Electroresponsive Liquid Crystal Dimming Device for Privacy and Daylighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for balancing privacy and daylighting, such as coated glass and dye-doped smart windows, face limitations in stability and color versatility, particularly under ultraviolet light exposure, and cannot achieve a colorless and transparent state effectively.
Innovation Solution
An electroresponsive liquid crystal dimming device comprising a sequence of first and second polymer network stabilized liquid crystal layers and a positive liquid crystal layer, made by curing a mixture of positive liquid crystals, chiral dopants, photoinitiators, and photopolymerizable liquid crystal monomers, which reflect circularly polarized light and change light transmission and reflection properties with voltage application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If dye-doped smart window is used to adjust optical properties, then transmission and absorption control is improved, but stability deteriorates due to discoloration under ultraviolet light
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the dye component from the liquid crystal mixture, extracting the harmful element that causes discoloration under ultraviolet light. The invention achieves optical control without dye molecules, thereby eliminating the stability problem while maintaining the ability to adjust light transmission through liquid crystal orientation control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the unstable dye-doped system with a more stable liquid crystal system that does not rely on dye molecules. By using a liquid crystal mixture without dye, the system achieves long-term stability under ultraviolet exposure while maintaining optical control functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If dye-doped smart window is used to achieve color adjustment, then color versatility is improved, but the ability to achieve colorless and transparent state deteriorates due to incomplete orientation of dye molecules
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the dye component that prevents complete transparency. By removing dye molecules from the system, the liquid crystal can achieve a truly colorless and transparent state when properly oriented, while still maintaining color adjustment capabilities through the liquid crystal's inherent optical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the composition parameter by eliminating dye and adjusting the liquid crystal mixture ratios. This allows the system to achieve both color adjustment versatility and complete transparency by controlling liquid crystal orientation without the interference of dye molecules that cannot reach ideal alignment.
3Illumination intensity
If coated glass is used to block visible light, then light blocking capability is improved, but privacy protection under low light intensity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces static coated glass with a dynamic liquid crystal system that can actively adjust its optical properties. The liquid crystal layer can switch between transparent and opaque states, providing both light blocking capability and privacy protection by controlling the orientation of liquid crystal molecules in response to applied voltage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the glass by introducing a liquid crystal layer that can dynamically alter its refractive index and orientation. This allows the system to provide both visible light blocking and effective privacy protection by adjusting the liquid crystal's optical state based on environmental conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables adjustable light reflection and transmission, allowing the device to transition between dark and transparent, light and transparent, colorless and opaque, and colorless and transparent states, enhancing application prospects in window glass by avoiding the limitations of single-mode settings.
Implementation Method 1
the polymerizable liquid crystal monomer forms a polymer network under the action of the chiral dopant and the photoinitiator
Implementation Method 2
the first polymer network stabilized liquid crystal layer and the second polymer network stabilized liquid crystal layer are made by curing a liquid crystal mixture by ultraviolet light
Implementation Method 3
the dye-doped color smart window controls the rotation of the liquid crystal molecules by an external voltage to drive the change of the arrangement of the dye molecules
Implementation Method 4
the first polymer network stabilized liquid crystal layer and the second polymer network stabilized liquid crystal layer reflect the circularly polarized light having the same polarization direction
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure discloses an electroresponsive liquid crystal dimming device comprising a first light transmitting conductive substrate, a first polymer network stabilized liquid crystal layer, a positive liquid crystal layer, a second polymer network stabilized liquid crystal layer and a second light transmitting conductive substrate which are arranged in sequence; and the first polymer network stabilized liquid crystal layer and the second polymer network stabilized liquid crystal layer reflect the circularly polarized light having the same polarization direction. The conversion of the positive liquid crystals in each layer between different states is driven by changing the magnitude of the access voltage of the liquid crystal dimming device according to the present disclosure, thereby realizing the adjustment of blurring to transparent states and color to colorless states of the liquid crystal dimming device, having a good application prospect in the window glass, and home glass window, and the like.