Switchable window based on electrochromic polymers
First Claim
1. An electrochromic device comprising:
- (a) a transparent electrode layer;
(b) a cathodic polymer layer;
(c) an electrolyte layer comprising a solid electrolyte;
(d) a reference electrode electrically coupled to the electrolyte layer, the reference electrode increasing a speed with which the device switches between a first state and a second state; and
(e) a counter electrode layer.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Syntheses of a new blue EC monomer (ProDOT-MePro), and a new red EC monomer (ProDOP-Et2) are described. Two additional new types of EC monomers based on 3,4-alkylenedioxythiophene include fluorinated EC monomers and an EC monomer including silicon. EC polymer devices having more than one different color EC polymer to enable additional colors to be provided using subtractive color mixing are also described, as well as EC polymer devices incorporating a logo, image, or text, are generally obscured when the device is colored, but become visible when the device is not colored. Also described are EC polymer devices that include a cathodic EC polymer layer, a gel electrolyte, a counter electrode, and a reference electrode. Working prototypes of such devices exhibit significant increases in the speed of transition of the EC device from a colored state to a transparent state.
133 Citations
29 Claims
-
1. An electrochromic device comprising:
-
(a) a transparent electrode layer; (b) a cathodic polymer layer; (c) an electrolyte layer comprising a solid electrolyte; (d) a reference electrode electrically coupled to the electrolyte layer, the reference electrode increasing a speed with which the device switches between a first state and a second state; and (e) a counter electrode layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. An electrochromic device comprising:
-
(a) a transparent electrode layer; (b) a cathodic polymer layer; (c) an electrolyte layer comprising a solid electrolyte; (d) a counter electrode layer; and (e) at least one of a logo, a text, and a graphical image, such that when the electrochromic device is in a first state, the at least one of the logo, the text, and the graphical image is substantially obscured, and when the electrochromic device is in a second state, the at least one of the logo, the text, and the graphical image is readily visible. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
17. An electrochromic device comprising:
-
(a) a transparent electrode layer; (b) a cathodic polymer layer comprising PProDOT-Me2; (c) an electrolyte layer comprising a solid electrolyte, such that the cathodic polymer layer is disposed between the electrolyte layer and the transparent electrode; and (d) a counter electrode layer comprising vanadium pentoxide, the counter electrode layer being separated from any electrochromic polymer component by the electrolyte layer, the counter electrode layer having a transmissivity of at least about 60%.
-
-
24. An electrochromic device comprising:
-
(a) a transparent electrode layer; (b) a cathodic polymer layer; (c) an electrolyte layer comprising a solid electrolyte; (d) a reference electrode electrically coupled to the electrolyte layer, the reference electrode increasing a speed with which the device switches between a first state and a second state, the reference electrode layer being spaced apart from the transparent electrode layer; and (e) a counter electrode layer, the counter electrode layer being spaced apart from the reference electrode layer and the transparent electrode layer.
-
-
25. An electrochromic device comprising:
-
(a) a transparent electrode layer; (b) a cathodic polymer layer comprising PProDOT-MePro; (c) an electrolyte layer comprising a solid electrolyte; (d) a reference electrode electrically coupled to the electrolyte layer, the reference electrode increasing a speed with which the device switches between a first state and a second state; and (e) a counter electrode layer.
-
-
26. An electrochromic device comprising:
-
(a) a transparent electrode layer; (b) a cathodic polymer layer comprising PProDOP-Et2; (c) an electrolyte layer comprising a solid electrolyte; (d) a reference electrode electrically coupled to the electrolyte layer, the reference electrode increasing a speed with which the device switches between a first state and a second state; and (e) a counter electrode layer.
-
-
27. A subtractive color mixing electrochromic system comprising:
-
(a) a first electrochromic device comprising a first electrochromic polymer, the first electrochromic polymer being switchable between a first state and a second state, the first electrochromic polymer exhibiting a first color in the first state, whereas in the second state, the first electrochromic polymer is at least one of; (i) a second color that is different than the first color; and (ii) generally transparent; (b) a second electrochromic device comprising a second electrochromic polymer, the second electrochromic polymer being switchable between a first state and a second state, the second electrochromic polymer exhibiting a first color in the first state, whereas in the second state, the second electrochromic polymer is at least one of; (i) a second color that is different than the first color; and (ii) generally transparent, at least one color individually achievable by the first and second electrochromic devices being different than other colors individually achievable by the first and second electrochromic devices; and (c) the first and second electrochromic devices being configured to enable the system to achieve a new color that cannot be individually achieved by the first and second electrochromic devices, the new color being achieved using subtractive color mixing. - View Dependent Claims (28)
-
-
29. An electrochromic device exhibiting subtractive color mixing, comprising:
-
(a) a transparent electrode layer; (b) a cathodic polymer layer; (c) an electrolyte layer comprising a solid electrolyte; (d) a reference electrode electrically coupled to the electrolyte layer, the reference electrode increasing a speed with which the device switches between a first state and a second state; (e) a counter electrode layer; (f) an additional transparent electrode layer; (g) an additional cathodic polymer layer, the additional cathodic polymer layer having a different color than the cathodic polymer layer; (h) an additional electrolyte layer comprising a solid electrolyte; and (i) an additional counter electrode layer, such that the cathodic polymer layer and the additional cathodic polymer layer are configured to enable the electrochromic device to achieve a different color using subtractive color mixing.
-
Specification