ELECTROCHROMIC VISION PANEL HAVING A PLURALITY OF CONNECTORS

• US 20070002420A1
• Filed: 06/22/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Original Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Inventors: Rukavina, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,173,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2464 featuring transparency control by applying voltage, e.g. LCD, electrochromic panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13452 Conductors connecting driver circuitry and terminals of panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/153 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1533 structural features not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/155 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/163 Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/1536 additional, e.g. protective, layer inside the cell

Abstract

An electrochromic window includes a first transparent substrate having a first electrically-conductive coating and a second transparent plastic substrate having a second electrically-conductive coating. An electrochromic medium is located between the first and second electrically-conductive coatings. At least one of the first and second electrically-conductive coatings comprises a metal layer located between first and second metal oxide layers. A plurality of first spaced facilities contact the first electrically-conductive coating and a plurality of second spaced facilities contact the second electrically-conductive coating.

Claims

1. An electrochromic window comprising:

a first transparent substrate having a first electrically-conductive coating over at least a portion thereof;

a second transparent plastic substrate having a second electrically-conductive coating over at least a portion thereof;

an electrochromic medium located between the first and second electrically-conductive coatings, wherein at least said second electrically-conductive coating comprises a metal layer located between first and second metal oxide layers;

a primer located between the second substrate and the second conductive coating;

a plurality of first spaced facilities contacting said first electrically-conductive coating and capable of delivering electrical current to said first electrically-conductive coating;

a plurality of second spaced facilities contacting said second electrically-conductive coating and capable of delivering electrical current to said second electrically-conductive coating to establish an electrical potential through said electrochromic medium;

a first plurality of connectors, each one of the first plurality of connectors connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of first spaced facilities to deliver electrical current to the corresponding one of the plurality of first spaced facilities; and

a second plurality of connectors, each one of the second plurality of connectors connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of second spaced facilities to deliver electrical current to the corresponding one of the plurality of second spaced facilities.

2. The electrochromic window of claim 1, wherein the metal layer comprises silver.

3. The electrochromic window of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second metal oxide layers comprises at least one metal oxide selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, zinc oxide, zinc stannate, and mixtures thereof.

4. The electrochromic window of claim 1, wherein said second transparent plastic substrate is selected from polycarbonate, acrylic and urethane plastics.

5. The electrochromic window of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of first spaced facilities and at least one of said plurality of second spaced facilities are positioned about a perimeter of said window assembly.

6. The electrochromic window of claim 5, wherein said plurality of first spaced facilities and said plurality of second spaced facilities are arranged about said perimeter.

7. The electrochromic window of claim 5, wherein said plurality of first spaced facilities are arranged between said plurality of second spaced facilities about said perimeter.

8. The electrochromic window of claim 1, wherein said plurality of first spaced facilities contact said first conductive coating along opposing ends thereof, and said plurality of second spaced facilities contact said second conductive coating at least along opposing ends thereof, said opposing ends of said first conductive coating and said opposing ends of said second conductive coating being spaced from each other.

9. The electrochromic window of claim 8, wherein at least one of said opposing ends of said first conductive coating is in at least close proximity to said perimeter of said window assembly.

10. The electrochromic window of claim 8, wherein said opposing ends of said first conductive coating and said opposing ends of said second conductive coating are in at least close proximity to said perimeter of said window assembly.

11. The electrochromic window of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of first spaced facilities are equal in size and each of said plurality of second spaced facilities are equal in size.

12. The electrochromic window of claim 1, wherein said electrochromic medium contains a viologen dye or a dimethylphenazine dye.

13. The electrochromic window of claim 1, wherein said electrochromic medium contains at least one of a polyurethane or a polyurethane acrylate polymer.

14. The electrochromic window of claim 1, wherein said electrochromic medium contains tetrabutyl ammonium tetrafluoroborate.

15. The electrochromic window of claim 1, wherein said electrochromic medium has a luminous transmittance that varies upon application of an electrical potential through said electrochromic medium.

16. The electrochromic window of claim 1, further comprising an oxygen barrier layer placed on at least one of an inside or an outside surface of the said first and second conductive coating.

17. The electrochromic window of claim 1, wherein said electrochromic medium comprises at least one anodic electrochromic compound and at least one cathodic electrochromic compound, and application of electrical potential to said electrochromic medium causes simultaneous oxidation of said anodic electrochromic compound and reduction of said cathodic electrochromic compound, thereby causing reduced luminous transmittance.

18. The electrochromic window of claim 1, wherein the window is selected from aircraft cabin windows and aircraft cockpit windows.

19. The electrochromic window of claim 1, wherein said primer layer is a multi-layer primer layer comprising at least two film layers, each film layer having a coefficient of expansion less than that of the associated substrate.

20. The electrochromic window of claim 19, wherein said multi-layer primer layer comprises at least a first primer film overlaying at least a portion of the second substrate and having a coefficient of expansion less than that of the second substrate, and a second primer film overlaying at least a portion of the first primer film and having a coefficient of expansion less than that of the first primer film.

21. The electrochromic window of claim 1, wherein a dust cover is further provided and spaced apart from the window in an interior position of an aircraft.

22. An electrochromic window assembly comprising:

a first transparent plastic substrate having a first primer layer over at least a portion thereof and a first electrically-conductive coating over at least a portion of the first primer layer, wherein the first primer layer comprises a first film layer closest to the first substrate and a second film layer over the first film layer, wherein the first film layer has a coefficient of expansion less than that of the first substrate and the second film has a coefficient of expansion less than that of the first film layer, and wherein the first electrically-conductive coating comprises at least one silver layer sandwiched between two metal oxide layers;

a second transparent plastic substrate having a second primer layer over at least a portion thereof and a second electrically-conductive coating over at least a portion of the second primer layer, wherein the second primer layer comprises a first film layer closest to the first substrate and a second film layer over the first film layer, wherein the first film layer has a coefficient of expansion less than that of the second substrate and the second film has a coefficient of expansion less than that of the first film layer, and wherein the second electrically-conductive coating comprises at least one silver layer sandwiched between two metal oxide layers;

an electrochromic medium located between the first and second electrically-conductive coatings;

a plurality of first spaced facilities contacting said first conductive coating and capable of delivering electrical current to said first electrically-conductive coating;

a plurality of second spaced facilities contacting said second conductive coating and capable of delivering electrical current to said second electrically-conductive coating to establish said electrical potential through said electrochromic medium;

a first plurality of connectors, each one of the first plurality of connectors connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of first spaced facilities to deliver electrical current to the corresponding one of the plurality of first spaced facilities; and

a second plurality of connectors, each one of the second plurality of connectors connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of second spaced facilities to deliver electrical current to the corresponding one of the plurality of second spaced facilities.