A horizontal structure electrically controlled dimming film unit and its preparation method

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of dimming film technology, and specifically discloses a horizontally structured electrically controlled dimming film unit and a preparation method thereof. The dimming film unit comprises: a first electrode layer, an electrochromic layer, an electrolyte layer, an ion storage layer, and a second electrode layer arranged in sequence; wherein the first electrode layer comprises at least one strip electrode, with a set distance between two adjacent strip electrodes; the second electrode layer comprises at least one strip electrode, with a set distance between two adjacent strip electrodes; the strip electrodes of the first electrode layer and the strip electrodes of the second electrode layer are distributed alternately. In the present invention, the strip electrodes in the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are distributed alternately to form an interdigitated electrode structure, so that the current between the two electrode layers is no longer transmitted vertically, but flows obliquely. This can avoid the voltage drop from being concentrated on the electrode surface and effectively reduce electrode aging.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of dimming films, and in particular to a horizontally structured electrically controlled dimming film unit and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] The dimming film usually includes two transparent conductive layers, an upper layer and a lower layer, and a light-control layer arranged between the two transparent conductive layers. According to the different light-control mechanisms of the light-control layers, the dimming film can be divided into suspended particle dimming film, polymer dispersed liquid crystal dimming film and electrochemical reaction dimming film (electrochromic dimming film).

[0004] For electrochemical reaction dimming film (electrochromic dimming film), combined with Figure 1 , typically disposed between two substrates: a first transparent conductive layer, an electrochromic layer (working electrode), an electrolyte layer, an ion storage layer (counter electrode), and a second transparent conductive layer. Its working principle is that an external voltage is applied to the electrodes at both ends of the electrochromic light-emitting film. Under the action of the electric field of the applied voltage, ions migrate into (or out of) the electrochromic layer, causing the valence of the electrochromic material to decrease (or increase). Before reaching equilibrium, the electrochromic material changes color; once equilibrium is reached, the color change of the electrochromic material stabilizes.

[0005] In the prior art, a first transparent conductive layer and a second transparent conductive layer are arranged opposite each other, and both completely cover the entire surface of the electrochromic layer (working electrode). On the one hand, the transparent conductive layer is mostly made of ITO (indium tin oxide) film. Since indium is a rare metal with limited reserves, ITO film is expensive. On the other hand, since the upper and lower transparent electrodes are arranged completely opposite each other, the electric field formed between them is vertically distributed. Most of the voltage drop is applied to the thinner electrochromic film, resulting in a higher electric field, which accelerates the aging effect and shortens the service life of the electrochromic device.

[0006] In addition, most existing dimming film products use ITO transparent electrodes. In order to ensure high electrical conductivity, the electrode layer material is relatively thick, which is prone to cracks after multiple bending, resulting in increased resistance. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes a lateral structure electrically controlled dimming film unit and a preparation method thereof, which uses a strip-shaped interdigitated electrode structure to replace the original two transparent conductive layers, thereby reducing the area of ​​the transparent electrode and even maintaining a high transmittance without the transparent electrode.

[0008] In some embodiments, the following technical solutions are adopted:

[0009] A horizontal structure electrically controlled dimming film unit comprises: a first electrode layer, an electrochromic layer, an electrolyte layer, an ion storage layer, and a second electrode layer arranged in sequence; wherein the first electrode layer comprises at least one strip electrode, and a set distance is set between two adjacent strip electrodes; the second electrode layer comprises at least one strip electrode, and a set distance is set between two adjacent strip electrodes.

[0010] The strip electrodes of the first electrode layer and the strip electrodes of the second electrode layer are distributed alternately.

[0011] As an optional embodiment, the present invention further includes: a substrate layer disposed adjacent to the second electrode layer, wherein the substrate layer is a transparent substrate or an opaque substrate.

[0012] As an optional embodiment, the present invention further includes: a transparent encapsulation layer disposed adjacent to the first electrode layer.

[0013] As an optional embodiment, the width of the strip electrodes in the first electrode layer or the second electrode layer satisfies the range of 10 um to 3 mm.

[0014] As an optional embodiment, the first electrode layer or the second electrode layer is a transparent electrode or a non-transparent electrode.

[0015] In other embodiments, the following technical solutions are adopted:

[0016] A method for preparing the above-mentioned lateral structure electrically controlled dimming film unit comprises:

[0017] Depositing a second electrode layer on the transparent substrate by screen printing, and then sequentially depositing an ion storage layer, an electrolyte layer, an electrochromic layer and a first electrode layer by screen printing;

[0018] Among them, the first electrode layer includes at least one strip electrode, and a set distance is set between two adjacent strip electrodes; the second electrode layer includes at least one strip electrode, and a set distance is set between two adjacent strip electrodes; the strip electrodes of the first electrode layer and the strip electrodes of the second electrode layer are distributed alternately.

[0019] In other embodiments, the following technical solutions are adopted:

[0020] An electrically controlled dimming film comprises at least one of the above-mentioned lateral structure electrically controlled dimming film units.

[0021] As an optional embodiment, the strip electrodes in the first electrode layer are connected to a first electrode of an external power source, and the strip electrodes in the second electrode layer are connected to a second electrode of the external power source.

[0022] In other embodiments, the following technical solutions are adopted:

[0023] A window structure adopts the above-mentioned electrically controlled dimming film.

[0024] In other embodiments, the following technical solutions are adopted:

[0025] A building exterior wall adopts the above-mentioned electrically controlled dimming film.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0027] (1) The strip electrodes in the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer of the present invention are distributed alternately to form an interdigitated electrode structure, so that the current between the two electrode layers is no longer transmitted vertically, but flows obliquely. This can avoid the voltage drop from being concentrated on the electrode surface and effectively reduce the electrode aging phenomenon.

[0028] (2) The maximum withstand voltage of the interdigitated electrode structure of the present invention can be increased by more than 1000% compared with the parallel electrode structure. Since the distance between the upper and lower electrodes arranged horizontally in this patent is much greater than their vertical distance, the electrode withstand voltage is higher under the same electric field strength. If the film thickness is 10um and the distance between the upper and lower electrodes is 1mm, the interdigitated electrode structure can increase the withstand voltage by nearly 100 times.

[0029] (3) The interdigitated electrode structure of the electrically controlled dimming film of the present invention has low equipment requirements in the production process, is easy to implement, has a high yield rate, and greatly reduces the product cost; the distributed lateral electrodes used can even be realized by traditional opaque conductive materials (such as metal electrodes, graphite electrodes, silver paste electrodes, etc.), and can also maintain a high light transmittance; it has high bending resistance and is not prone to device aging caused by mechanical stress.

[0030] Other features and advantages of additional aspects of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and in part will become obvious from the following description or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the traditional electrochromic window structure;

[0032] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of a lateral electrically controlled dimming film unit in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] It should be noted that the following detailed description is illustrative and is intended to provide further explanation of the present application. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in the present invention have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present application belongs.

[0034] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0035] Example 1

[0036] In one or more embodiments, a lateral structure electrically controlled dimming film unit is disclosed, referring to Figure 2 , specifically including: a first electrode layer, an electrochromic layer (working electrode layer), an electrolyte layer, an ion storage layer (counter electrode layer) and a second electrode layer arranged in sequence from top to bottom; wherein, the first electrode layer includes at least one strip electrode, and when there are two or more strip electrodes, a set distance is set between adjacent two strip electrodes; the second electrode layer includes at least one strip electrode, and when there are two or more strip electrodes, a set distance is set between adjacent two strip electrodes; the strip electrodes of the first electrode layer and the strip electrodes of the second electrode layer are distributed alternately, and the upper and lower electrode layers form an interdigitated electrode structure.

[0037] In this embodiment, a transparent encapsulation layer is provided above the first electrode layer. The transparent encapsulation layer has an insulating structure. A transparent substrate is provided below the second electrode layer. The transparent substrate can be made of PET film, which has excellent insulating properties. Of course, the substrate below the second electrode layer can also be opaque.

[0038] In this embodiment, the positive electrode of the external power supply is connected to the strip electrodes of the first electrode layer, and the negative electrode of the external power supply is connected to the strip electrodes of the second electrode layer; the electrolyte layer is a non-transparent layer, which is a mixture of three states: solid, liquid, and gel; when the external power supply is turned on, a transverse electric field component is formed between the strip electrodes of the first electrode layer and the strip electrodes of the second electrode layer; under the action of the electric field of the applied voltage, the ions in the electrolyte layer migrate into (or out of) the electrochromic layer, causing the valence of the electrochromic material to decrease (or increase), thereby achieving a color change of the electrochromic material.

[0039] In this embodiment, the width of the strip electrodes in the first electrode layer or the second electrode layer is selected according to actual needs; the preferred width range is 10 μm to 3 mm, but other width ranges can also be selected according to actual needs. The first electrode layer or the second electrode layer can use a transparent electrode, such as an ITO film, and the two electrode layers use a strip electrode structure with alternating distribution, which reduces the area of ​​the transparent electrode and saves costs. In other embodiments, the ratio of the area of ​​the opaque portion to the area of ​​the translucent portion is sufficiently reduced, so that the first electrode layer or the second electrode layer can even use an opaque electrode, and still maintain a high transmittance. Generally speaking, when the width of the strip electrode is less than 100 μm, it is difficult to be observed by the naked eye.

[0040] In other embodiments, a lateral structure electrically controlled dimming film is disclosed, comprising at least one of the aforementioned lateral structure electrically controlled dimming film units; the lateral structure electrically controlled dimming film units are spliced ​​together or formed as an integrated structure. The positive electrode of an external power supply is connected to the strip electrodes of the first electrode layer, and the negative electrode of the external power supply is connected to the strip electrodes of the second electrode layer. By applying a voltage to the two electrode layers through the external power supply, the lateral structure electrically controlled dimming film can be placed in a transparent state or an opaque state. When in the opaque state, the color displayed by the lateral structure electrically controlled dimming film is related to the material of the electrochromic layer.

[0041] Based on the horizontal structure electrically controlled dimming film in this embodiment, this embodiment also discloses a window structure, such as a window of a building or a sunroof of a car, etc. The window structure adopts a horizontal structure electrically controlled dimming film structure, which can realize the switching of the window structure between transparent and opaque.

[0042] Based on the horizontal structure electrically controlled dimming film in this embodiment, this embodiment also discloses a building exterior wall, which adopts a horizontal structure electrically controlled dimming film structure and can realize the switching of the exterior wall between transparent and opaque.

[0043] Example 2

[0044] In one or more embodiments, a method for preparing a lateral structure electrically controlled dimming film unit is disclosed, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0045] Depositing a second electrode layer on the transparent substrate by screen printing, and then sequentially depositing an ion storage layer, an electrolyte layer, an electrochromic layer and a first electrode layer by screen printing;

[0046] or,

[0047] The second electrode layer is deposited on the transparent substrate by inkjet printing, and then the ion storage layer, the electrolyte layer, the electrochromic layer and the first electrode layer are deposited in sequence by inkjet printing.

[0048] Among them, the first electrode layer includes at least one strip electrode, and a set distance is set between two adjacent strip electrodes; the second electrode layer includes at least one strip electrode, and a set distance is set between two adjacent strip electrodes; the strip electrodes of the first electrode layer and the strip electrodes of the second electrode layer are distributed alternately.

[0049] The specific structure of the horizontal electrically controlled dimming film unit has been described in detail in the first embodiment and will not be described in detail here.

[0050] Although the above describes the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art on the basis of the technical solution of the present invention without any creative work are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A horizontal structure electrically controlled dimming film unit, characterized in that: include: A first electrode layer, an electrochromic layer, an electrolyte layer, an ion storage layer, and a second electrode layer are sequentially arranged; wherein the first electrode layer includes at least one strip electrode, and a set distance is spaced between two adjacent strip electrodes; the second electrode layer includes at least one strip electrode, and a set distance is spaced between two adjacent strip electrodes; the strip electrodes of the first electrode layer and the strip electrodes of the second electrode layer are alternately distributed; The first electrode of the external power supply is connected to the strip electrodes of the first electrode layer, and the second electrode of the external power supply is connected to the strip electrodes of the second electrode layer; the current between the two electrode layers flows obliquely.

2. The horizontal structure electrically controlled dimming film unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: The substrate layer is disposed adjacent to the second electrode layer, and the substrate layer is a transparent substrate or an opaque substrate.

3. The horizontal structure electrically controlled dimming film unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A transparent encapsulation layer is disposed adjacent to the first electrode layer.

4. The horizontal structure electrically controlled dimming film unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The width of the strip electrodes in the first electrode layer or the second electrode layer satisfies the range of 10 μm to 3 mm.

5. The horizontal structure electrically controlled dimming film unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first electrode layer or the second electrode layer is a transparent electrode or a non-transparent electrode.

6. A method for preparing the horizontal structure electrically controlled dimming film unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: include: Depositing a second electrode layer on the transparent substrate by screen printing, and then sequentially depositing an ion storage layer, an electrolyte layer, an electrochromic layer and a first electrode layer by screen printing; or, The second electrode layer is deposited on the transparent substrate by inkjet printing, and then the ion storage layer, the electrolyte layer, the electrochromic layer and the first electrode layer are deposited in sequence by inkjet printing.

7. An electrically controlled dimming film, characterized in that: The device comprises at least one lateral structure electrically controlled dimming film unit, wherein the lateral structure electrically controlled dimming film unit adopts the lateral structure electrically controlled dimming film unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. The electrically controlled dimming film according to claim 7, wherein: The strip electrodes in the first electrode layer are connected to the first electrode of the external power supply, and the strip electrodes in the second electrode layer are connected to the second electrode of the external power supply.

9. A window structure, characterized in that: The electrically controlled dimming film according to claim 7 or 8 is used.

10. A building exterior wall, characterized in that: The electrically controlled dimming film according to claim 7 or 8 is used.

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