Electrochromic mirrors and devices

• US 20020041443A1
• Filed: 09/18/2001
• Published: 04/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1994
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Craig A. Dornan, Desaraju V. Varaprasad, Hamid Habibi, Ian A. Mccabe, Mingtang Zhao, Niall R. Lynam
• Original Assignee: Craig A. Dornan, Desaraju V. Varaprasad, Hamid Habibi, Ian A. Mccabe, Mingtang Zhao, Niall R. Lynam
• Inventors: Habibi, Hamid, Varaprasad, Desaraju V., McCabe, Ian A., Dornan, Craig A., Zhao, Mingtang, Lynam, Niall R.
• Application Number:
  US09/954,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20020041443A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/603
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/06 comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10293 Edge features, e.g. inserts or holes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10513 Electrochromic layer
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/04 adjustable in transparency
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/082 using a single wide field mirror or an association of rigidly connected mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1516 comprising organic material
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1524 Transition metal compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1525 characterised by a particular ion transporting layer, e.g. electrolyte

Abstract

The present invention relates to electrochromic mirrors and devices whose electrochromic element is composed of an electrochromic solid film and an electrolyte comprising redox reaction promoters and alkali ions and/or protons.

Claims

1. An electrochromic rearview mirror for a motor vehicle comprising:

(a) a substantially transparent substrate coated with a substantially transparent conductive electrode coating on its inward surface;

(b) a substrate positioned in spaced-apart relationship with said substrate of (a);

(c) a layer of reflective material coated onto the inward surface of said substrate of (b) or onto a thin film or stack of thin films coated onto the inward surface of said substrate of (b);

(d) an electrochromic solid film coated onto said layer of reflective material of (c), wherein said solid film comprises an inorganic transition metal oxide;

(e) a sealing means positioned toward the peripheral edge of each of said substrate of (a) and said substrate of (b) and sealingly forming a cavity therebetween;

(f) an electrolyte comprising a redox reaction promoter, wherein said electrolyte is located within said cavity to form an electrochromic element; and

(g) a means for introducing an applied potential to said electrochromic element to controllably cause a variation in the amount of light reflected from said mirror.

2. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 1, wherein said metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of a Group IV-B metal oxide, a Group V-B metal oxide, a Group VI-B metal oxide and combinations thereof.

3. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 2, wherein said metal oxide is doped with a dopant selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, rhenium, tin, rhodium, indium, bismuth, barium, titanium, tantalum, niobium, copper, cerium, lanthanum, zirconium, zinc and nickel.

4. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 3, wherein said metal oxide comprises tungsten oxide.

5. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 4, wherein said dopant comprises a tin dopant.

6. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 1, wherein said sealing means is deposited with a computer numerical control controlled dispenser.

7. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 1, wherein said first substrate and said second substrate are bent so as to form a convex mirror.

8. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 1, wherein said first substrate and said second substrate are bent so as to form a multi-radius mirror.

9. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 1, wherein said mirror is prepared using a vacuum bagging technique.

10. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 9, wherein said cavity includes rigid, spacer means.

11. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 10, wherein said spacer means comprises glass spacer beads.

12. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 5, wherein said electrochromic solid film is deposited by a non-vacuum deposition method.

13. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 12, wherein said non-vacuum deposition method comprises a wet chemical method.

14. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 13, wherein said wet chemical method comprises a dip/fire deposition method.

15. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 1, wherein said layer of reflective material comprises a silver thin film coating.

16. The electrochromic mirror according to claim 1, wherein said layer of reflective material comprises an aluminum thin film coating.