US-12625408-B2 - Obscuring bus bars in electrochromic glass structures

US12625408B2US 12625408 B2US12625408 B2US 12625408B2US-12625408-B2

Abstract

Embodiments described include bus bars for electrochromic or other optical state changing devices. The bus bars are configured to color match and/or provide minimal optical contrast with their surrounding environment in the optical device. Such bus bars may be transparent bus bars.

Inventors

Robert T. Rozbicki
Gordon Jack
Disha Mehtani
Robin Friedman

Assignees

VIEW, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240104

Claims (8)

1 . An electrochromic glass structure, comprising: a substantially transparent substrate; an electrochromic device disposed on the substantially transparent substrate; and a bus bar configured to power the electrochromic device; wherein the bus bar is disposed in a trench in the substantially transparent substrate; wherein the bus bar comprises a transparent material; and wherein the bus bar includes carbon or silver nanostructures.
2 . The electrochromic glass structure of claim 1 , further comprising another substantially transparent substrate laminated to the substantially transparent substrate.
3 . The electrochromic glass structure of claim 1 wherein the bus bar is optically unobtrusive.
4 . The electrochromic glass structure of claim 1 wherein the bus bar is located with a viewable area of the electrochromic glass structure.
5 . An insulated glass unit (IGU) comprising: first and second substantially transparent substrates; a spacer between the first and second substantially transparent substrate; a primary seal between the spacer and the first substantially transparent substrate and between the spacer and the second substantially transparent substrate; an electrochromic device disposed on the first substantially transparent substrate; and a bus bar configured to power the electrochromic device; wherein the bus bar is disposed in a trench in the substantially transparent substrate; wherein the bus bar comprises a transparent material; and wherein the bus bar includes carbon or silver nanostructures.
6 . The IGU of claim 5 , further comprising another substantially transparent substrate laminated to the substantially transparent substrate.
7 . The IGU of claim 5 wherein the bus bar is optically unobtrusive.
8 . The IGU of claim 5 wherein the bus bar is located with a viewable area of the IGU.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS An Application Data Sheet is filed concurrently with this specification as part of the present application. Each application that the present application claims benefit of or priority to as identified in the concurrently filed Application Data Sheet is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and for all purposes. FIELD Certain embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to techniques for obscuring from view bus bars and other features within an electrochromic (EC) glass structure assembly having, for example, one or more insulated glass units (IGUs). BACKGROUND Electrochromism is a phenomenon in which a material exhibits a reversible electrochemically-mediated change in an optical property when placed in a different electronic state, typically by being subjected to a voltage change. The optical property is typically one or more of color, transmittance, absorbance, and reflectance. One well known electrochromic material is tungsten oxide (WO3). Tungsten oxide is a cathodic electrochromic material in which a coloration transition, transparent to blue, occurs by electrochemical reduction. Electrochromic materials may be incorporated into, for example, windows for home, commercial and other uses. The color, transmittance, absorbance, and/or reflectance of such windows may be changed by inducing a change in the electrochromic material, that is, electrochromic windows are windows that can be darkened or lightened electronically. A small voltage applied to an electrochromic device of the window will cause them to darken; reversing the voltage causes them to lighten. This capability allows control of the amount of light that passes through the windows, and presents an opportunity for electrochromic windows to be used as energy-saving devices. While electrochromism was discovered in the 1960s, electrochromic devices, and particularly electrochromic windows, still unfortunately suffer various problems and have not begun to realize their full commercial potential despite many recent advances in electrochromic technology, apparatus and related methods of making and/or using electrochromic devices. BRIEF SUMMARY Certain embodiments described herein generally relate to techniques for obscuring bus bars in electrochromic glass structures. Certain aspects are directed to an electrochromic glass structure comprising a substantially transparent substrate and an electrochromic device coating disposed on the substantially transparent substrate. The electrochromic device coating has one or more transparent conductive layers. The electrochromic glass structure further comprises a bus bar configured to power the electrochromic device and a strip of obscuration material aligned substantially parallel to the length of the bus bar. The strip of obscuration material is located on a surface of the electrochromic glass structure between the bus bar and an exterior environment to the electrochromic glass structure. In some cases, the strip of obscuration material has at least a width configured to block view of the bus bar from an observer viewing through the substantially transparent substrate. In one example, wherein the strip of obscuration material has a width greater than the width of the bus bar. In some cases, the strip of obscuration material is on an outer surface of the substantially transparent substrate. In one example, the strip of obscuration material is a thin flexible material (e.g., anodized aluminum) adhered to the outer surface of the substantially transparent substrate with an adhesive. In some cases, wherein the strip of obscuration material is located between the substantially transparent substrate's outer surface and another substantially transparent substrate's surface that is laminated to the substantially transparent substrate's outer surface. In some cases, the strip of obscuration material is a thermochromic coating and/or photochromic coating. In some cases, the strip of obscuration material has an open cell pattern or is configured as a discontinuous pattern of shapes rather than a continuous strip of material. In some cases, the strip of obscuration material is opaque. Certain aspects are directed to an insulated glass unit comprising first and second substantially transparent substrates, a spacer between the first and second substantially transparent substrate, a primary seal between the spacer and the first substantially transparent substrate and between the spacer and the second substantially transparent substrate, an electrochromic device on at least one of the first and second substantially transparent substrates, and a bus bar associated with the electrochromic device and located under the spacer and in the primary seal. The bus bar is configured to be camouflaged to blend in with its background. In some cases, the bus bar is configured to have minimal optical contrast with the primary seal and/or spacer of the IGU. In one case, the bus bar is made