Electrochromic device having an improved fill port plug

• US 7,884,995 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Veenman, Steven J., Kloeppner, Leroy J., Tonar, William L., Poll, David L., Dozeman, Gary J., Menon, Nalini C., Stray, Joel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stultz; Jessica T
• Application Number:
  US12/215,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20090002803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 359/273
• US Class Current: 359/273
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/161 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells; Filling or closing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/023 curable

Abstract

An electrochromic device including: (a) a first substantially transparent substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; (b) a second substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; (c) an electrochromic medium contained within a chamber positioned between the first and second substrates which includes: (1) a solvent; (2) an anodic material; and (3) a cathodic material, wherein both of the anodic and cathodic materials are electroactive and at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is electrochromic; (d) wherein a seal member, the first substrate, the second substrate, and/or the chamber includes a plug associated with a fill port; and (e) wherein the plug is at least partially cured with an antimonate photo initiator and/or is one- or two-part plug which comprises a resin or mixture of resins that are substantially insoluble and/or substantially immiscible with an associated electrochromic medium while in the uncured state.

Claims

1. An electrochromic device, comprising:

a first substantially transparent substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith;

a second substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith;

an electrochromic medium contained within a chamber positioned between the first and second substrates which comprises;

at least one solvent;

at least one anodic material; and

at least one cathodic material, wherein both of the anodic and cathodic materials are electroactive and at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is electrochromic;

wherein at least one of a seal member, the first substrate, the second substrate, the chamber and combinations thereof, comprise(s) a plug associated with a fill port; and

wherein the plug is at least partially cured with an antimonate photo initiator.

2. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first substrate, and the second substrate comprises a plug associated with a fill port.

3. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the plug comprises an epoxy resin.

4. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the plug is at least partially cured with cationic photoinitiating antimonate salt.

5. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the antimonate comprises a sulfonium antimonate.

6. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the antimonate comprises an arylsulfonium antimonate.

7. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the antimonate comprises a triarylsulfonium antimonate.

8. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the antimonate comprises a triarylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate.

9. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the antimonate comprises a mixed triarylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate.

10. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the antimonate comprises an iodonium antimonate.

11. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the antimonate comprises an aryliodonium antimonate.

12. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the antimonate comprises a biaryliodonium antimonate.

13. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the antimonate comprises a biaryliodonium hexafluoroantimonate.

14. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the antimonate comprises at least one of the following formulae:

15. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the antimonate comprises at least one of the following chemical structures:

16. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the antimonate comprises the following formula:

17. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the antimonate comprises the following chemical structure:

18. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the antimonate comprises the following chemical structure:

19. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the electrochromic medium further comprises at least one of a cross-linked polymer matrix, a free-standing gel, and a substantially non-weeping gel.

20. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the electrochromic medium further comprises a redox buffer.

21. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the device is an electrochromic window.

22. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the device is an electrochromic aircraft transparency.

23. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the second substrate is coated with a reflective material.

24. The electrochromic device according to claim 23, wherein the reflective material is selected from the group comprising chromium, ruthenium, rhodium, silver, alloys and/or combinations of the same, and stacked layers thereof.

25. The electrochromic device according to claim 24, wherein the device is an electrochromic mirror.