Antiglare anticlouding device and automotive outer mirror

• US 6,781,738 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Murakami Corporation
• Original Assignee: Murakami Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Masaki, Kikuchi, Hideyuki, Komatsu, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANIG, RICHARD E
• Application Number:
  US10/381,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20040032655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 359/265, 359/267, 359/270, 359/274, 359/273, 359/321, 359/614
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/30 characterised by their physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/34 with at least two coatings having different compositions C03C17/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3417 all coatings being oxide coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3663 specially adapted for use as mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3671 specially adapted for use as electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/425 consisting of a porous layer
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/71 Photocatalytic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/75 Hydrophilic and oleophilic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1533 structural features not otherwise provided for

Abstract

An anti-glare element provided with a front side substrate comprising a substrate having a wave length selective property, and a back side substrate comprising a transparent substrate and having electrochromic films which exhibit an electrochromic phenomenon interposed between the front side substrate and back side substrate, wherein a photocatalyst film comprising a photocatalyst substance having transmittivity and a hydrophilic functional film comprising a hydrophilic film of a hydrophilic substance are formed on the front side of the front side substrate comprising a substrate with said wave-length selective property, to thereby give an anti-fog function. Or electrode-cum-reflective film is formed on the backside film of the electrochromic film, to thereby achieve a reflective mirror. An anti-glare and anti-fog element or an exterior mirror for automobiles wherein spectral reflectance characteristics of the anti-glare and anti-fog element can be set so that predetermined color phase may be presented at the time of un-operating of an anti-glare function by a substrate having wave length selective property, and along with this surface dirt can be disassembled and economical efficiency and chemical stability are satisfied, can be provided. Also, color phase of the mirrors which have mutually different functions among plurality of mirrors is determined as a predetermined color phase, and the color phase can be set to the same extent, and the combination of the mirror which does not give a sense of incongruity visually can be embodied.

Claims

1. An anti-glare and anti-fog element having an anti-glare function with an electrochromic film for exhibiting and electrochromic phenomenon interposed between a transparent substrate arranged on the front side and a transparent substrate arranged on the backside, wherein the transparent substrate of the front side comprises a substrate having a wave-length selective property, and a hydrophilic functional film including a photocatalyst film having light transmittivity comprising a photocatalyst substance is formed, to thereby give an anti-fog function.

2. An anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 1, wherein said hydrophilic functional film is formed independently by a photocatalyst film comprising a photocalyst substance of titanium oxide.

3. An anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 1, wherein said hydrophilic functional film includes a photocatalyst film comprising a photocatalyst substance of titanium oxide, and a hydrophilic film comprising a hydrophilic substance of silicon oxide.

4. An anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 3, wherein said hydrophilic film comprises a porous silicon oxide.

5. An anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 1, wherein a reflective film is formed on the backside of the backside substrate viewed from the front side transparent substrate having a wave-length selective property of said anti-glare and anti-fog element, to thereby constitute an anti-glare and anti-fog mirror.

6. An anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 2, wherein a reflective film is formed on the backside of the backside substrate viewed from the front side transparent substrate having a wave-length selective property of said anti-glare and anti-fog element, to thereby constitute an anti-glare and anti-fog mirror.

7. An anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 3, wherein a reflective film is formed on the backside of the backside substrate viewed from the front side transparent substrate having a wave-length selective property of said anti-glare and anti-fog element, to thereby constitute an anti-glare and anti-fog mirror.

8. An anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 4, wherein a reflective film is formed on the backside of the backside substrate viewed from the front side transparent substrate having a wave-length selective property of said anti-glare and anti-fog element, to thereby constitute an anti-glare and anti-fog mirror.

9. An anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 1, wherein a reflective film is formed on the front side of the backside substrate viewed form the front side transparent substrate having a wave-length selective property of said anti-glare and anti-fog element, wherein said reflective film serves also as an electrode for supplying power to said electrochromic films, to thereby constitute an anti-glare and anti-fog mirror.

10. An anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 2, wherein a reflective film is formed on the front side of the backside substrate viewed form the front side transparent substrate having a wave-length selective property of said anti-glare and anti-fog element, wherein said reflective film serves also as an electrode for supplying power to said electrochromic films, to thereby constitute an anti-glare and anti-fog mirror.

11. An anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 3, wherein a reflective film is formed on the front side of the backside substrate viewed form the front side transparent substrate having a wave-length selective property of said anti-glare and anti-fog element, wherein said reflective film serves also as an electrode for supplying power to said electrochromic films, to thereby constitute an anti-glare and anti-fog mirror.

12. An anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 4, wherein a reflective film is formed on the front side of the backside substrate viewed form the front side transparent substrate having a wave-length selective property of said anti-glare and anti-fog element, wherein said reflective film serves also as an electrode for supplying power to said electrochromic films, to thereby constitute an anti-glare and anti-fog mirror.

13. An exterior mirror for automobiles comprising an anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 5.

14. An exterior mirror for automobiles comprising an anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 6.

15. An exterior mirror for automobiles comprising an anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 7.

16. An exterior mirror for automobiles comprising an anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 8.

17. An exterior mirror for automobiles comprising an anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 9.

18. An exterior mirror for automobiles comprising an anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 10.

19. An exterior mirror for automobiles comprising an anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 11.

20. An exterior mirror for automobiles comprising an anti-glare and anti-fog element as described in claim 12.