JP-7855318-B2 - Electrochromic elements and eyeglass lenses

Inventors

• 宮崎 滋樹
• 川上 宏典

Assignees

• ホヤ レンズ タイランド リミテッド

Dates

Publication Date

20260508

Application Date

20210517

Claims (3)

1. An electrochromic element having an electrode layer and an electrochromic layer, The electrode layer includes conductive fibers in the transparent electrode layer, and the conductive fibers are mixed within the transparent electrode layer. An electrochromic element characterized in that the transparent electrode layer is made of ITO, the conductive fibers are a composite of carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires, and the conductive fibers are arranged in a mesh-like structure .
2. The electrochromic element according to claim 1 , characterized in that the electrochromic element is formed in a curved shape.
3. An eyeglass lens characterized by having the electrochromic element described in claim 2 .

Description

This invention relates to an electrochromic element capable of reversibly controlling color onset and decolorization electrically, and to eyeglass lenses using the same. Electrochromic elements, which utilize the electrochromic phenomenon—a reversible oxidation-reduction reaction caused by the application of voltage, resulting in a reversible color change—are used, for example, in eyeglass lenses. Electrochromic elements are formed as a layered structure on the surface of a substrate, comprising an electrode layer and an electrochromic layer. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-9368 Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrochromic element in an embodiment of the present invention.Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an electrochromic element in an embodiment of the present invention that has been processed into a spherical shape.Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a crack in eyeglasses using a conventional electrochromic element.Figure 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an electrode layer in an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 4B is a schematic plan view of Figure 4A.Figure 5 is a perspective view of eyeglasses using an electrochromic element according to an embodiment of the present invention. The following describes in detail embodiments for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as "this embodiment"). First, the overall structure of the electrochromic element 10 will be described. <Overall structure of an electrochromic element> Electrochromic (EC) elements are devices that utilize the electrochromic phenomenon, which causes a reversible oxidation-reduction reaction by applying voltage to both electrodes, resulting in a reversible change in color. For example, electrochromic elements can be used as eyeglass lenses, functioning as sunglasses in bright light and as clear lenses in dark light. They can be controlled by a switch or automatically adjusted to the optimal brightness. Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrochromic element 10. The electrochromic element 10 comprises a pair of first substrates 1 and second substrates 2, a first electrode layer 4 and a second electrode layer 5 arranged inside each of the substrates 1 and 2, and an electrochromic layer 6 provided between the electrode layers 4 and 5. Furthermore, the electrochromic layer 6 is composed of a reduction layer 7 located on the first electrode layer 4 side, an oxide layer 8 located on the second electrode layer 5 side, and an electrolyte layer 9 provided between the reduction layer 7 and the oxide layer 8. As shown in Figure 1, both ends of the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 extend outward beyond the electrochromic layer 6, and a sealing layer 14 is provided between the substrates 1 and 2, around the electrochromic layer 6. The sealing layer 14 is made of an existing insulating resin material, and the substrates 1 and 2 are bonded together by the sealing layer 14. The electrochromic element 10 is in film form, and for example, an eyeglass lens can be constructed by bonding the electrochromic film shown in Figure 1 to the surface of a lens substrate (not shown). Alternatively, an eyeglass lens can be constructed using the electrochromic element 10 shown in Figure 1, with the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 as lens substrates. The substrates 1 and 2 constituting the electrochromic element 10 are, for example, in the form of a film or sheet, and are required to be transparent and have high transmittance. Substrates 1 and 2 are, for example, moldable resin substrates such as polycarbonate resin, acrylic resin, epoxy resin, or phenolic resin, or glass substrates. Forming substrates 1 and 2 from polycarbonate resin is advantageous in terms of achieving transparency and high transmittance, as well as manufacturing costs. The reducing layer 7, which constitutes the electrochromic layer 6, is a layer that develops color in response to the reduction reaction. Existing reduced electrochromic compounds can be used in the reducing layer 7. While not limited to organic or inorganic compounds, examples include azobenzene, anthraquinone, diarylethene, dihydroprene, dipyridine, styryl, styrylspiropyran, spirooxazine, spirothiopyran, thioindigo, tetrathiafulvalene, terephthalic acid, triphenylmethane, triphenylamine, naphthopyran, viologen, pyrazoline, phenazine, phenylenediamine, phenoxazine, phenothiazine, phthalocyanine, fluorane, fulgide, benzopyran, metallocene, tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, iridium oxide, and titanium oxide. The oxide layer 8 constituting the electrochromic layer 6 is a layer that develops color in response to oxidation reactions. Existing oxidative electrochromic compounds can be used for the oxide layer 8. While not limited to organic or inorganic compounds, examples include compositions containing radical polymerizable compounds with triarylamines, Prussian blue-type complexes