An intelligent window
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202521844731.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-21
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-08-28
AI Technical Summary
[0004]本申请提供了一种智能窗户，用于解决现有智能窗户技术无法实现对红外光的主动调控的问题
[0025]本申请实施例通过在窗户(即可透光基板)的内外两侧设置热电转换器(第一热电转换器和第二热电转换器)，从而利用窗户内外的温差(即第一热电传唤器与第二热电转换器之间的温度差)，将其转换为电能，实现对红外辐射热能的独立控制，节约能耗。
Smart Images
Figure CN224669707U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application belongs to the field of intelligent control technology, specifically relating to an intelligent window. Background Technology
[0002] Approximately 50% of solar radiation heat comes from infrared light. By regulating the infrared light passing through windows, the impact of infrared thermal radiation on indoor temperature can be controlled.
[0003] However, existing smart window technology cannot actively control infrared light. Therefore, it is necessary to improve upon the inability of existing LCD windows to control infrared light, and to achieve autonomous and independent control of solar infrared radiation energy, so as to better reduce energy loss caused by indoor and outdoor heat exchange through windows, and thus achieve the goal of energy conservation. Utility Model Content
[0004] This application provides a smart window that addresses the problem that existing smart window technologies cannot achieve active control of infrared light.
[0005] In a first aspect, there is a smart window, the smart window comprising: a first thermoelectric converter, a light-transmitting substrate, and a second thermoelectric converter;
[0006] The first thermoelectric converter is located on one side of the light-transmitting substrate; the second thermoelectric converter is located on the side of the light-transmitting substrate opposite to the first thermoelectric converter; the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter are connected to convert the temperature difference between the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter into electrical energy.
[0007] In one possible implementation, the first thermoelectric converter includes: a first electrode and a second electrode disposed opposite to each other, and a first thermoelectric material disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode;
[0008] Wherein, the first electrode is located on the side of the first thermoelectric material away from the light-transmitting substrate, and the second electrode is located on the side of the first thermoelectric material close to the light-transmitting substrate.
[0009] The second thermoelectric converter includes: a third electrode and a fourth electrode disposed opposite to each other, and a second thermoelectric material disposed between the third electrode and the fourth electrode;
[0010] The third electrode is located on the side of the second thermoelectric material closer to the light-transmitting substrate; the fourth electrode is located on the side of the second thermoelectric material away from the light-transmitting substrate.
[0011] In one possible implementation, the second electrode of the first thermoelectric converter and the third electrode of the second thermoelectric converter are connected by a conductive film located on the side of the light-transmitting substrate. The second electrode and the third electrode are of different electrode types, namely P-type or N-type.
[0012] In one possible implementation, the first electrode, the second electrode, the third electrode, and the fourth electrode are made of transparent electrode materials.
[0013] The first thermoelectric material and the second thermoelectric material are transparent thermoelectric materials.
[0014] In one possible implementation, the smart window further includes an energy storage device connected to either the first or the second thermoelectric converter to store the converted electrical energy.
[0015] In one possible implementation, the smart window further includes a switch circuit connected between the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter, for controlling the on or off state of the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter.
[0016] In one possible implementation, the smart window includes multiple pairs of thermoelectric converter groups, each pair of thermoelectric converter groups including: a first thermoelectric converter and a second thermoelectric converter.
[0017] In one possible implementation, the multiple pairs of thermoelectric converter groups are connected in series.
[0018] In one possible implementation, the projection position of the first thermoelectric converter on the light-transmitting substrate overlaps with the projection position of the second thermoelectric converter on the light-transmitting substrate.
[0019] In one possible implementation, the light-transmitting substrate includes: a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and liquid crystal molecules between the first substrate and the second substrate;
[0020] The first substrate includes a first substrate glass, the second substrate includes a second substrate glass, and a transparent electrode is disposed on the first substrate glass and / or the second substrate glass.
[0021] In one possible implementation, the smart window further includes a voltage converter, the input of which is connected to the first thermoelectric converter or the second thermoelectric converter, and the output of which is connected to the transparent electrode of the light-transmitting substrate to power the transparent electrode with the generated electrical energy.
[0022] In one possible implementation, the surface of the first thermoelectric converter facing away from the light-transmitting substrate is coated with a transparent infrared heat-absorbing material.
[0023] In one possible implementation, the infrared heat-absorbing material is silicon dioxide.
[0024] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows:
[0025] This application embodiment sets up thermoelectric converters (a first thermoelectric converter and a second thermoelectric converter) on the inner and outer sides of the window (i.e., the light-transmitting substrate), thereby utilizing the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the window (i.e., the temperature difference between the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter) to convert it into electrical energy, realizing independent control of infrared radiation heat energy and saving energy consumption.
[0026] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description
[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or related technologies of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. It should be noted that the scale in the drawings is for illustration only and does not represent the actual scale.
[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a smart window according to an embodiment of this application;
[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-pair thermoelectric converter group in an embodiment of this application;
[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another series connection of multiple thermoelectric converter groups in an embodiment of this application;
[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a light-transmitting substrate according to an embodiment of this application;
[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a liquid crystal dimming window in an embodiment of this application;
[0033] Figure description: First thermoelectric converter 100, second thermoelectric converter 200, light-transmitting substrate 300, conductive thin film 400;
[0034] First electrode 101, second electrode 102, first thermoelectric material 103;
[0035] Third electrode 201, fourth electrode 202, second thermoelectric material 203. Detailed Implementation
[0036] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0037] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first" and "second" are generally of the same class, not limited in number; for example, the first object can be one or at least two. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.
[0038] Currently, smart windows focus on two main areas: providing comfortable lighting and reducing air conditioning energy consumption through efficient thermal management. LCD smart windows can effectively regulate visible light transmittance using voltage, thereby improving indoor lighting comfort. However, LCD windows cannot regulate infrared light, and since approximately 50% of solar radiation heat comes from infrared light, additional infrared thermal radiation regulation solutions are needed to better reduce energy loss caused by heat exchange between indoors and outdoors through the window.
[0039] In view of the above problems, this application provides a smart window that uses thermoelectric converters (a first thermoelectric converter and a second thermoelectric converter) on the inner and outer sides of the window (i.e., the light-transmitting substrate) to convert the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the window (i.e., the temperature difference between the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter) into electrical energy, thereby achieving independent control of infrared radiation heat energy and saving energy consumption.
[0040] The first aspect of this application proposes an intelligent window, which includes: a first thermoelectric converter, a light-transmitting substrate, and a second thermoelectric converter;
[0041] The first thermoelectric converter is located on one side of the light-transmitting substrate; the second thermoelectric converter is located on the side of the light-transmitting substrate opposite to the first thermoelectric converter; the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter are connected to convert the temperature difference between the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter into electrical energy.
[0042] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a smart window is shown, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the smart window consists of two main parts: a light-transmitting substrate and a thermoelectric conversion device. The light-transmitting substrate 300 represents a substrate structure that allows ambient light from the outside to pass through the substrate material and illuminate the interior, such as a typical glass substrate or liquid crystal glass. The thermoelectric conversion device consists of a first thermoelectric converter 100 and a second thermoelectric converter 200. The first thermoelectric converter 100 is located on the outer surface of the light-transmitting substrate 300 (i.e., the side facing the outdoor environment), while the second thermoelectric converter 200 is located on the inner surface of the light-transmitting substrate 300 (i.e., the side facing the indoor environment). In high-temperature environments, where the outdoor temperature is higher than the indoor temperature, or where sunlight carries higher infrared heat radiation, the temperature of the first thermoelectric converter 100 located on the outer surface of the light-transmitting substrate 300 is higher than the temperature of the second thermoelectric converter 200 located on the inner surface of the light-transmitting substrate 300, creating a temperature difference.
[0043] The first thermoelectric converter 100 and the second thermoelectric converter 200 are interconnected using a flexible conductive material. Electrical energy is generated by utilizing the temperature difference between the first thermoelectric converter 100 and the second thermoelectric converter 200 (i.e., the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the window). Therefore, in high-temperature environments (such as summer), storing electrical energy obtained by converting the indoor and outdoor temperature difference (corresponding to heat energy) can reduce infrared heat radiation passing through the window, lower the indoor temperature, and reduce the energy consumption of indoor air conditioning and other temperature control systems.
[0044] In one possible implementation, the first thermoelectric converter includes: a first electrode and a second electrode disposed opposite to each other, and a first thermoelectric material disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode;
[0045] Wherein, the first electrode is located on the side of the first thermoelectric material away from the light-transmitting substrate, and the second electrode is located on the side of the first thermoelectric material close to the light-transmitting substrate;
[0046] The second thermoelectric converter includes: a third electrode and a fourth electrode disposed opposite to each other, and a second thermoelectric material disposed between the third electrode and the fourth electrode;
[0047] The third electrode is located on the side of the second thermoelectric material closer to the light-transmitting substrate; the fourth electrode is located on the side of the second thermoelectric material away from the light-transmitting substrate.
[0048] The first and second thermoelectric converters are mainly composed of thermoelectric materials, hot-end electrodes, and cold-end electrodes. Specifically, for example... Figure 1 As shown, the first thermoelectric converter 100 includes: a first electrode 101 and a second electrode 102 disposed opposite to each other, and a first thermoelectric material 103 disposed between the first electrode 101 and the second electrode 102. The first electrode 101 is located on the side of the first thermoelectric material facing away from the light-transmitting substrate (i.e., the first electrode 101 is closer to the external environment), and the second electrode 102 is located on the side of the first thermoelectric material 103 close to the light-transmitting substrate. The second electrode 102 is in contact with the light-transmitting substrate 300.
[0049] The structure of the first thermoelectric converter is the same as that of the second thermoelectric converter. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the second thermoelectric converter includes: a third electrode 201 and a fourth electrode 202 disposed opposite to each other, and a second thermoelectric material 203 disposed between the third electrode 201 and the fourth electrode 202; wherein, the third electrode 201 is located on the side of the second thermoelectric material 203 close to the light-transmitting substrate and is in contact with the light-transmitting substrate; the fourth electrode 202 is located on the side of the second thermoelectric material 203 away from the light-transmitting substrate. Figure 1 As shown, the stacking order from the outside to the inside of the smart window is as follows: first electrode 101, first thermoelectric material 103, second electrode 102, light-transmitting substrate 300, third electrode 201, second thermoelectric material 203, and fourth electrode 202.
[0050] In one possible implementation, the second electrode of the first thermoelectric converter and the third electrode of the second thermoelectric converter are connected by a conductive film located on the side of the light-transmitting substrate. The second electrode and the third electrode are of different electrode types, namely P-type or N-type.
[0051] like Figure 1 As shown, the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter can be connected via a conductive film 400. A conductive film refers to a thin film material capable of conducting electricity; in this embodiment, the specific material type of the conductive film is not limited. The conductive film 400 is disposed on the side of the light-transmitting substrate 300, thereby connecting the first thermoelectric converter 100 and the second thermoelectric converter 200 on the inner and outer surfaces of the light-transmitting substrate 300. Furthermore, to form a complete circuit, a conductive film on the other side (in...) Figure 1 (Not shown in the image) It can also connect to the first electrode of the first thermoelectric converter and the fourth electrode of the second thermoelectric converter.
[0052] Furthermore, the conductive film 400 connects the second electrode 102 of the first thermoelectric converter to the third electrode 201 of the second thermoelectric converter, thereby generating electrical energy using the temperature difference between the first and second thermoelectric converters. In thermoelectric converters, electrode materials are generally of two types: P-type or N-type. To generate current in the circuit, the electrodes connected to the two ends of the conductive film must have different positive and negative poles, meaning the two electrodes belong to different electrode types. When the second electrode is P-type (the first electrode is N-type), the corresponding third electrode is N-type (the fourth electrode is P-type); conversely, when the second electrode is N-type (the first electrode is P-type), the corresponding third electrode is P-type (the fourth electrode is N-type). This allows the conductive film to be connected in series with the second and third electrodes on one side, and with the fourth electrode connected to the first electrode on the other.
[0053] In one possible implementation, the first electrode, the second electrode, the third electrode, and the fourth electrode are made of transparent electrode materials.
[0054] The first thermoelectric material and the second thermoelectric material are transparent thermoelectric materials.
[0055] Specifically, the first and second thermoelectric converters are located on the inner and outer sides of the light-transmitting substrate. To avoid blocking visible light, this application proposes using transparent materials to fabricate the first and second thermoelectric converters. Specifically, the electrode materials used for the first, second, third, and fourth electrodes are transparent electrode materials, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or zinc oxide (ZnO). The first and second thermoelectric materials are transparent thermoelectric materials, which can be inorganic transparent thermoelectric materials, such as cuprous iodide (CuI), or organic transparent thermoelectric materials, such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS).
[0056] In one possible implementation, the smart window further includes an energy storage device connected to either the first or the second thermoelectric converter to store the converted electrical energy.
[0057] Specifically, after generating electrical energy using the temperature difference between the first and second thermoelectric converters, an energy storage device can be used for energy recovery. This energy storage device can be a battery. To achieve energy recovery, the energy storage device can be electrically connected to either the first or second thermoelectric converter, for example, by connecting it to a conductive film. In hot summer weather, when outdoor temperatures are high and indoor temperatures are low, the electrical energy generated by the temperature difference between the first and second thermoelectric converters can be recovered and reused through the energy storage device. This reduces the amount of outdoor heat radiating into the room through windows, further saving energy consumption.
[0058] In one possible implementation, the smart window further includes a switch circuit connected between the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter, for controlling the on or off state of the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter.
[0059] Specifically, the switching circuit can be disposed in the conductive film, that is, connected between the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter. When the switching circuit is in the off state, the first and second thermoelectric converters are in an off state, and no current can be generated even if there is a temperature difference between them. When the switching circuit is in the on state, the first and second thermoelectric converters are in a conductive state, and electrical energy can be generated by utilizing the temperature difference between them.
[0060] In hot summer weather, when the outdoor temperature is high and the indoor temperature is low, the switch circuit can be turned on, making the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter conductive. The current is generated by the temperature difference between the first and second thermoelectric converters. In cold weather, in order to allow as much solar radiation heat as possible to enter the room, the switch circuit can be turned off, making the first and second thermoelectric converters off. This avoids the extra loss of heat energy received by the window being converted into electrical energy, and instead allows it to radiate normally into the room through the window.
[0061] In one possible implementation, the smart window includes multiple pairs of thermoelectric converter groups, each pair of thermoelectric converter groups including: a first thermoelectric converter and a second thermoelectric converter.
[0062] Each pair of thermoelectric converter groups has the same structure, consisting of a first thermoelectric converter 100 located on the outside of the light-transmitting substrate and a second thermoelectric converter 200 located on the inside of the light-transmitting substrate. The first thermoelectric converter 100 and the second thermoelectric converter 200 are connected by a conductive thin film. In this embodiment, multiple pairs of thermoelectric converter groups can be independent of each other, with each thermoelectric converter group acting as an independent circuit and controlled separately. The absorption effect (i.e., energy conversion effect) of the smart window on infrared thermal radiation can be controlled by controlling the number of circuits turned off, i.e., the number of thermoelectric converter groups that are not in operation. In this embodiment, multiple pairs of thermoelectric converter groups can also be connected in series in the same circuit.
[0063] In one possible implementation, the multiple pairs of thermoelectric converter groups are connected in series.
[0064] In this embodiment, multiple pairs of thermoelectric converter groups can be connected in series in the same circuit and controlled uniformly by a single circuit switch. The more thermoelectric converter groups there are, the larger the area covered on the light-transmitting substrate, and the better the control effect on infrared light. In this embodiment, the number of thermoelectric converter groups is not limited, nor are the shape and size of the first and second thermoelectric converters in each group limited.
[0065] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a series connection of multiple thermoelectric converter groups is shown, such as... Figure 2 As shown, for two pairs of thermoelectric converter groups in series, such as thermoelectric converter group 1 and thermoelectric converter group 2, their first electrodes 101 are connected to each other, and their fourth electrodes 202 are connected to each other. Furthermore, in order to form a complete circuit, any two adjacent first electrodes have different electrode types (P-type or N-type). For example, for the series sequence of thermoelectric converter group 1 → thermoelectric converter group 2 → thermoelectric converter group 3, the first electrode of thermoelectric converter group 1 is P-type, the first electrode of thermoelectric converter group 2 is N-type, and the first electrode of thermoelectric converter group 3 is P-type, and so on. Similarly, any two adjacent fourth electrodes have different electrode types (P-type or N-type). For example, for the series sequence of thermoelectric converter group 1 → thermoelectric converter group 2 → thermoelectric converter group 3, the fourth electrode of thermoelectric converter group 1 is N-type, the fourth electrode of thermoelectric converter group 2 is P-type, and the fourth electrode of thermoelectric converter group 3 is N-type, and so on. (Refer to...) Figure 3 , Figure 3 Another schematic diagram of a series connection of multiple thermoelectric converter pairs is shown, such as... Figure 3As shown, there are multiple sets of thermoelectric converters on a light-transmitting substrate. For two adjacent sets of thermoelectric converters, the first or second electrode of each other is connected to each other, and the third or fourth electrode is connected to each other, thereby realizing the series connection of multiple sets of thermoelectric converters.
[0066] In one possible implementation, the projection position of the first thermoelectric converter on the light-transmitting substrate overlaps with the projection position of the second thermoelectric converter on the light-transmitting substrate.
[0067] The first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter correspond to each other, and their projection positions on the light-transmitting substrate can be staggered, partially overlap, or, as shown... Figure 1 As shown, the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter correspond to each other, and their projection positions on the light-transmitting substrate can overlap.
[0068] In one possible implementation, the light-transmitting substrate includes: a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and liquid crystal molecules between the first substrate and the second substrate;
[0069] The first substrate includes a first substrate glass, the second substrate includes a second substrate glass, and a transparent electrode is disposed on the first substrate glass and / or the second substrate glass.
[0070] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a light-transmitting substrate is shown, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the light-transmitting substrate 300 can be a liquid crystal dimming glass. Specifically, the light-transmitting substrate 300 includes: a first substrate 301 and a second substrate 302 disposed opposite to each other, and liquid crystal molecules 303 between the first substrate 301 and the second substrate 302. The liquid crystal molecules between the first substrate and the second substrate change their alignment direction with the voltage change between the first substrate and the second substrate. There are multiple liquid crystal molecules between the first substrate and the second substrate, and these liquid crystal molecules can be dye liquid crystals with added dichroic anisotropic dyes.
[0071] A transparent electrode is disposed on the first substrate glass and / or the second substrate glass. Unlike the TN mode, the transparent electrode can be disposed on both the first and second substrate glasses simultaneously, or it can be disposed on only one side (either the first or the second substrate glass).
[0072] For example, when transparent electrodes can be simultaneously disposed on a first substrate glass and a second substrate glass, the first substrate includes: a first substrate glass, a first transparent electrode disposed on the side of the first substrate glass near the second substrate, and a first alignment layer disposed on the side of the first transparent electrode near the second substrate; the second substrate includes: a second substrate glass, a second transparent electrode disposed on the side of the second substrate glass near the first substrate, and a second alignment layer disposed on the side of the second transparent electrode near the first substrate. Liquid crystal molecules are located between the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer.
[0073] The liquid crystal material can be either negative or positive. For example, if the liquid crystal molecules are negative, their initial orientation is aligned perpendicular to either the first or second substrate under the action of the alignment layer. As the voltage between the upper and lower substrates changes (the voltage between the first and second transparent electrodes), the liquid crystal molecules are realigned perpendicular to the electric field. When it is necessary to change the intensity of light passing through the window, only the driving voltage between the first and second substrates needs to be changed.
[0074] In one possible implementation, the smart window further includes a voltage converter, the input of which is connected to the first thermoelectric converter or the second thermoelectric converter, and the output of which is connected to the transparent electrode of the light-transmitting substrate to power the transparent electrode with the generated electrical energy.
[0075] Specifically, after converting electrical energy using the temperature difference between the first and second thermoelectric converters, energy recovery can be performed, and the recovered energy can be directly used for liquid crystal dimming. Specifically, a voltage converter is used to electrically connect its input terminal to either the first or second thermoelectric converter, for example, by connecting it to a conductive film, and its output terminal is connected to a light-transmitting substrate, which can then be connected to the power supply of the light-transmitting substrate, thereby powering the liquid crystal dimming glass. Furthermore, the output terminal of the voltage converter can be directly connected to the transparent electrodes (first and / or second transparent electrodes) of the light-transmitting substrate, thereby powering the transparent electrodes. (Refer to...) Figure 5 , Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a liquid crystal dimming window is shown, as follows: Figure 5 As shown, this embodiment combines liquid crystal dimming with a thermoelectric converter, which improves upon the shortcomings of existing liquid crystal windows that cannot control infrared light, and realizes autonomous and independent control of visible light and solar infrared radiation energy, further saving energy consumption.
[0076] In one possible implementation, the surface of the first thermoelectric converter facing away from the light-transmitting substrate is coated with a transparent infrared heat-absorbing material.
[0077] In one possible implementation, the infrared heat-absorbing material is silicon dioxide.
[0078] In this embodiment, by coating the outermost layer of the smart window with a layer of transparent infrared heat-absorbing material, the efficiency of infrared light conversion into heat energy can be further improved.
[0079] This application proposes an intelligent window comprising a liquid crystal dimming window and a thermoelectric converter. The liquid crystal dimming window consists of a first substrate with transparent electrodes, a dye-based liquid crystal, and a second substrate with transparent electrodes. Thermoelectric converters (a first thermoelectric converter and a second thermoelectric converter) are fabricated on the outer surfaces of the first and second substrates, respectively, generating electricity using the temperature difference between the inner and outer surfaces of the window and recovering the electrical energy. The intelligent window provided in this application can achieve four modes: bright, dark, cold, and warm. In bright mode, the liquid crystal window has high transmittance, allowing visible light to pass through the liquid crystal cell and reach the interior. In dark mode, the liquid crystal window has low transmittance, blocking visible light. The transmittance of the liquid crystal window can be adjusted according to the voltage, allowing it to autonomously adjust based on the required indoor lighting. In cold mode, due to the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors, the thermoelectric devices on the inner and outer surfaces of the liquid crystal window generate current under the influence of the temperature difference. This allows for the recovery of the generated electricity, and also reduces radiation into the interior by absorbing some of the outdoor infrared radiation heat energy, thus reducing the energy consumption of the indoor air conditioning system. In heating mode, the indoor temperature is high and the outdoor temperature is low. The thermoelectric converter can be turned off, allowing outdoor infrared radiation heat energy to radiate into the room through the windows.
[0080] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.
[0081] Finally, it should be noted that in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.
[0082] The above provides a detailed description of an intelligent window provided by this application. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.
[0083] Other embodiments of this application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this application are indicated by the following claims.
[0084] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.
[0085] The terms "an embodiment," "embodiment," or "one or more embodiments" as used herein mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Furthermore, please note that the examples of the phrase "in one embodiment" do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.
[0086] Numerous specific details are set forth in the specification provided herein. However, it will be understood that embodiments of this application may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this specification.
[0087] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses should not be construed as limiting the claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claims. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. This application can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a unit claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc., does not indicate any order. These words can be interpreted as names.
[0088] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.
Claims
1. A smart window, characterized in that, The smart window includes: a first thermoelectric converter, a light-transmitting substrate, and a second thermoelectric converter; The first thermoelectric converter is located on one side of the light-transmitting substrate; the second thermoelectric converter is located on the side of the light-transmitting substrate opposite to the first thermoelectric converter; the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter are connected to convert the temperature difference between the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter into electrical energy.
2. The smart window according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first thermoelectric converter includes: a first electrode and a second electrode disposed opposite to each other, and a first thermoelectric material disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode; Wherein, the first electrode is located on the side of the first thermoelectric material away from the light-transmitting substrate, and the second electrode is located on the side of the first thermoelectric material close to the light-transmitting substrate. The second thermoelectric converter includes: a third electrode and a fourth electrode disposed opposite to each other, and a second thermoelectric material disposed between the third electrode and the fourth electrode; The third electrode is located on the side of the second thermoelectric material closer to the light-transmitting substrate; the fourth electrode is located on the side of the second thermoelectric material away from the light-transmitting substrate.
3. The smart window according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second electrode of the first thermoelectric converter and the third electrode of the second thermoelectric converter are connected by a conductive film located on the side of the light-transmitting substrate. The second electrode and the third electrode are of different electrode types, namely P-type or N-type.
4. The smart window according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first electrode, the second electrode, the third electrode, and the fourth electrode are made of transparent electrode material. The first thermoelectric material and the second thermoelectric material are transparent thermoelectric materials.
5. The smart window according to claim 1, characterized in that, The smart window further includes an energy storage device connected to the first thermoelectric converter or the second thermoelectric converter to store the converted electrical energy.
6. The smart window according to claim 1, characterized in that, The smart window further includes a switch circuit, which is connected between the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter, and is used to control the on or off of the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter.
7. The smart window according to claim 2, characterized in that, The smart window includes multiple pairs of thermoelectric converter groups, each pair of thermoelectric converter groups including: a first thermoelectric converter and a second thermoelectric converter.
8. The smart window according to claim 7, characterized in that, The multiple pairs of thermoelectric converters are connected in series.
9. The smart window according to claim 1, characterized in that, The projection position of the first thermoelectric converter on the light-transmitting substrate overlaps with the projection position of the second thermoelectric converter on the light-transmitting substrate.
10. The smart window according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The light-transmitting substrate includes: a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and liquid crystal molecules between the first substrate and the second substrate; The first substrate includes a first substrate glass, the second substrate includes a second substrate glass, and a transparent electrode is disposed on the first substrate glass and / or the second substrate glass.
11. The smart window according to claim 10, characterized in that, The smart window further includes a voltage converter, the input of which is connected to the first thermoelectric converter or the second thermoelectric converter, and the output of which is connected to the transparent electrode of the light-transmitting substrate, so as to use the generated electrical energy to power the transparent electrode.
12. The smart window according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The surface of the first thermoelectric converter opposite to the light-transmitting substrate is coated with a transparent infrared heat-absorbing material.
13. The smart window according to claim 12, characterized in that, The infrared heat-absorbing material is silicon dioxide.