Electro-optic device incorporating a discrete photovoltaic device and method and apparatus for making same

• US 6,433,913 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1999
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Vander Zwaag, Scott W., Cammenga, David J., Tonar, William L., Guarr, Thomas F., Poll, David L., Bauer, Frederick T., Byker, Harlan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hindi, Omar
• Application Number:
  US09/471,075
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 369/265, 385/14, 385/257, 428/317.1, 428/192, 428/463, 156/107
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/101 having an electro-optical light valve electro-optical elements per se G02F
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13318 Circuits comprising a photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1533 structural features not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/163 Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor

Abstract

Improved electro-optic devices are provided which may be in the configuration of variable transmittance windows, variable transmittance eyeglasses, variable transmittance light filters and displays and other devices wherein the transmittance of light therethrough automatically varies as a function of light impinging thereon. The electro-optic devices include a self-erasing electro-optic medium, and the transmittance of light through such medium varies as a function of electrical signals applied thereto through the agency of at least one photovoltaic cell, enclosed within the electro-optic device, and obviating the necessity of providing external drive voltage or external bleeder resistors or external wiring. In addition, a method and apparatus are provided for making such electro-optic devices.

Claims

1. An electro-optic device comprising, in combination, a self-erasing electro-optic variable transmittance component including front and rear spaced transparent elements, each having front and rear faces, said rear face of said front element and said front face of said rear element sealably bonded together in a spaced-apart relationship to define a chamber therebetween, a first layer of transparent electrically conductive material disposed on said rear face of said front element, and a second layer of a transparent electrically conductive material disposed on said front face of said rear element, and said chamber containing a self-erasing electro-optic reversibly variable transmittance medium in contact with said first and second layers of transparent electrically conductive materials, where said variable transmittance component has enclosed therein one or more discrete photovoltaic cells for producing a voltage when exposed to radiant energy and further having means for conveying said voltage from said one or more discrete photovoltaic cells to said variable transmittance component to cause variations in the transmittance of light through said device.

2. The electro-optic device of claim 1, where at least one of said first and second layers of transparent electrically conductive material comprise a material selected from the group consisting essentially of fluorine-doped tin oxide, ITO, a thin layer of metal, a multi-layer construction of ITO/metal/ITO, and combinations thereof.

3. The electro-optic device of claim 2, where at least one of said first and second layers of transparent electrically conductive material has a sheet resistance ranging from about 1.0 ohms per square to about 40 ohms per square.

4. The electro-optic device of claim 2, where said first layer of ITO in said multi-layer transparent electrically conductive material ranges in thickness from about 150 Å

to about 1000 Å

, and where said layer of metal in said multi-layer transparent electrically conductive material ranges in thickness from about 10 Å

to about 150 Å

, and where said second layer of ITO in said multi-layer transparent electrically conductive material ranges in thickness from about 150 Å

to about 100 Å

.

5. The electro-optic device of claim 4, where said metal is selected from the group selected from silver, gold, rhodium, platinum, aluminum, and combinations thereof.

6. The electro-optic device of claim 5, where the sheet resistance of said multi-layer transparent electrically conductive material ranges from about 0.5 ohms per square to about 15 ohms per square.

7. The electro-optic device of claim 1, where said one or more discrete photovoltaic cells is disposed between said first and second transparent elements and along at least one side of an outer perimeter of said chamber.

8. The electro-optic device of claim 7, where said one or more discrete photovoltaic cells produce a voltage ranging from about 0 volts to about 2.0 volts.

9. The electro-optic device of claim 7, where said variable transmittance component has enclosed therein a plurality of discrete photovoltaic cells.

10. The electro-optic device of claim 9, where said plurality of photovoltaic cells includes two sets, each set has at least one photovoltaic cell, and where said two sets of photovoltaic cells are electrically connected in series.

11. The electro-optic device of claim 1, where the electro-optic device is gray-scale controllable over a continuous range of transmittance.

12. An electrochromic device comprising, in combination, a self-erasing variable transmittance component further comprising front and rear spaced transparent elements, each having front and rear faces, said rear face of said front element and said front face of said rear element sealably bonded together in a spaced-apart relationship to define a chamber therebetween, a first layer of transparent electrically conductive material disposed on said rear face of said front element and a second layer of a transparent electrically conductive material disposed on said front face of said rear element, said chamber containing an electrochromic reversible variable transmittance medium in contact with said first and second layers of transparent electrically conductive materials, said variable transmittance component having enclosed therein one or more discrete photovoltaic cells for producing a voltage when exposed to radiant energy, and means for conveying said voltage from said one or more discrete photovoltaic cells to said first and second layers of transparent electrically conductive materials to cause variations in light transmittance of said electrochromic medium.

13. The electrochromic device of claim 12, where said one or more discrete photovoltaic cells is disposed between said first and second transparent elements and along the outer perimeter of said chamber.

14. The electrochromic device of claim 13, where said one or more discrete photovoltaic cells produce a voltage ranging from about 0 volts to about 2.0 volts.

15. The electrochromic device of claim 12 where said means for conveying said voltage includes a first strip, disposed along the outer periphery of said chamber, of an electrically conductive material connecting the bottom of said one or more discrete photovoltaic cells to said layer of transparent conductive material disposed on said front face of said rear transparent element.

16. The electrochromic device of claim 12, where said variable transmittance component has enclosed therein a plurality of discrete photovoltaic cells.

17. The electrochromic device of claim 16, where said plurality of photovoltaic cells includes two sets, each set has at least one photovoltaic cell, and where said two sets of photovoltaic cells are electrically connected in series.

18. The electrochromic device of claim 12, where said one or more photovoltaic cells includes a first set and a second set of photovoltaic cells that are electrically connected in series and where means for conveying said voltage includes, a first strip, disposed along the outer periphery of said chamber, of an electrically conductive material connects the bottom of the second photovoltaic set to said layer of transparent conductive material disposed on said front face of said rear transparent element, a first channel extends around the first photovoltaic set and extends through said layer of transparent conductive material disposed on said front face of said rear transparent element, a second strip, disposed along the outer periphery of said chamber, of an electrically conductive material connects the top of the first photovoltaic set to said layer of transparent conductive material disposed on said rear face of said front transparent element, a second channel extends around said second photovoltaic set and extends through said layer of transparent conductive material disposed on said rear face of said front transparent element, and interconnecting means for electrically connecting a voltage output side of said first photovoltaic set to a voltage input side of said second photovoltaic set.

19. An electrochromic device comprising, in combination, a self-erasing variable transmittance component further comprising front and rear spaced transparent elements, each having front and rear faces, said rear face of said front element and said front face of said rear element defining a chamber therebetween, a first layer of transparent electrically conductive material disposed on said rear face of said front element and a second layer of a transparent electrically conductive material disposed on said front face of said rear element, said chamber containing an aqueous-based electrochromic reversible variable transmittance medium in contact with said first and second layers of transparent electrically conductive materials, said variable transmittance component having enclosed therein one or more discrete photovoltaic cells for producing a voltage when exposed to radiant energy, and means for conveying said voltage from said one or more discrete photovoltaic cells to said first and second layers of transparent electrically conductive materials to cause variations in light transmittance of said aqueous-based electrochromic medium.

20. The electrochromic device of claim 19 wherein said aqueous-based electrochromic medium includes electrochromic materials comprising bipyridinium salts.

21. The electrochromic device of claim 20 wherein said aqueous based electrochromic medium includes electrochromic materials selected from the group consisting of Fe(aq)³⁺/²⁺, Eu(aq)³⁺/²⁺, [Ru(NH₃)₆]³⁺/²⁺, [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻

/⁴⁻

, water-soluble ferrocene derivatives and conductive polymers including polyaniline, polythiophene and derivatives thereof.

22. The electrochromic device of claim 20 wherein said aqueous-based electrochromic medium includes one or more additives selected from the group consisting of electrolyte salts, UV stabilizers, antioxidants, thickeners, ethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol and polystyrenesulfonate.

23. An electro-optically dimming device in the configuration of a pair of eyeglasses and comprising, in combination, front and rear spaced lens elements, said front lens element and said rear lens element being transparent, one side of said front lens element confronting said rear lens element including transparent electrically conductive means, one side of said rear lens element confronting said front lens element including transparent electrically conductive means, said transparent electrically conductive means on said front and rear lens elements partially defining a single chamber, said chamber containing a self-erasing electro-optic reversibly variable transmittance medium in contact with said transparent electrically conductive means on said front and rear elements, a photovoltaic cell disposed in said chamber, said photovoltaic cell being electrically insulated from said electro-optic medium and being electrically connected to said transparent electrically conductive means on said front and rear lens elements whereby light impinging on said photovoltaic cell applies an electrical potential to said electro-optic medium throughout said chamber to cause variations in the light transmittance of said electro-optic medium.

24. The combination as set forth in claim 23, said front and rear lens elements each including right hand and left hand lens sections electrically connected by a bridge section, said photovoltaic cell being disposed in said single chamber in alignment with said bridge section whereby voltage generated by said photovoltaic cell is applied uniformly to said right hand and left hand lens sections of said transparent electrically conductive means through said bridge sections of said electrically conductive means, and means for adjustably varying the amount of light impinging on said photovoltaic cell.

25. The combination as set forth in claim 24, wherein said electro-optic medium is gray-scale controllable over a continuous range of light transmittance.

26. An electro-optic device in the configuration of a pair of variable light transmittance eyeglasses and comprising, in combination, front and rear spaced lens elements, said front lens element and said rear lens element each including right hand and left hand lens sections integrally joined by a bridge section, said front lens element and said rear lens element each being transparent, one side of said front lens element confronting said rear lens element including transparent electrically conductive means, one side of said rear lens element confronting said front lens element including transparent electrically conductive means, said transparent electrically conductive means on said front and rear lens elements partially defining a single chamber, said chamber containing an aqueous-based electrochromic reversibly variable transmittance medium in contact with said transparent electrically conductive means on said front lens element and said rear lens element, a photovoltaic cell disposed in said chamber and visible through said bridge section of said front lens element, means electrically connecting said photovoltaic cell to said transparent electrically conductive means on said lens front element and said transparent electrically conductive means on said rear lens element, means electrically insulating said photovoltaic cell from said electrochromic medium except through said transparent electrically conductive means, said photovoltaic cell being effective to apply electrical potential to said electrochromic medium through said transparent electrically conductive means on said front and rear lens elements to cause variations in the light transmittance of said electrochromic medium, and frictionally inhibited shutter means for manually varying the amount of light impinging on said photovoltaic cell.

27. The combination as set forth in claim 26 wherein said electrochromic medium is gray-scale controllable over a continuous range of light transmittance.

28. The electrochromic device of claim 26 wherein said aqueous-based electrochromic medium includes electrochromic materials comprising bipyridinium salts.

29. The electrochromic device of claim 26 wherein said aqueous based electrochromic medium includes electrochromic materials selected from the group consisting of Fe(aq)³⁺/²⁺, Eu(aq)³⁺/²⁺, [Ru(NH₃)₆]³⁺/²⁺, [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻

/⁴⁻

, water-soluble ferrocene derivatives and conductive polymers including polyaniline, polythiophene and derivatives thereof.

30. The electrochromic device of claim 26 wherein said aqueous-based electrochromic medium includes one or more additives selected from the group consisting of electrolyte salts, UV stabilizers, antioxidants, thickeners, ethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol and polystyrenesulfonate.

31. An apparatus for assembling an electro-optic device, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a first member having means for securing a first transparent element, a second member having means for securing a second transparent element, and means for holding said first and said second members in a spaced-apart and parallel relationship.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said first member means and said second member means may be selected from the group consisting essentially of:

edge clamps, edge clips and vacuum checking.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said means for holding said first and said second members in a spaced-apart relationship may be selected from the group consisting essentially of spacers and hydraulic means.

34. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said first member means and said second member means are vacuum applying members and wherein said means for holding said first and said second members in a spaced-apart relationship are spacers.

35. A method for making an electro-optic device comprising the steps of placing a first transparent element having a first transparent conductive layer on one face thereof onto a first means for securing said transparent element, where said first means secures a face of said first transparent element that is free of said first conductive layer, placing a second transparent element having a second transparent conductive layer on one face thereof, onto a second means for securing said transparent element, where said second means secures a face of said second transparent element that is free of said second conductive layer, disposing a sealing member along the periphery of the transparent conductive layer of one of said first or second elements, and holding said first transparent element and said second transparent element in a spaced-apart and parallel relationship where the sides of said first transparent element and said second transparent element having said transparent layers thereon confront one another until said sealing material cures.

36. The method of claim 35 where said first and said second securing means are vacuum chucking.

37. The method of claim 35 where said sealing material is a strip or gasket of a material selected from the group consisting essentially of rubbers, urethanes, acrylates, and epoxies.

38. The method of claim 35 and further including the step of filling the space between the spaced-apart, parallel transparent elements with a solution containing at least one electrochromic material after said sealing material has cured.

39. A method for making an electro-optic device comprising the steps of placing a first transparent element onto a first means for securing said first transparent element, where said first means contacts only one face of said first transparent element, placing a second transparent element onto a second means for securing said second transparent element, where said second means contacts only one face of said second transparent element, disposing a sealing material along the periphery of one of said first and second transparent elements, and utilizing holding means to hold said first and second means for securing in a spaced-apart and parallel relationship and thereby hold said first and second transparent elements in a spaced-apart and parallel relationship until said sealing material has cured.

40. The method of claim 39 and further including the step of filling the space between said transparent elements and bounded by said sealing material with a solution containing at least one electrochromic material after said sealing material has cured.

41. The method of claim 39 and further including the step of providing first and second transparent elements with a transparent conductive layer on one surface thereof and positioning said transparent elements such that said transparent conductive layers are on opposing surfaces of said transparent elements.

42. A method for manufacturing an electro-optic device comprising the steps of placing a first transparent element onto a first vacuum platen for securing said first transparent element, where said first vacuum platen contacts only one face of said first transparent element, placing a second transparent element onto a second vacuum platen for securing said second transparent element, where said second vacuum platen contacts only one face of said second transparent element, utilizing said first and second vacuum platens to hold said first and second transparent elements in a spaced-apart and parallel relationship during at least a portion of the manufacturing process.

43. The method of claim 42 and further including the step of disposing a sealing material along the periphery of one of said first and second transparent elements, and utilizing said first and second vacuum platens to hold said first and second transparent elements in a spaced-apart and parallel relationship until said sealing material has cured.

44. The method of claim 43 and further including the step of filling the space between said transparent elements and bounded by said sealing material with a solution containing at least one electro-optic material after said sealing material has cured.