Power supply member and light control film with power supply member

Abstract

To provide a light control film that, even when the light control film is not divided and driven, can increase the area ratio of a light controllable area in the entire light control film.SOLUTION: A power supply member 1 is connected, at an end of a light control film 8, with a power supply member connection part 15 being a portion in which a transparent conductive film 12 of one transparent conductive film 14 is exposed, with a conductive member therebetween, and includes a power supply electrode 10 connected with a transparent conductive film of the power supply member connection part. The power supply electrode includes a plurality of connection terminals 3 formed of strip-like metal foil layers, and wiring 4 provided in parallel with a terminal 2 of the light control film at the power supply member connection part. The plurality of connection terminals are arranged in parallel at a constant pitch in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the strip-like connection terminals. The wiring is provided inside the terminal of the light control film.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply member that supplies voltage to a light control film. [Background technology]

[0002] A light-control film is an optical element that can change the scattering state of light depending on the voltage supplied to it, making it possible to switch between transparent and opaque and control the light transmittance.

[0003] By laminating a light-control film to a glass plate or placing it inside laminated glass, for example, it is possible to produce a component that is normally transparent but can be made opaque when necessary. By using such a component in the windows of a building or vehicle, it becomes possible to control the brightness inside the building or vehicle. Therefore, the spread of light-control films as components for controlling visibility is being promoted. Furthermore, it is being considered to develop applications in fields such as crime prevention and safety assurance, such as public toilets that are used as partition members surrounding public toilets, so that the inside of the toilet can be seen when not in use, making it possible to confirm that no suspicious people are inside, and that become opaque when in use. In this way, new applications that utilize the characteristics of light-control films are expanding.

[0004] The light-control film is structured as a laminate in which a pair of transparent conductive films, each made of a transparent substrate such as a transparent resin film and a transparent conductive film such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), are formed on the surface of the film, with the transparent conductive film side facing inward, sandwiching a light-control layer whose light scattering state changes depending on the applied voltage.

[0005] 4, an end of the light control film 8 of the light control film 20' with a power supply member is provided with a power supply member connection portion 15' that enables connection of a power supply member 1' that supplies power to a transparent conductive film (not shown) of the light control film 8. The power supply member connection portion 15' is a portion at the end of the light control film 8 where the transparent base material of one transparent conductive film is removed and the light control layer is further removed to expose the transparent conductive film of the other transparent conductive film.

[0006] The transparent conductive film exposed at the power supply member connection portion 15' is electrically connected to the power supply member 1' via a conductive member (not shown) such as an ACF (Anisotropic Conductive Film). The power supply member 1' is a member having a metal foil layer on an insulating film. As the power supply member 1', an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits) is usually used. That is, an article is used in which a wiring (or electrode, the same applies hereinafter) pattern is formed from a metal foil layer formed on an insulating film made of a polyimide film or the like.

[0007] As shown in Fig. 4, the wiring pattern made of the metal foil layer of the power supply member 1' includes a connection terminal 3', a wire 4' connected to the connection terminal 3' and parallel to the end 2 of the light control film, a wire 6 connected to a pad electrode connected to the wire 4', and a pad electrode 5. In Fig. 4, an insulating film 17' is disposed on the viewer side, and a wiring pattern is formed on the insulating film 17' on the opposite side to the viewer.

[0008] The end 2 of the light control film is the end of the light control film 8 where the power supply member connection portion 15' of the light control film 8 is provided.

[0009] The connection terminal 3' is made up of a pattern of rectangular metal foil layers. The patterns are arranged parallel to each other at a constant pitch in a direction perpendicular to the long axis direction of the pattern, i.e., in the direction in which the end 2 of the light-control film extends on the plane on which the pattern is formed. Furthermore, each pattern is electrically connected by connecting it to a wiring (or electrode, the same applies hereinafter) 4' that is parallel to the end 2 of the light-control film. In other words, the wiring 4' that is parallel to the end 2 of the light-control film is an electrode that is connected in parallel to each connection terminal 3'.

[0010] The power supply electrode 10' is composed of these multiple connection terminals 3' and wiring 4' parallel to the end 2 of the light-control film, and the wiring 4' parallel to the end 2 of the light-control film is arranged outside the end 2 of the light-control film.

[0011] Furthermore, the wiring 4' parallel to the end 2 of the light-control film is electrically connected by connecting it to a wiring 6 that leads to a pad electrode, and the end area of ​​the wiring 6 is provided with a pad electrode 5 that can be connected to a power supply wiring from a power source.

[0012] As explained above, the wiring 4' parallel to the end 2 of the light control film is arranged outside the end 2 of the light control film, so the dimension of the power supply electrode 10' in the direction perpendicular to the end 2 of the light control film in a plane parallel to the surface of the power supply member connection part 15' of the light control film 8 is larger by the dimension of the wiring 4' parallel to the end 2 of the light control film. This was a factor that prevented the frame of a light control device using a light control film from being narrowed. In other words, it limited the increase in the ratio of the area of ​​the light control area that can be dimmed to the surface that controls the light of the light control device.

[0013] As a prior art related to solving such problems, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that aims to provide a light-controlling sheet in which the wiring area of ​​the surface where the light control device controls the light is narrow, and therefore the area ratio of the light control area to the entire light-controlling sheet can be increased. Specifically, the transparent electrode on one side of at least a pair of transparent electrodes of the light-controlling sheet is configured to be divided into multiple strips with the first direction as the length direction. In addition, the transparent electrodes on one side divided into multiple strips are all bent in a second direction, and the bent ends in the second direction are connected to the respective power supply units, thereby solving the above problem.

[0014] However, while this technology is effective when the light-adjusting sheet is divided into multiple rectangular areas and driven, if the light-adjusting sheet is not divided and driven but is driven as a single surface, it is not possible to increase the area proportion of the light-adjusting region to the entire light-adjusting sheet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0015] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-126153 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0016] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a light-control film that can increase the area ratio of the light-controllable region to the entire light-control film, even when the light-control film is not divided and driven. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] As a means for solving the above problems, the first aspect of the present invention is a light-control film consisting of a laminate in which a pair of transparent conductive films each having a transparent conductive film formed on the surface of a transparent substrate are arranged with the transparent conductive film side on the inside and a light-control layer in which the scattering state of light changes depending on an applied voltage is sandwiched between the pair of transparent conductive films. At the end of the light-control film, the transparent substrate of one of the transparent conductive films is removed, and the light-control layer is further removed, thereby forming a conductive layer at a power supply member connection part, which is a part where the transparent conductive film of the other transparent conductive film is exposed. A power supply member connected via a power member, The power supply electrode is connected to the transparent conductive film of the power supply member connection portion. The power supply electrode is A plurality of connection terminals each made of a rectangular metal foil layer; The wiring A is provided in parallel with the end of the light control film at the power supply member connection portion, The plurality of connection terminals are arranged in parallel at a constant pitch in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped connection terminals, The wiring A is a power supply member characterized by being provided on the inside of the end of the light control film.

[0018] A second aspect is a light control film with a power supply member, characterized in that the power supply member according to the first aspect is connected to the power supply member connection portion of the light control film.

[0019] A third aspect is the light control film with a power supply member according to the second aspect, characterized in that the conductive member is an anisotropic conductive film. Effect of the Invention

[0020] The power supply member of the present invention is a power supply member that is connected to a power supply member connection part, which is a part where the transparent base material of one transparent conductive film is removed at the end of the light control film and the light control layer is further removed to expose the transparent conductive film of the other transparent conductive film, via a conductive member. The power supply member is provided with a power supply electrode that connects to the transparent conductive film of the power supply member connection part. The power supply electrode is provided with a plurality of connection terminals made of a rectangular metal foil layer and wiring that is provided in parallel to the end of the light control film at the power supply member connection part. The plurality of connection terminals are arranged in parallel at a constant pitch in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rectangular connection terminal, and the wiring A is provided inside the end of the light control film. Therefore, it is possible to narrow the width of the power supply member in the direction perpendicular to the end of the light control film. From the above, even if the light control film is not divided and driven, the area ratio of the light control area in the entire light control film can be increased.

[0021] In addition, because the light-control film with power supply member of the present invention uses the power supply member of the present invention, it is possible to provide a light-control film that can increase the area proportion of the light-control region in the entire light-control film, even if the light-control film is not divided and driven. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a top view illustrating a light control film with a power supply member according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram illustrating a layer structure of a light control film. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram illustrating a connection state between the light control film and the power supply member. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a top view illustrating a conventional light control film with a power supply member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] <Power supply components> A power supply member 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0024] The power supply member 1 of the present invention is a power supply member that is connected, via a conductive member (not shown), to a power supply member connection part 15, which is a part where the transparent conductive film 12 of the other transparent conductive film 14 is exposed by removing the transparent substrate 11 of one transparent conductive film 14 and further removing the light control layer 13, at an end 2 of the light control film (see FIG. 1), which is a laminate (see FIG. 2) in which a pair of transparent conductive films 14 each having a transparent conductive film 12 formed on the surface of a transparent substrate 11 are sandwiched with a light control layer 13 whose light scattering state changes depending on an applied voltage. As the conductive member, for example, an ACF (anisotropic conductive film) can be suitably used.

[0025] In addition, the power supply member 1 of the present invention includes a power supply electrode 10 connected to the transparent conductive film 12 of the power supply member connection portion 15, a wiring 6 leading to a pad electrode connected to the power supply electrode 10, and a pad electrode 5 provided at the end of the wiring 6 and connected to an external power source.

[0026] The power supply electrode 10 has a plurality of connection terminals 3 consisting of a wiring pattern 18 made of a rectangular metal foil layer, and wiring 4 arranged parallel to the end 2 of the light control film at the power supply member connection portion 15 (see Figure 1).

[0027] The connection terminals 3 are each shaped like a strip. The connection terminals 3 are arranged in parallel at a constant pitch in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the strip, i.e., in the direction of the short sides of the strip-shaped connection terminals 3.

[0028] Furthermore, a feature of the power supply member 1 in the present invention is that the wiring 4 is provided inside the end 2 of the light control film. By providing the wiring 4 inside the end 2 of the light control film, it is possible to reduce the longitudinal dimension of the connection terminal 3 of the power supply member 1, that is, the dimension in the direction perpendicular to the end 2 of the light control film at the power supply member connection part 15 of the power supply member 1. This makes it possible to increase the area ratio of the dimmable region in the entire light control film even when the light control film is not divided and driven.

[0029] (Edge of light control film) The end 2 of the light control film is the end of the light control film 8 at the power supply member connection part 15 formed to enable connection of the power supply electrode 10. For example, if the light control film 8 is rectangular, the power supply member connection part 15 is provided on one side of the rectangle. The end 2 of the light control film refers to one side of the light control film 8 on which the power supply member connection part 15 is provided.

[0030] (Power supply component connection part) As shown in Figure 3, the power supply member connection portion 15 is a connection portion that supplies the driving voltage of the light control film 8, which is supplied from an external power source (not shown) via a power supply wiring, to the transparent conductive films 12 provided on each of a pair of transparent conductive films 14 of the light control film 8.

[0031] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the power supply member connection portion 15 is a portion where the transparent conductive film 12 of the pair of transparent conductive films 14 is exposed at the end of the light control film 8. In order to expose the transparent conductive film 12, the transparent base material 11, the transparent conductive film 12, and the light control layer 13 of one of the pair of transparent conductive films 14 are removed. The method of removing the transparent base material 11 and the transparent conductive film 12 is not particularly limited as long as it is a means capable of cutting them, but for example, it is possible to cut them by making an incision with a cutter blade to a depth that reaches the light control layer 13. The shape of the cut may be matched to the shape and dimensions of the power supply electrode 10 to be connected. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, it may be cut into a rectangle. If the cut is not made beyond the thickness of the light control layer 13, it is possible to avoid damaging the other opposing transparent conductive film 14.

[0032] After cutting the transparent base material 11 and the transparent conductive film 12 of one of the transparent conductive films 14, the cut piece of one of the transparent conductive films 14 is peeled off and removed. By removing it, the light-controlling layer 13 is exposed, and the light-controlling layer 13 is wiped off using a solvent capable of dissolving the light-controlling layer 13. In this manner, the transparent conductive film 12 of the opposing transparent conductive film 14 is exposed, and the power supply member connection part 15 can be formed.

[0033] Next, at another end of the light control film 8, the opposing transparent conductive film 1 is similarly 4, a power supply member connection portion 15 can also be formed.

[0034] (Power supply electrode) The power supply electrode 10 (see FIG. 1) includes a plurality of connection terminals 3, each of which is made up of a wiring pattern 18 (see FIG. 3) made of a metal foil layer in the shape of a rectangular strip formed on an insulating film 17, and a wiring 4 provided in parallel to the end 2 of the light control film at the power supply member connection portion 15. The shape of the pattern 18 does not have to be a rectangular or rectangular shape, and may be any shape. In other words, the power supply electrode 10 is configured such that the wiring 4 provided in parallel to the end 2 of the light control film straddles the longitudinal center position of multiple connection terminals 3 arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the wiring 4, electrically connecting the multiple connection terminals 3. The power supply electrode 10 is connected to a connection portion 7 between the power supply electrode and the wiring 6 described below, and the connection portion 7 is further connected to the wiring 6 connected to the pad electrode, and further connected to the pad electrode 5 formed at the end of the wiring 6, forming a power supply member 1. Such an electrode configuration makes it possible to ensure a sufficient contact area between the transparent conductive film 12 of the light control film 8 and the power supply electrode 10. Therefore, the length of the power supply electrode 10 in the direction perpendicular to the end 2 of the light control film of the power supply member 1 can be reduced without increasing the connection resistance between the power supply electrode 10 and the transparent conductive film 12. 3, the power supply member 1 can be integrally formed by a wiring pattern 18 made of a metal foil layer formed on an insulating film 17. For example, the power supply member 1 can be formed by an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits).

[0035] (Wiring parallel to the edge of the light control film) The wiring 4 parallel to the end of the light control film is an electrode made of a metal foil layer arranged parallel to the end 2 of the light control film or parallel to the end 2 of the light control film. The wiring 4 is an electrode electrically connected in parallel to all the connection terminals 3. By connecting the wiring 4 in parallel to all the connection terminals 3, it becomes easy to connect the wiring 4 to the transparent conductive film 12 of the light control film 8 without electrical bias. Here, it is desirable for the power supply electrode 10 to be configured to avoid heat concentration and enable more uniform power supply. Therefore, each connection terminal 3 has the same shape and size, and is arranged periodically. In addition, the wiring 4 is formed so as to cross approximately the center of each connection terminal 3.

[0036] (Connection between power supply electrode and wiring) As shown in FIG. 1, the connection portion 7 between the power supply electrode and the wiring 6 is located between the power supply electrode 10 and the wiring 6 connected to the pad electrode described next, and is a wiring or electrode made of a metal foil layer that connects and electrically connects them.

[0037] (Wiring connected to pad electrode) The wiring 6 connected to the pad electrode is a wiring or electrode made of a metal foil layer that is located between the connection portion 7 of the power supply electrode and the wiring 6 and the pad electrode 5 described next, and connects and electrically connects them.

[0038] (Pad electrode) The pad electrode 5 is an electrode formed on an end region of the wiring 6 connected to the pad electrode. The pad electrode 5 is an electrode that connects to a power supply wiring (not shown) that is connected to a power source (not shown) that supplies a voltage to drive the light control film 8. The pad electrode 5 may be the wiring 6 itself made of a metal foil layer, or may be a solder plating layer or a hard gold plating layer formed on the metal foil layer, or a connector such as a socket installed on the end region of the wiring 6.

[0039] (Transparent base material) The transparent substrate 11 is a transparent film- or sheet-shaped substrate that has mechanical strength such as self-supporting property as a light control film and does not easily break, and does not need to be particularly limited as long as it is a chemically stable material. For example, transparent resin films such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film and various glass plates can be mentioned. Also, the transparent substrate 11 may be a material in which the transparent resin film and the glass plate are bonded together.

[0040] (Transparent conductive film) The transparent conductive film 12 has a light transmittance of 80% or more in the visible light region and a volume resistivity of 1×10 -3 Any thin film with a resistivity of Ω·cm or less can be used suitably. Examples include ITO (indium tin oxide), as well as tin oxide-based transparent conductive films such as ATO (tin oxide thin film doped with antimony), FTO (tin oxide thin film doped with fluorine), AZO (zinc oxide thin film doped with aluminum), and GZO (zinc oxide thin film doped with gallium).

[0041] The transparent conductive film 12 can be formed using a method such as vacuum deposition, sputtering, or chemical vapor deposition, but ion plating and arc plasma deposition are known as methods capable of forming a thin film with lower resistance or reducing the variation in resistance value within the surface.

[0042] (Light-adjusting layer) A material whose light scattering state changes depending on the applied voltage is used for the light control layer 13. As such a material, a liquid crystal material such as polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) or polymer network liquid crystal is used.

[0043] Further, as driving modes for the light-controlling layer, a normal mode and a reverse mode are known. The normal mode is a mode in which the light scattering state is minimal (transparent) when a voltage is applied to the light-controlling layer 13, and is maximal (opaque) when no voltage is applied. Conventionally, light-controlling layers in this mode have been used.

[0044] In the reverse mode, the light scattering state is maximized (opaque) when a voltage is applied to the light-control layer 13, and is minimized (transparent) when no voltage is applied. In recent years, this reverse mode has come into practical use. In the reverse mode, the film becomes transparent when the power supply is lost due to a lightning strike or a major disaster. For this reason, a highly safe reverse-mode light-control film is being considered for windows with a light-control function to be used in vehicle windows and elevators.

[0045] (Insulating film) The insulating film 17 is a material that is the base material of the power supply member 1, and an electrically insulating material is used to form the wiring pattern 18 made of a metal foil layer on the surface of the insulating film 17. There is no need to limit the material of the insulating film 17 to any particular material as long as it is an electrically insulating material and can be processed into a film. For example, a polyimide film known as an insulating film for FPCs can be suitably used. Polyimide films are very heat-resistant and have sufficiently high mechanical strength, and are often used in FPCs used in electronic devices, but there is no need to limit the material thereto.

[0046] (metal foil layer) As the material for the metal foil layer, copper foil, which has the second highest electrical conductivity after silver and is much less expensive than silver, can be suitably used, but it is not necessary to be limited thereto.

[0047] <Light control film> The light control film with a power supply member of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG.

[0048] The light control film 20 with a power supply member of the present invention is a light control film in which the light control film 8 is provided with the power supply member 1 of the present invention.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 1, the light control film 20 with power supply ratio of the present invention has a power supply member connection part 15 at the end 2 of the light control film 8.

[0050] As shown in Figure 3, the power supply member connection portion 15 is a connection portion that supplies the driving voltage of the light control film 8, which is supplied from an external power source (not shown) via a power supply wiring (not shown), to the transparent conductive films 12 provided on each of a pair of transparent conductive films 14 of the light control film 8.

[0051] A wiring pattern 18 made of a metal foil layer of the power supply member 1 is connected to the power supply member connection portion 15 via a conductive member (not shown) such as ACF.

[0052] As described above, the light control film 20 with the power supply member of the present invention is connected to the power source via the power supply member 1 of the present invention. Therefore, even if the light control film 8 is not divided and driven, it is possible to provide a light control film that can increase the area ratio of the light control region to the entire light control film 8. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1, 1´ Power supply member 2. Edge of light control film 3, 3´···Connection terminal 4, 4´ (parallel to the edge of the light control film) wiring 5. Pad electrode 6, 6´···(connected to pad electrode) wiring 7: Connection between the power supply electrode and the wiring 6 (connected to the pad electrode) 8. Light control film 10, 10´···Power supply electrode 11...Transparent base material 12 Transparent conductive film 13. Photochromic layer 14 Transparent conductive film 15, 15´···Power supply member connection part 17, 17´···Insulating film 18... (metal foil layer) wiring pattern 20, 20´···Light control film with power supply component

Claims

1. A power supply member connected via a conductive member to a power supply member connection part, which is a part at an end of a light-control film consisting of a pair of transparent conductive films, each having a transparent conductive film formed on the surface of a transparent substrate, with the transparent conductive film side of the pair of transparent conductive films facing inward and sandwiching a light-control layer whose light scattering state changes depending on an applied voltage, by removing the transparent substrate of one of the transparent conductive films and then removing the light-control layer to expose the transparent conductive film of the other transparent conductive film, The power supply electrode is connected to the transparent conductive film of the power supply member connection portion. The power supply electrode is placed on the insulating film. A plurality of connection terminals each made of a rectangular metal foil layer; A wiring provided in parallel with an end of the light control film at the power supply member connection portion, The plurality of connection terminals are arranged in parallel at a constant pitch in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped connection terminals, The wiring is provided on the inside of the end of the light control film, The power supply member, wherein the plurality of connection terminals include connection terminals extending from the wiring toward both sides of the wiring in a longitudinal direction of the connection terminals.

2. A light control film with a power supply member, wherein the power supply member according to claim 1 is connected to the power supply member connection portion of the light control film.

3. The light control film with a power supply member according to claim 2 , wherein the conductive member is an anisotropic conductive film.

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