Single-layer or multi-layer light-control film with an electrically conductive structure

Abstract

A single-layer or multi-layer light management film having an electrically conductive structure is provided. The solution includes a light-control film body 1, a flexible circuit board 2, and a control unit 3. U-shaped slots are provided between the independent conductive lines of the flexible circuit board, and ventilation holes are provided in the conductive adhesive film layer connecting the light-control film body and the flexible circuit board. The electrical conduction structure of the light-control film 110 of this invention uses ACF conductive adhesive layer pressure technology to replace tin paste welding, not only avoiding the risk of false welding of the circuit, but also using special designs on the FPC and ACF conductive adhesive to improve the operational stability of the light-control film and prevent the risk of short circuits and open circuits due to circuit connection.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a light management film, and more particularly to a single-layer or multi-layer light management film with an electrically conductive structure. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional light-control films use a simple ACF lamination process, but this process carries the risk of short circuits or disconnections at the connection points between the external control device and the inside of the light-control film due to the free distribution of conductive particles in the ACF. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] Therefore, in order to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art, the present invention provides a single-layer or multi-layer light-control film with an electrically conductive structure, and the design of the electrically conductive structure of the single-layer or multi-layer light-control film realizes a fault-free connection between the light-control film body and the control unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0005] A single-layer or multi-layer light-controlling film with an electrically conductive structure comprises a light-controlling film body, a flexible circuit board, and a control unit. The light-controlling film body has a control area and multiple light-controlling areas. Each light-controlling area is equipped with a light-controlling film and metal conductors that are extended to the control area and aggregated. The flexible circuit board comprises, in this order, a first insulating layer, multiple independent conductive wires, and a second insulating layer. A portion of the first insulating layer of the flexible circuit board laminated in the control area is removed, and the multiple exposed independent conductive wires are fixed to the metal conductors with a conductive adhesive film layer, thereby connecting them to the metal conductors in the control area. The control unit controls the light-controlling film via the flexible circuit board. The connection between the light-controlling film body and the flexible circuit board has an electrically conductive structure. The conductive adhesive film layer has ventilation holes between the independent conductive wires and the metal conductors. U-shaped long grooves are formed between the independent conductive wires of the flexible circuit board.

[0006] Specifically, the light management film is a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film.

[0007] Specifically, the metal conductor is located at the conductive contact of the top layer of light management film or the conductive contact of the bottom layer of light management film.

[0008] Specifically, a coating layer is provided on the second insulating layer side of the control area, and the material of the coating layer is an epoxy resin adhesive or a polyimide film, which improves the tensile strength of the flexible circuit board.

[0009] Specifically, the length of the U-shaped long groove of the flexible circuit board is 5 mm to 8 mm, and the width is 1 mm to 2 mm.

[0010] Specifically, the ventilation holes provided in the conductive adhesive film layer are circular and have a diameter of 1 mm to 2 mm.

[0011] Specifically, the thickness of the conductive adhesive film layer is 20 μm to 30 μm.

[0012] Specifically, the thickness ratio of the insulating layer, the conductive copper layer and the conductive adhesive film layer of the flexible circuit board is about 3:2:2.

[0013] Specifically, the width of the metal conductor wires and the distance between the center points are 2 to 3 mm.

[0014] Compared with conventional technology, the advantages of this invention are that the connection is made using an FPC flexible circuit board and a light-controlling film, which enables switching control of multiple areas of the light-controlling film and avoids overly complex circuits; the provision of a U-shaped long groove between the independent circuits of the FPC flexible circuit board increases the non-pressure-receiving surface, blocking the electrical connection between the two independent circuits of the anisotropic conductive adhesive film (ACF conductive adhesive) and avoiding the risk of short circuits between two adjacent independent circuits; the provision of circular ventilation holes in the ACF conductive adhesive allows degassing during lamination, improving the smoothness of the ACF conductive adhesive lamination and preventing air bubbles in the lamination from affecting the contact of the conductive particles, thereby avoiding the risk of open circuits due to poor conductivity between the FPC flexible circuit board and the smart light-controlling film; and the filling of a coating layer on the non-adhesive opening surface of the FPC flexible circuit board (the coating layer can be made of epoxy resin adhesive or polyimide film) improves the tensile strength of the FPC. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] In order to more clearly describe the technical methods of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings used in the embodiments are briefly described below. Of course, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can create other drawings based on these drawings without any creative efforts. [Figure 1] 3 is a schematic diagram of the flexible circuit board and the light control film body after completion of connection in an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of the flexible circuit board and the light control film body after the connection is completed in an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of a flexible circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic diagram of a conductive adhesive film layer in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a coating layer (the material of the coating layer can be epoxy resin adhesive or polyimide film) in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0017] Although the following describes the implementation of the present application using specific examples, those skilled in the art will easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application based on the contents disclosed herein. Of course, the described examples are only a portion of the present application and do not cover all examples. The present application may be implemented or applied using different specific examples, and the details of the present application may be modified or changed in various ways based on different perspectives and applications without departing from the spirit of the present application. It should be noted that the following examples and features in the examples may be combined with each other to the extent that they are not inconsistent. Other examples that can be obtained by those skilled in the art based on the examples of the present application without requiring creative effort are all within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0018] The following describes various aspects of embodiments within the scope of the appended claims. The aspects described herein may be implemented in a wide variety of forms, and any specific structure and / or function described herein is merely an example for illustrative purposes. Based on this application, one skilled in the art should understand that one aspect described herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and that two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, an apparatus and / or method of implementation can be implemented using any number of aspects described herein. Also, the apparatus can be implemented and / or the method can be practiced using structure and / or function other than one or more of the aspects described herein.

[0019] Furthermore, the drawings provided in the following examples are merely illustrative for roughly explaining the basic concept of the present application, and only components related to the present application are shown in the drawings, and do not accurately represent the number, shape, or dimensions of the components when actually implemented. The shape, number, and ratio of each component when actually implemented can be freely changed, and the arrangement of the components can also be made more complex.

[0020] Furthermore, although specific details are provided in the following description to provide a clear understanding of the embodiments, it should be understood that those skilled in the art may practice the described subject matter without such specific details.

[0021] The present invention provides a single-layer or multi-layer smart light-control film with an electrically conductive structure. As shown in Figure 1, the single-layer or multi-layer smart light-control film includes a light-control film body 1, a flexible circuit board 2, and a control unit 3.

[0022] The connection between the light control film body 1 and the flexible circuit board 2 has an electrically conductive structure.

[0023] The light control film body 1 includes a control area 10 and a plurality of light control areas 11, and a light control film 110 and a metal conductor 111 are installed in the light control area 11. The metal conductor 111 is drawn out from each light control film 110 and collected in the control area 10 of the light control film body 1, and is arranged in the control area 10.

[0024] In one embodiment, the light-controlling film 110 is a PDLC polymer-dispersed liquid crystal film, and the metal conductors 111 are located at the conductive contacts of the top or bottom layer of the light-controlling film. The flexible circuit board 2 is connected to the light-controlling film body 1 in the control area 10 via a conductive adhesive film layer 4. The completed flexible circuit board 2 includes, from bottom to top, a first insulating layer, a plurality of independent conductive lines, and a second insulating layer. To connect the flexible circuit board 2 and the light-controlling film body 1, a portion of the first insulating layer of the flexible circuit board 2 located in the control area 10 is first removed, leaving the plurality of independent conductive lines 21 and the second insulating layer 20. The exposed plurality of independent conductive lines 21 are fixed to the metal conductors by the conductive adhesive film layer 4 in a one-to-one correspondence, and the plurality of independent conductive lines 21 and the metal conductors 111 are connected in the control area 10.

[0025] In one embodiment, the conductive adhesive film layer is an anisotropic conductive adhesive film (ACF). An ACF is a thin film formed by mixing a certain amount of conductive particles into a polymer substrate. Before bonding, the conductive particles in the anisotropic conductive adhesive are typically distributed uniformly, do not contact each other, and are protected by an insulating layer, making the ACF itself non-conductive. When the ACF is pressurized and heated, it softens (gels), causing the conductive particles to flow and distribute evenly, resulting in a consistent number of conductive particles per circuit, ensuring a stable resistance. Under the influence of bonding pressure, the insulating layer of the conductive particles breaks, resulting in numerous compressed and deformed conductive particles sandwiched between the protruding portions of the independent conductive lines on the flexible circuit board and the corresponding metal wiring on the light-control film substrate. These deformed conductive particles establish an electrical connection between the independent conductive lines on the flexible circuit board and the metal wiring on the light-control film substrate, while particles in other areas not subjected to pressure do not contact each other. In this way, an anisotropic interconnection is achieved.

[0026] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 , U-shaped grooves 22 are provided between the individual conductive wires 21 in the control area 10, and the second insulating layer 20 between the individual conductive wires 21 is removed. When the exposed individual conductive wires 21 are fixed to the metal conductors 111 in a one-to-one correspondence via the conductive adhesive film layer 4, the conductive adhesive film layer 4 can have three different positional states. The first is the conductive adhesive film layer 40 located between the individual conductive wires 21 and the metal conductor 111. This portion of the conductive adhesive film layer 40 is in a pressure-receiving state and is fully conductive. The second is the conductive adhesive film layer 41 located between the second insulating layer 20 and the included corner of the individual conductive wires 21. This portion of the conductive adhesive film layer 41 is in a semi-pressure-receiving state and may be conductive. The third is the conductive adhesive film layer 42 located within the U-shaped grooves 22. This portion of the conductive adhesive film layer 42 is in a non-pressure-receiving state and is not fully conductive. When the U-shaped long groove 22 is installed, the non-pressure-receiving surface of the conductive adhesive film layer increases, and the conductive adhesive film layer 42 is completely non-conductive in the U-shaped long groove 22 portion, thereby cutting off the electrical connection between the two independent conductive wires 21 of the conductive adhesive film layer 4 and avoiding the risk of a short circuit between two adjacent independent conductive wires 21.

[0027] In one embodiment, the U-shaped long groove 22 of the flexible circuit board 2 has a length of 5 mm to 8 mm and a width of 1 mm to 2 mm.

[0028] In one embodiment, a coating layer 5 (the material of the coating layer may be an epoxy resin adhesive or a polyimide film) is provided on the second insulating layer 20 side of the control area 10 to improve the tensile strength of the flexible circuit board 2.

[0029] In one embodiment, the thickness of the conductive adhesive film layer 4 is 20 μm to 30 μm.

[0030] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, an air vent 43 is provided on the conductive adhesive film layer 4. The air vent 43 is provided between the independent conductive wire 21 and the metal conductor 111 and allows air to escape when laminating the conductive adhesive film layer 4 and the flexible circuit board, preventing the formation of air bubbles during lamination. This increases the smoothness of the lamination of the conductive adhesive film layer 4, reduces poor contact of the conductive particles, and avoids the risk of an open circuit due to poor conductivity between the independent conductive wire 21 and the metal conductor 111.

[0031] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the vent hole 43 is circular and has a diameter of 1 mm to 2 mm.

[0032] In one embodiment, the thickness ratio of the insulating layer 20, the conductive copper layer, and the conductive adhesive film layer 4 of the flexible circuit board 2 is about 3:2:2.

[0033] The control unit 3 is connected to the light control film 110 via the flexible circuit board 2 in order to control the light control film 110 .

[0034] In one embodiment, when the light-control film has limited space and the metal conductors are too short to be grouped adjacently, the second insulating layer is removed, a U-shaped groove is formed between the individual conductive wires, and the end of the FPC is extended. This extended end is then pulled to the metal conductors and connected, and the exposed individual conductive wires are fixed in a one-to-one correspondence with the metal conductors using a conductive adhesive film layer, electrically connecting each short metal conductor. Here, the conductive adhesive film layer is provided with ventilation holes, which are positioned between the individual conductive wires and the metal conductors. This allows air to vent during lamination of the conductive adhesive film layer and the end of the FPC, preventing the generation of air bubbles during lamination, improving the smoothness of the conductive adhesive film layer, reducing poor contact between the conductive particles, and eliminating the risk of open circuits due to poor conductivity between the individual conductive wires and the metal conductors.

Claims

1. A single-layer or multi-layer light-control film having an electrically conductive structure, a light control film body having a control area and a plurality of light control areas; a flexible circuit board including, in order from bottom to top, a first insulating layer, a plurality of independent conductive lines, and a second insulating layer; a control unit that controls the light control film via the flexible circuit board; and A light-control film and a metal conductor are disposed in each of the light-control areas, The metal conductors are drawn out so as to converge in the control area, a part of the first insulating layer of the flexible circuit board laminated on the control area is removed, and the exposed independent conductive lines are fixed on the metal conductors by a conductive adhesive film layer, thereby connecting the flexible circuit board to the metal conductors in the control area; The connection portion between the light-control film body and the flexible circuit board has an electrically conductive structure, the conductive adhesive film has an air hole between the independent conductive wire and the metal conductor; A single-layer or multi-layer light-control film having an electrically conductive structure, in which U-shaped long grooves are provided between the independent conductive lines of the flexible circuit board.

2. The single-layer or multi-layer light-control film having an electrically conductive structure according to claim 1 , wherein the light-control film is a PDLC polymer dispersed liquid crystal film.

3. The single-layer or multi-layer light management film with an electrically conductive structure according to claim 1, wherein the metal conducting wire is located at the conductive contact of the top-layer light management film or the conductive contact of the bottom-layer light management film.

4. a covering layer is provided on the second insulating layer side of the control area, the material of the coating layer is an epoxy resin adhesive or a polyimide film; The single-layer or multi-layer light management film with an electrically conductive structure according to claim 1 , wherein the covering layer enhances the tensile strength of the flexible circuit board.

5. The length of the U-shaped long groove of the flexible circuit board is 5 mm to 8 mm, and the width is 1 mm to 2 mm. The light-control film is a single-layer or multi-layer light-control film having an electrically conductive structure.

6. 2. The single-layer or multi-layer light control film with an electrically conductive structure according to claim 1, wherein the air vent holes provided in the conductive adhesive film layer are circular and have a diameter of 1 mm to 2 mm.

7. The single-layer or multi-layer light-control film with an electrically conductive structure according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the conductive adhesive film layer is 20 μm to 30 μm.

8. 2. The single-layer or multi-layer light-control film with an electrically conductive structure according to claim 1, wherein the thickness ratio of the insulating layer, the conductive copper layer and the conductive adhesive film layer of the flexible circuit board is about 3:2:

2.

9. The single-layer or multi-layer light-control film having an electrically conductive structure according to claim 1, wherein the width and center distance of the metal conductor wires are 2 to 3 mm.

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