Layered dimmer system
View Patent ↗A dimmer wheel which is formed to absorb large amounts of light and to disperse the light that is absorbed. The dimmer wheel has a bottom surface that is irregular, and a reflective material in that bottom surface to scatter the light. A light absorbing material also receives some of the light.
1. A method of forming an optical dimmer; comprising:
forming an optical substrate, with first and second layers on a first surface of the optical substrate,
said first layer being directly on the optical substrate and being an optically reflective layer, and said second layer being on top of the first layer and being a light absorbing materials; and
forming holes in the first and second layer from an opposite side of the optical substrate from said first surface of the optical substrate, said forming including directing an optical beam through the optical substrate.
2. A method as in claim 1 , wherein said forming holes comprises using a laser.
3. A method as in claim 2 , wherein said forming holes comprises using an ultraviolet laser.
4. A method as in claim 2 , wherein said forming holes comprises forming holes which leave a pattern which changes over a surface of the substrate.
5. A method as in claim 4 , wherein said pattern operates according to concentric circles.
6. A variable dimmer device, having a surface defining a round perimeter, with a plurality of different shaped vias etched into said surface, each of said vias having bottom surfaces formed of etched glass with an irregular shaped and non-flat bottom surface, and a material filled into said vias that disperses light rather than absorbing or reflecting said light, where said material includes a two-part material including a reflective material as a first layer and a dark mirror material as a second layer.
7. The device as in claim 6 , wherein said reflective material is aluminum.
8. The device as in claim 6 , wherein said reflective material is formed in an area below a top surface at a top of said surface, and said dark mirror material is formed over said reflective material at a location above said top of said top surface.
9. The device as in claim 6 , wherein said surface is formed of glass.
10. The device as in claim 6 , wherein said dimmer material is formed on said surface by concentric surfaces of dimmer material.
11. The device as in claim 6 , wherein said reflective material was reflective silicon.
12. The device as in claim 6 , wherein said round surface also includes a first section which is clear and a second section which is completely opaque.
13. A method of forming a variable dimmer device, comprising:
etching of glass substrate having around outer shape to form variable shaped vias on a top surface of said glass substrate, said etching carried out with a weak etchant that flakes the surface of the glass to form an irregular bottom portion of the via;
forming varying amounts of dimmer material at different locations on said round surface, by filling a material filled into said vias that disperses light rather than absorbing or reflecting said light, where said material includes a two-part material including a reflective material as a first layer and a dark mirror material as a second layer.
14. The method as in claim 13 , wherein said reflective material is aluminum.
15. The method as in claim 13 , wherein said reflective material is formed in an area below a top surface of the top of said surface, and said dark mirror material is formed over said reflective material at a location above said top of said top surface.
16. The method as in claim 13 , wherein said varying amounts of dimmer material are formed by concentric surfaces of dimmer material.
17. The method as in claim 13 , wherein said reflective material is reflective silicon.
18. The method as in claim 13 , further comprising forming a first section which is clear and a second section which is completely opaque.