PDLC Vehicle Pane Stack Layout to Reduce White Veil and Haze
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current PDLC vehicle panes suffer from issues such as a white veil and cloudiness when sunlight hits them, leading to a distracting haze and an unsightly appearance resembling cheap plastic due to reflection from the inside, especially when the sun is shining.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle pane design with specific adjustments to the light transmittance levels of sub-laminates and the ratio of these levels, featuring an outer and inner glass pane, laminated layers, a PDLC layer with embedded liquid crystal droplets and electrically conductive layers, and protective layers, where the light transmittance inside is between 5-46% and outside is between 20-73%, with outside transmittance being greater than or equal to inside, reducing the formation of a white veil and enhancing visual quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a white PDLC layer is used to achieve high light transmittance above 70%, then transparency is improved, but distracting haze and white veil are produced when sunlight hits the pane
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different light transmittance properties to different parts of the glazing system by introducing a tinted intermediate layer between the outer and inner glass panes. This intermediate layer has a specific light transmittance range (10-50%) that differs from both the outer and inner pane properties, creating localized optical characteristics that reduce white veil and haze while maintaining overall transparency when the PDLC layer is activated.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a PDLC layer is integrated into vehicle glazing to enable switching between transparent and opaque modes, then functionality is improved, but cloudiness and white appearance resembling cheap plastic are increased due to reflection from the inside
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a tinted intermediate layer as a mediator between the outer and inner glass panes. This intermediate layer with light transmittance of 10-50% acts as an optical buffer that reduces internal reflections and minimizes the white plastic appearance when the PDLC layer is activated, while still allowing the switchable transparency function to operate effectively.
3Loss of energy
If the outer pane and intermediate layer are tinted to reduce light transmittance, then energy transmittance is reduced, but the visual quality and color discernibility are improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the light transmittance parameter of the intermediate layer to a specific range (10-50%) that balances energy reduction with visual quality maintenance. By carefully selecting this parameter range, the system achieves reduced energy transmittance while preserving sufficient light for color discernibility and visual clarity, avoiding excessive darkening.
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 solution significantly reduces the formation of a white veil and improves the visual quality by minimizing the distracting haze and unsightly appearance, providing a higher-quality visual impression by ensuring the outer stack is darker than the inner stack, thus reducing scattered light and its intensity, making colors more discernible.
Implementation Method 1
PDLC layers (PDLC=polymer dispersed liquid crystal) are mostly white films, whose light transmittance can be changed by applying an electrical voltage; in particular, they can be switched between a transparent mode and an opaque mode.
Implementation Method 2
a layer positioned inward relative to the PDLC layer and a layer positioned outward relative to the PDLC layer are tinted to reduce light and energy transmittance
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle pane, includes successively a) an outer glass pane, b) at least one laminated layer, c) a PDLC layer, including a polymer matrix, in which liquid crystal droplets are embedded, and in each case an electrically conductive layer on both sides of the polymer matrix, d) at least one laminated layer, and e) an inner glass pane. The TL(inside) is in the range from 5 to 46% and the TL(outside) is in the range from 20 to 73% and the TL(outside) is greater than or equal to TL(inside), wherein the TL(inside) is the light transmittance of an inner stack that is formed by the inner glass pane and the layers between the PDLC layer and the inner glass pane, and TL(outside) is the light transmittance of an outer stack that is formed by the outer glass pane and the layers between the PDLC layer and the outer glass pane.