Method for producing a cell for an electrochromic mirror and an electrochromic mirror

• US 6,606,183 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Oil Corporation (ENEOS Holdings, Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
• Original Assignee: Nippon Oil Corporation (ENEOS Holdings, Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Masaaki, Ikai, Keizo, Asano, Tsuyoshi, Nishikitani, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben, Loha
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOI, WILLIAM C
• Application Number:
  US09/745,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20010006430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 359/267, 359/268, 359/265, 359/270, 359/272, 359/273, 359/604, 359/296, 156/109, 156/145, 156/292, 156/293, 156/330, 556/423, 528/10, 528/27, 528/38, 445/25
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/161 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells; Filling or closing of cells

Abstract

A method for producing a cell for an electrochromic mirror which comprises a step of applying a epoxy-based sealant containing beads by a method selected from the group consisting of dispensing or screen-printing on a predetermined position of the surface peripheral edge of at least one of two electrically conductive substrates; and a step of superposing the two substrates such that the width of the applied sealant is made 2 mm or less.

Claims

1. A method for producing a cell for an electrochromic mirror which comprises a step of applying an epoxy-based sealant containing beads by dispensing on a predetermined position of a surface peripheral edge of at least one of two electrically conductive substrates;

wherein said dispensing is effected with a discharging nozzle bore having a size within the rang from 0.1 to less than 2 mm at a discharging pressure of from 50 to 700 kPa and a nozzle sweeping speed of from 0.1 to 500 mm/sec, and wherein a space between the at least one substrate and a nozzle tip is 2 mm or less; and

a step of superposing said two substrates such that a width of the applied sealant is made 2 mm or less.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said beads-containing epoxy-based sealant has a viscosity of from 0.5 to 500 Pa.s.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said beads-containing epoxy-based sealant has a viscosity of from 5 to 150 Pa.s.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said epoxy-based sealant is of a thermally curing type.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said beads have an average particle size of from 20 to 200 μ

m.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said beads have an average particle size of from 40 to 100 μ

m.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said beads are formed from a material with insulating properties selected from the group consisting of glass, an acrylic resin, a poly (propylene carbonate) resin, and a vinylbenzene resin.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein said sealant contains said beads in an amount of from 0.01 to 10 percent by mass.

9. An electrochromic mirror which is obtained by inserting an electrolyte into a cell produced by the method defined in claim 1.

10. A method for producing a cell for an electrochromic mirror which comprises a step of applying an epoxy-based sealant containing beads on a predetermined position of a surface peripheral edge of at least one of two electrically conductive substrates;

wherein said applying is effected with a discharging nozzle bore having a size within the range from 0.1 to less than 2 mm at a discharging pressure of from 50 to 700 kPa and a nozzle sweeping speed of from 0.1 to 50 mm/sec, and wherein a space between the at least one substrate and a nozzle tip is 2 mm or less;

a step of pre-curing said applied sealant before said two substrates are superposed;

an curing said sealant with said two substrates superposed, wherein said beads are formed from a material with insulating properties selected from the group consisting of glass, acrylic resin, poly (propylene carbonate) resin, and vinylbenzene resin.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein said sealant is pre-cured by heating in an oven maintained at a temperature from 40 to 160°

C.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein said sealant is pre-cured by heating at a temperature of 40 to 200°

C. on a hot plate.

13. The method according to claim 10 wherein said sealant is pre-cured by irradiation with a means selected from the group consisting of a halogen lamp, an infrared lamp and a far infrared lamp, such that the surface temperature of said substrate is made from 40 to 200°

C.

14. The method according to claim 10 wherein said epoxy-based sealant is of a thermally curing type.

15. The method according to claim 10 wherein said beads have an average particle size of from 20 to 200 μ

m.

16. The method according to claim 10 wherein said beads have an average particle size of from 40 to 100 μ

m.

17. The method according to claim 10 wherein said epoxy-based sealant contains beads in an amount of from 0.01 to 10 percent by mass.

18. An electrochromic mirror which is obtained by inserting an electrolyte into a cell produced by the method defined in claim 10.

19. A method for producing a cell for an electrochromic mirror which comprises a step of applying an epoxy-based sealant containing beads by screen-printing on a predetermined position of a surface peripheral edge of at least one of two electrically conductive substrates;

wherein said dispensing is effected with a discharging nozzle bore having a size within the range from 0.1 to less than 2 mm at a discharging pressure of from 50 to 700 kPa and a nozzle sweeping speed of from 0.1 to 500 mm/sec, and wherein a space between the at least one substrate and a nozzle tip is 2 mm or less; and

a step of superposing said two substrates such that a width of the applied sealant is made 2 mm or less.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said screen-printing is performed using a printing machine having a squeegee angle of from 90 to 30°

, a squeegee pressure from 0.01 to 0.4 MPa, and a sweeping speed of from 5 to 500 mm/sec, and wherein a space between the at least one substrate and a printing plate is 5 mm or less.