Patent ID: 8665414

Claim:
A method for constructing a thermotropically-actuated, thermochromic liquid crystal filter comprising providing a first polarizer film and a second polarizer film each having inner surfaces facing the other; orienting the second polarizer film to provide an offset polarity with respect to the first polarizer film; providing a first alignment structure adjacent the inner surface of the first polarizer film and a second alignment structure adjacent the inner surface of the second polarizer film; placing a plurality of spacers between the first polarizer film and the second polarizer film; and filling a space created by the spacers between the first polarizer film and the second polarizer film with a thermotropically-actuated liquid crystal that has insignificant effect on incident light in an isotropic state and acts as a depolarizer in a twisted nematic state to rotate a polarity of light from that of the first polarizer to that of the second polarizer.