

[0088] 36 conductor lines

[0089] 38 contact area

[0090] 40 contact section

[0091] 42 Unremoved and untouched areas of coating

[0092] 44 welding parts

[0093] 45 segment line

[0094] 46 segmented lines

[0095] 47 segmented line

[0096] x Vehicle longitudinal direction

[0097] y vehicle width direction

[0098] S cutting line.

Claims

1. A method for contacting a PDLC blank (32, 32') for use in a PDLC assembly (20) in the case of a vehicle window panel (12), comprising the following steps: A processed PDLC blank (32') is provided, comprising a first carrier film (22) having a segmented first conductive coating (28), a second carrier film (24) having a particularly segmented second conductive coating (30), and a PDLC layer (26) arranged between the two carrier films (22, 24), wherein the segmented first conductive coating (28) of the first carrier film (22) is exposed in at least one surface area (31); removing the segmented first electrically conductive coating (28) at least partially and / or sectionally at least in the exposed surface area (31) to form at least one insulating region (34), a first segment of the first electrically conductive coating (28) and a second segment of the first electrically conductive coating (28), wherein the first segment and the second segment of the first electrically conductive coating (28) are electrically insulated from one another; and Electrically conductive conductors (36) are applied, wherein the electrically conductive conductors (36) extend from the first section or the second section to a contact region (38) for electrical contacting, wherein the electrically conductive conductors (36) are electrically insulated from one another.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Removing the segmented first electrically conductive coating (28) at least locally and / or in sections comprises removing the layer by means of a laser and / or etching with an etchant and / or by mechanical removal, in particular with the aid of a brush and / or a knife.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Applying the electrically conductive conductor track (36) comprises printing the at least one insulating region (34) and / or the first electrically conductive coating (28) with a conductive pigment and / or a conductive ink and / or comprises applying a conductive paste and / or a conductive ink.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that During the printing and / or application, at least one template and / or printing mask is used, and / or a digital printing method is used.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The electrically conductive conductor paths (36) lead in a structured course relative to one another to the in particular common contact region (38), which is preferably arranged at an end region of the surface region (31).

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that A contact section (40) is formed at a corresponding end region of the corresponding conductor (36) arranged in the contact region (38), said contact section being widened relative to the width of the corresponding conductor (36).

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that In the contact region (38), the connector (29) is connected, in particular individually, to the corresponding conductor track by welding, in particular ultrasonic welding, and / or by heat welding, and / or by soldering, and / or by gluing, and / or by clamping, and / or by crimping.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The electrically conductive conductor track (36) is flexible after being printed onto the insulating region (34).

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The electrically conductive conductor tracks (36) are pre-dried after application, in particular by intense pulsed light and / or ultraviolet light and / or laser and / or NIR light and / or thermally.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that In order to provide a processed PDLC blank (32'), at least the following steps are performed: heating a PDLC blank (32) on one side of the first carrier film (22); and A defined area of the second carrier film (24) together with the section of the PDLC layer (26) attached in this area is separated from the first carrier film (22), so that the first conductive coating (28) of the first carrier film (22) is exposed in the surface area (31) corresponding to the separation area of the second carrier film (24).

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The PDLC blank (32) is heated such that the first carrier film (22) reaches a temperature of 60°C to 220°C, in particular 60°C to 150°C, and particularly preferably 60°C to 100°C.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that Defined areas of the second carrier film (24) are separated together with the sections of the PDLC layer (26) adhering thereto by means of a separating tool.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that The defined areas are produced by segmenting the second carrier film (24) along a cutting line S without machining the first carrier film (22) and the segmented first conductive coating (28).

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that When the defined area of the second carrier film (24) is separated, the PDLC blank (32) is held outside the defined area by means of a clamp.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that When the defined area of the second carrier film (22) is separated, the PDLC blank (32) is cooled on one side of the second carrier film (22).

16. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The electrically conductive conductor track (36) is applied to the insulating region (34) and / or to the first electrically conductive coating.

17. A vehicle glass having: a switchable film, wherein: The switchable film comprises a first carrier film (22), a segmented first conductive coating (28), a second carrier film (24) having a second, in particular segmented, conductive coating (30), and a functional layer, in particular a PDLC layer (26), arranged between the two carrier films (22, 24); wherein the conductive coating (28) of the first carrier film (22) is exposed in at least one surface area (31); and wherein the surface area (31) comprises conductive conductor lines (36), which extend from each segment of the first conductive coating (28), wherein each of the conductive conductor lines (36) is electrically insulated from the other conductive conductor lines (36) and extends from the corresponding segment of the first conductive coating (28) to the attachment area.

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