JPS61149925A - Optical element - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a clear image having high resolution by providing a liquid layer contg. a liquid and a colored polymer having characteristic for desorbing liquid at relatively high temp. and absorbing liquid at relatively low temp. CONSTITUTION:An optical element is formed by laminating a substrate 1, a liquid layer 2 contg. gel, and a transparent protecting plate 3. The layer 2 comprises a liquid and a coloring-matter-contg. polymer for absorbing and desorbing the liquid. The polymer swells absorbing external liquid at relatively low temp. but contracts desorbing the liquid at relatively high temp. When the polymer is not irradiated with infrared beam 5, the colored gel 4-2 remains in the swollen state, so the light 6-2 which passes through the gel 4-2 passes through the layer 2 where the concn. of the contained coloring material in the gel 4-2 is low. On one hand, when a specified position of the layer 2 is irradiated with the infrared beam 5, the position is heated and the colored gel 4-1 contracts desorbing the liquid. As the result, the concn. of the coloring matter contained in the gel 4-1 is increased, so the light 6-1 is almost completely absorbed. Since the gel is made to very fine particles, a clear image of high degree of resolution is obtd.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an optical element that can be used as a display element, a light modulation element, etc., and particularly relates to a gel w? 11.Regarding a novel optical element that utilizes contractility.

[Conventional technology]

Non-luminous display elements are attracting attention as display elements that provide natural color tones and do not cause fatigue to the human eye. Examples of such display elements include electrochromic display elements (ECDs) and liquid crystal display elements (LCDs). However, the image quality and performance of these devices cannot necessarily be said to be good. For example, ECDs have low display contrast, so they are difficult to see in dimly lit places, and it is difficult to distinguish fine images from a short distance away.

On the other hand, in addition to the above-mentioned drawbacks, LCDs also have the disadvantage of limited viewing angles.

The same problem as above occurs when these are used in light modulation elements such as optical shutters.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Therefore, the present invention solves the problems that could not be solved by the prior art. That is, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a clear and high-quality optical element. Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a display element that provides natural color tones and does not cause eye fatigue. Yet another object of the invention is to provide an optical element that is easy to manufacture.

[Means for solving problems]

The above objects are achieved by the present invention as follows.

That is, the present invention is an optical element characterized by having a liquid layer containing a liquid and a liquid-absorbing colored polymer that expels a liquid at a relatively high temperature and absorbs the liquid at a relatively low temperature.

[Effect]

The optical element in the present invention broadly includes display elements and light modulation elements.

The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to illustrated examples.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are exemplary schematic configuration diagrams of the optical element of the present invention, with FIG. 1 representing a transmission type optical element and FIG. 2 representing a reflection type optical element, respectively.

In the figure, 1 is a substrate, 2 is a gel-containing liquid layer, and 3 is a transparent protective plate, and the optical element of the illustrated example is constructed by laminating these layers.

As the base material 1, for example, a transparent substrate such as glass or plastic, or an opaque substrate such as silicon wafer, ceramics, metal such as aluminum, or opaque plastic is used. The same material as the transparent substrate is used for the transparent protection plate 3.

The gel-containing liquid layer 2 exists only within the liquid-absorbing polymer containing the liquid and the dye, and does not or does not easily flow into the liquid outside of it.

In the present invention, the gel refers to a liquid-absorbing polymer (also referred to as a network polymer) that contains a liquid inside, and the liquid-absorbing polymer according to the present invention is a liquid that is contained inside the liquid. It contains a dye that does not flow out, and has the property of absorbing liquid and swelling at relatively low temperatures, and expelling liquid and contracting at relatively high temperatures.

The gel containing a dye in this way is hereinafter referred to as a colored gel, and is the above-mentioned liquid-absorbing polymer.

For example, a three-dimensional crosslinked polymer containing an acrylamide rust conductor as a main component, added with a crosslinking monomer and polymerized, and having the above characteristics (for example, product name M-1
00; manufactured by Mitsui Toatsu Chemical Co., Ltd., or N-isopropylacrylamide-acrylic acid-N,N-methylenebisacrylamide terpolymer), which contains an acrylic acid ester derivative as the main component, adds a crosslinkable supernatant, and polymerizes. Examples include three-dimensional crosslinked polymers (for example, acrylic acid-oligoethylene oxide ester-divinylbenzene terpolymer) obtained by.

As mentioned above, the dye according to the present invention is required to exist only within or on the surface of the network polymer.

In order to create a limited presence in this way, the so-called chemical bonding method involves chemically bonding the dye and the network polymer, and by causing a three-dimensional cross-linking reaction in the presence of giant dye molecules. There are methods to confine molecules.

Examples of such dyes include Diamira Yellow G.
, Sumifix Red B, Diamila Brilliant Green 6B, Selimasol Brilliant Blue G, and other reactive dyes, or Poly R-478, Poly S-119, Poly T-128 (all manufactured by Guinabor), Seikagen W-Blue BK1600 , Seikagen W Blue 130
Polymer dyes such as 0 (all manufactured by Dainichiseika), Benzidine Yellow GR, Chromophthal Orange 4R, Toluidine Maroon MT-2, Palcan Fast Orange GG
, Permanent Red F5R, Little Rubin GK, Brilliant Carmine 3B, Sanyo Red B-G511
, Monastral Maroon, Permanent Red E5B,
Examples of pigments include permanent pink E, phthalocyanine blue, phthalocyanine green, naphthol green BN, and diamond black.

The liquid used in the present invention is one that can move in and out of the network polymer, typically water, but also methanol, t-butyl alcohol, chloroform, N-methylpyrrolidone, pyrazine, benzene, N,N- Examples include organic solvents such as dimethylformamide and dimethyl sulfoxide, and mixtures thereof.

The size, shape, and arrangement of the colored gel in the gel-containing liquid layer 2 are arbitrary, and the colored gel may be integrally filled in the gel-containing liquid layer 2, or may be in the form of cracks, dispersed, or aggregated. It may be filled in lumps.

Additionally, colored gels or microscopic colored gel groups may be arranged in correspondence with the shape, arrangement, etc. of pixels or apertures (hereinafter referred to as pixels). Generally, it is preferable that the size of each colored gel is about the same as that of a pixel. It is.

The thickness of the gel-containing liquid layer 2 is lpm to 10004 m.
is suitable, and lBm to 1100p is suitable.

Next, the principle of image formation or light modulation according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. 1 (in the case of a transmission type optical element).

First, when the infrared beam is not irradiated, the gel remains swollen because it is not heated (4-2). Therefore, the light ray 6-2 passing through the gel 4-2 has a concentration of pigment contained in the colored gel 4-2. Since it is low in temperature and light in color, it can pass through the gel-containing liquid layer 2.

On the other hand, when the infrared beam 5 is irradiated to a predetermined part of the gel-containing liquid layer 2 from the right side of the drawing according to information signals, the irradiated part (4-1) is heated, and accordingly, the colored gel expels only the solvent. Shrink.

As the colored gel shrinks, the concentration of the pigment contained in the colored gel 4-1 increases and the color becomes richer, so the light ray 6- that passes through it increases.
1 is almost completely absorbed.

When the temperature drops, the contracted gel 4-1 swells and returns to its original state, allowing light to pass through it again.

By arbitrarily thermally controlling the volume of the gel in this way, it is possible to change the brightness and darkness, and also to obtain intermediate colors.

The present invention utilizes this principle in an optical element.

Although the transmission type optical element has been described above, the same applies to the reflection type shown in FIG.

In order to explain the present invention more specifically, Examples are given below.

Example 1 [Manufacture of optical elements] The optical element of the present invention was manufactured as follows.

Monastral Red (C, 1,
Pigment Violet19; C, 1,465
00) In a colored liquid in which 50 mg was dispersed in 14 mJ1 of water,
0.80 g of N-isopropylacrylamide on a water bath;
Polymerize 0.02 g of N,N-methylenebisacrylamide with Tetrae, and add 30 mJl of water to the resulting colored gel.
It is processed and pulverized using an emulator.

The colored gel is washed alternately with cold water and 50% acetone in water.

Finally, the slurry is swollen with cold water and sealed between two glass plates (50 x 50 mm) using a Mylar spacer to maintain a gap of 20 tLm.

[Display and light modulation]

A semiconductor laser beam (output 30mW) is attached to this optical element.
, wavelength 830 nm) was irradiated from the back surface in a substantially vertical direction in accordance with the information signal (FIG. 1). At the same time, visible light was also irradiated.

Colored gel group 4-2 that was not irradiated with laser beam
The illumination light incident on the was transmitted.

On the other hand, the portion 4-1 heated by laser irradiation contracted and the concentration of the dye contained therein increased, so that the illumination light passing therethrough was absorbed. Note that when the temperature of the heated portion decreased, it returned to its original translucency.

In this way, the display effect and light modulation effect were confirmed.

Moreover, the reproducibility was confirmed by repeating the process many times.

Example 2 [Manufacture of optical elements] The optical element of the present invention was manufactured as follows.

Using a ball mill, Vulcan Fasto L/7 DiGG (C, 1, Pigment Or-ange
14;C,1,21165) 50mg in 14ml of water
Add 0.80 g of N-isopropylacrylamide, 0.02 g of N,N-methylenebisacrylamide, and 20 g of tetraethylenediamine to the colored liquid dispersed in Jl on a water bath.
#L1, dissolve 10 mg of ammonium persulfate. Polymerization is carried out at 20° C. with nitrogen purge. Add 30 ml of water to the produced colored gel and pulverize it with an emulator.

The colored gel is washed alternately with cold water and 50% acetone in water.

Finally, the slurry was swollen with cold water and sealed between two glass plates (50 x 50 mm) with a gap of 204 m maintained using Mylar spacers.

[Display and light modulation]

When the same operation as in Example 1 was performed, similar results were obtained.

Example 3 [Manufacture of optical elements] The optical element of the present invention was manufactured as follows.

Diamond Black (C) using Pole Mill
,1,Pigment Black 1
0.80 g of N-inpropylacrylamide, 0.02 g of N,N-methylenebisacrylamide, and tetraethylene are added to a colored liquid prepared by dispersing 60 mg of C, I, 50440) in 14 mjL of water on a water bath. Add 30 ml of water to the produced colored gel and pulverize it with an emulator.

The colored gel is washed alternately with cold water and a 50% aqueous solution.

Finally, it was swollen with cold water to form a slurry, and the slurry was sealed between two glass plates (50 x 50 mm) using Mylar spacers to maintain a gap of 20 g.

[Display and light modulation]

When the same operation as in Example 1 was performed, similar results were obtained.

〔effect〕

The main effects of the present invention are summarized as follows.

(1) Since the gel can be made as small as possible, clear and high-resolution output or images can be obtained.

(2) Since the gel is easy to manufacture, the optical element is easy to manufacture.

(3) There is no limit to the viewing angle, so it can be observed from any angle.

(4) Since various coloring pigments can be used, color expressivity is rich.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are exemplary schematic configuration diagrams of the optical element of the present invention, with FIG. 1 showing a transmission type optical element and FIG. 2 showing a reflection type optical element, respectively. 1: X plate 2: Gel-containing liquid layer 3: Transparent protective plate 4-1 = Shrinking colored gel 4-2: Swelling colored gel 5: Infrared rays 6-1, 6-2: Illumination light beam

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An optical element characterized by having a liquid layer containing a liquid and a liquid-absorbing colored polymer that expels a liquid at a relatively high temperature and absorbs the liquid at a relatively low temperature.