Optical: systems and elements – Optical modulator – Light wave temporal modulation
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-10
2004-03-23
Epps, Georgia (Department: 2873)
Optical: systems and elements
Optical modulator
Light wave temporal modulation
C359S265000, C359S269000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06710907
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a solid-state electrochromic device using a metal foil terminal as a lead-in terminal for electrodes of the device, and a mirror system and CRT (or Cathode Ray Tube) display using the device.
BACKGROUND ART
Reversible transitions between colored and colorless states upon oxidation or reduction caused reversibly by application of voltage are called the phenomenon of electrochromism. Electrochromic (hereinafter referred to as EC) devices that use materials presenting such electrochromic features and are designed to change the color states by manipulating voltages are utilized for display devices, light quantity control devices, and the like across various industrial fields.
An example of conventional solid-state EC devices is illustrated in FIG.
6
. In a solid-state EC device
30
, a lower transparent conductive coating
32
made of indium tin oxide (ITO) or the like is provided on a glass substrate
31
, and a groove
32
b
is formed to provide an insulated portion
32
a
in part of the lower transparent conductive coating
32
. Subsequently, an EC layer
33
made of WO
3
or the like, and an upper transparent conductive coating
34
made of ITO or the like are layered thereon in sequence; these layers are covered with a sealant
35
made of epoxy resin or the like, and an opposed glass plate
36
. Moreover, the upper transparent conductive coating
34
is in direct contact with the insulated portion
32
a
, while the lower transparent conductive coating
32
and the upper transparent conductive coating
34
are formed in such a manner as not to short-circuit, so that a terminal of the upper transparent conductive coating
32
may be derived from the insulated portion
32
a
. Upon application of a direct-current (DC) voltage across the lower transparent conductive coating
32
and upper transparent conductive coating
34
of the solid-state EC device
30
, the EC layer
33
gets colored, and upon application of a reverse voltage, the EC layer
33
gets colorless.
Supplying power from an external source to the lower and upper transparent conductive coatings
32
,
34
of the solid-state EC device
30
requires a lead-in terminal to be provided. Conventionally, the glass substrate
31
and the lower transparent conductive coating
32
are held with a metal clip
37
, and the glass substrate
31
and the insulated portion
32
a
are held in like manner; then, each clip
37
is fastened with the sealant
35
and used for a lead-in terminal. The opposed glass plate
36
is bonded in such a manner as to guide a terminal portion of the metal clips
37
,
37
, and thus the width dimension of the opposed glass plate
36
is shorter than the width dimension of the glass substrate
31
.
However, difficulty in working metal materials into the metal clip
37
having several tens of micrometers or so that is as small as the thickness of a resin of the solid-state EC device
30
would disadvantageously impose limitations on the width of the opposed glass plate
36
not wider than the width of the glass substrate
31
. In addition, insufficient introduction of stress due to a reduced metal thickness would make it difficult for the metal clip
37
to exert a holding power thereof derived from a stress introduced within a resiliency range, disadvantageously impairing operability upon attachment.
Further, if an end face of the glass substrate
31
is curved, the metal clip
37
is hard to curve along the end face of the substrate
31
; thus a contact resistance is increased and/or an outer appearance is impaired. These disadvantages would result from application of the solid-state EC device
30
to a mirror, as well.
On the other hand, as is often the case with a normal CRT display, a VDT (video display terminal) hazard prevention filter is externally attached on a front face of a display panel; however, the filter shields from electromagnetic fields of a wide range of wavelengths, so that a whole screen area disadvantageously becomes too dark to provide a clear image.
As shown in
FIG. 7
, when a conventional solid-state EC device
30
is used for a CRT display filter, the following two approaches are to be adopted for attaching the solid-state EC device
30
. This is because the metal clip
37
for applying a voltage to the solid-state EC device
30
are necessitated by workability constraints to use a metal plate of approximately 100 &mgr;m in thickness. Moreover, the metal clip
37
basically realizes a holding power against the glass substrate
31
by spring tension, and thus is shaped like a clip. Accordingly, the thickness and shape of the metal plate result in excessive vertical thickness of the metal clip
37
. Therefore, the solid-state EC device
30
should be attached on the CRT display with consideration given to the thickness of the metal clip
37
.
The first approach is to provide spacing between a solid-state EC device
30
A and a CRT
39
, as shown in FIG.
7
(
a
). A description will be given herein of the reason why this approach is applicable. Generally, a front face of the CRT
39
is curved as shown in
FIG. 7
, while the solid-state EC device
30
A with an opposed glass plate
36
A is made by adhering the opposed glass plate
36
A with an epoxy resin, or the like, and is thus difficult to form so as to follow the curved shape. Accordingly, this approach proposes to space the solid-state EC device
30
A and the CRT
39
apart so as not to bring the metal clip
37
A into contact with the front face of the CRT
39
, to avoid the necessity for forming the opposed glass plate
36
A so as to follow the curved shape of the front face of the CRT
39
. However, this approach would disadvantageously make the CRT display thick frontward by the filter (solid-state EC device
30
A), and need a mounting member. It would also be a conceivable approach to work the glass substrate
31
A and/or the opposed glass plate
36
A as conforming to the curved shape of the CRT
39
in advance, but that would incur extra costs.
The second approach is to bond a solid-state EC device
30
B larger than a CRT
40
to the CRT
40
, as shown in FIG.
7
(
b
). A description will be given herein of the reason why this approach is applicable. This approach utilizes a glass panel of the CRT
40
as a substitute for an opposed glass plate, while the glass substrate
31
A is worked to assume such a shape as conforming to a curved shape of the CRT
40
. Then, the solid-state EC device
30
B is bonded onto the glass panel of the CRT
40
through an epoxy resin, or the like as a sealant
35
B. In this configuration, the epoxy resin as the sealant
35
B is several tens of micrometers or so in thickness, but the metal clip
37
B is so large as envisaged from the thickness of a metal plate thereof which alone embraces 100 &mgr;m or so. Accordingly, if the width dimension of the glass substrate
31
B were made shorter than the width dimension of the glass panel, the metal clip
37
B would protrude and become an obstacle upon bonding the solid-state EC device
30
B to the CRT
40
. In view of these circumstances, this approach uses the glass substrate
31
B of which the width dimension is greater than that of the glass panel of the CRT
40
, and the solid-state EC device
30
B is bonded to the CRT
40
. Consequently, the metal clips
37
B,
37
B jut out to the sides of the CRT
40
, and thus never become an obstacle. However, this approach disadvantageously results in increase in size of the solid-state EC device
30
B as a filter of a CRT display.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is herein proposed for the purpose of eliminating the above-described disadvantages in prior arts. It is an object of the present invention to provide a solid-state EC device and mirror system using the device, which solid-state EC device has an electrode structure including a terminal that is easy to work into various shapes, and thus contributing to improved operability upon attachment. Further, it is another object of the present invention to provide a CRT display that employs the abo
Mochizuka Takuo
Terada Yoshiyuki
Choi William
Epps Georgia
Murakami Corporation
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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