Ultraviolet protected electrochemichromic rearview mirror
First Claim
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1. An ultraviolet radiation protected electrochemichromic rearview mirror assembly comprising:
- first and second spaced, optically transparent elements, said elements each having front and rear surfaces and defining a space between the rear surface of said first element and the front surface of said second element;
an electrochemichromic medium confined in said space whose light transmittance is variable upon the application of an electric field thereto; and
means for applying an electric field to said electrochemichromic medium to cause variation in the light transmittance of said medium;
said electrochemichromic medium comprising at least 1.2% by weight to volume of one of a) an ultraviolet radiation reducing additive in solution in said electrochemichromic medium and b) a mixture of at least two ultraviolet radiation reducing additives in solution in said electrochemichromic medium, said additive and additives comprising said mixture being selected from the group consisting of benzophenones, cinnamic acid derivatives, esters of benzoin acids, salicylic acid, terephthalic and isophthalic acids with resorcinol and phenols, pentamethyl piperidine derivatives, salicylates, benzotriazoles, cyanoacrylates, benzilidenes, malonates, oxalanilides, nickel chelates and hindered amines, wherein said additive and said mixture of at least two additives does not affect the function of said electrochemichromic medium and does not oxidize or reduce in said electrochemichromic rearview mirror assembly during operation thereof.
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Abstract
An ultraviolet protected, electrochemichromic rearview mirror assembly incorporating an electrochemichromic medium with reduced ultraviolet degradation is disclosed which may incorporate tinted means such as a specialized glass, a dye, and/or a polymer layer.
336 Citations
62 Claims
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1. An ultraviolet radiation protected electrochemichromic rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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first and second spaced, optically transparent elements, said elements each having front and rear surfaces and defining a space between the rear surface of said first element and the front surface of said second element; an electrochemichromic medium confined in said space whose light transmittance is variable upon the application of an electric field thereto; and means for applying an electric field to said electrochemichromic medium to cause variation in the light transmittance of said medium; said electrochemichromic medium comprising at least 1.2% by weight to volume of one of a) an ultraviolet radiation reducing additive in solution in said electrochemichromic medium and b) a mixture of at least two ultraviolet radiation reducing additives in solution in said electrochemichromic medium, said additive and additives comprising said mixture being selected from the group consisting of benzophenones, cinnamic acid derivatives, esters of benzoin acids, salicylic acid, terephthalic and isophthalic acids with resorcinol and phenols, pentamethyl piperidine derivatives, salicylates, benzotriazoles, cyanoacrylates, benzilidenes, malonates, oxalanilides, nickel chelates and hindered amines, wherein said additive and said mixture of at least two additives does not affect the function of said electrochemichromic medium and does not oxidize or reduce in said electrochemichromic rearview mirror assembly during operation thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An ultraviolet radiation protected electrochemichromic rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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first and second spaced, optically transparent elements, said elements each having front and rear surfaces and defining a space between the rear surface of said first element and the front surface of said second element; an electrochemichromic solution confined in said space whose light transmittance is variable upon the application of an electric field thereto; said electrochemichromic solution comprising (i) a solvent;
(ii) at least one electrochemichromic compound in solution in said solvent; and
(iii) a cyanoacrylate compound in solution in said solvent effective to reduce ultraviolet radiation passing through said solution; andmeans for applying an electric field to said electrochemichromic solution to cause variation in the light transmittance of said solution.
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34. An ultraviolet radiation protected electrochemichromic rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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first and second spaced, optically transparent elements, said elements each having front and rear surfaces and defining a space between the rear surface of said first element and the front surface of said second element; an electrochemichromic solution confined in said space whose light transmittance is variable upon the application of an electric field thereto; said electrochemichromic solution comprising (i) a solvent;
(ii) at least one electrochemichromic compound in solution in said solvent; and
(iii) a benzophenone compound in solution in said solvent effective to reduce ultraviolet radiation passing through said solution; andmeans for applying an electric field to said electrochemichromic solution to cause variation in the light transmittance of said solution.
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35. An ultraviolet radiation protected electrochemichromic rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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first and second spaced, optically transparent elements, said elements each having front and rear surfaces and defining a space between the rear surface of said first element and the front surface of said second element; an electrochemichromic solution confined in said space whose light transmittance is variable upon the application of an electric field thereto; said electrochemichromic solution comprising (i) a solvent;
(ii) at least one electrochemichromic compound in solution in said-solvent; and
(iii) an oxalanilide compound in solution in said solvent effective to reduce ultraviolet radiation passing through said solution; andmeans for applying an electric field to said electrochemichromic solution to cause variation in the light transmittance of said solution.
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36. A reduced ultraviolet radiation transmitting, electrochemichromic rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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first and second spaced, optically transparent elements mounted in a mirror case, said elements each having front and rear surfaces and defining a space between the rear surface of said first element and the front surface of said second element; an electrochemichromic medium confined in said space whose light transmittance is variable upon the application of an electric field thereto; means for applying an electric field to said electrochemichromic medium to cause variation in the light reflectance of said mirror assembly from a high reflectance state to a dimmed reflectance state; a reflective coating on one surface of said second element adapted to reflect light incident thereon through said first element and said electrochemichromic medium; and ultraviolet reducing means incorporated in said assembly for reducing ultraviolet radiation degradation of said electrochemichromic medium in said assembly; said assembly including tinted means for causing said high reflectance state to have a blue tint in the visible light which is reflected; said tinted means comprising at least one of said elements being a panel formed from specialized glass which absorbs more light in those regions of the visible spectrum from about 560 nanometers to about 780 nanometers than is absorbed in those regions of the visible spectrum from about 400 nanometers to about 560 nanometers. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 53)
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47. An ultraviolet radiation protected electrochemichromic rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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first and second spaced, optically transparent elements, said elements each having front and rear surfaces and defining a space between the rear surface of said first element and the front surface of said second element; an electrochemichromic solution confined in said space whose light transmittance is variable upon the application of an electric field thereto; reflective coating on one surface of said second element adapted to reflect light incident thereon through said first element and said electrochemichromic solution; said electrochemichromic solution comprising (i) a solvent;
(ii) at least one electrochemichromic compound in solution in said solvent; and
(iii) an ultraviolet radiation reducing additive in solution in said solvent effective to reduce ultraviolet radiation passing through said solution;means for applying an electric field to said electrochemichromic solution to cause variation in the light reflectance of said mirror assembly from a high reflectance state to a dimmed reflectance state; and said assembly including tinted means for causing said high reflectance state to have a blue tint in the visible light which is reflected. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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54. A reduced ultraviolet radiation transmitting, electrochemichromic rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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first and second spaced, optically transparent elements mounted in a mirror case, said elements each having front and rear surfaces and defining a space between the rear surface of said first element and the front surface of said second element; an electrochemichromic medium confined in said space whose light transmittance is variable upon the application of an electric field thereto; means for applying an electric field to said electrochemichromic medium to cause variation in the light reflectance of said mirror assembly from a high reflectance state to a dimmed reflectance state; a reflective coating on one surface of said second element adapted to reflect light incident thereon through said first element and said electrochemichromic medium; and ultraviolet radiation reducing means incorporated in said assembly for reducing ultraviolet radiation degradation of said electrochemichromic medium in said assembly; said assembly including tinted means for causing said high reflectance state to have a blue tint in the visible light which is reflected; said ultraviolet radiation reducing means selected from the group consisting of (i) an ultraviolet radiation reducing additive in solution with said electrochemichromic medium and (ii) a specialized glass selected from the group consisting of glass having a higher iron oxide content than conventional soda lime window glass, said iron oxide content being at least 0.2% to 0.9% by weight, and glass having a higher cerium oxide content than conventional soda lime window glass, said cerium oxide content being at least 0.2% to 0.9% by weight. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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Specification