COMPOSITE PANEL ELEMENT FOR GUIDING LIGHT

Abstract

A composite panel element for guiding light, a window having the same, and a method for producing the same. To provide a composite panel element with good light guiding properties and being optically transparent and homogeneous, the composite panel element for guiding light has a first panel element with a first microstructure on a first inner surface and a second panel element with a second microstructure on a second inner surface. The first and the second microstructure have respective depressions/elevations. The panel elements are arranged such that the first and the second inner surface are facing one another, and the first and second microstructure are arranged such that internal micro-cavities are formed between the microstructures. The first and second microstructure have respective planar-contact adhesion sections for force-lockingly securing the panel elements to one another and/or corresponding latching sections for form-lockingly and/or force-lockingly securing the panel elements to one another.

Claims

1. A composite panel element for guiding light, having a first panel element with a first microstructure on a first inner surface, wherein the first microstructure has elevations and/or depressions, and a second panel element with a second microstructure on a second inner surface, wherein the second microstructure has depressions and/or elevations, wherein the panel elements are arranged in relation to one another such that the first and the second inner surface are facing one another, and the first and second microstructure are arranged so that they engage with one another such that internal micro-cavities are formed between the microstructures, and wherein the first and second microstructure each have respective planar-contact adhesion sections for force-lockingly securing the panel elements to one another and/or mutually corresponding latching sections for form-lockingly and/or force-lockingly securing the panel elements to one another.

2. The composite panel element according to claim 1, wherein characterized in that the internal micro-cavities extend along a depth direction of the composite panel element over a first depth region and the first and second panel element are secured in at least one second depth region.

3. The composite panel element according to claim 1, wherein the adhesion sections and/or the latching sections are arranged completely outside of the first depth section and/or completely inside the composite panel element.

4. The composite panel element according to claim 1, wherein the first and second panel element are secured to one another exclusively form-lockingly and/or force-lockingly.

5. The composite panel element according to claim 1, characterized in that the depressions and/or elevations of the first and second microstructure each have two opposite surfaces, wherein two first surfaces of the two panel elements arranged on one another in each case jointly form a micro-cavity and two second surfaces of the two panel elements arranged on one another in each case form the adhesion sections in order to secure the two panel elements force-lockingly to one another.

6. The composite panel element according to claim 1, characterized in that, in order to form-lockingly and/or force-lockingly secure the panel elements to one another, the latching sections of the first and second panel element are in each case formed as a corresponding pair made up of a latching receptacle and a latching element.

7. The composite panel element according to claim 1, characterized in that the latching receptacle has two inner latching surfaces pointing toward one another and parallel to one another and the latching element has two outer latching surfaces pointing toward one another and parallel to one another, wherein an inner latching surface and an outer latching surface are in each case in planar contact with one another.

8. The composite panel element according to claim 1, characterized in that the panel elements are secured by a press fit of the latching sections, wherein the distance of the two outer latching surfaces from one another is larger than the distance of the inner latching surfaces from one another.

9. The composite panel element according to claim 1, wherein the two panel elements are secured to one another by latching, wherein at least one latching nose is arranged on the latching element or on the latching receptacle in order to safeguard the two panel elements against pulling apart. cm 10. The composite panel element according to claim 1, wherein the composite panel element is completely transparent.

11. The composite panel element according to claim 1, wherein the two panel elements are formed as transparent and/or flexible films.

12. The composite panel element according to claim 1, wherein the micro-cavities have a height between 100 nm and 20 μm, or preferably between 1 μm and 10 μm or and, particularly preferably, between 3 μm and 8 μm.

13. The composite panel element according to claim 1, wherein the micro-cavities have a depth between 20 μm and 1 mm, or between 50 μm and 500 μm or and, particularly preferably, between 100 μm and 300 μm.

14. A window having a window pane, and a composite panel element according to claim 1 mounted thereon.

15. A method for producing a composite panel element (1) for guiding light, comprising providing a first panel element with a first microstructure on a first inner surface, wherein the first microstructure comprises elevations and depressions, providing a second panel element with a second microstructure on a second inner surface, wherein the second microstructure comprises elevations and depressions, arranging the panel elements in relation to one another such that the first and the second inner surface are facing one another, and the first and second microstructure are arranged to engage with one another such that internal micro-cavities are formed between the microstructures, wherein a form-locking and/or force-locking securing of the panel elements to one another is achieved by means of planar adhesion sections in each case of the first and second microstructure and/or by means of mutually corresponding latching sections of the first and second microstructure.

Description

[0052] The various embodiments of a composite panel element 1 are each formed as a composite from two transparent panel elements 11, 21, wherein the panel elements 11, 21 are each preferably formed as films and/or plates. Furthermore, the panel elements 11, 21 each have a microstructure 12, 22 at least on one side. The two panel elements 11, 21 are connected on the microstructure side with inner surfaces 13, 23 lying one on another so that defined micro-cavities 2, in particular micro-gaps or respectively micro-lamellae, are created between the micro-structures 12, 22. The composite panel elements 1 can, in particular, be used in order to be arranged on the surface of a window pane 9 and, consequently, to achieve improved light guidance of obliquely incident light into the room (see FIG. 1).

[0053] The microstructures 12, 22 of a composite panel element 1 are intermeshed so that an elevation 14 of the first microstructure 12 is in each case positioned in a depression 25 of the second microstructure 22 and an elevation 24 of the second microstructure 22 is positioned in a depression 15 of the first microstructure 12. As a result of the intermeshing of the microstructures 12, 22, gaps can be formed as micro-cavities 2 having a very large aspect ratio (ratio of width to height) (see FIG. 2), which cannot be realized or respectively cannot be easily realized in manufacturing terms with the conventional microstructuring of surfaces.

[0054] The micro-cavities 2 created by microstructure-side connection and embedded between the microstructures 12, 22, are filled with air, as a result of which the incident light is totally reflected by the micro-cavities 2, as long as the conditions for total reflection are met. The light deflection is therefore substantially based on loss-free total reflection.

[0055] The micro-cavities 2 can be arranged horizontally or vertically, at any desired angle or in a curved manner, in the film/plate plane of the composite panel element 1. FIGS. 3-16 show, by way of example, some microstructure combinations and the cross-sectional profiles of the micro-cavities 2, in particular of micro-lamellae, that are created when the two panel elements 11, 21 are joined together. In the drawings, the depth, width and height directions are indicated for better understanding with reference to a vertical planar element.

[0056] The two microstructured inner surfaces 13, 23 of the two panel elements 11, 21 can be secured force-lockingly to one another and/or or latched in one another by means of a suitable profile geometry.

[0057] In a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the region of the depressions 15 of the first microstructure 12, the two panel elements 11, 21 are exclusively secured to one another by force-locking engagement via two planar-contact adhesion sections 16, 26 of the two microstructures 12, 22, whereas in the region of the depressions 25 of the second microstructure 22, an interlocking securing is additionally carried out, wherein a latching section 17 at the end of the elevations 14 of the first microstructure 12 comes into engagement with a corresponding latching section 27 in the interior of the depressions 25 of the second microstructure 22. The first latching section 17 is formed as a male latching element 6, whereas the second latching section 27 is formed as a female latching receptacle 5. Micro-cavities 2, which extend perpendicular to the surface of the composite panel element 1, are formed in each case between the microstructures 12, 22.

[0058] A further embodiment, shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, merely differs from the first embodiment in that in the region of the depressions 15, 25 of both microstructures 12, 22, the two panel elements 11, 21 are secured to one another in a force-locking and interlocking manner, so that the two panel elements 11, 21 have a mirror-symmetrical construction and are merely arranged, displaced in relation to one another.

[0059] A further embodiment, shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, merely differs from the first embodiment in that the micro-cavities 2 no longer run parallel to the depth direction, but run in an alternately inclined manner in the height direction. The latching can also be designed in such a manner that micro-cavities 2 are only created in each case on one side of the microstructure 12, 22, while a force-locking 3o material adhesion takes place on the other side. To that end, a slightly adhesive surface may be necessary, which can be attained, for example, by selecting a slightly adhesive material in the microstructure 12, 22 or a corresponding coating. Two first surfaces 3 of each of the two microstructures 12, 22 are in each case spaced apart and are preferably also arranged parallel to one another so that these form a micro-cavity 2, while two second surfaces 4 of the two microstructures 12, 22 are in contact over the entire surface and form an planar-contact adhesion section 16, 26 (see FIGS. 9 and 10).

[0060] An embodiment, shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, differs significantly from the previous embodiment in FIGS. 9 and 10 in that, in addition to the force-locking securing by means of adhesion sections 16, 26, an interlocking securing is also carried out by means of latching sections 17, 27. In addition, the micro-cavities 2 formed as micro-lamellae have a curved profile in the depth direction. In principle, it is also possible that the lo micro-cavities 2 do not extend over the entire depth of the depressions 15, 25, as depicted by way of example in FIGS. 15 and 16.

[0061] A latching can in particular also be achieved in that, in the region of the latching section 17, 27, the width of the latching receptacle 5 is slightly smaller than the width of the latching element 6 resulting in a press fit. To that end, the inner latching surfaces 7 of the latching receptacle 5, which are preferably parallel to one another, have a smaller distance from one another than the two outer latching surfaces 8 of the latching element 6 (see FIGS. 13 and 14).

[0062] The composite panel elements 1 formed as composite films or plates having micro-lamellae as micro-cavities 2 can be used in windows, on window panes 9 and on window facades, in particular in skylights, in order to achieve the desired effect of guiding daylight into the depth of rooms. Films can be laminated onto the inside or outside of the window glass or inserted into the intermediate space of insulation glazing. The micro-cavities 2 are embedded in the interior of the film or plate; in this respect, the film is insensitive to touch, cleaning, scratching or other external influences.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0063] 1 Composite panel element

[0064] 2 Micro-cavities

[0065] 3 First surface

[0066] 4 Second surface

[0067] 5 Latching receptacle

[0068] 6 Latching element

[0069] 7 Inner latching surface

[0070] 8 Outer latching surface

[0071] 9 Window pane

[0072] 11 First panel element

[0073] 12 First microstructure

[0074] 13 First inner surface

[0075] 14 Elevations of the first microstructure

[0076] 15 Depressions of the first microstructure

[0077] 16 Adhesion section of the first microstructure

[0078] 17 Latching section of the first microstructure

[0079] 21 Second panel element

[0080] 22 Second microstructure

[0081] 23 Second inner surface

[0082] 24 Elevations of the second microstructure

[0083] 25 Depressions of the second microstructure

[0084] 26 Adhesion section of the second microstructure

[0085] 27 Latching section of the second microstructure

[0086] T1 First depth region

[0087] T2 Second depth region