Electrochromic device, optical filter, lens unit, and imaging apparatus

• US 9,977,306 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kubo, Wataru, Okada, Shinjiro, Yamada, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben, Loha
• Application Number:
  US15/102,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20160299401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 359265, 359273, 359275, 359599, 345 84, 345105
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1503 caused by oxidation-reduction reactions in organic liquid solutions, e.g. viologen solutions
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1516 comprising organic material
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/15165 Polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/163 Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/1635 the pixel comprises active switching elements, e.g. TFT
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/38 using electrochromic devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/75 by influencing optical camera components

Abstract

The present invention provides an electrochromic device including a pair of electrodes and an electrochromic layer disposed between the pair of electrodes and containing different electrochromic materials having the same polarity, wherein in the case where two materials are selected from the different electrochromic materials having the same polarity in descending order of maximum absorbance in a color-display mode of the electrochromic layer and where the diffusion coefficients of the molecules of the two materials are compared with each other in the color-display mode, a smaller diffusion coefficient D₂min, a larger diffusion coefficient D₂max, and maximum absorbance H₂ of the molecules of the electrochromic material having the diffusion coefficient D₂max in the color-display mode satisfy Formula (5).
1≤D₂max/D₂min≤(1+0.146/H₂)²  (5)

Claims

1. An electrochromic device comprising:

a pair of electrodes; and

an electrochromic layer disposed between the pair of electrodes and containing different electrochromic materials having the same polarity,

wherein, in the case where two materials are selected from the different electrochromic materials having the same polarity in descending order of maximum absorbance under a situation in which the electrochromic layer is in a colored state, diffusion coefficients of the two materials are the same or are different from each other and,

wherein, in the case where the diffusion coefficients of the two materials are different from each other, a diffusion coefficient D₂min of a material that is one of the two materials and has a smaller diffusion coefficient than the other material in the two materials, a diffusion coefficient D₂max of the other material that is in the two materials and has a larger diffusion coefficient than the material, and maximum absorbance H₂ of the other material having the larger diffusion coefficient under the situation in which the electrochromic layer is in the colored state satisfy Formula

1≤

D₂max/D₂min≤

(1+0.146/H₂)² 

 

(5).

2. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion coefficient D₂min is equal to the diffusion coefficient D₂max.

3. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion coefficient D₂min, the diffusion coefficient D₂max and the maximum absorbance H₂ satisfy Formula

1≤

D₂max/D₂min≤

(1+0.0792/H₂)² 

 

(15).

4. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion coefficient D₂min and the diffusion coefficient D₂max satisfy Formula

1≤

D₂max/D₂min≤

1.29 

 

(17).

5. The electrochromic device according to claim 4, wherein the diffusion coefficient D₂min and the diffusion coefficient D₂max satisfy Formula

1≤

D₂max/D₂min≤

1.15 

 

(18).

6. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein each of the different electrochromic materials having the same polarity is any of a monothiophene derivative, an oligothiophene derivative, an aromatic amine derivative, and a pyridine derivative.

7. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the pair of electrodes is in the range of 0.6 μ

m to 130 μ

m.

8. An optical filter comprising:

the electrochromic device according to claim 1; and

a transistor configured to control the electrochromic device.

9. A lens unit comprising:

the electrochromic device according to claim 1; and

a plurality of lenses.

10. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an optical imaging system;

an image sensor configured to receive light from the optical imaging system;

the electrochromic device according to claim 1; and

a transistor configured to control the electrochromic device, wherein

the electrochromic device is being disposed in an optical path of the light.

11. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the maximum absorbance of the material whose diffusion coefficient is D₂max is largest among the electrochromic materials in the electrochromic layer.

12. An electrochromic device comprising:

a pair of electrodes; and

an electrochromic layer disposed between the pair of electrodes and containing different electrochromic materials having the same polarity, the different electrochromic materials having the same polarity in the electrochromic layer including

three or more electrochromic materials,

wherein, in the case where three materials are selected from the different electrochromic materials having the same polarity in descending order of maximum absorbance under a situation in which the electrochromic layer is in a colored state, diffusion coefficients of the three materials are the same or are different from one another, and

wherein, in the case where the diffusion coefficient of the three materials are different from one another, a diffusion coefficient D₃min of a material that is among the three materials and has a smallest diffusion coefficient among the three materials, a diffusion coefficient D₃max of a material that is among the three materials and has a largest diffusion coefficient among the three materials, and maximum absorbance H₃ of the material having the largest diffusion coefficient under the situation in which the electrochromic layer is in the colored state satisfy Formula

1≤

D₃max/D₃min≤

(1+0.146/H₃)² 

 

(5a).

13. The electrochromic device according to claim 12, wherein the diffusion coefficient D₃min is equal to the diffusion coefficient D₃max.

14. The electrochromic device according to claim 12, wherein the diffusion coefficient D₃min, the diffusion coefficient D₃max and the maximum absorbance H₃ satisfy Formula

1≤

D₃max/D₃min≤

(1+0.0792/H₃)² 

 

(15a).

15. The electrochromic device according to claim 12, wherein diffusion coefficient D₃min and the diffusion coefficient D₃max satisfy Formula

1≤

D₃max/D₃min≤

1.29 

 

(17a).

16. The electrochromic device according to claim 15, wherein the diffusion coefficient D₃min and the diffusion coefficient D₃max satisfy Formula

1≤

D₃max/D₃min≤

1.15 

 

(18a).

17. The electrochromic device according to claim 12, wherein the maximum absorbance of the material whose diffusion coefficient is D₃max is largest among the electrochromic materials in the electrochromic layer.

18. An electrochromic device comprising:

a pair of electrodes; and

an electrochromic layer disposed between the pair of electrodes and containing different electrochromic materials having the same polarity,

wherein, in the case where two different materials, one of which being a material having largest maximum absorbance under a situation in which the electrochromic layer is in a colored state and the other of which being one of materials having maximum absorbance that is at least one-tenth of the maximum absorbance of the material having the largest maximum absorbance, are selected from the different electrochromic materials having the same polarity, diffusion coefficients of the two materials are the same or are different from each other and,

wherein, in a case where the diffusion coefficients of the two materials are different from, a diffusion coefficient D_Nmin of a material that is one of the two materials and has a smaller diffusion coefficient than the other material in the two materials, a diffusion coefficient D_Nmax of the other material that is in the two materials and has a larger diffusion coefficient than the material, and maximum absorbance H_N of the other material having the larger diffusion coefficient under the situation in which the electrochromic layer is in the colored state satisfy Formula

1≤

D_Nmax/D_Nmin≤

(1+0.146/H_N)² 

 

(5b).

19. The electrochromic device according to claim 18, wherein the diffusion coefficient D_Nmin is equal to the diffusion coefficient D_Nmax.

20. The electrochromic device according to claim 18, wherein the diffusion coefficient D_Nmin, the diffusion coefficient D_Nmax and the maximum absorbance H_N satisfy Formula

1≤

D_Nmax/D_Nmin≤

(1+0.0792/H_N)² 

 

(15b).

21. The electrochromic device according to claim 18, wherein the diffusion coefficient D_Nmin and the diffusion coefficient D_Nmax satisfy Formula

1≤

D_Nmax/D_Nmin≤

1.29 

 

(17b).

22. The electrochromic device according to claim 21, wherein the diffusion coefficient D_Nmin and the diffusion coefficient D_Nmax satisfy Formula

1≤

D_Nmax/D_Nmin≤

1.15 

 

(18b).