Electrochemical device such as electrochromic or photovoltaic device and electrical connection means thereof

• US 20040053125A1
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Dubrenat, Samuel, Fanton, Xavier, Giron, Jean-Christophe, Claude, Laurent, Beteille, Fabien
• Granted Patent: US 7,230,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/152
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10174 Coatings of a metallic or dielectric material on a constituent layer of glass or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10376 Laminated safety glass or glazing containing metal wires
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10513 Electrochromic layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10788 containing ethylene vinylacetate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/12 Photovoltaic modules
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1533 structural features not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/155 Electrodes

Abstract

The subject of the invention is an electrochemical device, especially an electrically controllable system with variable energy and/or optical properties or a photovoltaic device, comprising at least one substrate (1) carrying an electroactive stack of layers (3) arranged between an electrode called a “lower” electrode and an electrode called an “upper” electrode. Each electrode comprises at least one electroconductive layer (2) in electrical contact with at least one current lead. These current leads are arranged outside the region of the carrier substrate (1) which is covered by the stack of electroactive layers (3).

Claims

1. An electrochemical device, especially an electrically controllable system with variable energy and/or optical properties or a photovoltaic device, comprising at least one substrate (1) carrying an electroactive stack of layers (3) arranged between an electrode called a “

lower”

electrode and an electrode called an “

upper”

electrode, each comprising at least one electroconductive layer (2) in electrical contact with at least one current lead, characterized in that said current leads of at least one of the electrodes, especially of the two electrodes, are arranged outside the region of the carrier substrate (1) which is covered by the electroactive stack of layers (3).

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the “

lower”

electrode comprises an electroconductive layer (2) which covers at least one region of the carrier substrate not covered by the electroactive stack (3).

3. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the “

lower”

electrode comprises an electroconductive layer (2) which covers a region Z₁ of the carrier substrate (1) completely covering the region Z₂ of the carrier substrate covered by the electroactive stack of layers 3, and of dimensions greater than the latter.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the “

lower”

electrode comprising an electroconductive layer (2) covering a region of the carrier substrate, in particular an essentially rectangular region Z₁, and in that the electroactive stack (3) also covers a region, in particular an essentially rectangular region Z₂, of the carrier substrate, these two regions partially covering each other.

5. The device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the electroconductive layer (2) of the “

lower”

electrode covers an essentially rectangular region Z₁ of the substrate (1) which is of larger dimensions and essentially centered on the smaller rectangular region Z₂, covered by the electroactive stack (3).

6. The device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the electroconductive layer (2) of the “

lower”

electrode covers a rectangular region Z₁ exceeding, on two of its opposed sides only, the rectangular region Z² covered by the stack (3).

7. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electroconductive layer (2) of the “

upper”

electrode covers a region Z₃ of the carrier substrate (1) which is essentially identical to that covered by the electroactive stack 3.

8. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electroconductive layer (2) of the “

lower”

electrode is deactivated over at least part of its periphery, at least in part over a region not covered by the electroactive stack (3), especially over a region overlapping a region covered by and a region not covered by the electroactive stack (3).

9. The device as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the electroconductive layer 2 of the “

lower”

electrode covers a substantially rectangular region of the carrier substrate (1) and in that it comprises two peripheral deactivated regions (s₁, s₂), along two opposed edges of said rectangular region.

10. The device as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the electroconductive layer (2) of the “

lower”

electrode comprises a deactivated region (s₅) over its entire periphery.

11. The device as claimed in one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the deactivated region(s) is (are) obtained by incision of the electroconductive layer (2) along one or more lines, in particular along a line which is closed around its entire periphery (15), or along two lines (l₁, l₂) crossing the layer from one side to the other over two of its opposed edges, or along two lines (l₆, l₇) closed along two of its opposed edges.

12. The device as claimed in one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that the incision of the electroconductive layer (2) is carried out after depositing the electroactive stack (3) and also possibly after that of the “

upper”

electrode, with simultaneous incision of all the layers when the region of the electroconductive layer to be incised is covered by the electroactive stack (3).

13. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electroactive stack (3) is deactivated over at least part of its periphery.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the electroactive stack (3) covers a substantially rectangular region of the carrier substrate (1) and in that it comprises two peripheral regions (s₃, s₄) deactivated along two opposed edges of said rectangular region.

15. The device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the electroactive stack (3) comprises a deactivated region (s₆) over its entire periphery.

16. The device as claimed in one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the deactivated region or regions of the electroactive stack (3) is (are) obtained by incision of the whole stack and possibly also of the upper electrode, along two lines (l₃, l₄) crossing the stack from one side to the other on two of its opposed edges or along a line (l₈, l₉, l₁₀, l₁₁) closed around its entire periphery, preferably without simultaneously incising the underlying “

lower”

electrode (2).

17. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower electrode (2) and the stack of electroactive layers (3) are incised at the same location over at least part of their common surface, the two incision lines being superimposed and the incision line of the lower electrode being wider than that of the stack of electroactive layers.

18. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the two electrodes, preferably the “

upper”

electrode, comprises an electroconductive layer combined with a network (4) of conductive wires/conductive strips.

19. The device as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the conductive network (4) comprises a plurality of essentially metal wires placed on the surface of a polymer film 5, especially of the thermoplastic type.

20. The device as claimed in claim 17 or claim 19, characterized in that the wires/strips (4) are placed essentially parallel to each other, preferably in an orientation which is essentially parallel to the length or the width of the electroconductive layer of the “

upper”

electrode, the ends of said wires/strips exceeding the region of the substrate covered by said electroconductive layer on two of its opposed edges, in particular by at least 0.5 mm.

21. The device as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that the ends of the wires/strips (4) which are outside the region covered by the electroconductive layer of the “

upper”

electrode are in contact with the “

lower”

electroconductive layer (2) only in its deactivated region or regions.

22. The device as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21, characterized in that the ends of the wires/strips (4) which are outside the region covered by the electroconductive layer of the “

upper”

electrode are electrically insulated from contact with the active region of the electroconductive layer (2) of the “

lower”

electrode, in particular by insertion of strip(s) of insulating material.

23. The device as claimed in one of claims 18 to 22, characterized in that the ends of the wires/strips (4) associated with the electroconductive layer of the “

upper”

electrode are electrically connected to two current leads in the form of flexible strips (6a, 6b) made of an insulating polymer covered on one or their faces with a conductive coating (7, 8).

24. The device as claimed in one of claims 18 to 22, characterized in that the ends of the wires/strips 4 associated with the electroconductive layer of the “

upper”

electrode are in electrical contact with two deactivated regions of the electroconductive layer (2) of the “

lower”

electrode and in that said deactivated regions are in electrical contact with current leads, in particular in the form of conductive “

clips”

(10, 10′

) clipping onto the carrier substrate (1).

25. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conductive layer (2) of the “

lower”

electrode is electrically connected to current leads, especially along two of its opposed edges, in active regions which are not covered with the electroactive stack 3.

26. The device as claimed in claim 25, characterized in that said leads are in the form of conductive “

clips”

(9, 9′

) clipping onto the carrier substrate (1).

27. The device as claimed in claim 23, characterized in that all the current leads of the “

lower” and

“

upper”

electrodes are brought together in the form of two substantially identical strips (6a, 6b), each strip consisting of a small electrically insulating polymer support approximately in the shape of an “

L”

, with, on one of the sides of the “

L”

, a conductive coating (7) on one of the faces and on the other side of the “

L”

a conductive coating (8) on the face opposite to the previous face.

28. The device as claimed in claim 27, characterized in that each L-shaped current lead (6a, 6b) has an external socket (12) close to the junction between the two sides of said “

L”

.

29. The device as claimed in claim 23, characterized in that all the current leads of the “

lower” and

“

upper”

electrodes are brought together in the form of an approximately rectangular strip, formed from a flexible support made of an electrically insulating polymer, with, on two opposed edges, a conductive coating on one face and on its two other edges a conductive coating on the face opposite to the previous face, preferably with a single external socket.

30. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the current leads is in the form of a clip (14, 15), in particular a metal strip, or in the form of one or more conductive wires, or in the form of a point-like lead made of a conductive material.

31. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electroactive stack (3) covers a region of the carrier substrate which is a polygon, a rectangle, a diamond, a trapezium, a square, a circle, a half circle, an oval, or any parallelogram.

32. The device as claimed in claims 30 and 31, characterized in that at least one of the current leads is in the form of a conductive wire or a plurality of conductive wires following all or part of the perimeter delimiting the area of the carrier substrate covered by the electroactive stack (3).

33. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it involves an electrochromic system, in particular of the “

all-solid”

type, a viologen system, a liquid crystal system, a light valve system or a photovoltaic system.

34. The device as claimed in claim 33, characterized in that it involves an “

all-solid”

electrochromic glazing, in particular of laminated structure.

35. The device as claimed in claim 34, characterized in that the electrochromic glazing comprises at least one bulk tinted glass pane and/or at least one curved glass pane.

36. The device as claimed in one of claims 33 to 35, characterized in that it also comprises at least one of the following coatings:

infrared reflecting coating, hydrophilic coating, hydrophobic coating, photocatalytic coating with antifouling properties, antireflective coating, electromagnetic shielding coating.

37. The device as claimed in one of claims 33 to 36, characterized in that the carrier substrate (1) is rigid, semirigid or flexible.