Low-emissivity panels including magnetic layers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9013782-B2
Application number	US-201314144319-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2013
Priority date	Mar 13, 2013
Publication date	Apr 21, 2015
Grant date	Apr 21, 2015

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and apparatus for forming low emissivity panels that may include a first substrate. The first substrate may have a first side and a second side. The low emissivity panels may also include a magnetic fluid layer deposited over the first side of the first substrate and a reflective layer deposited over the second side of the first substrate. The magnetic fluid layer may include magnetic particles. The reflective layer may include a conductive material configured to conduct an electrical current and generate a magnetic field. The magnetic field may be configured to change an orientation of the magnetic particles in the magnetic fluid layer and a transmissivity of the magnetic fluid layer within a visible spectrum. The low emissivity panels may also include a first bus and a second bus deposited along opposite edges of the reflective layer and electrically connected to the reflective layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A low emissivity panel comprising:
a first substrate,
the first substrate having a first side and a second side;

a magnetic fluid layer deposited over the first side of the first substrate; and
a reflective layer deposited over the second side of the first substrate,
the magnetic fluid layer comprising magnetic particles,
the reflective layer comprising a conductive material configured to conduct an electrical current and generate a magnetic field,
wherein the magnetic field is configured to change an orientation of the magnetic particles in the magnetic fluid layer and a transmissivity of the magnetic fluid layer within a visible spectrum.

2. The low emissivity panel of claim 1 , further comprising a first bus and a second bus, the first bus and the second bus deposited along opposite edges of the reflective layer and electrically connected to the reflective layer, wherein applying a voltage between the first bus and the second bus generates the electrical current through the reflective layer.

3. The low emissivity panel of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material of the reflective layer comprises one of silver or aluminum.

4. The low emissivity panel of claim 1 , wherein the reflective layer has a thickness of between about 10 nm and 40 nm.

5. The low emissivity panel of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate comprises glass and has a thickness of between about 1 mm and 20 mm.

6. The low emissivity panel of claim 1 , further comprising a second substrate, wherein the magnetic fluid layer is deposited between the first substrate and the second substrate.

7. The low emissivity panel of claim 6 , wherein the second substrate is attached to the first substrate along edges of the first substrate and the second substrate.

8. The low emissivity panel of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic particles comprise one of magnetite or hematite.

9. The low emissivity panel of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic particles comprise a surfactant, the surfactant comprising one of oleic acid, tetra-methyl ammonium hydroxide, citric acid, or soy lecithin.

10. The low emissivity panel of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic fluid layer comprises a plurality of capsules, each of the plurality of capsules comprising a portion of the magnetic particles suspended in a carrier fluid, wherein the plurality of capsules is adhered to the first side of the first substrate.

11. The low emissivity panel of claim 1 , wherein the low emissivity panel is configured to change a transmissivity by at least about 25% when the current is passed through the reflective layer.

12. The low emissivity panel of claim 1 , wherein the low emissivity panel is configured to apply different voltages at different locations along opposite edges of the reflective layer.

13. A method of operating a low emissivity panel, the method comprising:
providing the low emissivity panel comprising a first substrate, a magnetic fluid layer deposited on a first surface of the first substrate, and a reflective layer deposited on a second surface of the first substrate, the magnetic fluid layer comprising magnetic particles, the reflective layer comprising a conductive material; and
applying a first voltage to the reflective layer between two opposite edges of the reflective layer, wherein applying the first voltage changes a transmissivity of the low emissivity panel.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein applying the first voltage generates an electrical current that passes through the reflective layer and creates a magnetic field, the magnetic field changing an orientation of the magnetic particles in the magnetic fluid layer, wherein a change in the orientation of the magnetic particles in the magnetic fluid layer changes a transmissivity of the magnetic fluid layer within a visible spectrum.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein applying the first voltage to the reflective layer changes the transmissivity of the low emissivity panel by at least 25%.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising applying a second voltage to the reflective layer, wherein applying the second voltage further changes the transmissivity of the low emissivity panel.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second voltage is about 0 V and the transmissivity of the low emissivity panel returns to an original state.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second voltage has a reverse polarity relative to the first voltage.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein applying the second voltage changes the transmissivity of the low emissivity panel in a different wavelength region relative to the first voltage.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein a current density passed through the reflective layer ranges from between about 0.1 mA/μm 2 and 10 mA/μm 2 .

Assignees

• Intermolecular Inc
• Intermolecular Inc

Inventors

• Ding Guowen
• Le Minh Huu

Classifications

• C03C2218/154

  by sputtering · CPC title

• E06B2009/2464

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

• Y10T428/265

  1 mil or less · CPC title

• C03C17/3681

  the multilayer coating being used in glazing, e.g. windows or windscreens · CPC title

• C03C17/3639

  Multilayers containing at least two functional metal layers · CPC title