Electro-optic device with mounted printed circuit board

• US 10,825,958 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2019
• Issued: 11/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Heintzelman, Adam R., Niu, Xiaoxu, Wassink, Carl N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nikmanesh, Seahvosh
• Application Number:
  US16/562,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20200083404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49531 the additional leads being a wiring board
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/42 Transparent materials
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/321 by conductive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/50 OLEDs integrated with light modulating elements, e.g. with electrochromic elements, photochromic elements or liquid crystal elements

Abstract

An electro-optic device is provided having a first transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a first transparent electrode on the second surface of the first substrate; a second transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a second transparent electrode on the first surface of the second substrate, wherein the second substrate is positioned in spaced relation to the first substrate, wherein an extended portion of the first substrate extends beyond an edge of the second substrate; an electro-optic medium disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the electro-optic medium is electrically coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode; and a printed circuit board mounted directly to the extended portion of the first substrate, the printed circuit board having a first electrical contact electrically coupled to the first electrode.

Claims

1. An electro-optic device comprising:

a first transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a first transparent electrode provided on the second surface of the first transparent substrate;

a second transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a second transparent electrode provided on the first surface of the second transparent substrate, wherein the second transparent substrate is positioned in spaced relation to the first transparent substrate, wherein an extended portion of the first transparent substrate extends beyond an edge of the second transparent substrate;

an electro-optic medium disposed between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate, wherein the electro-optic medium is electrically coupled to the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode; and

a printed circuit board mounted directly to the extended portion of the first transparent substrate, the printed circuit board having a first electrical contact electrically coupled to the first transparent electrode.

2. The electro-optic device of claim 1 and further comprising a third transparent electrode provided on the second surface of the first transparent substrate and electrically isolated from the first transparent electrode, wherein the third transparent electrode is electrically coupled to the second transparent electrode, wherein the printed circuit board includes a second electrical contact coupled to the third transparent electrode.

3. The electro-optic device of claim 1, wherein the electro-optic medium is at least one of an electrochromic medium and a liquid crystal medium.

4. The electro-optic device of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is mounted to the second surface of the first transparent substrate.

5. The electro-optic device of claim 1 and further including a seal member having an electrically conductive portion and a nonconductive portion, wherein the electrically conductive portion extends between the third transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode such that the third transparent electrode is electrically coupled to the second transparent electrode.

6. The electro-optic device of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board comprises circuitry for controlling the state of the electro-optic device.

7. An imager module for a vehicle comprising:

a housing having an opening;

an imager disposed in the housing to capture images through the opening; and

the electro-optic device of claim 1 disposed within the opening so as to selectively conceal the imager.

8. An electro-optic device comprising:

a first transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a first transparent electrode provided on the second surface of the first transparent substrate;

a second transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a second transparent electrode provided on the first surface of the second transparent substrate, wherein the second transparent substrate is positioned in spaced relation to the first transparent substrate, wherein an extended portion of the first transparent substrate extends beyond an edge of the second transparent substrate;

an electro-optic medium disposed between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate, wherein the electro-optic medium is electrically coupled to the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode;

a third transparent electrode provided on the second surface of the first transparent substrate and electrically isolated from the first transparent electrode, wherein the third transparent electrode is electrically coupled to the second transparent electrode; and

a printed circuit board mounted directly to the extended portion of the first transparent substrate, the printed circuit board comprising;

a first electrical contact electrically coupled to the first transparent electrode, and

a second electrical contact coupled to the third transparent electrode.

9. The electro-optic device of claim 8, wherein the electro-optic medium is an electrochromic medium.

10. The electro-optic device of claim 8, wherein the printed circuit board is mounted to second surface of first substrate.

11. The electro-optic device of claim 8 and further including a seal member having an electrically conductive portion and a nonconductive portion, wherein the electrically conductive portion extends between the third transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode such that the third transparent electrode is electrically coupled to the second transparent electrode.

12. The electro-optic device of claim 8, wherein the printed circuit board comprises circuitry for controlling the state of the electro-optic device.

13. An imager module for a vehicle comprising:

a housing having an opening;

an imager disposed in the housing to capture images through the opening; and

the electro-optic device of claim 8 disposed within the opening so as to selectively conceal the imager.

14. An imager module for a vehicle comprising:

a housing having an opening;

an imager disposed in the housing to capture images through the opening; and

an electro-optic device disposed within the opening so as to selectively conceal the imager, the electro-optic device comprising;

a first transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a first transparent electrode provided on the second surface of the first transparent substrate;

a second transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a second transparent electrode provided on the first surface of the second transparent substrate, wherein the second transparent substrate is positioned in spaced relation to the first transparent substrate, wherein an extended portion of the first transparent substrate extends beyond an edge of the second transparent substrate;

an electro-optic medium disposed between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate, wherein the electro-optic medium is electrically coupled to the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode; and

a printed circuit board mounted directly to the extended portion of the first transparent substrate, the printed circuit board having a first electrical contact electrically coupled to the first transparent electrode.

15. The imager module of claim 14 and further comprising a third transparent electrode provided on the second surface of the first transparent substrate and electrically isolated from the first transparent electrode, wherein the third transparent electrode is electrically coupled to the second transparent electrode, wherein the printed circuit board includes a second electrical contact coupled to the third transparent electrode.

16. The imager module of claim 14, wherein the electro-optic medium is an electrochromic medium.

17. The imager module of claim 14, wherein the printed circuit board is mounted to the second surface of the first transparent substrate.

18. The imager module of claim 14 and further including a seal member having an electrically conductive portion and a nonconductive portion, wherein the electrically conductive portion extends between the third transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode such that the third transparent electrode is electrically coupled to the second transparent electrode.

19. The imager module of claim 14, wherein the printed circuit board comprises circuitry for controlling the state of the electro-optic device.

20. The imager module of claim 14, wherein the electro-optic medium is a liquid crystal medium and the electro-optic device further includes a polarizer oriented such that the electro-optic device absorbs light when unpowered and transmits light when powered.