In particular, the present invention concerns a screen as described above which is divided in two or several zones which can be adjusted separately, such that the light transmission for the different zones can be adjusted separately.

By screen is understood here any possible panel which is designed to close off a specific surface in a transparent manner, as is the case with panes in general, both in buildings and in vehicles or vessels, in the case of cupolas, mirrors and such, whereby the aim is to make such transparent surfaces non-transparent in a selective, flexible manner.

In this context, it is known to apply films which can be used for the above-mentioned and other applications, whereby mainly liquid crystals are contained between transparent layers of electrically conductive material provided on layers of glass, plastic or such, and whereby layers of polarisation material may also be provided on said layers.

The layers of electrically conductive material are hereby connected to a power source, such that a voltage being

either or not applied to these layers results in said layers being transparent or non-transparent, as the liquid crystals which are provided in between them pass from an orientated condition into a chaotic condition and vice versa.

The invention aims to realise said screen in such a manner that one or several parts thereof are controlled separately, so that certain parts in the shape of suitable patterns, surfaces or such can be made transparent or non- transparent.

Such an arrangement can be realised for example by providing the above-mentioned film as a uniform, electrically conductive layer on one side, and by applying the electrically conductive layer according to a specific pattern on the other side.

When two uniform, transparent layers of electrically conductive material are already provided, these layers can be locally removed by means of etching, a laser treatment, a mechanical method or such.

As the above-mentioned layers of electrically conductive material have to be transparent, they will be made of tin oxide, indium oxide, indium tin oxide, zinc oxide or such, which can be provided on the glass layer, the plastic layer or such by means of evaporation.

Although a screen according to the invention can have several applications, from window panes in buildings to advertisements in panes and such, a special application will be found in windows of cars, boats and such, where one or several parts of the pane can be made non-transparent, for example the top edge of the windscreen of a car for the

driver on the one hand, and for the passenger on the other hand.

The screen according to the invention mainly consists of at least two layers of glass or transparent synthetic material which are provided with a layer of electrically conductive transparent material, whereby a layer of liquid crystals is provided between these layers whose optical characteristics,-in particular the transparency, can be adjusted between a transparent condition and a non- transparent condition of the screen, whereby at least one of the above-mentioned electrically conductive layers is subdivided in at least two zones which are separated from one another, whereby each of the above-mentioned zones is electrically connected to a power source, and a switch is provided in at least one zone connection.

Thus is obtained by means of a screen according to the invention that the optical characteristics of panes and such can be locally influenced, in a variable manner, so that a completely adjustable pane is obtained which, as far as its optical characteristics are concerned, can be made non-transparent in a variable manner.

Moreover, thanks to the possible partial blackout of the pane, it is possible to select only a part of the total surface of the window. Thanks to this selectivity, the user can select both the zones of the pane to be blacked out as the blackout degree itself of the zones which are blacked out, in order to adjust the optical qualities to the local circumstances and to his/her own visual capacities in this manner.

Thus, the screen according to the invention makes it possible to gradually make a pane transparent or non-

transparent, either locally or over the entire surface, according to a practically unrestricted pattern. In particular thanks to an embodiment of the invention having a layered structure, a gradual transition is induced from entirely transparent to blackout.

In order to better explain the characteristics of the invention, the following preferred embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: figure 1 represents a schematic section of a film with translucent, non-translucent qualities respectively; figure 2 represents a section similar to that in figure 1, but for a variant; figure 3 represents a view of a pane according to the invention; figures 4 and 5 represent embodiments of figure 3.

Figure 1 represents a schematic section of a pane 1 which can be applied according to the invention, whereby this pane 1 mainly consists of two layers of glass or transparent plastic 2-3 which are each provided with a layer, 4-5 respectively, which is provided onto it for example by means of evaporation and which consists of a transparent electrically conductive material such as tin oxide, indium oxide, indium tin oxide and zinc oxide, and whereby a layer 6 is provided between these layers 4-5 which consists of liquid crystals.

The layers 4-5 are connected to a power source 7 via a switch 8.

Figure 2 represents a similar pane 1 which is moreover provided with reflecting polarisation layers 9-10 on the outer sides.

Figure 3 represents an application according to the invention of a pane 1 as mentioned above, whereby the surface of the pane is divided in two zones, namely a zone 11 and a zone 12, whereby at least one of the electrically conductive layers 4 and 5 consists of two parts which are separated from one another, so that it is possible to provide two separate circuits, namely a first circuit connecting the layers 4 and 5 of the zone 11 via a switch 13 to a power source 14, and a second circuit connecting the layers 4 and 5 of the zone 12 to for example the same power source 14.

Such a pane construction according to the invention will make sure that the zone 12 is transparent, whereas the zone 11 is transparent when the switch 13 is closed, and non- transparent when the switch 13 is opened.

By making the switch adjustable, for example by providing a potentiometer, the transparency of the zone 11 can be gradually changed into the non-transparent condition.

It is also possible to provide a light-sensitive sensor as a switch which makes it possible to control the screen automatically.

Depending on the construction of the pane, the switch 13 can be provided in the second circuit, and the first circuit is connected directly to the power source 14.

According to another variant, both zones could have a switch.

Figure 4 is a variant of the embodiment according to figure 3, whereby there are four zones, namely 15-16-17 and 18, whereby at least one of the layers 4-5 consists of two parts which are separated from one another, such that every zone 15-16-17 is connected as separate, via a switch 19-20- 21 respectively, to a power source 22 onto which the zone 18 is directly connected.

In this manner is obtained that the zones 15-16-17 can be made transparent, non-transparent respectively, as separate or in combination.

Figure 5 represents a variant of figure 4 whereby the zones 15-16-17 are divided in six zones, namely 23-24-25 on the one hand, and 26-27-28 on the other hand, which are connected to a power source 35 via separate switches 29 to 34.

Naturally, it is clear that there can be more zones, and that also in the examples of figures 4 and 5, a switch can be provided in all zones.

According to a special embodiment, an entire pane can be provided from top to bottom with small, separate zones stretching over the entire pane width or a part thereof, whereby every zone is provided with a suitable switch, such that every pane, when the non-transparency, transparency respectively changes gradually, for example by altering the voltage applied, offers an efficient sun protection.

Moreover, according to other embodiments, these zones can be provided on any spot whatsoever of the pane 1 so as to mark a certain pattern, for example a text.

In the case of a car window or such, a pane according to the invention can be made such that when one leaves the vehicle or such, the panes can be made non-transparent, which may prevent burglary.

Also, the present invention is by no means limited to the above-described embodiments represented in the accompanying drawings; on the contrary it can be made in all sorts of shapes and dimensions while still remaining within the scope of the invention.