PDLC Optical Assembly for Backlit Transparent Headgear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing headgear designs struggle to concurrently provide visual effects and clear vision for wearers, often resulting in limited views or the use of complex and bulky camera-based systems that distort the wearer's perspective.
Innovation Solution
A special effects and vision assembly using a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) outer screen and a backlighting assembly with LED lights, controlled by a shutter assembly to rapidly switch between opaque and transparent states, allowing the wearer to see through while appearing to emit bright light from the outside.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If holes are used in masks or helmets to provide vision, then the wearer can see their surroundings, but the outside view is very limited and the holes may not coincide with the eyes of the helmet or mask
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a dynamic switching mechanism that alternates between opaque and transparent states of the eye shield material. This allows the viewing area to dynamically expand from small holes to the entire eye shield surface, resolving the contradiction between limited viewing area and vision capability.
2Ease of operation
If cameras and heads-up display are used to provide vision through headgear, then the wearer can see through the headgear, but the system is expensive, complex, bulky, and provides distorted perspective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex camera and heads-up display system, replacing it with a simple optical switching mechanism using transparent/opaque material. This removes the harmful complexity while preserving the vision capability through direct optical transmission.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the eye area is made opaque to provide visual effect, then the performer's eyes and face remain hidden, but the wearer cannot see through the mask or helmet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic switching between opaque and transparent states at frequencies above the flicker fusion threshold. This creates the visual effect of continuous opacity to outside observers while periodically allowing light transmission to the wearer's eyes, resolving the contradiction between visual effect and vision capability.
4Ease of operation
If the eye area is made transparent to allow vision, then the wearer can see through the headgear, but the visual effect of bright light emission is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic switching between transparent and opaque states synchronized with backlighting. When opaque, the backlight emits bright light for visual effect; when transparent, vision is enabled. This temporal separation resolves the contradiction between transparency for vision and opacity for visual effect.
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
This solution provides a clear and unobstructed view for the wearer without the need for cameras or heads-up displays, maintaining a natural perspective and a smaller form factor, while appearing to emit continuous light to observers.
Implementation Method 1
The outer screen is formed of a sheet or piece of PDLC material and is adapted for rapid switching between a first operating state in which it is opaque to light and a second operating state in which it is transparent to light
Implementation Method 2
The lights may each be a light emitting diode (LED) such as a colored LED or a white LED
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus worn as headgear providing visual effects and vision to the wearer. The apparatus includes a shell or helmet. The apparatus includes an optical assembly mounted in the interior space of the shell adjacent eye slits or opening(s) to the interior space of the shell. The optical assembly includes an outer screen (e.g., a film of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal) switchable between a rear projection (RP) screen state in which the outer screen is cloudy or translucent and a transparent state. The optical assembly includes a backlighting assembly with numerous lights. The optical assembly includes a controller switching, at a rate greater than the flicker fusion rate, between a first operating state with the outer screen in the RP screen state and the lights on to illuminate the outer screen and a second operating state with the outer screen in the transparent state and the lights off.