MULTI-ZONE ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICE

• US 20160202591A1
• Filed: 03/21/2016
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sage Electrochromics, Inc (Compagnie de Saint-Gobain SA)
• Original Assignee: Sage Electrochromics, Inc (Compagnie de Saint-Gobain SA)
• Inventors: Greer, Bryan D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,268,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2464 featuring transparency control by applying voltage, e.g. LCD, electrochromic panels
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/24 Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blindsoperating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00
• 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

Abstract

In one aspect of the present invention is a substrate comprising multiple, independently controllable electrochromic zones, wherein each of the electrochromic zones share a common, continuous bus bar. In one embodiment, of the electrochromic zones are not completely isolated from each other. In another embodiment, each of the electrochromic zones have the same surface area. In another embodiment, each of the electrochromic zones have a different surface area.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. An electrochromic device comprising:

a first electrochromic zone;

a second electrochromic zone;

a third electrochromic zone;

a first bus bar that is a first common bus bar adjacent and electrically connected to the first and second electrochromic zones, wherein the first bus bar is not electrically connected to the third electrochromic zone; and

a second bus bar that is a second common bus bar adjacent and electrically connected to the second and third electrochromic zones, wherein the second common bus bar is not electrically connected to the first electrochromic zone,

wherein the first, second, and third electrochromic zone are independently controllable.

27. The electrochromic device of claim 26, wherein at least two of the first, second, and third electrochromic zones have the same surface area.

28. The electrochromic device of claim 26, wherein at least two of the first, second, and third electrochromic zones have different surface areas.

29. The electrochromic device of claim 26, further comprising:

a third bus bar adjacent and electrically connected to the first electrochromic zone, wherein the third bus bar is not electrically connected to the second or third electrochromic zone; and

a fourth bus bar adjacent and electrically connected to the third electrochromic zone, wherein the fourth bus bar is not electrically connected to the first or second electrochromic zone.

30. The electrochromic device of claim 29, wherein the first bus bar is only electrically connected to the first and second electrochromic zones, and the second bus bar is only electrically connected to the second and third electrochromic zones.

31. The electrochromic device of claim 29, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth bus bars are substantially parallel to one another.

32. The electrochromic device of claim 26, wherein the first, second, and third electrochromic zones are in a coplanar arrangement on a single substrate.

33. The electrochromic device of claim 26, further comprising a substrate includes glass, plastic, or a laminate of two of the same or different materials, wherein the substrate and the first, second, and third electrochromic zones are parts of an insulated glass unit.

34. The electrochromic device of claim 26, wherein each of the first, second, and third electrochromic zones comprises:

a first electrode layer comprising one of an electrochromic layer or a counter electrode layer;

a second electrode layer comprising the other of the electrochromic layer or the counter electrode layer;

an ion-conductor layer for conducting ions between the first and second electrodes; and

a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, the first and second electrodes and the ion-conductor layer being sandwiched between the first and second conductive layers.

35. An electrochromic device comprising:

a first electrochromic zone having a first side and a second side opposite the first side;

a second electrochromic zone having a third side and a fourth side opposite the third side;

a first bus bar adjacent to the first side of the first electrochromic zone and electrically connected to the first electrochromic zone and a first terminal, wherein the first bus bar is not electrically connected to the second electrochromic zone;

a second bus bar adjacent to the second side edge of the first electrochromic zone and the third side of the second electrochromic zone and electrically connected to the first and second electrochromic zones and a second terminal, wherein the second bus bar is a common bus bar for the first and second electrochromic zones; and

a third bus bar adjacent to the fourth side of the second electrochromic zone and electrically connected to the second electrochromic zone and a third terminal, wherein the third bus bar is not electrically connected to the first electrochromic zone,

wherein the first and second electrochromic zones are independently controllable.

36. The electrochromic device of claim 35, wherein:

the first electrochromic zone comprises a fifth side and a sixth side spaced apart from the fifth side, wherein each of the fifth and sixth sides is adjacent to the first and second sides of the first electrochromic zone, and no bus bar is electrically connected to the first electrochromic zone along the fifth or sixth side; and

the second electrochromic zone comprises a seventh side and an eighth side spaced apart from the seventh side, wherein each of the seventh and eighth sides is adjacent to the third and fourth sides of the second electrochromic zone, and no bus bar is electrically connected to the second electrochromic zone along the seventh or eighth side.

37. The electrochromic device of claim 35, wherein the first bus bar is electrically connected to a first wire that is electrically connected to a first voltage terminal, the second bus bar is electrically connected to a second wire that is electrically connected to a second voltage terminal, and the third bus bar is electrically connected to a third wire that is electrically connected to a third voltage terminal.

38. The electrochromic device of claim 35, wherein the first and second electrochromic zones are in a coplanar arrangement on a single substrate.

39. An electrochromic device comprising:

a substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side and comprising a first electrochromic zone, a second electrochromic zone, and a third zone, wherein;

the second electrochromic zone is disposed between the first and third electrochromic zones;

each of the first, second, and third electrochromic zones has a first side adjacent to the first side of the substrate and a second side adjacent to the second side of the substrate;

the first, second, and third electrochromic zones are independently controllable;

a first bus bar that is a first common bus bar electrically connected to the first and second electrochromic zones along the first sides of the first and second electrochromic zones, wherein the first bus bar is not electrically connected to the third electrochromic zone; and

a second bus bar that is a second common bus bar electrically connected to the second and the third electrochromic zones along the second sides of the second and third electrochromic zones, wherein the second bus bar is not electrically connected to the first electrochromic zone.

40. The electrochromic device of claim 39, further comprising:

a first wire and a first solder tab that electrically connects the first wire to the first bus bar; and

a second wire and a second solder tab that electrically connects the second wire to the second bus bar.

41. The electrochromic device of claim 39, further comprising a third bus bar that is electrically connected to the first electrochromic zone along the second side of the first electrochromic zone, wherein the first electrochromic zone is the only electrochromic zone on the substrate electrically connected to the third bus bar.

42. The electrochromic device of claim 41, further comprising a fourth bus bar that is electrically connected to the third electrochromic zone along the first side of the third electrochromic zone.

43. The electrochromic device of claim 42, further comprising:

a first wire and a first solder tab that electrically connects the first wire to the first bus bar;

a second wire and a second solder tab that electrically connects the second wire to the second bus bar;

a third wire and a third solder tab that electrically connects the third wire to the third bus bar; and

a fourth wire and a fourth solder tab that electrically connects the fourth wire to the fourth bus bar,

wherein the first bus bar is not electrically connected to the third electrochromic zone, and the second bus bar is not electrically connected to the first electrochromic zone, and the first, second, and third electrochromic zones are in a coplanar arrangement on the substrate.

44. The electrochromic device of claim 39, wherein the first, second, and third electrochromic zones are formed from a single electrochromic coating on the substrate.

45. An insulated glazing unit comprising the electrochromic device of claim 39.