Optical Sunroof Laminate With Louver Film for Glare and Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle windows with fixed transmittance and anti-reflection coatings face issues such as glare during daylight and reduced visibility at night, and increased thickness due to multi-layer coatings, which compromise transmittance adjustment and flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A transmittance variable optical laminate with an electric field-driven liquid crystal layer and a louver film composed of two laminated layers with light-blocking patterns protruding inward, directly attached to the polarizing plates, allowing for adjustable transmittance and anti-reflection without increasing thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If multi-layer coating layers are introduced to provide an anti-reflection function, then the anti-reflection function is improved, but the thickness of the optical laminate increases and transmittance adjustment performance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the anti-reflection function from traditional multi-layer coating structures and implements it through a louver film with light-blocking patterns. This separates the anti-reflection function from the optical laminate's main body, allowing the laminate to maintain its original thin structure while the louver film provides the required anti-reflection performance through its specific geometric pattern design.
Solution Approach 2:
The louver film incorporates light-blocking patterns with specific local geometric structures that create anti-reflection effects at particular locations and angles. The patterns are designed with specific dimensions and orientations to provide localized anti-reflection functionality without requiring uniform multi-layer coating across the entire surface, thus maintaining overall thinness.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multi-layer coating layers are introduced to provide an anti-reflection function, then the anti-reflection function is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-reflection function is extracted from the complex multi-layer coating manufacturing process and transferred to a separate louver film component. This allows the optical laminate to be manufactured using standard processes, while the louver film with its pre-formed light-blocking patterns is applied as a distinct element, simplifying the overall manufacturing workflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the optical laminate with a louver film that has light-blocking patterns in a composite structure. This composite approach allows each component to be optimized and manufactured separately, then assembled together, reducing the complexity of the overall manufacturing process compared to creating anti-reflection properties through multiple coating layers in a single complex process.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the overall transmittance is preset low, then glare during day is reduced, but visibility at night is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic system where the louver film can change its light-blocking pattern configuration in response to ambient light conditions. During daytime, the patterns are oriented to block reflected light and reduce glare, while during nighttime, the patterns adjust to allow maximum light transmission, thus adapting to different illumination conditions and maintaining visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the orientation and configuration parameters of the light-blocking patterns in the louver film based on ambient light levels. By adjusting parameters such as pattern angle, spacing, and density, the system optimizes performance for different lighting conditions, reducing glare when ambient light is high and maintaining visibility when ambient light is low.
4Illumination intensity
If the overall transmittance is preset high, then visibility at night is improved, but glare during day is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the light-blocking pattern configuration based on ambient light conditions. When ambient light is low at night, the patterns are configured to minimize interference and maximize light transmission, improving visibility. When ambient light is high during the day, the patterns automatically orient to block reflected light, reducing glare.
Solution Approach 2:
The louver film's light-blocking patterns change their operational parameters such as orientation angle and effective density in response to ambient light levels. At night, parameters are set to allow high transmittance for visibility, while during the day, parameters are adjusted to block reflected light and reduce glare, thus adapting to different lighting environments.
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
The laminate effectively reduces glare from reflected images at night while maintaining high transmittance and flexibility, enhancing visibility and reducing thickness, suitable for vehicle sunroofs and smart windows.
Implementation Method 1
a louver film disposed on at least a portion of the indoor-side surface of the light control laminate, wherein the louver film is composed of two or more laminated layers and includes light-blocking patterns
Implementation Method 2
a light control laminate including an electric field-driven liquid crystal between polarizing plates
Implementation Method 3
electric field-driven liquid crystal between polarizing plates
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a transmittance variable optical laminate including: a light control laminate including an electric field-driven liquid crystal between polarizing plates; and a louver film disposed on at least a portion of the indoor-side surface of the light control laminate, wherein the louver film is composed of two or more laminated layers and includes light-blocking patterns, wherein the light-blocking patterns are disposed to face the indoor side. Also disclosed is a sunroof including the transmittance variable optical laminate.