Abstract:
An accessory article incorporating liquid crystal materials includes at least one liquid crystal cell and at least one formable member for carrying the liquid crystal cell. The article includes a driving circuit connected to the at least one liquid crystal cell to control the appearance thereof The liquid crystal cell comprises a pair of opposed substrates, wherein each the substrate has an electrode disposed thereon and facing the other the substrate with a gap that receives the liquid crystal material. Application of an electric field by the driving circuit allows the liquid crystal cell to reflect a desired color and in a desired logo or shape.
Abstract:
A solar powered variable light attenuating device includes a liquid crystal cell, a photovoltaic cell in electrical communication with the liquid crystal cell, and a light concentrator having a light absorbing surface and a light emitting surface optically coupled to the photovoltaic cell. At least a portion of light impinging on the light absorbing surface of the light concentrator is concentrated and directed through the light emitting surface to a photon- absorbing portion of the photovoltaic cell to generate a voltage. The generated voltage is used to change the liquid crystal cell from a de-energized state to an energized state in response to sunlight directed toward the photovoltaic cell.
Abstract:
A cell for the electronic attenuation of light suitable for use in eyewear includes spaced substrates coated with a conducting layer, and preferably a passivation layer and an alignment layer. Disposed between the substrates is a guest-host solution comprising a host material and a light-absorbing dichroic dye guest. A power circuit is provided with a power supply connected to the conducting layers. Adjustment of the power supply alters the orientation of the host material which in turn alters the orientation of the dichroic dye. Light is absorbed by the dichroic dye, depending upon its orientation without the need for polarizers.
Abstract:
A naphthopyran compound represented by the formula (I) B1 and B2 may include a phenyl, naphthyl, or heterocyclic aromatic group, or may combine to form one or more aromatic rings. B1 and B2 may further include one or more substituents. Ra may include an alkyl, polycycloalkyl, alkenyl, polyalkenyl, haloalkyl, perhaloalkyl, alkynyl, polyalkynyl, hydroxyalkynyl, polyhydroxyalkynyl; or (C3-20)cycloalkyl group. Rb and Rc may include hydrogen or alkyl groups, or may combine to form a saturated heterocyclic group, or rogether with an adjacent phenyl group may form a julolidinyl group. R3, R4, R5, R6, and R10 may include hydrogen, halogen, -Ra, -OH, -ORa, -O-CO-Ra, -CN, -NO2, -SO2Ra, -SORa, -SH, -SRa, -NH2, -NHRa, -NRaRa, or -NRbRc; or any two or more may combine to form a cyclic group. R7 is a mesogenic group. And the naphthopyran, which may be referred to as a dichroic-photochromic compound, may be incorporated into an optical article.
Abstract:
An electro-optic eyewear assembly having a frame with opposed ends, a pair of temples, and a hinge mechanically interconnecting each temple to a corresponding end of the frame. Each temple moveable between a wearing position and a storage position and at least one electro-optic lens carried by the frame and a control circuit carried by at least one of the temples. The electrical connection between the control circuit and the at least one electro-optic lens being made by moving one of the temples into physical contact with the frame when the temple carrying the control circuit is moved to a wearing position.
Abstract:
A light emitting photonic bandgap (PBG) material, and devices uses the same, having (a) a polymer network exhibiting a non-uniform pitch; (b) a small molecule liquid crystal material with a birefringence>0.04; and (c) one or more light emitting dyes having a low triplet state absorption. The light emitting PBG material has a defect-induced density of states enhancing feature at a wavelength that overlaps the emission spectrum of the light emitting dye. Excitation of the light emitting PBG material by a light source causes a directional electromagnetic emission from the light emitting material. The PBG material, and device, are capable of emitting continuous wave laser light as a result of excitation by a low-power incoherent light source.
Abstract:
A solar powered variable light attenuating device includes a liquid crystal cell, a photovoltaic cell in electrical communication with the liquid crystal cell, and a light concentrator having a light absorbing surface and a light emitting surface optically coupled to the photovoltaic cell. At least a portion of light impinging on the light absorbing surface of the light concentrator is concentrated and directed through the light emitting surface to a photon- absorbing portion of the photovoltaic cell to generate a voltage. The generated voltage is used to change the liquid crystal cell from a de-energized state to an energized state in response to sunlight directed toward the photovoltaic cell.
Abstract:
A light emitting photonic band gap (PBG) material 10 comprises a polymer network 12 exhibiting a non-uniform pitch, a small molecule liquid crystal material 18 for example, nematic, smectic or cholesteric, with bifringence > 0.04, one or more light emitting dyes 20 having a low triplet state absorption, and wherein the light emitting PBG material has a defect-induced density of states enchancing feature at a wavelength that overlaps the emission spectrum of the light emitting dye. A cholesteric (CLC) laser may also be produced using the PBG material, pulsed and continuous wave (CW) directional emission may produced in the dye doped CLCs under both coherent (laser) and incoherent (eg LED) continuous (CW) light excitation. The combination of the dye and a polymer stabilized disturbed feedback structure of the CLC exhibiting defect-type photonic band gap (PBG) behaviour may be used to achieve the effect. The polymer network may have a chirality of its own or follow the chirality of an added liquid crystal material.
Abstract:
A cell for the electronic attenuation of light suitable for use in eyewear includes spaced substrates coated with a conducting layer, and preferably a passivation layer and an alignment layer. Disposed between the substrates is a guest-host solution comprising a host material and a light-absorbing dichroic dye guest. A power circuit is provided with a power supply connected to the conducting layers. Adjustment of the power supply alters the orientation of the host material which in turn alters the orientation of the dichroic dye. Light is absorbed by the dichroic dye, depending upon its orientation without the need for polarizers.
Abstract:
A solar powered variable light attenuating device includes a liquid crystal cell, a photovoltaic cell in electrical communication with the liquid crystal cell, and a light concentrator having a light absorbing surface and a light emitting surface optically coupled to the photovoltaic cell. At least a portion of light impinging on the light absorbing surface of the light concentrator is concentrated and directed through the light emitting surface to a photon-absorbing portion of the photovoltaic cell to generate a voltage. The generated voltage is used to change the liquid crystal cell from a de-energized state to an energized state in response to sunlight directed toward the photovoltaic cell.