GB2116242A

GB2116242A - Glazing

Info

Publication number: GB2116242A
Application number: GB08305004A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Dennis Hall; John Henry Goodwin; Michael Jeremy Pugh Davies
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-02-23
Filing date: 1983-02-23
Publication date: 1983-09-21
Also published as: GB8305004D0

Abstract

Window glazing incorporating liquid crystal means connected to control means therefore, the arrangement being such that the activity of the liquid crystal means can be controlled by the control means thereby to control the intensity of radiation passing through the glazing. Electrical energy produced as a result of the passage of light passing through the glazing can be utilized to power the control means or other devices.

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to glazing According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling the intensity of radiation passing through glazing, the glazing incorporating liquid crystal means connected to control means therefor, the method including the step of actuating said control means to adjust the activity of said liquid crystal means thereby to control said radiation intensity.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided glazing incorporating liquid crystal means connected to control means therefor, the arrangement being such that the activity of said liquid crystal means can be controlled by said control means thereby to control the intensity of radiation passing through the glazing.

The term "radiation" used herein is intended to embrace the spectrum comprising infrared radiation, visible light and ultraviolet radiation and the control means can be such as in particular to control the light intensity and/or the heat radiation intensity passing through or emitted by the glazing.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawing, in which:~ Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a window incorporating the present invention, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view taken on the line A-A in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing a modification, and Figure 4 is an enlarged diagrammatic sectional view of an edge of the window shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2, the invention has for its object to utilise liquid crystals incorporated in glazing so that inter alia the intensity of the light and/or heat passing through the glazing can be controlled.

Figure 1 shows a window 1 which incorporates a plurality of liquid crystal modules 2 embracing substantially the whole surface area of the window. As shown in Figure 2, the modules can be held in position by an enclosing transparent skin 3 which may be of glass. If this double skin protection is not required, then, as shown in Figure 3, the modules 2 can be held together by transparent beading 4, for example.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of an edge of the window shown in Figures 1 and 2. The edges of the two sheets of glass forming the skin 3 are embedded in a sealant 5 which itself is set in an edge protector 6. A spacer 7 is provided to space the two sheets of glass from the liquid crystal module 3.

Each liquid crystal module 3 is electrically connected to a control means (not shown) therefor and provision is made in the form of a wire run 8 in the window to enable the necessary connections to be made. In use, the control means is actuated to control the activity of the liquid crystal modules so that, in one condition of the liquid crystals, maximum light is allowed to pass through the glazing and, in another condition of the liquid crystals, a minimum light intensity, governed by the activity of the liquid crystals, is passed through the glazing. It has also been found that, by adjusting the voltage input to the liquid crystals, a variation in intensity of light throughput can be obtained between the two extreme conditions.

The control means may be manually operable so that a person sitting beside a window can readily adjust the light intensity entering the room.

The control means could also be automatic and perhaps computerised so as to achieve automatic controlling of the radiation intensity. Such a system could be linked with photosensors so that the light intensity throughput is adjusted automatically as when, for example, the sun is obscured by a cloud and then reappears, thereby to maintain a substantially constant light intensity within the room. Thus, there is the capability to change the visual light transmission properties on a continuous transition basis and this is paralleled by the ability to control the thermal environment which the glazing surrounds or encloses by increasing or reducing the total amount of incoming or outgoing radiation.

For example, the thermal transmission can be regulated by control of the liquid crystals to change the surface of the glazing between a reflective state and a transparent state.

It will be appreciated that an active surface which changes from black/opaque to a transparent highly reflective state and vice versa is capable of controlling the degree of energy absorption at the active surface on a continuous transition basis and will be capable of a wide degree of control of energy absorption or rejection.

Since any one window can consist of a plurality of liquid crystal modules 3, each module may be individually controllable. If the control means include facility for manual operation, then, for example, a person sitting at a desk upon which sunlight is falling could adjust the modules 3 in that part of the window transmitting the sunlight to the desk so as to weaken the light intensity in that area, whilst allowing the sunlight to fall with a greater intensity in other parts of the room. If the control means includes facility for automatic control, then this automatic selective light intensity adjustment can be achieved automatically.

The modules 3 could also be activated in such a way as to convert the windows into animated or static display devices by selectively activating the liquid crystals to produce in the window areas transmitting different light intensities.

A modification of this concept is where the liquid crystals can be made to change their colour appearance and colour filtration properties. This can be achieved by providing several layers of crystals of different colour bands; for example, two or three layers of crystals in primary colours could be utilised.

The glazing can be constructed as an envelope containing the liquid crystals and these can be allowed to flow as a result of the thermal effect of the light passing through the glazing or the heat so produced can be forcibly transferred to, for example, a cooler side of the building to warm it.

Thus, the glazing can incorporate integral means to distribute energy between different locations.

Notwithstanding this, the glazing may be used as an energy collection device whereby, for example, electrical energy may be drawn from the glazing and used for other purposes and/or used to provide power for the control means and/or other environmental controlling devices. This can be achieved by converting light incident on the glazing into electrical energy or thermocouple properties of the liquid crystals could be utilised, the glazing possibly incorporating the necessary means for such conversion.

By selection of the appropriate active electrochemical constituents of the glazing, differing performance properties may be obtained.

It will be appreciated that the present invention can be utilised to produce an environment in which the light intensity and/or thermal environment can be kept substantially constant through continuous sensing (at least during daylight hours) and can be adapted quickly to the changes in the external light intensity and therefore heat transmission to the immediate environment.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the intensity of radiation passing through glazing, the glazing incorporating liquid crystal means connected to control means therefor, the method including the step of actuating said control means to adjust the activity of said liquid crystal means thereby to control said radiation intensity.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means is used to adjust the amount of visible light passing through the glazing.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said control means is used to adjust the intensity of heat radiation passing through the glazing.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said control means is actuated to control the activity of liquid crystal modules so that, in one condition of the liquid crystals, maximum light is allowed to pass through the glazing and, in another condition of the liquid crystals, a minimum light intensity is passed through the glazing.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the voltage input to the liquid crystals is adjusted to obtain a variation in intensity of light throughput between the two extreme conditions.

6. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control means is actuated to produce animated or static displays in the glazing.

7. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein heat produced as light is passed through the glazing is transferred to other locations.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the heat is transferred by allowing the liquid crystals to flow within the glazing.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the heat is transferred by utilising a thermocouple effect of the liquid crystals in the glazing.

10. A method as claimed in claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein the light incident on the glazing is utilised to produce electricity to activate said control means or for other purposes.

11. A method of controlling the intensity of radiation passing through glazing, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 4, with or without the modification of Figure 3 of the accompanying drawing.

12. Glazing incorporating liquid crystal means connected to control means therefor, the arrangement being such that the activity of said liquid crystal means can be controlled by said control means thereby to control the intensity of radiation passing through the glazing.

13. Glazing as claimed in claim 13, wherein said control means is such as to control the light intensity and/or the heat radiation intensity passing through the glazing.

14. Glazing as claimed in claim 12 or 13, and including a plurality of liquid crystal modules embracing substantially the whole surface area of the glazing.

15. Glazing as claimed in claim 14, wherein the modules are held in position by an enclosing transparent skin.

16. Glazing as claimed in claim 14, wherein the modules are held together by transparent beading.

17. Glazing as claimed in claim 14, 15 or 16, wherein each module is connected to said control means by means of a wire run.

18. Glazing as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein said control means is manually operable.

19. Glazing as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein said control means is automatically operable to achieve automatic controlling of the radiation intensity.

20. Glazing as claimed in claim 19, wherein said control means is linked with photosensors to adjust the light intensity throughput automatically in order to maintain a substantially constant light intensity throughput.

21. Glazing as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 20, wherein said liquid crystal means comprises a plurality of layers of liquid crystals of different colour bands so that said control means can change the colour appearance of the liquid crystals and achieve colour filtration.

22. Glazing as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 21, wherein means is provided to allow for flow of the liquid crystals to transfer heat between different locations.

23. Glazing as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 22, wherein means is provided to draw electrical energy produced by light passing through the glazing to supply power for the control means and/or for other purposes.

24. Glazing incorporating liquid crystal means connected to control means therefor, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 4, with or without the modification of Figure 3, of the accompanying drawing.