Electrochromic eyewear

• US 9,482,880 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2015
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ashwin-Ushas Corporation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ashwin-Ushas Corporation, Inc.
• Inventors: Zay, Brian J., Romanov, Vasily V., Chandrasekhar, Prasanna, Laganis, Edward J., LaRosa, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Hung
• Application Number:
  US14/854,388
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 351/49, 351/158, 351/41, 349/13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/08 Modular frames, easily exchangeable frame parts and lenses
• 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 1/15165 Polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/153 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/155 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/163 Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor

Abstract

Electrochromic eyewear that include a removable electrochromic lens are provided herein.

Claims

1. Electrochromic eyewear comprising:

a. an eyewear frame comprising;

i. a first arm and a first hinge that connects the first arm to the eyewear frame;

ii. a second arm and a second hinge that connects the second arm to the eyewear frame; and

iii. a photosensor cavity comprising a conically-shaped cross-section;

b. an electrochromic lens connected to the eyewear frame that covers the photosensor cavity;

c. a photosensor contained within the photosensor cavity and configured to receive light and convert such light to a photosensor potential;

d. a controller contained within at least one of the first and second arms in electrical communication with the photosensor and the electrochromic lens, the controller configured to deliver a voltage to the electrochromic lens in response to the photosensor potential; and

e. a power source contained within at least one of the first and second arms in electrical communication with the controller.

2. The eyewear of claim 1, wherein the electrochromic lens comprises a single lens.

3. The eyewear of claim 2, wherein the electrochromic lens comprises an electrochromic material and a protective material.

4. The eyewear of claim 3, wherein the protective material comprises polycarbonate.

5. The eyewear of claim 3, wherein the electrochromic material comprises an electrochromic conducting polymer selected from the group consisting of:

poly(aniline), poly(diphenylamine), poly(4-amino biphenyl), poly(3-alkyl thiophene), poly(phenylene), poly(phenylene vinylene), poly(alkylene vinylenes), poly(amino quinolines), poly(diphenyl benzidine), poly(2,2-dibenzyl-3,4-propylenedioxythiophene), poly(2,2-bis(4-chloro-benzyl)-3,4-propylenedioxythiophene), poly(2,2-bis(4-bromo-benzyl)-3,4-propylenedioxythiophene), poly(2,2-bis(4-nitro-benzyl)-3,4-propylenedioxythiophene), and combinations thereof.

6. The eyewear of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a front portion and a rear portion with the electrochromic lens disposed between the front portion and the rear portion.

7. The eyewear of claim 6, wherein the front portion comprises a first lens aperture, a photosensor aperture, and a second lens aperture.

8. The eyewear of claim 6, wherein the rear portion comprises the photosensor cavity with the photosensor being positioned behind the electrochromic lens.

9. The eyewear of claim 8, wherein the photosensor cavity comprises a conical cross-section, a frustoconical cross-section, a fluted conical cross-section, or a fluted frustoconical cross-section.

10. The eyewear of claim 6, wherein the first and second hinges comprise first and second electrical passthroughs and the rear portion comprises a wire channel that connects the first electrical passthrough, the photosensor cavity, and second electrical passthrough.

11. The eyewear of claim 10, comprising a flexible circuit configured to maintain electrical communication between the electrochromic lens, the controller, and the power source, the flexible circuit comprising:

i. electrical contact pads connected to the rear portion and configured to releaseably contact the electrochromic lens; and

ii. a flexible electrical conduit that connects the electrical contact pads to the controller through at least one of the first and second electrical passthroughs.

12. The eyewear of claim 11, wherein the electrical contact pads comprise spring-loaded contacts configured to provide a bias pressure against the electrochromic lens.

13. The eyewear of claim 6, wherein the eyewear frame comprises a snap fitting that releaseably connects the electrochromic lens to the eyewear frame.

14. The eyewear of claim 6, wherein the front portion and rear portion comprise a fastener configured to releaseably connect the front portion to the rear portion.

15. The eyewear of claim 1, wherein the controller is contained within the first arm and the power source is contained in the second arm.

16. The eyewear of claim 1, wherein both the controller and the power source are contained within one of the first and second arms.

17. Electrochromic eyewear comprising:

a. an eyewear frame comprising a first arm and a second arm, wherein at least one of the first and second arms comprise a hinge that connects the arm to the eyewear frame, the hinge comprising a set of interconnected knuckles and an electrical passthrough disposed within the set of interconnected knuckles;

wherein the arm can rotate upon the hinge between an open and closed position;

b. an electrochromic lens connected to the eyewear frame comprising electrical contacts;

c. a controller contained within at least one of the first and second arms in electrical communication with the electrochromic lens, the controller configured to deliver a voltage to the electrochromic lens to vary the transmittance (% T) of the electrochromic lens in response to a stimulus transmitted to the controller;

d. a power source contained within at least one of the first and second arms in electrical communication with the controller; and

e. a flexible circuit configured to maintain electrical communication between the electrochromic lens and the controller when at least one of the first and second arms is in their open or closed position, comprising;

i. electrical contact pads connected to the eyewear frame and configured to releaseably contact the electrical contacts of the electrochromic lens; and

ii. a flexible electrical conduit that connects the electrical contact pads to the controller through the electrical passthrough.

18. The eyewear of claim 17, wherein the first and second arms comprise first and second hinges, respectively, having a first and second set of interconnected knuckles with first and second electrical passthroughs disposed within the sets of interconnected knuckles.

19. The eyewear of claim 17, wherein the set of interconnected knuckles comprises an arm knuckle and an eyewear frame knuckle.

20. The eyewear of claim 19, wherein the arm knuckle comprises the electrical passthrough.

21. The eyewear of claim 17, wherein the electrochromic lens comprises a single lens.

22. The eyewear of claim 21, wherein the electrochromic lens comprises an electrochromic material and a protective material.

23. The eyewear of claim 22, wherein the protective material comprises polycarbonate.

24. The eyewear of claim 22, wherein the electrochromic material comprises an electrochromic conducting polymer selected from the group consisting of:

poly(aniline), poly(diphenylamine), poly(4-amino biphenyl), poly(3-alkyl thiophene), poly(phenylene), poly(phenylene vinylene), poly(alkylene vinylenes), poly(amino quinolines), poly(diphenyl benzidine), poly(2,2-dibenzyl-3,4-propylenedioxythiophene), poly(2,2-bis(4-chloro-benzyl)-3,4-propylenedioxythiophene), poly(2,2-bis(4-bromo-benzyl)-3,4-propylenedioxythiophene), poly(2,2-bis(4-nitro-benzyl)-3,4-propylenedioxythiophene), and combinations thereof.

25. The eyewear of claim 17, wherein the frame comprises a front portion and a rear portion with the electrochromic lens disposed between the front portion and the rear portion.

26. The eyewear of claim 25, wherein the frame comprises a photosensor cavity comprising a conically-shaped cross-section.

27. The eyewear of claim 26, comprising a photosensor in electrical communication with the controller and contained within the photosensor cavity, wherein the photosensor is positioned behind the electrochromic lens.

28. The eyewear of claim 27, wherein the front portion comprises a first lens aperture, a photosensor aperture, and a second lens aperture.

29. The eyewear of claim 26, wherein the photosensor cavity comprises a conical cross-section, a frustoconical cross-section, a fluted conical cross-section, or a fluted frustoconical cross-section.

30. Eyewear having removable electrochromic lenses, the eyewear comprising:

a. an eyewear frame comprising;

i. first and second arms connected by first and second hinges, respectively, to the eyewear frame;

ii. a rear portion comprising an electrochromic lens snap fitting and spring-loaded electrochromic lens contact pads; and

iii. a front portion having a fastener configured to releaseably connect the front portion to the rear portion;

b. an electrochromic lens disposed between the front portion and rear portion of the eyewear frame, wherein the electrochromic lens snap fitting and the spring loaded electrochromic lens contact pads are configured to releaseably connect the electrochromic lens to the rear portion;

c. a photosensor connected to the rear portion of the eyewear frame and configured to receive light and convert such light to a photosensor potential; and

d. a controller contained within at least one of the first and second arms in electrical communication with the electrochromic lens and the photosensor, wherein the controller is configured to deliver a voltage to the electrochromic lens through the spring-loaded electrochromic lens contact pads in response to the photosensor potential.