| abstract |
A device containing a normally transparent polymeric fluid which becomes sufficiently less transparent at a preselected temperature to reduce the transmission of light and radiant heat therethrough is provided. The conversion of the polymeric fluid from a transparent to a less transparent state is reversible and is a physical transformation which can be repeated an infinite number of times. For example, an enclosure member of a transparent film of a polymer such as polystyrene or polycarbonate which encloses a solution of a polymer with inverse solubility in the solvent, such as polyvinyl oxazolidinone in water, is usefully employed in office buildings and homes for the control of temperature within a desired range, thereby reducing the amounts of energy consumption. |