Gentex Corporation

Kathy E Roberts

Thomas F Guarr

Kevin L Ash

David A Theiste

Rongguang Lin

William L Tonar

Frederick T Bauer

Kelvin L Baumann

Leroy J Kloeppner

Punam Giri

Timothy A Bonardi

Elizabeth M Sanford

The present invention is directed to an electrochemical medium for use in a reversible electrodeposition device including at least one solvent, at least one anodic electroactive material, at least one active metal; and optionally at least one redox buffer.

Reversible electrodeposition devices and associated electrochemical media

The present invention is directed to a reversible electrodeposition device comprising: a first substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; a second substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; a nucleation layer at least partially covering at least one of the electrically conductive materials of the first and second substrates; an electrochemical medium contained within a chamber positioned between the first and second substrates.

An electrochromic medium for use in an electrochromic device comprising: at least one solvent; an anodic electroactive material; a cathodic electroactive material, wherein at least one of the anodic and cathodic electroactive materials is electrochromic; and a current-reducing additive, wherein the current-reducing additive comprises a polymer present in an effective concentration to materially reduce the current of the electrochromic medium upon application of an electrical potential, relative to an electrochromic medium without the current-reducing additive, while maintaining an electrochromic medium viscosity which facilitates acceptable production rates without a problematic degree of seal or other device component failure.

Electrochromic device having a current-reducing additive

An electrochromic device comprising: a first substantially transparent substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; a second substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; and an electrochromic medium contained within a chamber positioned between the first and second substrates which comprises: at least one solvent; an anodic material; a cathodic material, wherein both of the anodic and cathodic materials are electroactive and at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is electrochromic, and wherein at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is slow-diffusing; and an electron shuttle, wherein the electron shuttle serves to decrease switching time of the electrochromic device relative to the same without the electron shuttle.

Electrochromic devices having an electron shuttle

An electrochromic medium for use in an electrochromic device comprising: at least one solvent; a cathodic electroactive material; an anodic electroactive material; wherein at least one of the cathodic and anodic electroactive materials is electrochromic; and a self-healing cross-linked polymer gel.

Electrochromic medium having a self-healing cross-linked polymer gel and associated electrochromic device

An improved electrochromic rearview mirror for motor vehicles, the mirror incorporating thin front and rear spaced glass elements having a thickness ranging from about 0.5 to about 1.5. A layer of transparent conductive material is placed onto the mirror's second surface, and either another layer of transparent conductive material or a combined reflector/electrode is placed onto the mirror's third surface. A chamber, defined by the layers on the interior surfaces of the front and rear glass elements and a peripheral sealing member, contains a free-standing gel comprising a solvent and a crosslinked polymer matrix. The chamber further contains at least one electrochromic material in solution with the solvent and interspersed in the crosslinked polymer matrix. The gel cooperatively interacts with the thin glass elements to form a thick, strong unitary member which is resistant to flexing, warping, bowing and/or shattering and further allows the mirror to exhibit reduced vibrational distortion and double imaging.

Electrochromic mirror with two thin glass elements and a gelled electrochromic medium

An electrochromic medium for use in an electrochromic device comprising: at least one solvent; an anodic electroactive material; a cathodic electroactive material; wherein at least one of the anodic and cathodic electroactive materials is electrochromic; and wherein at least one of the anodic and cathodic electroactive materials is associated with a diffusion coefficient controlling moiety which serves to lower the diffusion coefficient of the associated material relative to the same without the diffusion coefficient controlling moiety.

Controlled diffusion coefficient electrochromic materials for use in electrochromic mediums and associated electrochromic devices

An electrochromic device comprising: a first glass element having an electrically conductive material associated therewith, wherein said first element comprises a height (h ), a width (w ), a thickness (t ), an inner surface, and an outer surface; a second element having an electrically conductive material associated therewith, wherein said second element comprises a height (h ), a width (w ) , and a thickness (t ), an inner surface, and an outer surface; a cell spacing (c) which comprises a distance between said inner surface of said first element and said inner surface of said second element; a gelled electrochromic medium contained within a chamber positioned between said first and second elements; wherein (h ), (w ), (t ), (h ), (w ), (t ), and (c) are numerical values in millimeters; and wherein (h ), (w ), and (t ) of said first element, and (h ), (w ), and (t ) of said second element and (c) comprise numerical values such that the following inequality is satisfied:

Electrochromic device with two thin glass elements and a gelled electrochromic medium

An inside non-planar electrochromic mirror includes front and rear non-planar elements, a layer of transparent conductive material, a reflector and a perimeter sealing member which bonds the front and rear non-planar elements in a spaced apart relationship. The front and rear non-planar elements each include front and rear surfaces. A layer of transparent conductive material is disposed on the rear surface of the front non-planar element. The reflector can be disposed on either side of the rear non-planar element. When the reflector is on the rear surface of the rear non-planar element then the front surface of the rear non-planar element contains a layer of transparent conductive material. When the reflector is on the front surface of the rear element it must be constructed of conductive material. The perimeter sealing member bonds the front and rear non-planar elements and defines a chamber therebetween. The chamber contains at least one electrochromic material. The reflector is effective to reflect light through the chamber and the front non-planar element when light reaches the reflector after passing through the front non-planar element and the chamber.

Growing community of inventors

East Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America

Kathy E Roberts