A structured material is provided that includes a substrate and a porous structured polymer layer disposed thereon. The porous structured polymer layer includes a plurality of voids, and has a high hemispherical reflectance a high a hemispherical thermal emittance. The structured material is thus particularly advantageous for cool-roof coatings, enabling surfaces coated by the material to stay cool, even under strong sunlight. The material can be produced via structuring of polymers in a mixture including a solvent and a non-solvent. Sequential evaporation of the solvent and the non-solvent provide a polymer layer with the plurality of voids.

A switchable light transmission module is disclosed that includes a substrate having a first surface defining at least part of an enclosed volume, a porous layer disposed on the first surface and in fluid communication with the enclosed volume, and a reservoir in fluid communication with the enclosed volume. The reservoir is configured to supply a fluid to the sealed volume such that the fluid contacts the porous layer. The fluid has a refractive index that is close to the refractive index of the porous layer, has a high wettability for the porous layer, and does not dissolve the porous layer. When in a dry state, voids in the porous layer are filled with air which has a much different refractive index than the porous layer itself, resulting in a surface that is reflective and not very transmissive. During wetting of the porous layer by the fluid, however, those voids are filled with the fluid, reducing the difference in refractive index across the polymer-fluid interfaces such that light scattering is negligible and the surface becomes light permeable.

A switchable light modulator device (201, 202, 203, 204, 205) comprises a first substrate (101, 102, 103) and a second substrate (141, 142, 143, 144) with opposite major surfaces spaced apart by one or more polymer structures that each comprise two or more parts and define wall features (21b, 22b, 23b) for a plurality of cavities (111, 112, 113, 114), the cavities sealing a fluid (71, 72, 73, 74) or gel in discrete volumes. Each of the one or more polymer structures comprises a mould part (21, 22, 23) bonded to the first substrate and defining a recess (31, 32, 33), and a cast part (81, 82, 83, 84) filling the recess and bonded to the second substrate and a surface of the recess, the cast part being defined by the surface of the recess and the second substrate replicating the surfaces of both.

Provided are a smart window, a sliding smart window, a smart window for a vehicle, a sun visor for a vehicle, a smart window device, and a head-mounted smart window device which have maximized user convenience.

In one example, a crystal cell comprises: a first substrate, a second substrate, first spacers and second spacers sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate to define a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, the first spacers being fixedly bonded to each of the first substrate and the second substrate, the second spacers being movable between the first and second substrates, a sealant sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate and enclosing the first spacers and the second spacers, and a liquid crystal enclosed by the sealant, the first substrate, and the second substrate. Examples of a dimmable glass incorporating liquid crystal cells and methods of manufacturing the liquid crystal cells are also provided.

The invention is directed to a building envelope surface element with controllable shading. The object of finding a novel possibility for controllable shading of building envelope surface elements which permits a control without electric area electrodes and has short switching times is met according to the invention in that the fluid flows through capillary channels via a fluid circuit so as to be circulated by means of a pump, in that magnetic particles are incorporated in the fluid in the form of a suspension, and in that at least one particle collector is arranged to be controllable outside of the capillary channels in order to concentrate the magnetic particles incorporated in the fluid in defined pipe portions of the particle collector by magnetic attraction and to decouple the magnetic particles transiently from the fluid circuit.

A window covering for natural illumination of building interiors by redirecting the incident daylight at angles that promote its deeper penetration into the interior space. The window covering comprises an optically transmissive, flexible polymeric sheet having a layered structure with a light diffusing output surface and a number of total internal reflection surfaces incorporated into its material. The total internal reflection surfaces are dimensioned such that the multi-layer sheet diffusely redirect at least a portion of light towards a direction which is generally not coincident with the incidence direction.

The present invention refers to an electrophoretic ink, a method for preparing an electrophoretic ink, an electrophoretic display comprising the electrophoretic ink, a smart window comprising the electrophoretic ink as well as the use of the electrophoretic ink in electrophoretic displays or smart windows and the use of at least one surface-treated silica for improving the bistability of an electrophoretic ink.

A retractable window covering for natural illumination of building interiors by redirecting the incident daylight at angles that promote its deeper penetration into the interior space. The window covering comprises an optically transmissive, flexible polymeric sheet having reflective surfaces incorporated into its material and configured to redirect at least a portion of light propagating through the sheet towards a desired direction. The window covering is operable from a closed to an open position so as to increase or decrease the amount of redirected and/or admitted light.

A switchable light transmission module is disclosed that includes a substrate having a first surface defining at least part of an enclosed volume, a porous layer disposed on the first surface and in fluid communication with the enclosed volume, and a reservoir in fluid communication with the enclosed volume. The reservoir is configured to supply a fluid to the sealed volume such that the fluid contacts the porous layer. The fluid has a refractive index that is close to the refractive index of the porous layer, has a high wettability for the porous layer, and does not dissolve the porous layer. When in a dry state, voids in the porous layer are filled with air which has a much different refractive index than the porous layer itself, resulting in a surface that is reflective and not very transmissive. During wetting of the porous layer by the fluid, however, those voids are filled with the fluid, reducing the difference in refractive index across the polymer-fluid interfaces such that light scattering is negligible and the surface becomes light permeable.