Optical apparatus

• US 5,764,401 A
• Filed: 11/09/1995
• Issued: 06/09/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Udaka, Tohru, Noda, Kazuhiro, Hinokuma, Koichiro, Miyagaki, Hideharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lester, Evelyn A.
• Application Number:
  US08/555,813
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 359/270, 359/265, 359/272
• US Class Current: 359/270
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1506 caused by electrodeposition, e.g. electrolytic deposition of an inorganic material on or close to an electrode

Abstract

An optical apparatus includes a first electrode that can be kept in a transparent state in a visible light region, and a second electrode electrically separated from the first electrode. A space is provided between the first and second electrodes. A certain function is used to provide a driving potential to the first and second electrodes. An electrolyte is poured into the space between the electrodes. The electrolyte is composed of a solution prepared by dissolving a silver salt in at least one type of solvent selected from a group consisting of dimethylformamide, diethylformamide, N, N-dimethylacetamide, N-methylpropionamide, N-methylpyrrolidone, 2-ethoxyethanol, and 2-methoxyethanol. By use of this electrolyte, silver is precipitated and dissolved under driving control over the first and second electrodes. As a result, color-developing and color-fading are effected by precipitation and dissolution of silver, respectively.

Claims

1. An optical apparatus comprising:

a first transparent electrode;

a second electrode electrically separated from said first electrode;

a space between said first and second electrodes;

means for providing a driving potential to said first and second electrodes; and

an electrolyte in said space, said electrolyte being composed of a solution prepared by dissolving silver salt selected from the group consisting of silver chloride and silver bromide, in a solvent, whereby silver is precipitated and dissolved under over said first and second electrodes under control of said driving potential so as to effect color-developing and color-fading by precipitation and dissolution of silver, respectively, wherein, the solution further comprises at least one type of additive selected from the group consisting of a brightening agent, a complex salt-forming agent and a reducing agent, and the additive is a complex salt-forming agent selected from the group consisting of phthalic acid, succinic acid, salicylic acid and glycolic acid.

2. An optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the solution contains the silver salt at a concentration in a range 0.03 to 2.0 mol/liter.

3. An optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the brightening agent selected from the group consisting of thiourea, allyl thiourea, mercaptobenzimidazole, and coumarin is used as the additive.

4. An optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a complex salt-forming agent selected from group consisting of phthalic acid, succinic acid, salicylic acid and glycolic acid is the additive.

5. An optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the solvent is composed of at least one type of compound selected from the group consisting of dimethylformamide, diethylfomamide, N, N-dimethylacetamide, N-methylpropionamide, N-methylpyrrolidone, propylenecarbonate, acetonitrile, 2-ethoxyethanol, 2-methoxyethanol, and γ

-butryolactone.

6. An optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the solution further comprises a halide supporting salt that provides which dissolves the silver salt so as to transform the silver salt into a complex salt.

7. An optical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the supporting salt is added at a concentration in a range from one half to five times of one of the silver salt.

8. An electro-deposition light modulating apparatus comprising:

a first transparent electrode;

a second electrode electrically separated from said first electrode;

a means for providing a driving electrical potential to said first and second electrodes;

and

an electrolyte comprising;

(a) non-aqueous solvent contains at least one type of solvent selected from the group consisting of dimethylformamide (DMF), diethylformamide (DEF), N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMAA), N-methylpropionamide (MPA), N-methylpyrrolidone (N-MP), propylenecarbonate (PC), acetonitrile (AN), 2-ethoxyethanol (EEOH), 2-methoxyethanol (MEOH), and π

-butryolactone (π

-BL);

(b) silver (complex) salt, in the solvent, whereby silver is deposited and dissolved over said first and second electrodes under control of the driving potential; and

(c) a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid and tin chloride.

9. An electro-deposition light modulating apparatus comprising:

a first transparent electrode;

a second electrode electrically separated from said first electrode;

a means for providing a driving electrical potential to said first and second electrodes; and

an electrolyte comprising;

(a) non-aqueous solvent;

(b) silver (complex) salt in the solvent selected from the group consisting of silver thiocyanide and silver halide, whereby silver is deposited and dissolved over said first and second electrodes under control of the driving potential; and

(c) a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid and tin chloride.

10. An electro-deposition light modulating apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said electrolyte contains the silver halide at a concentration in a range from 0.05 to 2.0 mol/liter.

11. An electro-deposition light modulating apparatus comprising:

a first transparent electrode;

a second electrode electrically separated from said first electrode;

a means for providing a driving electrical potential to said first and second electrodes; and

an electrolyte comprising;

(a) non-aqueous solvent;

(b) silver (complex) salt in the solvent, whereby silver is deposited and dissolved over said first and second electrodes under control of the driving potential;

(c) reducing agent, including at least one selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid and tin chloride.

12. An electro-deposition light modulating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said reducing agent is added at a concentration in a range from one time to 20 times of the silver halide.

13. An electro-deposition light modulating apparatus comprising:

a first transparent electrode;

a second electrode electrically separated from said first electrode;

a means for providing a driving electrical potential to said first and second electrodes; and

an electrolyte comprising;

(a) non-aqueous solvent;

(b) silver (complex) salt in the solvent, whereby silver is deposited and dissolved over said first and second electrodes under control of the driving potential;

(c) reducing agent comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of dimethylamineborane, diethylamineborane, trimethylamineborane, and alkali metal salts thereof.

14. An electro-deposition light modulating apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said reducing agent is added at a concentration in a range from 1/150 time to one times of the silver salt.

15. An electro-deposition light modulating apparatus comprising:

a first transparent electrode;

a second electrode electrically separated from said first electrode;

a means for providing a driving electrical potential to said first and second electrodes; and

an electrolyte comprising;

(a) non-aqueous solvent;

(b) silver halide in the solvent, whereby silver is deposited and dissolved over said first and second electrodes under control of the driving potential;

(c) supporting salt, that provides a halogen and which dissolves silver halide so as to transform the silver halide into the complex salt potential; and

(d) a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid and tin chloride.

16. An electro-deposition light modulating apparatus according to claim 15, wherein an anion group of the supporting salt is selected from the group consisting of perchlorate (C104) groups, bromine (Br) groups, an iodine (1) group, hexafluorophosphate(PF6) groups and tetrafluoroborate (BF4) groups.

17. An electro-deposition light modulating apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the supporting salt is added at a concentration in a range from one-half to five times of the silver halide.

18. An electro-deposition light modulating apparatus comprising:

a first transparent electrode;

a second electrode electrically separated from said first electrode;

a means for providing a driving electrical potential to said first and second electrodes; and

an electrolyte comprising;

(a) non-aqueous solvent;

(b) silver (complex) salt in the solvent selected from the group consisting of silver chloride and silver bromide, whereby silver is deposited and dissolved over said first and second electrodes under control of the driving potential; and

(c) a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid and tin chloride.

19. An electro-deposition light modulating apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the solution contains the silver salt at a concentration in a range 0.03 to 2.0 mol/liter.

20. An optical apparatus comprising:

a first transparent electrode;

a second electrode electrically separated from said first electrode;

a space between said first and second electrodes;

means for providing a driving potential to said first and second electrode; and

an electrolyte in said space, said electrolyte being composed of a solution prepared by dissolving a silver salt in at least one type of solvent selected from the group consisting of;

dimethylformamide, diethylformamide, N, N-dimethylacetamide, N-methylpropionamide, N-methylpyrrolidone, 2-ethoxyethanol, and 2-methoxyethanol, whereby silver is precipitated and dissolved over said first and second electrodes under control of the driving potential so as to effect color-developing and color-fading by the deposition and the dissolution of the silver, respectively,

wherein,

the silver salt is silver halide, and

the solution further includes a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid and tin chloride.

21. An optical apparatus comprising:

a first transparent electrode;

a second electrode electrically separated from said first electrode;

a space between said first and second electrodes;

means for providing a driving potential to said first and second electrode; and

an electrolyte in said space, said electrolyte being composed of a solution prepared by dissolving a silver salt in at least one type of solvent selected from the group consisting of;

dimethylformamide, diethylformamide, N, N-dimethylacetamide, N-methylpropionamide, N-methylpyrrolidone, 2-ethoxyethanol, and 2-methoxyethanol, whereby silver is precipitated and dissolved over said first and second electrodes under control of the driving potential so as to effect color-developing and color-fading by the deposition and the dissolution of the silver, respectively,

wherein,

the silver salt is silver halide at a concentration in a range from 0.05 to 2.0 mol/liter, and

the solution further includes a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid and tin chloride.

22. An optical apparatus comprising:

a first transparent electrode;

a second electrode electrically separated from said first electrode;

a space between said first and second electrodes;

means for providing a driving potential to said first and second electrode; and

an electrolyte in said space, said electrolyte being composed of a solution prepared by dissolving a silver salt in at least one type of solvent selected from the group consisting of;

dimethylformamide, diethylformamide, N, N-dimethylacetamide, N-methylpropionamide, N-methylpyrrolidone, 2-ethoxyethanol, and 2-methoxyethanol, whereby silver is precipitated and dissolved over said first and second electrodes under control of the driving potential so as to effect color-developing and color-fading by the deposition and the dissolution of the silver, respectively, and wherein, the solution further includes a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of;

dimethylamineborane, diethylamineborane, trimethylamineborane, and alkali metal salts thereof.