Liquid type electrochromic element

• US 20040057100A1
• Filed: 10/22/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murakami Corporation
• Original Assignee: Murakami Corporation
• Inventors: Terada, Yoshiyuki, Mochizuka, Takuo
• Granted Patent: US 6,829,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/155 Electrodes

Abstract

In the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a liquid type electrochromic element is configured by substrates 1 and 2 having tapping electrode portions 11 and 12 as a part of unified substrate by the processing of the substrate.

As described above, when the upper and lower tapping electrode portions 11 and 12 are provided on one side in such a manner that they are not piled up with each other, the ratio of the effective area can be increased and the area for covering the tapping electrode portions can be decreased in comparison with the technique that the upper substrates are shifted with each other.

Also, since the areas of the tapping electrode portion can be decreased in comparison with the technique that the upper substrates are shifted with each other, the weight of the EC element of the present invention can be decreased so much. Also, the weight can be decreased by diving the tapping electrode portion into two tapping electrode portions each having such size that one is not piled up with another.

Since the tapping electrode portion 11 and the upper electrode portion 12 are not piled up with each other viewing from the direction of laminating the substrates, the liquid type electrochromic element can be connected via a clip electrode.

Claims

1. A liquid type electrochromic element produced by adhering two glass substrates each having an electrically conductive film, and involving an electrochromic layer between the lower electrically conductive film and the upper electrically conductive film,

a tapping electrode portion of a lower electrically conductive film and a tapping electrode portion of an upper lower electrically conductive film being provided on one side of said electrochromic element.

2. The liquid type electrochromic element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tapping electrode of the lower substrate is provided so that a part of one side of the lower substrate is partially projected, the tapping electrode of the upper substrate is provided so that a part of one side of the upper substrate is partially projected, and the tapping electrode portion and the upper electrode portion are provided respectively in such a manner that the upper and lower substrates are placed without shifting them and the tapping electrode portion and the upper electrode portion are not piled up with each other viewing from the direction of laminating the substrates.

3. The liquid type electrochromic element as claimed in claim 2, wherein a substrate is. processed to form each of said tapping electrodes as a part of a unified substrate.

4. The liquid type electrochromic element as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein each of the tapping electrodes to the external wire is connected via a clip electrode.

5. The liquid type electrochromic element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said tapping electrode portions are provided on one of long sides of said substrate.

6. The liquid type electrochromic element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the short length of the substrate is not more than 7 cm.

7. The liquid type electrochromic element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the length of each of the tapping electrode portions is such a length that at least two clip electrodes can be fit.

8. The liquid type electrochromic element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the length of each tapping electrode portions is designed to be a proportion for attaining stabilized voltage and stabilized coloration/discoloration to meet the resistance of the thin film (face resistance).

9. The liquid type electrochromic element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the length or the area of one tapping electrode portion is the same as that of another, when both of the electrically conductive films comprise the same material.

10. The liquid type electrochromic element as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, which makes up an automobile interior mirror or exterior mirror.

11. The liquid type electrochromic element as claimed in claim 10, wherein the tapping electrode region resides on the side of the upper portion of the mirror at the time of fitting the mirror.

12. The liquid type electrochromic element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, which makes up for controlling the brightness of luminophor element which requires the tapping of the electrode only from one side.