Angled bus bar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10429712-B2
Application number	US-201213452032-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2012
Priority date	Apr 20, 2012
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

This disclosure provides configurations, methods of use, and methods of fabrication for a bus bar of an optically switchable device. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a substrate and an optically switchable device disposed on a surface of the substrate. The optically switchable device has a perimeter with at least one corner including a first side, a second side, and a first vertex joining the first side and the second side. A first bus bar and a second bus bar are affixed to the optically switchable device and configured to deliver current and/or voltage for driving switching of the device. The first bus bar is proximate to the corner and includes a first arm and a second arm having a configuration that substantially follows the shape of the first side, the first vertex, and the second side of the corner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a substrate;
an optically switchable device coating disposed on a surface of the substrate and having a perimeter comprising a first corner and a region of the perimeter separate from the first corner, the first corner including a first vertex joining a first side and a second side;
a first bus bar affixed to one of two monolithic conductive layers of the optically switchable device coating proximate to the first corner, configured to operate at a first polarity, and configured to deliver current and/or voltage for driving switching of the optically switchable device coating, the first bus bar including a first arm and a second arm having a configuration that substantially follows the shape of the first side, the first vertex, and the second side of the first corner, wherein the first arm of the first bus bar has a length of 10% to 65% of a length of the first side of the perimeter of the optically switchable device coating and the second arm of the first bus bar has a length of 10% to 65% of a length of the second side of the perimeter of the optically switchable device coating; and
a second bus bar affixed to the other of the two conductive layers of the optically switchable device coating, the second bus bar configured to operate at a second polarity opposite the first polarity, and configured to deliver current and/or voltage for driving switching of the optically switchable device coating, and the second bus bar substantially following the region of the perimeter separate from the first corner such that the first and second bus bars of opposite polarity do not overlap, wherein the region of the perimeter separate from the first corner comprises a second corner including a second vertex joining a third side and a fourth side, wherein the second bus bar is affixed to the optically switchable device coating proximate to the second corner, wherein the second bus bar includes a third arm and a fourth arm having a configuration that substantially follows the shape of the third side, the second vertex, and the fourth side of the second corner of the perimeter of the optically switchable device coating, and wherein the third arm of the second bus bar has a length of 10% to 65% of a length of the third side of the perimeter of the optically switchable device coating and the fourth arm of the second bus bar has a length of 10% to 65% of a length of the fourth side of the perimeter of the optically switchable device coating; and
wherein the optically switchable device coating is configured to be controlled by current and/or voltage delivered by the first and second bus bars, and
wherein the first and second bus bars are configured to cause switching throughout the optically switchable device coating to a substantially uniform optical state in response to current and/or voltage being applied to the first and second bus bars.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first bus bar and the second bus bar comprise arms of equal length, and wherein the first and second bus bars comprise a symmetrical relationship to one another.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the perimeter of the optically switchable device coating has a substantially rectangular shape or a substantially square shape.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first arm of the first bus bar has a length about 35% to 65% of a length of the first side.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first arm of the first bus bar has a length about 10% to 40% of a length of the first side.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the region of the perimeter separate from the first corner comprises a second corner including the second side, a second vertex joining the second side and a third side,
wherein the first bus bar further includes a third arm, and
wherein the second arm and the third arm have a configuration that substantially follows the shape of the second side, the second vertex, and the third side of the second corner.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first bus bar and the second bus bar are configured such that the optically switchable device coating switches from a first optical state to the substantially uniform optical state in about 10 minutes or less.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optically switchable device coating includes an electrochromic device that is solid state and inorganic.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first bus bar and the second bus bar are L-shaped or V-shaped.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first bus bar and the second bus bar are non-penetrating bus bars.

11. A method of changing an optical state of an optically switchable device coating disposed on a surface of a substrate and having a perimeter comprising a first corner and a region of the perimeter separate from the first corner, the first corner including a first vertex joining a first side and a second side, the method comprising:
(a) applying current and/or voltage of a first polarity to a first bus bar affixed to one of the two monolithic conductive layers of the optically switchable device coating proximate to the first corner, the first bus bar including a first arm and a second arm having a configuration that substantially follows the shape of the first side, the first vertex, and the second side of the first corner of the perimeter, wherein the first arm of the first bus bar has a length of 10% to 65% of a length of the first side of the perimeter of the optically switchable device coating, wherein the second arm of the first bus bar has a length of 10% to 65% of a length of the second side of the perimeter of the optically switchable device coating;
(b) applying current and/or voltage of a second polarity to a second bus bar affixed to the other of the two conductive layers of the optically switchable device coating and substantially following the region of the perimeter separate from the first corner such that the first and second bus bars of opposite polarity do not overlap, wherein the second polarity is opposite the first polarity, wherein the region of the perimeter separate from the first corner comprises a second corner including a second vertex joining a third side and a fourth side, wherein the second bus bar is affixed to the optically switchable device coating proximate to the second corner, wherein the second bus bar includes a third arm and a fourth arm having a configuration that substantially follows the shape of the third side, the second vertex, and the fourth side of the second corner of the perimeter of the optically switchable device coating, wherein the third arm of the second bus bar has a length of 10% to 65% of a length of the third side of the perimeter of the optically switchable device coating and the fourth arm of the second bus bar has a length of 10% to 65% of a length of the fourth side of the perimeter of the optically switchable device coating; and
(c) in response to current and/or voltage applied to the first and the second bus bars, switching the optical state of the optically switchable device coating, wherein the current and/or voltage is delivered to the optically switchable device coating by the first and second bus bars, which are configured for the switching to occur throughout the optically switchable device coating to a substantially uniform optical state.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein switching the optical state of the optically switchable device coating from a first optical state to the substantially uniform optical state is performed in about 10 minutes or less.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the optically switchable device coating is an electrochromic device that is

Assignees

• Jack Gordon
• Pradhan Anshu
• Nadkarni Kaustubh
• View Inc

Inventors

• Jack Gordon
• Pradhan Anshu
• Nadkarni Kaustubh

Classifications

• G02F1/155 Primary

  Electrodes · CPC title