Glass laminate, manufacturing method of glass laminate

Abstract

To provide a glass laminate and a manufacturing method of a glass laminate, capable of reducing an occurrence of a liquid crystal reservoir or an air gap, and also a glass laminate capable of preventing a seal material from deteriorating.SOLUTION: A glass laminate 1 includes a first glass plate 33A, a first interlayer 31A, a liquid crystal film 10, a second interlayer 31B and a second glass plate arranged and laminated in this order. The contour shapes of the first glass plate 33A and the second glass plate 33B are formed larger than that of the liquid crystal film 10. A spacer 32 is arranged at least in part of an area located between the first glass plate 33A and the second glass plate 33B, the area on which the liquid crystal film 10 is not arranged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a laminated glass and a method for producing the laminated glass. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, light-controlling components that can be used in electronic blinds that are attached to windows to control the transmission of external light have been proposed (Patent Documents 1 and 2). One such light-controlling component uses liquid crystal. A liquid crystal film, a light-controlling component that uses liquid crystals, is manufactured by sandwiching a liquid crystal material between transparent plates including transparent electrodes to form a liquid crystal cell, which is then sandwiched between linear polarizers. This liquid crystal film changes the orientation of the liquid crystal by changing the electric field applied between the transparent electrodes, thereby controlling the amount of external light transmitted.

[0003] It has also been proposed to manufacture laminated glass by further sandwiching the above-mentioned liquid crystal film between two pieces of glass (Patent Document 3). However, laminated glass sandwiching a liquid crystal film has never been manufactured before, and simply applying the same techniques as for conventional laminated glass, which is constructed by sandwiching an interlayer film, may not be able to properly manufacture the laminated glass sandwiching a liquid crystal film. When laminated glass sandwiching a liquid crystal film is not manufactured correctly, the liquid crystal may accumulate in a certain area within the liquid crystal film (hereinafter referred to as "liquid crystal accumulation"). Also, voids may form in some areas of the laminated glass. When such liquid crystal accumulations or voids exist, the glass must be discarded as a defective product, and improvements are needed.

[0004] Furthermore, liquid crystal films are constructed by sealing the liquid crystal layer with a sealant, but depending on the usage environment, there are concerns that the sealant may be deteriorated due to exposure to sunlight, which could lead to leakage of liquid crystal from the liquid crystal layer, and so a solution was desired. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 03-47392 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-184273 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-164617 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a laminated glass and a method for manufacturing the laminated glass that can reduce the occurrence of liquid crystal accumulation and voids. Another object of the present invention is to provide a laminated glass that can prevent deterioration of the sealing material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by the following means: For ease of understanding, the following description will be given with reference to the corresponding embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0008] A first invention is a laminated glass (1) comprising a first glass plate (33A), a first interlayer (31A), a liquid crystal film (10), a second interlayer (31B), and a second glass plate (33B) laminated in this order, the liquid crystal film (10) having a liquid crystal layer (14) and a sealant (25) arranged to seal the liquid crystal layer (14) and surround the periphery of the liquid crystal layer (14), the first glass plate (33A) and the second glass plate (33B) having outer shapes larger than the liquid crystal film (10), a spacer (32) arranged in at least a part of a region sandwiched between the first glass plate (33A) and the second glass plate (33B) and not including the liquid crystal film (10), and the outer side of the sealant (25) is surrounded by the spacer (32) in a plan view.

[0009] A second invention is the laminated glass (1) according to the first invention, characterized in that the spacers (32) are arranged around the entire periphery of the liquid crystal film (10).

[0010] A third invention is the laminated glass (1) according to the first invention, characterized in that the height of the spacers (32) is equal to or greater than the height of the liquid crystal film (10).

[0011] A fourth invention is the laminated glass (1) according to the first invention, characterized in that the spacer (32) is disposed adjacent to the liquid crystal film (10).

[0012] A fifth invention is the laminated glass (1) according to the first invention, characterized in that the spacer (32) is arranged at a distance from the liquid crystal film (10).

[0013] A sixth invention is the laminated glass (1) according to the fifth invention, characterized in that at least one of the first interlayer film (31A) and the second interlayer film (31B) is disposed so as to partially intervene between the spacer (32) and the liquid crystal film (10).

[0014] A seventh invention is a method for manufacturing a laminated glass (1) using a laminate (30) in which a liquid crystal film (10) is sandwiched between a first glass plate (33A) and a second glass plate (33B), the liquid crystal film (10) having a liquid crystal layer (14) and a sealant (25) arranged to seal the liquid crystal layer (14) and surround the periphery of the liquid crystal layer (14), the first glass plate (33A) and the second glass plate (33B) are formed to have an outer shape larger than the liquid crystal film (10), The method for manufacturing a laminated glass (1) includes: a spacer arranging step of arranging spacers (32) in a region sandwiched between a first glass plate (33A) and the second glass plate (33B) and in which the liquid crystal film (10) is not arranged, so as to surround the outside of the sealing material (25) in a plan view; and a pressing step of applying pressure to a plate surface of at least one of the first glass plate (33A) and the second glass plate (33B) with the spacers (32) arranged.

[0015] An eighth invention is a method for producing a laminated glass (1) according to the seventh invention, characterized in that the height of the spacers (32) is equal to or greater than the height of the liquid crystal film (10).

[0016] A ninth invention is directed to laminated glass (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D) comprising a first glass plate (33A), a first interlayer (31A), a liquid crystal film (10), a second interlayer (31B), and a second glass plate (33B) laminated in this order, the liquid crystal film (10) having a sealant (25) around its periphery that seals in the liquid crystal, and light-shielding portions (70A, 70B, 70C, 70D) along the periphery of the laminated glass (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D) that block external light from reaching the sealant (25).

[0017] A tenth invention is the laminated glass (1A) according to the ninth invention, characterized in that, in a used state, the light-shielding portion (70A) is arranged from an end face of the laminated glass (1A) to a position inside the sealing material (25), and is arranged at a position between the liquid crystal film (10) and the first glass plate (33A).

[0018] An eleventh invention is the laminated glass (1B) according to the ninth invention, characterized in that the light-shielding portions (70A, 70B) are arranged from an end face of the laminated glass (1B) to a position inside the sealing material (25), and are arranged both between the liquid crystal film (10) and the first glass plate (33A) and between the liquid crystal film (10) and the second glass plate (33B).

[0019] A twelfth invention relates to the laminated glass (1C) according to the ninth invention, characterized in that the light-shielding portion (70C) covers an end face of the laminated glass (1C) and is disposed across the laminated glass (1C) from the end face to a position inside the sealing material (25).

[0020] A thirteenth invention is the laminated glass (1D) according to the ninth invention, characterized in that the light-shielding portions (70A, 70B, 70D) cover the edge faces of the laminated glass (1D), are arranged to sandwich the laminated glass (1D) from the edge faces to a position outside the sealing material (25), and are arranged both between the liquid crystal film (10) and the first glass plate (33A) and between the liquid crystal film (10) and the second glass plate (33B).

[0021] A fourteenth invention is the laminated glass (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D) according to the ninth invention, characterized in that the first glass plate (33A) and the second glass plate (33B) are formed to have outer shapes larger than the liquid crystal film (10), and a spacer (32) is disposed in at least a part of an area sandwiched between the first glass plate (33A) and the second glass plate (33B) and in an area where the liquid crystal film (10) is not disposed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] The present invention provides a laminated glass that can reduce the occurrence of liquid crystal accumulation and voids, a method for manufacturing the laminated glass, and a laminated glass that can prevent deterioration of the sealing material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a laminate 30 of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a liquid crystal film 10 of an embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing the laminated glass 1. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing in more detail the stack arrangement step in FIG. 3. [Figure 5]1 is a diagram illustrating a laminate support structure 50 formed during the manufacturing process of the laminated glass 1. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of pre-lamination processing using a vacuum laminator. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams schematically illustrating the state of a silicone rubber sheet 64 in a pressurizing step. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram summarizing the results of an experiment conducted to examine the influence of the relationship in height between the spacer 32 and the liquid crystal film 10 on the pre-lamination results. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram summarizing the results of an experiment conducted to examine the influence of the material of the spacer 32 on the pre-lamination results. [Figure 10A] FIG. 11 is a diagram summarizing the results of an experiment investigating the influence of the shape and arrangement of the spacer 32 formed by the PVB interlayer on the pre-lamination results. [Figure 10B] FIG. 11 is a diagram summarizing the results of an experiment conducted to investigate the influence of the shape and arrangement of spacers 32 formed from a PET substrate on the pre-lamination results. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the arrangement of spacers 32 in form 1-1. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the arrangement of spacers 32 in form 1-2. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the arrangement of spacers 32 in Form 1-3. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the arrangement of spacers 32 in Forms 1-4. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the arrangement of spacers 32 in Forms 1-5. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the arrangement of spacers 32 in Forms 1-6. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the spacer 32 in Form 1-7. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram summarizing the results of an experiment investigating the influence of the occupancy rate of the spacer 32 on the pre-lamination results. [Figure 19] 19A to 19C are diagrams illustrating the respective configurations of FIG. 18. [Figure 20]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a laminated glass 1A of a second embodiment is attached to a frame F and used. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a laminated glass 1B of a third embodiment is attached to a frame F and used. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of an edge of a laminated glass 1C of a fourth embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of an edge of a laminated glass 1D of a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0025] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a laminate 30 of this embodiment. Note that the figures shown below, including FIG. 1, are schematic diagrams, and the size and shape of each part are exaggerated as appropriate to make it easier to understand. In the following description, specific numerical values, shapes, materials, etc. are given, but these can be changed as appropriate. In this specification, terms specifying shapes or geometric conditions, such as parallel and orthogonal, are intended to include not only their strict meanings but also states that perform similar optical functions and have an error that can be considered as parallel or orthogonal. In this specification, the terms plate, sheet, film, etc. are used, but in general, these are used in order of thickness, that is, plate, sheet, film, and so on, and this specification follows suit. However, since there is no technical significance in this distinction, these terms can be used interchangeably as appropriate. In this specification, the sheet surface refers to the surface of each sheet that is in the planar direction of the sheet when viewed as a whole. The same applies to the plate surface and film surface. In the present invention, "transparent" refers to a material that transmits at least light of the wavelength to be used. For example, even if a material does not transmit visible light, if it transmits infrared light, it will be treated as transparent when used in infrared applications. The specific numerical values specified in the specification and claims should be treated as including a general margin of error. In other words, a difference of about ±10% is not substantially different, and values set within a range slightly exceeding the numerical range of the present invention should be interpreted as being substantially within the scope of the present invention.

[0026] In the description of this embodiment, the laminated arrangement of the components of the laminated glass 1 is referred to as a laminate 30. The laminate 30 refers to the state of the laminated glass 1 before the components are joined, and therefore the structure itself is the same as that of the laminated glass 1. Therefore, the exploded perspective view in FIG. 1 also shows an exploded perspective view of the laminated glass 1. The laminate 30 of this embodiment includes a first glass plate 33A, a first interlayer film-forming sheet 31A, a liquid crystal film 10, a second interlayer film-forming sheet 31B, and a second glass plate 33B, stacked in this order. A spacer 32 and a tilt reducing member 34 are also arranged in a position flush with the liquid crystal film 10.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the liquid crystal film 10 of the embodiment. The liquid crystal film 10 is configured as laminated glass and is used in areas where light control is required. Examples of areas where light control is required include areas of a vehicle where external light enters (rear window, side window, sunroof, etc.), window glass of a building, a showcase, indoor transparent partitions, etc.

[0028] The liquid crystal film 10 is a dimming component that uses liquid crystals to control transmitted light, and is produced by sandwiching a liquid crystal layer 14 between a film-like second liquid crystal laminate 13 and a first liquid crystal laminate 12 to produce a liquid crystal cell 15, which is then sandwiched between linear polarizers 16 and 17. In this embodiment, the VA (Vertical Alignment) method is used to drive the liquid crystal layer 14, but this is not limited to this, and various driving methods such as the TN (Twisted Nematic) method and the IPS (In-Plane-Switching) method can also be applied. The VA method is a method of controlling transmitted light by changing the orientation of the liquid crystal between vertical and horizontal orientation. When no electric field is applied, the liquid crystal is vertically oriented, thereby forming a liquid crystal cell 15 with the liquid crystal layer 14 sandwiched between vertically oriented layers, and the liquid crystal material is horizontally oriented when an electric field is applied.

[0029] In the liquid crystal film 10, an intra-liquid crystal spacer 24 for maintaining a constant thickness of the liquid crystal layer 14 is provided in the first liquid crystal laminate 12 and / or the second liquid crystal laminate 13. The first laminate 12 for liquid crystal and the second laminate 13 for liquid crystal are formed by sequentially forming a first electrode 22A, a second electrode 22B, and alignment layers 23A and 23B on substrates 21A and 21B, respectively. The liquid crystal film 10 may also be configured with a guest-host liquid crystal cell, in which case the linear polarizer can be omitted. In the case of the guest-host liquid crystal cell, a linear polarizer may be disposed on one or both sides of the liquid crystal cell, as needed.

[0030] The liquid crystal film 10 is configured to control the transmission of external light by changing the potential difference between the first electrode 22A and the second electrode 22B, thereby switching between a transparent state and a non-transparent state. In this embodiment, an example is described in which the liquid crystal layer 14 is driven using a so-called normally black configuration, but this is not limited to this, and the liquid crystal film 10 may also be driven using a normally white configuration. Furthermore, when the IPS mode is adopted, the first electrode 22A and the second electrode 22B are configured together on either the alignment layer 23A side or the alignment layer 23B side, and the first liquid crystal laminate 12 and the second liquid crystal laminate 13 are configured accordingly. Normally black is a structure in which the transmittance is at its minimum when no voltage is applied to the liquid crystal, resulting in a black screen, while normally white is a structure in which the transmittance is at its maximum when no voltage is applied to the liquid crystal, resulting in a transparent screen.

[0031] [Base material] The substrates 21A and 21B can be made of various transparent film materials such as TAC, polycarbonate, COP, acrylic, and PET, which have flexibility suitable for the liquid crystal cell 15, and in this embodiment, a polycarbonate film material with hard coat layers formed on both sides is used.

[0032] [electrode] The first electrode 22A and the second electrode 22B can apply an electric field to the liquid crystal layer 14, and various configurations that are perceived as transparent can be applied. In this embodiment, the first electrode 22A and the second electrode 22B are formed by manufacturing a transparent conductive film made of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), which is a transparent electrode material, on the entire surfaces of the base materials 21A and 21B. As described above, in the IPS system and the like, the electrodes are configured to be patterned into a desired shape.

[0033] [Alignment layer] The alignment layer 23A and the alignment layer 23B are formed by a photo-alignment layer. A wide variety of materials that can be used for photo-alignment can be used as the photo-alignment material for the photo-alignment layer. In this embodiment, for example, a photo-dimerization type material is used. This photo-dimerization type material is disclosed in "M. Schadt, K. Schmitt, V. Kozinkov and V. Chigrinov: Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 31, 2155 (1992)" and "M. Schadt, H. Seiberle and A. Schuster: Nature, 381, 212 (1996)", etc.

[0034] The alignment layers 23A and 23B may be manufactured by a rubbing process instead of a photo-alignment layer. In this case, the alignment layers 23A and 23B are formed by manufacturing a layer of various materials applicable to alignment layers, such as polyimide, and then rubbing the surface of the material layer using a rubbing roll to manufacture fine linear concave and convex shapes. In addition, instead of the alignment layer 23A and the alignment layer 23B being an alignment layer or a photo-alignment layer formed by such a rubbing treatment, the alignment layer may be manufactured by forming a fine line-shaped uneven shape formed by a rubbing treatment using a shaping process.

[0035] [Spacer inside LCD] The liquid crystal spacers 24 are provided to define the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 14. A wide variety of resin materials can be used, but in this embodiment, they are manufactured using photoresist. The liquid crystal spacers 24 are formed by applying a photoresist to the substrate 21B on which the second electrode 22B is formed, exposing the photoresist, and developing the photoresist. The liquid crystal spacers 24 may be provided in the first liquid crystal laminate 12, or in both the first liquid crystal laminate 12 and the second liquid crystal laminate 13. The liquid crystal spacers 24 may also be provided on the alignment layer 23B. The spacers may be so-called bead spacers. The bead spacers may be not only spherical, but also rod-shaped (cylindrical), ellipsoidal, or other shapes. When bead spacers are used as the intra-liquid crystal spacers 24, the bead spacers are arranged by being scattered on the alignment layer after the alignment layer is formed. In this case, from the viewpoint of suppressing the movement of the bead spacers within the liquid crystal layer 14 (on the alignment layer), an adhesive layer formed of an adhesive or the like may be provided on the surface of the bead spacers. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of suppressing the movement of the bead spacers within the liquid crystal layer 14, it is also possible to disperse the bead spacers in advance in the resin that forms the alignment layer so that the bead spacers are disposed when the alignment layer is formed, or to disperse the bead spacers in advance in the liquid crystal material that forms the liquid crystal layer so that the bead spacers are disposed when the liquid crystal layer is formed. Note that, like the spacers in the photoresist described above, the bead spacers may be disposed in either one of the first laminate or the second laminate, or may be disposed in each of the laminates.

[0036] [Liquid crystal layer] A wide variety of liquid crystal materials applicable to this type of light control component can be used for the liquid crystal layer 14. Specifically, liquid crystal compounds that do not have a polymerizable functional group, such as nematic liquid crystal compounds, smectic liquid crystal compounds, and cholesteric liquid crystal compounds, can be used for the liquid crystal layer 14. Examples of nematic liquid crystal compounds include biphenyl-based compounds, terphenyl-based compounds, phenylcyclohexyl-based compounds, biphenylcyclohexyl-based compounds, phenylbicyclohexyl-based compounds, trifluoro-based compounds, phenyl benzoate-based compounds, phenyl cyclohexylbenzoate-based compounds, phenyl phenylbenzoate-based compounds, phenyl bicyclohexylcarboxylate-based compounds, azomethine-based compounds, azo-based compounds, azooxy-based compounds, stilbene-based compounds, tolan-based compounds, ester-based compounds, bicyclohexyl-based compounds, phenylpyrimidine-based compounds, biphenylpyrimidine-based compounds, pyrimidine-based compounds, and biphenylethyne-based compounds. Examples of smectic liquid crystal compounds include ferroelectric polymer liquid crystal compounds such as polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polychloroacrylates, polyoxiranes, polysiloxanes, and polyesters. Examples of the cholesteric liquid crystal compound include cholesteryl linoleate, cholesteryl oleate, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, and polypeptides. Commercially available liquid crystal materials include, for example, MLC2166 manufactured by Merck. In the case of the guest-host system, the liquid crystal layer 14 is mixed with a liquid crystal material and a dye for dimming. However, any mixture of liquid crystal materials and dyes proposed for the guest-host system can be widely used. The liquid crystal cell 15 is provided with a sealant 25 surrounding the liquid crystal layer 14, which prevents leakage of the liquid crystal. For example, when the liquid crystal film 10 is rectangular and the liquid crystal layer 14 is also rectangular, as shown in FIG. 1, the sealant 25 is disposed in a frame-like shape on the outside of the liquid crystal layer 14. The sealant 25 can be, for example, an epoxy resin, a UV-curable resin, or the like.

[0037] [Flexible printed wiring board] A flexible printed wiring board 18 is disposed to electrically connect the first electrode 22A and the second electrode 22B to the outside. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, the flexible printed wiring board 18 can be sandwiched between the first electrode 22A and the second electrode 22B in an area where the first electrode 22A and the second electrode 22B do not sandwich the liquid crystal layer 14, thereby enabling connection. Note that the flexible printed wiring board 18 is not limited to the form shown in Fig. 2, and may be configured such that it is not sandwiched between the first electrode 22A and the second electrode 22B, or may be configured such that it is connected to only one of the first electrode 22A and the second electrode 22B.

[0038] Returning to FIG. 1 , the first glass plate 33A and the second glass plate 33B are glass plates disposed on the front and back surfaces of the laminated glass 1, respectively. In this embodiment, the first glass plate 33A and the second glass plate 33B are both 2 mm thick glass plates. In the following description, the first glass plate 33A and the second glass plate 33B are described as flat glass plates, but they may also be curved glass plates or glass plates with 3D curved surfaces. Furthermore, the first glass plate 33A and the second glass plate 33B are configured to have outer shapes larger than the liquid crystal film 10.

[0039] In this embodiment, the first interlayer film-forming sheet 31A and the second interlayer film-forming sheet 31B are 760 μm thick sheets made of PVB (polyvinyl butyral) resin. The first interlayer film-forming sheet 31A bonds the first glass plate 33A to the liquid crystal film 10, and similarly, the second interlayer film-forming sheet 31B bonds the second glass plate 33B to the liquid crystal film 10. When the laminated glass 1 is completed, the first interlayer film-forming sheet 31A and the second interlayer film-forming sheet 31B constitute the first interlayer film and the second interlayer film, respectively. Therefore, when the laminated glass 1 is completed, the first interlayer film-forming sheet 31A and the second interlayer film-forming sheet 31B can be considered as the first interlayer film 31A and the second interlayer film 31B, respectively. The first intermediate film-forming sheet 31A and the second intermediate film-forming sheet 31B may be made of EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), COP (cycloolefin polymer), or the like.

[0040] The spacer 32 is disposed in at least a portion of the region sandwiched between the first glass plate 33A and the second glass plate 33B, where the liquid crystal film 10 is not disposed. Therefore, the spacer 32 is disposed in a position that is flush with the liquid crystal film 10, and can fill the gap where the liquid crystal film 10 is not disposed. The spacer 32 is desirably thicker than the liquid crystal film 10. Furthermore, if the spacer 32 is formed using the same material as the first interlayer film-forming sheet 31A and the second interlayer film-forming sheet 31B, the bonding strength between the first interlayer film-forming sheet 31A and the second interlayer film-forming sheet 31B can be increased. 1, the spacer 32 is formed in a rectangular shape with a hollow, and its outer shape is the same as that of the first glass plate 33A and the second glass plate 33B, with the inner hollow shape being configured to be the same as that of the liquid crystal film 10. Therefore, the spacer 32 is arranged so as to fill all the gaps where the liquid crystal film 10 is not arranged. The dimensional relationship between the spacers 32 and the liquid crystal film 10, the material of the spacers 32, and the shape and arrangement of the spacers 32 will be described in detail later.

[0041] The tilt mitigating member 34 is a member that reduces the relative tilt between the first glass plate 33A and the second glass plate 33B in the laminate 30 caused by the thickness of the flexible printed wiring board 18. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , the tilt mitigating member 34 is disposed in a position facing the flexible printed wiring board 18 with the liquid crystal film 10 sandwiched therebetween. The position of the tilt mitigating member 34 is one example, and the tilt mitigating member 34 may be disposed in an optimal position depending on the size and shape of the laminated glass 1. Furthermore, it is desirable that the thickness of the tilt mitigating member 34 be the same as that of the flexible printed wiring board 18. Furthermore, it is desirable that the tilt mitigating member 34 be made of the same material as or a similar material to that of the flexible printed wiring board 18.

[0042] Next, a method for producing the laminated glass 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the method for manufacturing the laminated glass 1. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the laminate arrangement step in FIG. 3 in more detail. The production of the laminated glass 1 begins with a laminate arrangement step in step (hereinafter simply referred to as "S") 10. This laminate arrangement step will be described with reference to FIG.

[0043] In S11, the second glass plate 33B is placed (second glass plate placing step). When a second backing plate 41B (described later) is used, the second glass plate 33B is placed on top of the second backing plate 41B.

[0044] In S12, the second interlayer film-forming sheet 31B is placed on the second glass plate 33B (second interlayer film-forming sheet placement step).

[0045] In S13, the liquid crystal film 10 is placed on the second interlayer forming sheet 31B (liquid crystal film placing step). In this embodiment, since the flexible printed wiring board 18 has already been connected to the liquid crystal film 10, the flexible printed wiring board 18 is also placed in S13 (flexible printed wiring board placing step).

[0046] In S14, the tilt reducing member 34 is placed at the predetermined position described above (tilt reducing member placing step).

[0047] In S15, the spacer 32 is placed on the second interlayer forming sheet 31B at a position where the liquid crystal film 10 is not placed. The spacer 32 overlaps the flexible printed wiring board 18 and the tilt mitigation member 34, but since the spacer 32 will be deformed by a later pressure application process or the like, there is no problem with the spacer 32 remaining overlapped as it is in this embodiment.

[0048] In S16, the first interlayer-forming sheet 31A is placed on the liquid crystal film 10 and the spacers 32 (first interlayer-forming sheet placement step).

[0049] In S17, the first glass plate 33A is placed on the first interlayer-formed sheet 31A (first glass plate placing step). By the above steps, the arrangement (pre-stacking) of the laminate 30 is completed.

[0050] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a laminate support structure 50 formed during the manufacturing process of the laminated glass 1. Because the components of the laminate 30 are not fixed to one another, there is a risk of misalignment occurring during the manufacturing process if the laminated glass 1 is left as is. Furthermore, because the laminated glass 1 of this embodiment is configured to sandwich the liquid crystal film 10, it is necessary to apply pressure evenly to the first glass plate 33A and the second glass plate 33B in the pressurizing step described below. Therefore, in this embodiment, a laminate support structure 50 is configured that can stably hold the laminate 30 during the manufacturing process.

[0051] The stack support structure 50 of this embodiment includes the stack 30, a first backing plate 41A, a second backing plate 41B, and a support body 43.

[0052] The first and second backing plates 41A and 41B are members arranged to sandwich the laminate 30 from above and below. In this embodiment, the first and second backing plates 41A and 41B may be made of glass having a thickness equal to or greater than that of the first and second glass plates 33A and 33B. The main purpose of using glass having a thickness greater than that of the first and second glass plates 33A and 33B is to prevent the first and second glass plates 33A and 33B from bending when pressure is applied. Therefore, the first and second backing plates 41A and 41B are not limited to glass and may be made of other materials. If the rigidity of the first and second glass plates 33A and 33B is sufficiently high, the first and second backing plates 41A and 41B may be omitted.

[0053] The support body 43 is a frame-shaped member arranged along the outer periphery of the laminate 30. The support body 43 is made of a material having higher rigidity than the first interlayer film-forming sheet 31A and the second interlayer film-forming sheet 31B in the pressing step described below. In this embodiment, aluminum square bars are used. Furthermore, the height of the support 43 needs to be within an appropriate range (the difference in height is within a predetermined value) relative to the height of the laminate 30, the first backing plate 41A, and the second backing plate 41B. When laminated glass is manufactured without using the first backing plate 41A and the second backing plate 41B, the height of the support 43 needs to be within an appropriate range in comparison with the height of the laminate 30.

[0054] Although the support bodies 43 are shown as frame-shaped components in the example, they are not limited to this and may be configured to be partially disassembled, making them easy to attach and detach around the stack 30.

[0055] Returning to FIG. 3, in S20, a support 43 is arranged around the laminate 30 (support arrangement step).

[0056] In S30, a vacuum step is carried out to create a vacuum inside the laminate. In this embodiment, this vacuum step and the pressurizing step described below are performed by a technique called pre-lamination using a vacuum laminator. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an outline of pre-lamination processing using a vacuum laminator. Pre-lamination using a vacuum laminator uses a pressure vessel 61 with two spaces: a first chamber 61A and a second chamber 61B. A silicone rubber sheet 64 is provided at the boundary between the first chamber 61A and the second chamber 61B, maintaining an airtight state between the first chamber 61A and the second chamber 61B. The first chamber 61A and the second chamber 61B are also provided with air vents 62 and 63, respectively, which are independently connected to external air pumps. Therefore, the degree of pressure reduction in each of the first chamber 61A and the second chamber 61B can be independently controlled. The bottom of the first chamber 61A also has a built-in heater, which can heat the workpiece in the first chamber 61A.

[0057] In this S30, the stack support structure 50 is placed in the first chamber 61A, and both the first chamber 61A and the second chamber 61B are evacuated to remove air remaining in the stack support structure 50. The vacuum process in this embodiment was performed at room temperature.

[0058] Returning to FIG. 3, in S40, pressure is applied to the stack 30 together with the stack support structure 50 (pressurizing step). Here, the pressurizing step is performed in a heated state of the stack 30. In this embodiment, the stack 30 is heated together with the stack support structure 50. Furthermore, the pressurizing step is performed at a pressure of 0.5 atmospheres or less. This pressurization step S40 is carried out continuously following the evacuation step S30, and is carried out while the stack support structure 50 is kept in a vacuum state within the first chamber 61A of the pressure vessel 61 described above. In the pressurization step, the first chamber 61A is maintained in a vacuum state, and the second chamber 61B is pressurized, and the pressure difference between the first chamber 61A and the second chamber 61B is adjusted to match the pressure to be applied to the stack 30. For example, when applying 0.5 atmospheres to the stack 30, the suction within the second chamber 61B is suppressed or stopped so that air equivalent to 0.5 atmospheres flows into the second chamber 61B.

[0059] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the state of the silicone rubber sheet 64 in the pressure application step. When air is sent into the second chamber 61B and pressure is applied from the second chamber 61B to the first chamber 61A, this pressure pushes the silicone rubber sheet 64 towards the first chamber 61A, causing the silicone rubber sheet 64 to adhere to the laminate support structure 50 and also applying pressure to the laminate support structure 50. In the pressurizing step of this embodiment, the first interlayer film-forming sheet 31A and the second interlayer film-forming sheet 31B were maintained at Tg±10° C. and at 0.5 atmospheres. When the pressing step is completed, the pre-lamination as laminated glass is completed.

[0060] In S50, an autoclave step is performed. In this autoclave step, the pre-laminated laminate 30 is transferred to a pressure vessel for autoclave, and the laminate 30 is placed in a high-pressure, high-temperature environment for a predetermined time to strengthen the bond and increase the strength of the laminated glass. In this embodiment, the pre-laminated laminate 30 (after the pressurizing step) is placed in an environment of 120°C and 8 atmospheres to perform the autoclave step. Once the autoclave step is completed, the laminated glass 1 is completed. Note that the following cutting step can also be performed if necessary.

[0061] In S60, a cutting step is carried out in which part of the outer periphery of the laminate 30 (laminated glass 1) after the autoclave step is cut off. However, this cutting step does not necessarily have to be carried out.

[0062] Next, the spacer 32 will be described in more detail. FIG. 8 is a diagram summarizing the results of an experiment conducted to examine the influence of the relationship between the heights of the spacers 32 and the liquid crystal film 10 on the results of pre-lamination. The experiment shown in Figure 8 varied the height difference (i.e., the difference between the height of the spacer 32 made of PVB interlayer and the height of the liquid crystal film 10). Other conditions were kept constant as described above. The test specimens (laminated glass) used in the experiment were squares with sides of 100 mm. The evaluation consisted of whether or not liquid crystal polarization occurred, whether or not air bubbles occurred within the liquid crystal film 10, and the adhesion state between the liquid crystal film 10 and the interlayers (first interlayer film-forming sheet 31A, second interlayer film-forming sheet 31B). Note that although air bubbles are referred to here as bubbles, it refers to a state in which a space is created, regardless of whether it is a vacuum state or contains gas. The evaluation result "excellent" indicates that no liquid crystal polarization or air bubbles occur within the cells. "good" indicates that bubbles occur very rarely in multiple experiments, and "bad" indicates that bubbles occur frequently. The judgment regarding the adhesive condition was made after the autoclave process, and the judgment result "excellent" means that a good adhesive condition is maintained, "good" means that adhesive failure occurs very rarely in multiple experiments, and "bad" means that adhesive failure occurs frequently. In the judgment results in this specification, including the judgment results in Figure 8, the judgment results of "excellent", "good", and "bad" are used, and in each case, the judgment is made according to the above-mentioned criteria. Furthermore, the judgment results of "excellent" and "good" indicate that the product can be used as a product, and "bad" indicates that the product cannot be used as a product.

[0063] 8, it is desirable that the height (thickness) of the spacers 32 be equal to or greater than the height (thickness) of the liquid crystal film 10. It is also desirable that the value obtained by subtracting the height of the liquid crystal film 10 from the height of the spacers 32 (height difference) be equal to or greater than 0 mm and equal to or less than +0.90 mm. It is more desirable that the value obtained by subtracting the height of the liquid crystal film 10 from the height of the spacers 32 (height difference) be +0.12 mm.

[0064] FIG. 9 is a diagram summarizing the results of an experiment conducted to examine the influence of the material of the spacer 32 on the pre-lamination results. 9 is an experiment in which the material of the spacer 32 was changed. The other conditions were kept constant as described above. The value obtained by subtracting the height of the liquid crystal film 10 from the height of the spacer 32 (height difference) was +0.12 mm. The materials used for the spacer 32 in the experiment were a PVB interlayer made of the same material as the first interlayer forming sheet 31A and the second interlayer forming sheet 31B, an EVA interlayer that can be used as a different interlayer, a PET substrate, and a COP substrate. 9, it can be seen that any of the above-mentioned PVB interlayer film, EVA interlayer film, PET substrate, and COP substrate materials did not receive a "bad" evaluation result in terms of liquid crystal polarization, air bubbles in the cell, or adhesion between the cell and the interlayer film, and therefore can be used as the spacer 32 in products. It is more desirable to use a PVB interlayer film or an EVA interlayer film as the material for the spacer 32.

[0065] FIG. 10A is a diagram summarizing the results of an experiment investigating the influence of the shape and arrangement of the spacers 32 formed from the PVB interlayer on the pre-lamination results. 10A is an experiment in which the shape and arrangement of the spacers 32 were changed. Other conditions were kept constant as described above. The value obtained by subtracting the height of the liquid crystal film 10 from the height of the spacers 32 (height difference) was +0.12 mm. Fig. 10B is a diagram summarizing the results of an experiment investigating the influence of the shape and arrangement of spacers 32 formed from a PET substrate on the pre-lamination results. In the experiment in Fig. 10B, the conditions were the same as those in Fig. 10A except for the material. Experiments were carried out on the seven configurations shown in Figures 10A and 10B as combinations of the shape and arrangement of the spacer 32. These configurations are shown in Figures 11 to 17.

[0066] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the spacers 32 in form 1-1. In the embodiment 1-1, as shown in FIG. 11, a square-shaped spacer 32 is disposed around the entire periphery of the liquid crystal film 10. In the embodiment 1-1, as shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the spacers 32 in form 1-2. In the configuration 1-2, as shown in FIG. 12, four linear spacers 32 are arranged. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the spacer 32 in form 1-3. In the configuration 1-3, as shown in FIG. 13, two linear spacers 32 are arranged on two opposing sides of the liquid crystal film 10. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the spacer 32 in Form 1-4. In the embodiment 1-4, as shown in FIG. 14, one linear spacer 32 is disposed. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the spacer 32 in Form 1-5. As shown in FIG. 15, configuration 1-5 is a configuration in which two L-shaped spacers 32 are arranged. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the spacer 32 in Form 1-6. As shown in FIG. 16, configuration 1-6 is a configuration in which one L-shaped spacer 32 is disposed. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the spacer 32 in Form 1-7. In the embodiment 1-7, as shown in FIG. 17, a rectangular spacer 32 is disposed around the entire periphery of the liquid crystal film 10, excluding the position of the flexible printed wiring board 18.

[0067] 10A and 10B, it can be seen that it is desirable to arrange spacers 32 on at least two opposing sides of the liquid crystal film 10. It is also more desirable that the spacers 32 be arranged around the entire periphery of the liquid crystal film 10. It can also be seen that in the case of the PVB interlayer film of FIG. 10A, it is more desirable to arrange the spacers 32 evenly than to avoid overlapping at the position of the flexible printed wiring board 18 as in embodiment 1-7. On the other hand, in the case of the PET substrate of FIG. 10B, it is desirable to arrange the spacers so that they do not overlap at the position of the flexible printed wiring board 18, because the PET substrate is less likely to deform even when heated. Furthermore, from the results of Figure 10A, it was confirmed that Forms 1-4 and 1-6 are unusable because they contain a "bad" judgment result, but the other forms do not contain a "bad" judgment result and are therefore usable as products.

[0068] Next, the occupancy rate of the interlayer film in the laminated glass will be described. Here, the occupancy rate is the area ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the area sandwiched between the first glass plate 33A and the second glass plate 33B where the liquid crystal film 10 and the spacers 32 are arranged. Note that this occupancy rate value is the value for the component dimensions before pre-lamination. Ideally, it would be desirable to have 100%. However, if it were 100%, taking into account dimensional variations and assembly variations, there would be a high risk that the spacers 32 would be arranged overlapping the liquid crystal film 10. Therefore, we investigated the optimum gap between the spacers 32 and the liquid crystal film 10 using the occupancy rate as a parameter.

[0069] FIG. 18 is a diagram summarizing the results of an experiment conducted to examine the influence of the occupancy rate of the spacers 32 on the results of pre-lamination. Figure 19 is a diagram illustrating each of the configurations shown in Figure 18. Note that Figure 19 is a diagram that schematically illustrates the state immediately after the arrangement step, that is, the state in which the layers are simply arranged one on top of the other and have not yet been melted or bonded because heat has not yet been applied, and does not show the laminated state of the laminated glass 1 after production. The experiment shown in FIG. 18 is an experiment in which the occupancy rate of the spacers 32 was changed. The determination of interlayer bubbles in Figure 18 is the result of determining the occurrence of bubbles remaining in the interlayer film. The determination criteria are the same as those for intra-cell bubbles.

[0070] In embodiment 2-1, the spacers 32 are not provided, and the occupancy rate is 99%. In embodiment 2-1, the occupancy rate is lower according to the definition of the occupancy rate above because the spacers 32 are not provided. However, as shown in Figure 19(a), the second interlayer film-forming sheet 31B is joined to the first interlayer film-forming sheet 31A to essentially fill the space, and therefore the occupancy rate was calculated to be 99% assuming that the triangular void shown in Figure 19(a) remains.

[0071] In the configuration 2-2, the gap between the spacer 32 and the liquid crystal film 10 is 0, and the occupancy is 100%. Figure 19(b) shows this configuration 2-2. In the configurations 2-3 and 2-4, the gap between the spacer 32 and the liquid crystal film 10 is 0, the occupancy rate is 100%, but there is overlap with the liquid crystal film 10. Fig. 19(d) shows the configuration 2-3, and Fig. 19(e) shows the configuration 2-4. In the configuration 2-5, the gap between the spacer 32 and the liquid crystal film 10 is 1 mm, and the occupancy rate is 91%. Figure 19(c) shows this configuration 2-5.

[0072] Furthermore, in order to significantly reduce the occupancy rate, a liquid crystal film 10 with a modified shape was produced and subjected to a comparative experiment. In the form 2-6, the corner of the liquid crystal film 10 has a corner radius of 20 mm, thereby reducing the occupancy rate to 85%. In the form 2-7, the shape of the liquid crystal film 10 is a circle with a radius R of 40 mm, and the occupancy rate is reduced to 69%. The spacers 32 are all square-shaped.

[0073] 18, assuming that the gap between the spacer 32 and the liquid crystal film 10 is 0 and the occupancy rate is 100%, good results are obtained when they are properly positioned (Configuration 2-2), but when they overlap, very poor results are obtained (Configurations 2-3 and 2-4).On the other hand, configurations in which the occupancy rate is too low (Configurations 2-6 and 2-7) also produce very poor results. Therefore, it is desirable to arrange the spacers 32 and the liquid crystal film 10 with an appropriate gap therebetween, as in embodiment 2-5. More specifically, it is desirable to set the occupancy rate to 91% or more and to leave a gap of 1 mm between the spacers 32 and the liquid crystal film 10. In this case, a gap exists between the spacers 32 and the liquid crystal film 10 before pre-lamination, but after pre-lamination, the first interlayer film-forming sheet 31A and the second interlayer film-forming sheet 31B partially fill the gap, and the spacers 32 also fill the gap, filling it.

[0074] As described above, in this embodiment, the success rate of pre-lamination is dramatically improved by providing the spacer 32. The reason for this will be explained below. The liquid crystal film 10 has a liquid crystal layer formed therein, and the laminated glass sandwiching the liquid crystal film 10 sandwiches a soft material that would be impossible with conventional laminated glass. Therefore, even a slight bias in the application of pressure during the pre-lamination pressurization process can cause the liquid crystal layer to flow, resulting in liquid crystal accumulation and voids in the liquid crystal film 10. In particular, during pre-lamination using a vacuum laminator, the silicone rubber sheet 64 presses against the outer periphery of the laminate 30, i.e., the outer periphery of the first glass plate 33A or the second glass plate 33B, potentially distorting the first glass plate 33A or the second glass plate 33B.

[0075] In this embodiment, by arranging the spacers 32 around the periphery, even if a pressing force is applied to the outer periphery of the first glass plate 33A or the second glass plate 33B, the presence of the spacers 32 can suppress deformation of the first glass plate 33A or the second glass plate 33B, making it possible to apply pressure evenly to the first glass plate 33A and the second glass plate 33B. This makes it possible to perform pre-lamination appropriately without causing unnecessary flow in the liquid crystal layer. Therefore, it is possible to provide a manufacturing method for laminated glass that can reduce the occurrence of liquid crystal accumulation and voids.

[0076] In addition, in this embodiment, a sealing material 25 is arranged to surround the periphery of the liquid crystal layer 14 of the liquid crystal film 10, and a spacer 32 is arranged around the periphery of the liquid crystal film 10, so that in a planar view, the outside of the sealing material 25 is surrounded by the spacer 32. As will be described later, if the sealing material 25 is exposed to sunlight for a long period of time, depending on the material of the sealing material 25, the sealing material 25 may deteriorate. If the sealing material 25 deteriorates, its sealing function may be reduced, and the liquid crystal layer 14 may leak out. However, in this embodiment, when viewed in a plane, the outside of the sealing material 25 is surrounded by the spacer 32, and the spacer 32 can block light from the side of the laminated glass 1 so that it does not directly hit the sealing material 25, thereby preventing deterioration of the sealing material 25. This effect is most pronounced when the spacers 32 are arranged around the entire periphery of the liquid crystal film 10, i.e., when the spacers 32 are arranged around the entire outside of the sealing material 25, but the effect can also be achieved if the spacers 32 are arranged around the periphery of the liquid crystal film 10, even if some of them are interrupted.

[0077] Although the above-mentioned experiment was conducted on a glass panel with a side length of 100 mm, it has been confirmed using a laminated glass panel with a side length of 300 mm that good pre-lamination results can be obtained if the support is positioned in the appropriate position as described above. These results also confirm that the same applies to laminated glass panels of even larger sizes.

[0078] (Second embodiment) 20 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the laminated glass 1A of the second embodiment is attached to a frame F. In this second embodiment and a third embodiment described later, the laminated glass 1A (1B) is described as being fixed to and attached to a frame-shaped frame (window frame) F. The laminated glass 1A of the second embodiment has additional components required for actual use, but its basic configuration is the same as that of the laminated glass 1 of the first embodiment. Therefore, parts that perform the same functions as those of the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate. The cross section of Figure 20 shows the laminated glass 1A attached to a frame F, cut near an edge of the laminated glass 1A. The laminated glass 1A has the layer structure shown in Figure 20 around its entire periphery, and is attached to the frame F using an adhesive 80. When the laminated glass 1A is attached to a vehicle, for example, the vehicle body corresponds to the frame F, and when the laminated glass 1A is attached to a building, for example, the window frame corresponds to the frame F. In addition, in FIG. 20, the lower side corresponds to the inside or indoor side of the vehicle, and the upper side corresponds to the outside or outdoor side, and these are indicated in the drawing as "INSIDE" and "OUTSIDE".

[0079] The laminated glass 1A of the second embodiment differs from the laminated glass 1 of the first embodiment in that it further includes a light-shielding portion 70A. The light-shielding portion 70A is made of a material that has the ability to block light with wavelengths in at least the ultraviolet region, and blocks external light from reaching the sealing material 25. The light-shielding portion 70A is arranged all around the outer periphery of the laminated glass. As long as the light-shielding portion 70A can exhibit a light-shielding function, it may be configured as a light-absorbing portion that blocks light by absorbing light, or as a light-reflecting portion that blocks light by reflecting light.

[0080] The light-shielding portion 70A in the second embodiment is disposed from the edge of the laminated glass 1A to a position inside the sealing material 25. The light-shielding portion 70A in the second embodiment is disposed between the liquid crystal film 10 and the first glass plate 33A. More specifically, in this embodiment, the light-shielding portion 70A is provided between the first glass plate 33A and the first interlayer film 31A. Any specific form and manufacturing method may be used to form the light-shielding portion 70A. For example, the light-shielding portion 70A may be formed on the first glass plate 33A or the first interlayer film 31A by printing. When the light-shielding portion 70A is formed on the first glass plate 33A by printing, it can be formed, for example, by printing liquid black ceramic and drying it. When the light-shielding portion 70A is formed on the first intermediate film 31A by printing, for example, carbon black or the like can be used as ink. Furthermore, the light-shielding portion 70A may be configured by disposing a light-shielding film or the like between the first glass plate 33A and the first interlayer film 31A. When the light-shielding portion 70A is formed by disposing a light-shielding film or the like, for example, a black-colored PET substrate or the like can be used as the material for the light-shielding portion 70A. Note that when a light-shielding film or the like is disposed between the first glass plate 33A and the first interlayer film 31A, it is conceivable that the adhesive strength between the light-shielding film or the like and the first glass plate 33A is insufficient. In such cases, it is advisable to further dispose an interlayer or the like between the light-shielding film or the like and the first glass plate 33A.

[0081] As shown in Fig. 20, the laminated glass 1A is attached to a frame F with the first glass sheet 33A facing the exterior or outdoor side of the vehicle and the second glass sheet 33B facing the interior or indoor side of the vehicle. Here, the frame F of the second embodiment is configured to extend further inside the laminated glass 1A than the position of the sealant 25. Therefore, light reaching the sealant 25 from the edge of the laminated glass 1A or from the interior or indoor side of the vehicle is blocked by the frame F. Also, visually, the sealant 25 is blocked by the frame F and is hidden from view from the interior or indoor side of the vehicle. On the other hand, with regard to light directed from the exterior or outdoor side of the vehicle toward the sealing material 25, if the light-shielding portion 70A were not provided, sunlight or the like would be directly irradiated onto the sealing material 25 from the exterior or outdoor side of the vehicle. If the sealing material 25 is exposed to sunlight for a long period of time, the sealing material 25 may deteriorate depending on the material of the sealing material 25. If the sealing material 25 deteriorates, its sealing function may decrease, and the liquid crystal layer 14 may leak out. Therefore, in this embodiment, the light-shielding portion 70A is disposed at the above-described position, thereby preventing direct irradiation of the sealing material 25 and preventing deterioration of the sealing material 25. Furthermore, the light-shielding portion 70A can hide the sealing material 25 from the exterior side or the outdoor side of the vehicle, thereby improving the design.

[0082] As described above, according to the second embodiment, direct irradiation of light onto the sealing material 25 can be prevented, deterioration of the sealing material 25 can be prevented, and design can be improved. Furthermore, even if the frame F does not have light-blocking properties, the placement of the spacer 32 can block light from the side of the laminated glass so that it does not directly strike the sealing material 25, thereby preventing deterioration of the sealing material 25.

[0083] (Third embodiment) FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a laminated glass 1B of the third embodiment is attached to a frame F and used. The laminated glass 1B of the third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that it includes light-shielding portions 70A and 70B, but its basic configuration is similar to that of the laminated glass 1A of the second embodiment. Therefore, parts that perform the same functions as those of the second embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate.

[0084] In the third embodiment, two (two-layer) light-shielding portions, namely, a light-shielding portion 70A and a light-shielding portion 70B, are provided. The light blocking portion 70A of the third embodiment is configured similarly to the light blocking portion 70A of the second embodiment. The light-shielding portion 70B in the third embodiment is disposed at a position between the liquid crystal film 10 and the second glass plate 33B. More specifically, in this embodiment, the light-shielding portion 70B is provided between the second glass plate 33B and the second interlayer film 31B. Other configurations, forming methods, etc. of the light-shielding portion 70B are similar to those of the light-shielding portion 70A in the first embodiment.

[0085] As described above, in the third embodiment, the light-shielding portions (70A, 70B) are disposed between the liquid crystal film 10 and the first glass plate 33A and between the liquid crystal film 10 and the second glass plate 33B. This prevents light from reaching the sealant 25 from both the front and back of the laminated glass 1A. Furthermore, the sealant 25 can be hidden from both the front and back, improving the design. Therefore, even if the frame F extends only to the outside of the sealant 25, as shown in FIG. 21 , it can block light reaching the sealant 25 from the vehicle interior or exterior. Therefore, the laminated glass 1B of the third embodiment can prevent deterioration of the sealant 25 and conceal the sealant 25. Furthermore, if the laminated glass 1B is flat, it can be used without distinguishing between the front and back, improving workability. Furthermore, even if the frame F does not have light-blocking properties, the placement of the spacer 32 can block light from the side of the laminated glass so that it does not directly strike the sealing material 25, thereby preventing deterioration of the sealing material 25.

[0086] (Fourth embodiment) FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of an edge of a laminated glass 1C of the fourth embodiment. In this fourth embodiment and a fifth embodiment described later, an example of laminated glass 1C (1D) used in a sliding window of a vehicle, etc. The cross section shown in Fig. 22 shows a cutaway view of the edge of a portion of laminated glass 1C used as a sliding window that is exposed away from the frame of a vehicle, etc., when the laminated glass 1C is in an open state. The laminated glass 1C of the fourth embodiment has additional components required for actual use, but its basic configuration is the same as that of the laminated glass 1 of the first embodiment. Therefore, parts that perform the same functions as those of the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate.

[0087] The laminated glass 1C of the fourth embodiment differs from the laminated glass 1 of the first embodiment in that it includes a light-shielding portion 70C. The light-shielding portion 70C is made of a material that has the ability to block light of wavelengths in at least the ultraviolet region, and blocks external light from reaching the sealing material 25. The light-shielding portion 70C covers the edge face of the laminated glass 1C and is arranged to sandwich the laminated glass 1C from the edge face to a position inside the sealing material 25. The light-shielding portion 70C is arranged along the outer periphery of the laminated glass, and is arranged at least along the edge that is exposed when the window is in the open position. Note that the light-shielding portion 70C does not need to be provided in the area near the end on the side where the window opening / closing mechanism is connected, which is hidden inside the vehicle body, etc. The light-shielding portion 70C may be configured as a light-absorbing portion that blocks light by absorbing light, or as a light-reflecting portion that blocks light by reflecting light, as long as it can exhibit a light-shielding function.

[0088] Any specific form and manufacturing method may be used to form the light-shielding portion 70C. For example, the light-shielding portion 70C may be formed by fitting and adhesively fixing resin molded parts together, by applying resin or paint, or by attaching tape, sheets, or the like.

[0089] According to the fourth embodiment, the laminated glass 1C includes the light-shielding portion 70C, which can block light from directly striking the sealing material 25, thereby preventing deterioration of the sealing material 25. Furthermore, by arranging the spacer 32, the sealant 25 can be arranged inside the laminated glass, away from the side surface, so that light from the side surface of the laminated glass can be blocked so as not to directly strike the sealant 25, thereby preventing deterioration of the sealant 25.

[0090] (Fifth embodiment) FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of an edge of a laminated glass 1D of the fifth embodiment. Although laminated glass 1D of the fifth embodiment has additional components required for actual use, its basic configuration is the same as that of laminated glass 1B of the third embodiment. Therefore, parts that perform the same functions as those of the third embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate.

[0091] The laminated glass 1D of the fifth embodiment corresponds to a configuration in which a light-shielding portion 70D is further added to the laminated glass 1B of the third embodiment. The laminated glass 1D of the fifth embodiment also differs from the laminated glass 1B of the third embodiment in that it can be used in a sliding manner. The shading portion 70D has basically the same configuration as the shading portion 70C of the fourth embodiment, but differs from the shading portion 70C of the fourth embodiment in that it is only positioned between the laminated glass 1D and the edge surface up to a position outside the sealing material 25.

[0092] The light-shielding portion 70C in the fourth embodiment described above is provided at the edge of the laminated glass, but is in a conspicuous position when the window is open. Therefore, from the viewpoint of improving the design, it may be desirable to make the light-shielding portion 70C smaller. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 23, the light-shielding portion 70D may not reach the sealing material 25. In such a case, by arranging the light-shielding portions 70A and 70B together with the light-shielding portion 70D as shown in FIG. 23, it is possible to block light that reaches the sealing material 25, thereby preventing deterioration of the sealing material 25. Furthermore, by arranging the spacer 32, the sealant 25 can be arranged inside the laminated glass, away from the side surface, so that light from the side surface of the laminated glass can be blocked so as not to directly strike the sealant 25, thereby preventing deterioration of the sealant 25.

[0093] (Variations) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible, and these are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0094] (1) In each embodiment, a VA type liquid crystal film has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other types in which the amount of dimming can be adjusted by a potential difference may also be used. For example, a TN (twisted nematic) liquid crystal film other than the VA type may be used. In the TN type, when no voltage is applied, the liquid crystal molecules align horizontally, allowing light to pass through and making the screen appear "white." When voltage is gradually applied, the liquid crystal molecules rise vertically, blocking the light and making the screen appear black.

[0095] (2) In each embodiment, a liquid crystal film is constructed by sandwiching a liquid crystal cell between linear polarizers. However, the present invention is not limited to this and can be widely applied to cases where a liquid crystal film is constructed by using a liquid crystal layer made of guest-host liquid crystal and omitting a linear polarizer.

[0096] (3) In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the inclination mitigating member 34 has a rectangular shape and is disposed in a position facing the flexible printed wiring board 18. However, this is not limiting, and for example, a frame-shaped inclination mitigating member may be disposed, and the shape and location of the inclination mitigating member can be changed as appropriate.

[0097] (4) In the first embodiment, the pressurizing step is described as a pre-lamination process using a vacuum laminator. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the pressurizing step may be performed using a thermal laminator, or a vacuum bag method or a tube method.

[0098] (5) In the second to fifth embodiments, the construction including the spacer 32 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the spacer 32 may be omitted from the laminated glass.

[0099] The embodiments and modifications may be used in combination as appropriate, but detailed description thereof will be omitted. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1. Laminated glass 10 LCD film 12 First laminate for liquid crystal 13 Second laminate for liquid crystal 14 Liquid crystal layer 15 Liquid crystal cell 16 Linear polarizer 17 Linear polarizer 18 Flexible printed wiring board 21A Base material 21B Base material 22A 1st electrode 22B 2nd electrode 23A Alignment layer 23B Alignment layer 24 LCD spacer 25 Sealing material 30 laminate 31A First interlayer forming sheet (first interlayer) 31B Second interlayer forming sheet (second interlayer) 32 spacer 33A First Glass Plate 33B Second glass pane 34 Inclination mitigation member 41A First Backing Plate 41B Second backing plate 43 Support 50 Stacked body support structure 61 Pressure vessels 61A First Chamber 61B Second Chamber 62 Ventilation hole 63 Ventilation hole 64 Silicone rubber sheet 70A,70B,70C,70D Light shielding part 80 Adhesive F Frame

Claims

[Claim 1] a first glass plate, a first interlayer film, a liquid crystal film, a second interlayer film, and a second glass plate are laminated in this order; the liquid crystal film has a liquid crystal layer and a sealant that seals the liquid crystal layer and is arranged to surround the periphery of the liquid crystal layer, the first glass plate and the second glass plate are formed to have outer shapes larger than the liquid crystal film, the liquid crystal film has a sealant around its periphery that seals in the liquid crystal, and a light-shielding portion that blocks external light from reaching the sealant along the outer periphery of the laminated glass; the liquid crystal film is provided with an intra-liquid crystal spacer to make the thickness of the liquid crystal layer constant; The liquid crystal film is a first laminate in which a first substrate, a first electrode, and a first alignment layer are laminated in this order; a second laminate in which a second substrate, a second electrode, and a second alignment layer are laminated in this order; and the liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer; The liquid crystal spacer is disposed on at least one of the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer.

Images