Methods of cutting or forming cavities in a substrate for use in making optical films, components or wave guides

Abstract

The methods involve using a tool to cut or form multiple optical element shaped cavities in a surface of a substrate without rotating the tool or substrate during the cutting or forming process. At least some of the cavities are cut or formed to have at least two surfaces that come together to form a ridge and that are quite small relative to the length and width of the substrate. Thereafter the substrate is used to form optical films, components or wave guides having multiple optical elements on at least one surface corresponding to the cavities in the substrate.

1 . A method of making an optical film, component or wave guide that has multiple optical elements on at least one surface, and at least some of the optical elements have at least two surfaces that come together to form a ridge and are quite small relative to the length and width of the optical film, component or wave guide, comprising using a tool to cut or form multiple optical element shaped cavities in a surface of a substrate that is not perpendicular to the path of the tool during the cutting or forming process, wherein neither the tool nor the substrate is rotated about the axis of the tool during the cutting or forming process, and at least some of the cavities are cut or formed to have at least two surfaces that come together to form a ridge and that are quite small relative to the length and width of the substrate, and using the substrate to form the optical film, component or wave guide having the multiple optical elements on at least one surface corresponding to the cavities in the substrate.  
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the substrate or tool is positioned to produce a specific placement for each cavity prior to each cutting or forming process.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the substrate or tool is rotated to produce a different orientation for at least some of the cavities prior to cutting or forming at least some of the cavities.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein other of the cavities have the same orientation and are cut or formed consecutively so that the substrate or tool is only rotated between the cutting or forming of some of the cavities.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tool has a cutting or forming edge that lies in a plane parallel to a vector normal to the surface of the substrate.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tool has a cutting or forming edge that lies in a plane parallel to the path of the tool during the cutting or forming process.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tool moves into the substrate along a nonlinear path.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the nonlinear path is a curve.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tool moves into the substrate along a linear path.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the linear path changes directions at discrete points during the cutting or forming process.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tool has a nonsymmetrical profile on either side of the plane of the cutting or forming path of the tool.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tool has a symmetrical profile on either side of the plane of the cutting or forming path of the tool.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the cavities are asymmetrical.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein at least some of the cavities have one flat surface and one curved surface.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the cavities are symmetrical.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the cavities only have two surfaces, one of the surfaces being flat and the other of the surfaces being curved.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the cavities have two curved surfaces.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein during the cutting or forming process, one or both of the tool and the substrate are moved relative to each other.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the surface of the substrate has one of the following shapes: flat, curved, conical, cylindrical.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the cavities overlap, intersect or interlock with other cavities.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the optical elements that are formed on the one surface of the optical film, component or wave guide substantially cover at least 90% of the one surface.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the film has a light entrance surface and an opposite light exit surface with at least some of the optical elements being located on the light entrance surface and having a ridge angle of between 60 and 80 degrees.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the film has a light entrance surface and an opposite light exit surface with at least some of said optical elements being located on the light exit surface and having a ridge angle or between 85 and 95 degrees.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the cavities vary in at least one of the following: size, shape, angle, rotation, orientation, density, depth, height, type and placement.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein at least some of the cavities vary randomly in the substrate.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a deposition or mirror copy of the substrate is used to form the optical film, component or wave guide.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the ridges are curved, segmented or hybrid in shape.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the ridges are generally in the same direction.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the substrate is used to form the optical film, component or wave guide by at least one of the following: molding, thermoforming, hot stamping, embossing, extrusion, and radiation curing.  
   
   
       30 . A method of making an optical film, component or wave guide that has multiple optical elements on at least one surface, and at least some of the optical elements have at least two surfaces that come together to form a ridge and are quite small relative to the length and width of the optical film, component or wave guide, comprising using a tool to cut or form multiple optical element shaped cavities in a surface of a substrate that is perpendicular to the path of the tool during the cutting or forming process, wherein neither the tool nor the substrate is rotated about the axis of the tool during the cutting or forming process, and at least some of the cavities are cut or formed to have at least two surfaces that come together to form a ridge and that are quite small relative to the length and width of the substrate, and using the substrate to form the optical film, component or wave guide having the multiple optical elements on at least one surface corresponding to the cavities in the substrate.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the tool has an asymmetrical cutting or forming tip.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the tool has a symmetrical cutting or forming tip, and at least the two surfaces that come together to form the ridge of at least some of the cavities are symmetrical surfaces.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the substrate or tool is positioned to produce a specific placement for each cavity prior to each cutting or forming process.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the substrate or tool is rotated to produce a different orientation for at least some of the cavities prior to cutting or forming at least some of the cavities.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein other of the cavities have the same orientation and are cut or formed consecutively so that the substrate or tool is only rotated between the cutting or forming of some of the cavities.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the tool has a cutting or forming edge that lies in a plane parallel to a vector normal to the surface of the substrate.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the tool has a cutting or forming edge that lies in a plane parallel to the path of the tool during the cutting or forming process.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the tool moves into the substrate along a nonlinear path.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the nonlinear path is a curve.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the tool moves into the substrate along a linear path.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the linear path changes directions at discrete points during the cutting or forming process.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the tool has a nonsymmetrical profile on either side of the plane of the cutting or forming path of the tool.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the tool has a symmetrical profile on either side of the plane of the cutting or forming path of the tool.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 30  wherein at least some of the cavities are asymmetrical.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44  wherein at least some of the cavities have one flat surface and one curved surface.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 30  wherein at least some of the cavities are symmetrical.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 30  wherein at least some of the cavities only have two surfaces, one of the surfaces being flat and the other of the surfaces being curved.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 30  wherein at least some of the cavities have two curved surfaces.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 30  wherein during the cutting or forming process, one or both of the tool and the substrate are moved relative to each other.  
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the surface of the substrate has one of the following shapes: flat, curved, conical, cylindrical.  
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 30  wherein at least some of the cavities overlap, intersect or interlock with other cavities.  
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the optical elements that are formed on the one surface of the optical film, component or wave guide substantially cover at least 90% of the one surface.  
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the film has a light entrance surface and an opposite light exit surface with at least some of the optical elements being located on the light entrance surface and having a ridge angle of between 60 and 80 degrees.  
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the film has a light entrance surface and an opposite light exit surface with at least some of the optical elements being located on the light exit surface and having a ridge angle of between 85 and 95 degrees.  
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 30  wherein at least some of the cavities vary in at least one of the following: size, shape, angle, rotation, orientation, density, depth, height, type and placement.  
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 55  wherein at least some of the cavities vary randomly in the substrate.  
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 30  wherein a deposition or mirror copy of the substrate is used to form the optical film, component or wave guide.  
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 30  wherein at least some of the ridges are curved, segmented or hybrid in shape.  
   
   
       59 . The method of  claim 30  wherein at least some of the ridges are generally in the same direction.  
   
   
       60 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the substrate is used to form the optical film, component or wave guide by at least one of the following: molding, thermoforming, hot stamping, embossing, extrusion, and radiation curing.