Electrochromic element, method for driving the same, and optical filter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9395594-B2
Application number	US-201314107755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2013
Priority date	Dec 17, 2012
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

Provided is an electrochromic element having: a pair of electrodes; an electrochromic layer which is provided between the pair of electrodes and has an electrolyte and an electrochromic material; and a spacer which surrounds a periphery of the electrochromic layer, the element having a change mechanism that changes a thickness of the electrochromic layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrochromic element comprising:
a pair of electrodes;
an electrochromic layer provided between the pair of electrodes and having an electrolyte and an electrochromic material, the electrochromic layer being a liquid or gel; and
a flexible member configured to be arranged between the pair of electrodes,
the electrochromic element having a change mechanism configured to change a distance between the pair of electrodes,
wherein the electrochromic layer is connected with a buffer part for housing a redundant liquid or gel in a case where the thickness of the electrochromic layer made up of the liquid or the gel changes.

2. The electrochromic element according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible member is provided so as to surround a periphery of the electrochromic layer.

3. The electrochromic element according to claim 1 , wherein
the change mechanism is provided on a transparent substrate formed outside at least one electrode, and
a distance between the pair of electrodes is changed by the change mechanism, to change the thickness of the electrochromic layer.

4. The electrochromic element according to claim 1 , wherein
the change mechanism is provided on the flexible member, and
the flexible member is changed by the change mechanism, to change the thickness of the electrochromic layer.

5. The electrochromic element according to claim 1 , wherein the change mechanism is an actuator.

6. The electrochromic element according to claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic layer has a plurality of kinds of electrochromic materials.

7. The electrochromic element according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the electrochromic layer is changed, to control a light transmittance of the electrochromic element.

8. An optical filter comprising:
the electrochromic element according to claim 1 ; and
an active element configured to be connected to the electrochromic element.

9. An image pickup apparatus comprising:
the optical filter according to claim 8 ; and
a light receiving element for receiving light having passed through the optical filter.

10. A lens unit comprising:
the optical filter according to claim 8 ; and
an optical system configured to have a plurality of lenses.

11. A method for driving an electrochromic element having a pair of electrodes, and an electrochromic layer configured to have an electrolyte and an electrochromic material between the pair of electrodes, the electrochromic layer being a liquid or gel, and the element having a change mechanism configured to change a distance between the pair of electrodes,
wherein the distance between the pair of electrodes is changed by the change mechanism, to change a transmittance of the electrochromic element, and
wherein the electrochromic layer is connected with a buffer part for housing a redundant liquid or gel in a case where the thickness of the electrochromic layer made UP of the liquid or the gel changes.

12. The method for driving the electrochromic element according to claim 11 , wherein a distance between the pair of electrodes is repeatedly varied by the change mechanism with a frequency of not less than 10 Hz.

13. The method for driving the electrochromic element according to claim 11 , wherein the electrochromic element is repeatedly vibrated by the change mechanism with a frequency of not less than 10 Hz, to change the thickness of the electrochromic layer.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Yamamoto Jun
• Miyazaki Kazuya

Classifications

• G02F1/15165

  Polymers · CPC title

• G02F1/155 Primary

  Electrodes · CPC title

• G02B5/23

  Photochromic filters · CPC title

• G02B5/003

  Light absorbing elements · CPC title

• G02F1/0128

  based on electro-mechanical, magneto-mechanical, elasto-optic effects · CPC title