Electro-polymeric shade for use at elevated temperature and/or methods of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10876349-B2
Application number	US-201816028546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2018
Priority date	Jul 6, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

Certain example embodiments relate to electric, potentially-driven shades usable with insulating glass (IG) units, IG units including such shades, and/or associated methods. In such a unit, a dynamic shade is located between the substrates defining the IG unit, and is movable between retracted and extended positions. The dynamic shade includes on-glass layers including a transparent conductor and an insulator or dielectric film, as well as a shutter. The shutter includes a resilient polymer, a conductor, and optional ink. Holes, invisible to the naked eye, may be formed in the polymer. Those holes may be sized, shaped, and arranged to promote summertime solar energy reflection and wintertime solar energy transmission. The conductor may be transparent or opaque. When the conductor is reflective, overcoat layers may be provided to help reduce internal reflection. The polymer may be capable of surviving high-temperature environments and may be colored in some instances.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An insulating glass (IG) unit, comprising:
first and second substrates, each having interior and exterior major surfaces, the interior major surface of the first substrate facing the interior major surface of the second substrate;
a spacer system helping to maintain the first and second substrates in substantially parallel spaced apart relation to one another and to define a gap therebetween; and
a dynamically controllable shade interposed between the first and second substrates, the shade including:
a first conductive film provided, directly or indirectly, on the interior major surface of the first substrate;
a dielectric or insulator film provided, directly or indirectly, on the first conductive film;
a shutter including a polymer material supporting a second conductive film, the polymer material comprising polyimide and being extendible to serve as a shutter closed position and retractable to serve a shutter open position, wherein the shutter as a whole is substantially opaque when extended; and
a decorative ink applied to the polymer material, the decorative ink contributing to the substantial opacity of the shutter, wherein the polymer material without the decorative ink applied thereto has a yellow and/or orange coloration;

wherein the first and second conductive films are electrically connectable to a power source that is controllable to selectively set up an electric potential difference to correspondingly drive the polymer material between the shutter open and closed positions.

2. The IG unit of claim 1 , wherein the decorative ink is provided on a side of the polymer material opposite the second conductive film.

3. The IG unit of claim 1 , wherein the polymer material is formed to have a melting temperature in excess of 300 degrees and to survive prolonged and repeat exposure to temperatures up to at least 87 degrees C.

4. The IG unit of claim 1 , wherein the polymer material is formed to have an ultimate tensile strength and a modulus of elasticity that drop by no more than two-thirds between exposure to temperatures at 25 degrees C. and 200 degrees C.

5. The IG unit of claim 1 , wherein the second conductive film is a conductive thin-film coating including a layer comprising Al.

6. A method of making an insulating glass (IG) unit, the method comprising:
providing first and second substrates, each having interior and exterior major surfaces;
forming a first conductive film, directly or indirectly, on the interior major surface of the first substrate;
providing a dielectric or insulator film, directly or indirectly, on the first conductive film;
locating, adjacent to the dielectric or insulator film, a shutter including a polymer material supporting a second conductive film, the polymer material comprising polyimide and in use being extendible to serve as a shutter closed position and retractable to serve as a shutter open position, wherein the shutter as a whole is substantially opaque when extended;
electrically connecting the first and second conductive films to a power source, wherein the first conductive film, dielectric or insulator film, and shutter at least partially form a dynamic shade that is controllable in connection with the power source to selectively set up an electric potential difference and correspondingly drive the polymer material between the shutter open and closed positions; and
connecting the first and second substrates together in substantially parallel spaced apart relation to one another in connection with a spacer system such that the interior surfaces of the first and second substrates face one another in making the IG unit, a gap being defined therebetween, the dynamic shade being interposed between the first and second substrates in the gap.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising a decorative ink applied to the polymer material, the decorative ink contributing to the substantial opacity of the shutter.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the decorative ink is provided on a side of the polymer material opposite the second conductive film.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the polymer material without the decorative ink applied thereto has a yellow and/or orange coloration.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the polymer material is dyed to have a desired coloration.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the polymer material has pigments introduced therein.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the polymer material is formed to have a melting temperature in excess of 300 degrees and to survive prolonged and repeat exposure to temperatures up to at least 87 degrees C.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the polymer material is formed to have an ultimate tensile strength and a modulus of elasticity that drop by no more than two-thirds between exposure to temperatures at 25 degrees C. and 200 degrees C.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second conductive film is a conductive thin-film coating including a layer comprising Al.

15. A method of making an insulating glass (IG) unit, the method comprising:
having first and second substrates, each having interior and exterior major surfaces, the interior major surface of the first substrate facing the interior major surface of the second substrate,
wherein a first conductive film is formed, directly or indirectly, on the interior major surface of the first substrate and a dielectric or insulator film is provided, directly or indirectly, on the first conductive film;
wherein a shutter is located, adjacent to the dielectric or insulator film, the shutter including a polymer material supporting a second conductive film, the polymer material comprising polyimide and in use being extendible to serve as a shutter closed position and retractable to serve as a shutter open position, wherein the shutter as a whole is substantially opaque when extended;
wherein the first and second conductive films are electrically connectable to a power source, wherein the first conductive film, dielectric or insulator film, and shutter at least partially form a dynamic shade that is controllable in connection with the power source to selectively set up an electric potential difference and correspondingly drive the polymer material between the shutter open and closed positions; and

connecting the first and second substrates together in substantially parallel spaced apart relation to one another in connection with a spacer system such that the interior surfaces of the first and second substrates face one another in making the IG unit, a gap being defined therebetween, the dynamic shade being interposed between the first and second substrates in the gap.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising a decorative ink applied to the polymer material, the decorative ink contributing to the substantial opacity of the shutter, the decorative ink being provided on a side of the polymer material opposite the second conductive film.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the polymer material without the decorative ink applied thereto has a yellow and/or orange coloration.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the polymer material is dyed to have a desired coloration.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the polymer material has pigments introduced therein.

20. A method of operating a dynamic shade in an insulating glass (IG) unit, the method comprising:
having an IG unit made in accordance with the method of claim 15 ; and
selectively activating the power source to move the polymer material between the shutter open and closed

Assignees

• Guardian Glass Llc

Inventors

• Blush Jason
• Frey Timothy J
• Gu Yabei

Classifications

• G02B26/02

  for controlling the intensity of light {(G02B26/004 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E06B2009/2643

  Screens between double windows · CPC title

• E06B2009/2464

  featuring transparency control by applying voltage, e.g. LCD, electrochromic panels · CPC title

• E06B2009/2447

  Parallel screens · CPC title

• E06B2009/2417

  Light path control; means to control reflection · CPC title