Transparent surface formed complex polymer lenses

1. A transparent polymeric film having a top and bottom surface comprising a plurality of complex lenses on at least one surface thereof and containing as its primary ingredient a polymer sufficient to impart to the film a light transmission of at least 94%, based on a film thickness of 125 micrometers.

2. The transparent polymeric film of claim 1 wherein said polymeric film has a light transmission of at least 96% based on a film thickness of 125 micrometers.

3. The transparent polymeric film of claim 1 wherein said complex lenses are contained in a layer coated on a transparent polymeric base the layer having a light transmission of at least 96% based on a film thickness of 125 micrometers.

4. The transparent polymeric film of claim 3 wherein said complex lens layer has a light transmission of at least 98 based on a film thickness of 125 micrometers.

5. The transparent polymeric film of claim 3 wherein the transparent polymeric base has a light transmission of at least 96% based on a film thickness of 125 micrometers.

6. The transparent polymeric film of claim 5 wherein said transparent polymeric base has a light transmission of at least 98% based on a film thickness of 125 micrometers.

7. The film of claim 1 wherein the complex lenses comprise amorphous polymers having glass transition temperature great than 60° C.

8. The film of claim 7 wherein the complex lenses comprise amorphous polyesters.

9. The film of claim 8 wherein the complex lenses comprise poly(ethylene terephthalate) modified by 1,4-cyclohexane dimethanol.

10. The film of claim 1 wherein the complex lenses comprise poly(methyl methacrylate), polystyrene, poly(phenylene oxide), styrene acrylonitrile copolymer, cyclo-olefin polymer, poly(methyl pentene), polycarbonate or copolymers of any of the foregoing.

11. The film of claim 1 wherein the complex lenses comprise glass.

12. The film of claim 1 wherein the complex lenses are randomly distributed on the surface.

13. The film of claim 1 wherein the complex lenses are present on both the top and bottom surfaces of the transparent polymeric film.

14. The film of claim 1 wherein the complex lenses have an average frequency in any direction of 5 to 250 complex lenses/mm.

15. The transparent polymeric film of claim 14 wherein the complex lenses have an average frequency in any direction of 22 to 66 complex lenses/mm.

16. The transparent polymeric film of claim 1 wherein the complex lenses have an average width in the x and y direction in the plane of the film of 3 to 60 microns.

17. The transparent polymeric film of claim 16 wherein the complex lenses have an average width in the x and y direction of 15 to 40 microns.

18. The transparent polymeric film of claim 1 wherein the complex lenses comprise major lenses and minor lenses wherein the diameter of the minor lenses is on average less than 80% of the diameter of the major lens they are associated with.

19. The transparent polymeric film of claim 1 wherein the complex lenses comprise a multiple of minor lenses where the minor lenses have, on average, a width in the x and y direction of 2 to 2 microns.

20. The transparent polymeric film of claim 19 wherein the complex lenses comprise a multiple of minor lenses wherein the minor lenses have, on average, a width in the x and y direction of 3 to 8 microns.

21. The transparent polymeric film of claim 1 wherein the transparent film is composed of a material that comprises ester repeating unit.

22. The transparent polymeric film of claim 1 wherein the transparent film is composed of a material that comprises carbonate repeating unit.

23. The transparent polymeric film of claim 1 wherein the transparent film is composed of a material that comprises an olefin repeating unit.

24. The transparent polymeric film of claim 1 wherein the transparent film is composed of a material that comprises tri acetyl cellulose.

25. The transparent polymeric film of claim 1 wherein the complex lenses are semi-spherical.

26. The transparent polymeric film of claim 1 wherein the complex lenses are aspherical.

27. The transparent polymeric film of claim 1 wherein the complex lenses have a height/diameter ratio of 0.03 to 1.0.

28. The transparent polymeric film of claim 27 wherein the complex lenses have a height/diameter ratio of 0.25 to 0.48.

29. The transparent polymeric film of claim 18 wherein the number of minor lenses per major lens is, on average, 2 to 60.

30. The transparent polymeric film of claim 29 wherein the number of minor lenses per major lens is, on average, 5 to 8.

31. The transparent polymeric film of claim 1 having a thickness of less than 250 micrometers.

32. The transparent polymeric film of claim 31 , having a thickness of 12.5 to 50 micrometers.

33. The transparent polymeric film of claim 1 wherein the elastic modulus of the transparent polymeric film is great than 500 MPa.

34. A transparent polymeric film having a top and bottom surface comprising a plurality of complex lenses on at least one surface thereof and containing as its primary ingredient a polymer sufficient to impart to the film a light transmission of at least 92% based on a film thickness of 125 micrometers wherein said complex lenses are contained in a layer coated on a transparent polymeric base the layer having a light transmission of at least 96% based on a film thickness of 125 micrometers.

35. A transparent polymeric film having a top and bottom surface comprising a plurality of complex lenses on at least one surface thereof and containing as its primary ingredient a polymer sufficient to impart to the film a light transmission of at least 92% based on a film thickness of 25 micrometers wherein the complex lenses comprise poly(ethylene terephthalate) modified by 1,4-cyclohexane dimethanol.

36. A transparent polymeric film having a top and bottom surface comprising a plurality of complex lenses on at least one surface thereof and containing as its primary ingredient a polymer sufficient to impart to the film a light transmission of at least 92% based on a film thickness of 125 micrometers wherein the transparent polymeric film has a thickness of less than 250 micrometers.

37. The transparent polymeric film of claim 36 wherein the transparent polymeric film has a thickness of 12.5 to 50 micrometers.