The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 03, 2012
Filed:
Dec. 18, 2008
Anil Kumar, Murrysville, PA (US);
Peter C. Foller, Murrysville, PA (US);
Elizabeth Furar, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Forrest R. Blackburn, Monroeville, PA (US);
Anil Kumar, Murrysville, PA (US);
Peter C. Foller, Murrysville, PA (US);
Elizabeth Furar, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Forrest R. Blackburn, Monroeville, PA (US);
Transitions Optical, Inc, Pinellas Park, FL (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides optical elements comprising a photochromic linear polarizing element and a birefringent layer that circularly or elliptically polarizes transmitted radiation. The photochromic linear polarizing element comprises a substrate and either: (1) a coating comprising an aligned, thermally reversible photochromic-dichroic compound having an average absorption ratio of at least 1.5 in an activated state, and being operable for switching from a first absorption state to a second absorption state in response to actinic radiation, to revert back to the first absorption state in response to thermal energy, and to linearly polarize transmitted radiation in at least one of the two states; or (2) an at least partially ordered polymeric sheet connected to the substrate; and a thermally reversible photochromic-dichroic compound that is at least partially aligned with the polymeric sheet and has an average absorption ratio greater than 2.3 in the activated state.