Ravenbrick LLC

Matthew Bryant Kish

Richard M Powers

Wil McCarthy

Neil Brian Cramer

Andrew L LaFrate

Christopher M Caldwell

Michael Pickford

Wil Mccarthy

Thermochromic liquid crystal filters are fabricated by providing two polarizers oriented at offset polarity with respect to each other; providing alignment structures adjacent the inner surfaces of the polarizers; placing a plurality of spacers between the polarizers; and filling a space created by the spacers with a thermotropic liquid crystal that acts as a wave block in an isotropic state and acts to rotate the polarization of light in a nematic state. Alternatively, the filters can be created by encapsulating a thermochromic liquid crystal with a polymer material to form a flexible film and orienting the thermochromic liquid crystal in the polymer material to create a structure that functions as a thermochromic optical filter. Such filters can control the flow of light and radiant heat through selective reflection, transmission, absorption, and/or re-emission. The filters have particular application in passive or active light-regulating and temperature-regulating films, materials, and devices, and particularly as construction materials.

Methods for fabricating thermochromic filters

A resizable polymer-stabilized, thermotropic liquid crystal device formulation is used in passive or active light-regulating and temperature-regulating films, materials and devices, including construction materials. Implementations of the device may be composed of five basic elements: one or more transparent substrates, a transparent surface treatment, a liquid crystal mixture, a stabilizing polymer, and spacer beads. The polymer-stabilized liquid crystal is coated and cured on at least one substrate. The transparent surface treatment and the stabilizing polymer network are selected to provide phase separation, curing, and adhesion within the LC mixture. The substrate or substrates may be polarizing or nonpolarizing.

Polymer stabilized thermotropic liquid crystal device

Thermochromic liquid crystal filters are fabricated by providing two polarizers oriented at offset polarity with respect to each other; providing alignment structures adjacent the inner surfaces of the polarizers; placing a plurality of spacers between the polarizers; and filling a space created by the spacers with a thermotropic liquid crystal that acts as a depolarizer in a nematic state. The filter acts as a wave block when the liquid crystal is in an isotropic state. Alternatively, the filters can be created by encapsulating a thermochromic liquid crystal with a polymer material to form a flexible film and orienting the thermochromic liquid crystal in the polymer material to create a structure that functions as a thermochromic optical filter. Such filters can control the flow of light and radiant heat through selective reflection, transmission, absorption, and/or re-emission. The filters have particular application in passive or active light-regulating and temperature-regulating films and materials.

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Denver, CO, United States of America

Matthew Bryant Kish