Anti-glare electrochromic mirror

• US 5,673,150 A
• Filed: 02/14/1996
• Issued: 09/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Ono, Koichi, Horiba, Tamotsu, Miyatake, Hideki, Yoshida, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Paul M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIKDER, MOHAMMAD YUNUS
• Application Number:
  US08/601,496
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 359/602, 359/603, 359/265, 359/267, 359/268, 359/269, 359/270, 359/274
• US Class Current: 359/603
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/15245 based on iridium oxide or hydroxide
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1525 characterised by a particular ion transporting layer, e.g. electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1533 structural features not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/1536 additional, e.g. protective, layer inside the cell

Abstract

Anti-glare EC mirror comprises a transparent glass substrate with ITO film, IrO_x film, SnO₂ film, Ta₂ O₅ film, WO₃ film and Al film in the order written. Because of this layer arrangement, SnO₂ film insures an ample supply of water during the aging of IrO_x film, thereby allowing the aging operation to be completed within a short period of time.

Claims

1. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror comprising in the following order:

a transparent substrate;

a transparent electroconductive film on top of said transparent substrate;

an oxidatively coloring film having a first refractive index on top of said transparent electroconductive film;

an interference suppressing film on top of said oxidatively coloring film;

an electrolyte film having a second refractive index on top of said interference suppressing film;

a reductively coloring film on top of said transparent electrolyte film; and

a reflective film of a electroconductive material on top of said reductively coloring film;

wherein

said interference suppressing film has a refractive index intermediate said first and second refractive indices.

2. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 1, wherein said transparent electroconductive film serves as one electrode, and said reflective film serves as the other electrode.

3. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 1, wherein said interference suppressing film is made from SnO₂.

4. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 3, wherein said transparent substrate is made of glass, said transparent electroconductive film is made of ITO, said oxidatively coloring film is made of IrO_x, said electrolyte film is made of Ta₂ O₅, said reductively coloring film is made of WO₃, and said reflective film is made of Al.

5. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 4, wherein said transparent electroconductive film has a thickness of 2000 Å

, said oxidatively coloring film has a thickness from 200 Å

to 500 Å

, said interference suppressing film has a thickness from 100 Å

to 2000 Å

, said electrolyte film has a thickness from 5000 Å

to 7000 Å

, said reductively coloring film has a thickness from 4000 Å

to 5000 Å

, and said reflective film has a thickness of 1000 Å

.

6. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 1, wherein said interference suppressing film is made from SnO_2-x wherein x is a number greater than zero and less than 2.

7. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 6, wherein said transparent substrate is made of glass, said transparent electroconductive film is made of ITO, said oxidatively coloring film is made of IrO_x, said electrolyte film is made of Ta₂ O₅, said reductively coloring film is made of WO₃, and said reflective film is made of Al.

8. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 7, wherein said transparent electroconductive film has a thickness of 2000 Å

, said oxidatively coloring film has a thickness from 200 Å

to 500 Å

, said interference suppressing film has a thickness from 100 Å

to 2000 Å

, said electrolyte film has a thickness from 5000 Å

to 7000 Å

, said reductively coloring film has a thickness from 4000 Å

to 5000 Å

, and said reflective film has a thickness of 1000 Å

.

9. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 1, wherein said interference suppressing film is made from In₂ O₃.

10. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 9, wherein said transparent substrate is made of glass, said transparent electroconductive film is made of ITO, said oxidatively coloring film is made of IrO_x, said electrolyte film is made of Ta₂ O₅, said reductively coloring film is made of WO₃, and said reflective film is made of Al.

11. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 1, wherein said interference suppressing film is made from ZnO.

12. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 11, wherein said transparent substrate is made of glass, said transparent electroconductive film is made of ITO, said oxidatively coloring film is made of IrO_x, said electrolyte film is made of Ta₂ O₅, said reductively coloring film is made of WO₃, and said reflective film is made of Al.

13. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 1, wherein said interference suppressing film is made from TiO₂.

14. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 13, wherein said transparent substrate is made of glass, said transparent electroconductive film is made of ITO, said oxidatively coloring film is made of IrO_x, said electrolyte film is made of Ta₂ O₅, said reductively coloring film is made of WO₃, and said reflective film is made of Al.

15. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 1, wherein said interference suppressing film consists essentially of SnO_2-x wherein x is a number greater than zero and less than 2.

16. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 15, wherein said transparent substrate consists essentially of glass, said transparent electroconductive film consists essentially of ITO, said oxidatively coloring film consists essentially of IrO_x, said electrolyte film consists essentially of Ta₂ O₅, said reductively coloring film consists essentially of WO₃, and said reflective film consists essentially of Al.

17. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 16, wherein said transparent electroconductive film has a thickness of about 2000 Å

, said oxidatively coloring film has a thickness of 200 Å

to 500 Å

, said interference suppressing film has a thickness from 100 Å

to 2000 Å

, said electrolyte film has a thickness from 5000 Å

to 7000 Å

, said reductively coloring film has a thickness from 4000 Å

to 5000 Å

, and said reflective film has a thickness of about 1000 Å

.

18. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror comprising in the following order:

a transparent substrate;

a transparent electroconductive film on top of said transparent substrate;

an oxidatively coloring film on top of said transparent electroconductive film;

an interference suppressing film on top of said oxidatively coloring film;

an electrolyte film on top of said interference suppressing film;

a reductively coloring film on top of said transparent electrolyte film; and

a reflective film of a electroconductive material on top of said reductively coloring film;

wherein

said interference suppressing film supplies water to the oxidatively coloring film.

19. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 18, wherein said transparent electroconductive film serves as one electrode, and said reflective film serves as the other electrode.

20. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 18, wherein said interference suppressing film consists essentially of SnO₂.

21. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 20, wherein said transparent substrate is made of glass, said transparent electroconductive film consists essentially of ITO, said oxidatively coloring film consists essentially of IrO_x, said electrolyte film consists essentially of Ta₂ O₅, said reductively coloring film consists essentially of WO₃, and said reflective film consists essentially of Al.

22. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 21, wherein said transparent electroconductive film has a thickness of about 2000 Å

, said oxidatively coloring film has a thickness from 200 Å

to 500 Å

, said interference suppressing film has a thickness from 100 Å

to 2000 Å

, said electrolyte film has a thickness from 5000 Å

to 7000 Å

, said reductively coloring film has a thickness from 4000 Å

to 5000 Å

, and said reflective film has a thickness of about 1000 Å

.

23. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 18, wherein said interference suppressing film consists essentially of In₂ O₃.

24. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 23, wherein said transparent substrate consists essentially of glass, said transparent electroconductive, film consists essentially of ITO, said oxidatively coloring film consists essentially of IrO_x, said electrolyte film consists essentially of Ta₂ O₅, said reductively coloring film consists essentially of WO₃, and said reflective film consists essentially of Al.

25. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 18, wherein said interference suppressing film consists essentially of ZnO.

26. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 25, wherein said transparent substrate of glass, said transparent electroconductive film consists essentially of ITO, said oxidatively coloring film consists essentially of IrO_x, said electrolyte film consists essentially of Ta₂ O₅, said reductively coloring film consists essentially of WO₃, and said reflective film consists essentially of Al.

27. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 18, wherein said interference suppressing film consists essentially of TiO₂.

28. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 27, wherein said transparent substrate of consists essentially of glass, said transparent electroconductive film consists essentially of ITO, said oxidatively coloring film consists essentially of IrO_x, said electrolyte film consists essentially of Ta₂ O₅, said reductively coloring film consists essentially of WO₃, and said reflective film consists essentially of Al.

29. An anti-glare electrochromic mirror according to claim 18, wherein

said oxidatively coloring film has a first refractive index;

said electrolyte film has a second refractive index; and

said interference suppressing film has a refractive index intermediate said first and second refractive indices.