Apparatus including an electrochromic device configured to maintain a continuously graded transmission state

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11500258-B2
Application number	US-201715848727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2017
Priority date	Dec 22, 2016
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus can include an electrochromic device configured to be maintained a continuously graded transmission state. When using the apparatus, the electrochromic device can be switched from a first transmission state to a continuously graded transmission state and maintained in the continuously graded transmission state. The current during switching can be higher than current during maintaining the continuously graded transmission state. In an embodiment, the grading can be reversed to provide a mirror image of the grading. In another embodiment, at least 27% and up to 100% of the electrochromic device can be in a continuously graded transmission state. The control device can be located within an insulating glass unit, adjacent to the insulating glass unit, or remotely from the insulating glass unit. In a further embodiment, a gap between bus bars can be used to form a portion of the electrochromic device that can be continuously graded.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising an electrochromic device which is configured to be maintained in a continuously graded transmission state, wherein the electrochromic device comprises:
a first power supply terminal electrically coupled to a first bus bar;
a second power supply terminal electrically coupled to the first bus bar;
a control device configured such that the first and second power supply terminals are at different voltages during a same time period;
a first transparent conductive layer, wherein the first bus bar having a main body and coupled to the first transparent conductive layer;
a second bus bar having a main body and coupled to the first transparent conductive layer;
a first gap between the first and second bus bars, wherein the first gap is at least 10% of a distance between the main bodies of the first and second bus bars;
a substrate; and
a third bus bar disposed between the substrate and the first transparent conductive layer, wherein the first bus bar, the second bus bar, or each of the first and second bus bars overlies the second transparent conductive layer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first bus bar, the second bus bar, or each of the first and second bus bars includes an extension extending from the main body, wherein the gap is closer to the extension as compared to the main body.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a third bus bar coupled to the first transparent conductive layer, wherein:
the first bus bar is spaced apart from the third bus bar by the first gap; and
the second bus bar is spaced apart from the third bus bar by a second gap.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second transparent conductive layer;
a third bus bar coupled to the second transparent conductive layer; and
an electrochromic layer disposed between the first and second transparent conductive layers.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a fourth bus bar coupled to the second transparent conductive layer, wherein the first bus bar overlies the third bus bar, and the second bus bar overlies the fourth bus bar.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic device is configured to have a first portion maintained at the continuously graded transmission state and a second portion maintained at a substantially uniform transmission state.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth bus bar disposed between the substrate and the first transparent conductive layer, wherein a second gap lies between the third and fourth bus bars.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an electrochromic layer disposed between the first and second transparent conductive layers.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising an ion storage layer and an ion conductive layer disposed between the electrochromic and ion storage layers.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third power supply terminal coupled to the second bus bar; and
a fourth power supply terminal coupled to the second bus bar,
wherein during the same time period, the apparatus is configured such that the third and fourth power supply terminals are at different voltages.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first bus bar has a substantially uniform cross-sectional area between the first and second power supply terminals.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic device is configured such that it does not have a portion maintained at a substantially uniform transmission state when the portion of the device is maintained at the continuously graded transmission state.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic device is configured to have a first portion maintained at the continuously graded transmission state and a second portion maintained at a substantially uniform transmission state.

14. A method of operating an apparatus comprising an electrochromic device comprising:
switching the electrochromic device from a first transmission state to a continuously graded transmission state, wherein the electrochromic device has a maximum first current and an average first current during switching the electrochromic device from the first transmission state to the continuously graded transmission state; and
maintaining the continuously graded transmission state, wherein the electrochromic device has a maximum second current and an average second current during maintaining the continuously graded transmission state,
wherein the maximum second current is less than the maximum first current or the average second current is less than the average first current, and wherein the continuously graded transmission state is maintained within a region defined by a first bus bar and a second bus bar and wherein a control device is configured such that a first power supply terminal and a second power supply terminal are at different voltages during a same time period, wherein the first power supply terminal and the second power supply terminal are both electrically coupled to a first bus bar; and

wherein the electrochromic device further comprises:
a first transparent conductive layer, wherein the first bus bar having a main body and coupled to the first transparent conductive layer;
a second bus bar having a main body and coupled to the first transparent conductive layer;
a first gap between the first and second bus bars, wherein the first gap is at least 10% of a distance between the main bodies of the first and second bus bars;
a substrate; and
a third bus bar disposed between the substrate and the first transparent conductive layer, wherein the first bus bar, the second bus bar, or each of the first and second bus bars overlies the second transparent conductive layer.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
providing the apparatus including:
a first transparent conductive layer;

a first bus bar having a main body and coupled to the first transparent conductive layer;
a second bus bar having a main body and coupled to the first transparent conductive layer; and
a gap between the first and second bus bars, wherein the gap is at least 10% of a distance between the main bodies of the first and second bus bars,
wherein:
switching the electrochromic device comprises biasing the first bus bar to a first voltage; and biasing the second bus bar to a second voltage different from the first voltage,
maintaining the continuously graded transmission state comprises maintaining the first bus bar at the first voltage and the second bus bar at the second voltage, wherein the gap corresponds to a first portion of the electrochromic device that has a continuously graded transmission state.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein maintaining the first bus bar at the first voltage and the second bus bar at the second voltage is performed such that a second portion of the electrochromic device adjacent to the second bus bar has a first substantially uniform transmission state.

Assignees

• Sage Electrochromics Inc

Inventors

• Wang Yigang
• Greer Bryan D

Classifications

• G02F1/163

  Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor · CPC title

• G02F2203/01

  transmissive · CPC title

• G02F1/155 Primary

  Electrodes · CPC title