Glazing with optical and/or energetic properties capable of being electrically controlled

• US 7,074,486 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Fix, Renaud, Boire, Philippe, Giron, Jean-Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Terrel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Piziali, Andrew T.
• Application Number:
  US10/804,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20040229049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 428/423.1, 428/426, 428/425.5, 428/428, 428/425.6, 428/432, 428/446, 428/448, 428/697, 428/699, 428/701, 428/702, 428/433, 428/469, 428/472, 269/238, 269/240, 269/245, 269/265, 269/267, 269/273
• US Class Current: 428/432
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10174 Coatings of a metallic or dielectric material on a constituent layer of glass or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10201 Dielectric coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10495 optoelectronic, i.e. optical valve
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/1077 containing polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10788 containing ethylene vinylacetate
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133502 Antiglare, refractive index matching layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/1536 additional, e.g. protective, layer inside the cell
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31551 Of polyamidoester [polyurethane, polyisocyanate, polycarbamate, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31598 Next to silicon-containing [silicone, cement, etc.] layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31601 Quartz or glass

Abstract

The subject of the invention is glazing which incorporates at least one electrically controllable system having variable optical and/or energy properties, especially in the form of a system comprising one or more reversible-insertion materials of the electrochromic-system type, in the form of an optical-valve or viologen-based system or in the form of a liquid-crystal or cholesteric-gel system. This glazing also includes at least one means for adjusting the optical appearance conferred on the said glazing by the said system, these means comprising at least one coating having antireflection properties in the visible.

Claims

1. Glazing comprising (a) at least one electrochromic system having variable optical and/or energy properties, (b) at least one coating for adjusting the optical appearance conferred on the said glazing by the said system, said at least one coating having antireflection properties in the visible, wherein said coating having antireflection properties is deposited on at least one of the external faces of said glazing and comprises a stack of thin layers having alternately high and low reflective indices or a graded-refractive-index layer, and (c) at least one coating for attenuating/modifying the color of the glazing in reflection, wherein the coating (c) is in contact with the electrically controllable system (a), in the form of a thin layer having a refractive index intermediate between those of the materials with which it is in contact on each of its faces.

2. Glazing according to claim 1, additionally comprising a carrier substrate and a primer/tie-layer coating for the electrochromic system (a) with respect to the carrier substrate.

3. Glazing according to claim 2, wherein the carrier substrate comprises a polymeric/plastic material.

4. Glazing according to claim 1, which comprises a coating having hydrophilic/antimisting properties or having hydrophobic/anti-rain properties on at least one of its external faces.

5. Glazing according to claim 4, wherein the coating having hydrophobic properties includes at least one layer comprising a composition having at least one fluoroalkoxysilane, the alkoxy functional groups of which are directly linked to the silicon atom, a system of one or more aqueous solvents and at least one catalyst which is an acid and/or a Brö

nsted base.

6. Glazing according to claim 1, which also includes a coating having photocatalytic/antifouling properties.

7. Glazing according to claim 6, wherein the coating having photocatalytic/antifouling properties is located on at least one of its external faces.

8. Glazing according to claim 7, wherein the coating having photocatalytic/antifouling properties comprises TiO₂ at least partially crystallized in the anatase form.

9. Glazing according to claim 1, which comprises at least one coating having electromagnetic screening properties.

10. Glazing according to claim 1, wherein the electrochromic system (a) is a superposition of functional layers placed between two carrier substrates, each of the said substrates independently being rigid, semi-rigid or flexible.

11. Glazing according to claim 10, wherein the electrochromic system (a) includes, as carrier substrate, at least one rigid substrate of which the glazing is composed, and/or at least one flexible carrier substrate associated by lamination, with a rigid substrate of which the said glazing is composed.

12. Glazing according to claim 1, wherein the electrochromic system (a) is a superposition of functional layers placed on a carrier substrate and provided with an inorganic or polymeric layer protective film.

13. Glazing according to claim 12, wherein the protective film is in the form of a lacquer or of a varnish.

14. Glazing according to claim 1, wherein the electrochromic system (a) is an all-solid electrochromic system.

15. Glazing according to claim 1, wherein electrochromic system (a) is in the form of a system comprising one or more reversible-insertion materials of the electrochromic system or gasochromic system type, or in the form of an optical-valve or viologen-based system.

16. Glazing according to claim 1, wherein electrochromic system (a) is in the form of a liquid-crystal or cholesteric-gel system.

17. Glazing comprising (a) at least one electrochromic system having variable optical and/or energy properties, (b) at least one coating for adjusting the optical appearance conferred on the said glazing by the said system, said at least one coating having antireflection properties in the visible, wherein said coating having antireflection properties is deposited on at least one of the external faces of said glazing and comprises a stack of thin layers having alternately high and low reflective indices or a graded-refractive-index layer, and (c) at least one coating for attenuating/modifying the color of the glazing in reflection, wherein the coating (c) is interposed between the electrochromic system (a) and a substrate for said glazing.